Monday briefing: Why the US moved to oust Venezuela’s president

The US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a swift and unexpected operation on Saturday. The capture was carried out with a series of airstrikes, and Maduro and his wife were taken from their bedrooms and flown to New York. Donald Trump announced that the US would be in control of Venezuela for an unspecified period, with the goal of US companies taking over the country's oil infrastructure. Trump stated that the US has the greatest oil companies in the world and they would be heavily involved in Venezuela's oil industry. The US is keeping a 15,000-strong force in the Caribbean and may make another military intervention if Venezuela's interim president does not meet their demands. The situation in Venezuela is still unfolding, with the prospect of US control appearing to recede on Sunday. In other news, UK leader Keir Starmer has expressed a preference for closer ties with the EU single market over a customs union. Winter weather warnings are in place across the UK, with transport delays and school closures expected as people return to work and study after the Christmas break. Investigators have identified the last 16 victims of the New Year's Eve bar fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and German leftwing militants have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that cut power to tens of thousands of households in Berlin. The various news stories highlight a range of significant events and developments around the world, from military action and political shifts to natural disasters and protests.