The US government has ramped up its campaign against Venezuela following strikes that shook the capital city early Saturday.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have been high and building up for months, with President Donald Trump issuing warnings against the country.

Trump has repeatedly told the media that he and his administration have been targeting ‘narco terrorists’ who are accused of smuggling drugs into the country.

The US has been responding with force and killed more than 110 people in strikes in open water since it began attacking boats on September 2.

However, the US has seemed to have escalated the situation further by launching strikes on Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. According to reports, the places hit by strikes include a military airfield in the center of Caracas, La Carlota and the main military base of Fuerte Tiuna.

Trump has also claimed to have captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, writing on Truth Social today (January 3): “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.”

Several videos have already begun circulating on social media and show explosions rocking Caracas.

Donald Trump took to social media to brag about the success of the attacks (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The Venezuelan government said that the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were also hit, and that the strikes were ultimately an attempt by the US to seize Venezuela’s oil and minerals.

It said in a statement that it ‘rejects, repudiates and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America’.

A national emergency was declared by President Maduro, and Cuba and Colombia have also denounced the attacks.

In his post on Truth Social, Trump confirmed the US’ involvement in the strikes, writing: “This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Back in October, when asked by a reporter why he would not ask Congress for a declaration of war, he replied: “I think we’re just gonna kill people. Okay? We’re gonna kill them. They’re gonna be, like, dead.”

He added: “The land is going to be next. And we may go to the Senate; we may go to the Congress and tell them about it, but I can’t imagine they’d have any problem with it.”

At the time, Maduro denounced this statement by Trump and accused the US of seeking a ‘new eternal war’, adding: “They promised they would never again get involved in a war, and they are fabricating a war.”

Earlier this week, Maduro said that he and his government were open to talks with the US on drug trafficking and oil ‘wherever and whenever they want’.

European leaders have hit back at Donald Trump’s plan for the US to acquire Greenland.

Earlier this year, the POTUS had a message for the people of Greenland in what was a somewhat confusing address.

“If you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America,” Trump said. “We need Greenland for national security and even international security.

“And we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it. But we need it really for international world security.”

The president’s speech concluded with: “We will keep you safe. We will make you rich. And together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before.

“It’s a very small population but very, very large piece of land and very, very important for military security.”

Trump has since appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as his envoy to Greenland in what looks like his latest effort to annex the self-governing nation.

Donald Trump has expressed his plans to acquire Greenland (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Landry took to X recently to share he would travel to Greenland in a bid to convince locals they are better off being run by those calling the shots in Washington DC.

“There is no better flag for freedom and opportunity than the flag of the United States. I look forward to sharing that message with the people of Greenland,” he said.

Trump, meanwhile, said during a press conference on Monday (December 22) that the US ‘has to have Greenland for national security’.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, slammed the latest move by the White House, dismissing claims the US could ever have power over Greenland.

He said in a social media post: “Sad, because the U.S. president once again expressed a desire to take over Greenland at a press conference last night. With such words, our country is reduced to a question of security and power.

“That is not how we see ourselves, and that is not how we in Greenland can or should be spoken about.”

Many European leaders have also issued a response to Trump’s latest move, with Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, stating ‘Greenland belongs to its people’.

“In Nuuk, I reaffirmed France’s unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland,” Macron added in an X post.

“I join my voice to that of Europeans in expressing our full solidarity.”

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union stands ‘in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland’.

“Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law,” she warned the US.

President Donald Trump’s latest expansion of the US travel ban has triggered a diplomatic domino effect, with several countries now retaliating by restricting or completely banning American travellers.

Earlier this month, the 79-year-old confirmed that full or partial travel bans would be imposed on nationals from 39 countries, with the measures due to take effect tomorrow, on New Year’s Day.

The White House defended the move by saying: “It is the president’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.”

While the restrictions target foreign nationals entering the US, some countries have responded by invoking what they describe as the ‘principle of reciprocity’ – meaning Americans are now facing barriers of their own.

So, if you’re a backpacker hoping to take a tour of Africa, you might want to steer clear of four countries – three in West Africa and the remaining in Central Africa.

President Donald Trump has placed a partial or full travel ban on as many as 39 countries (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Mali

Mali was one of the first nations to hit back after being placed on the US ‘full’ travel ban list. The Malian government announced it would impose the same entry conditions on US citizens as those applied to Malians traveling to America.

In a statement shared by The Guardian, the country’s foreign ministry said: “In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens.”

This effectively means tighter visa rules and reduced access for Americans hoping to visit the West African nation.

Niger

Niger has taken the strongest stance so far, reportedly banning Americans from stepping foot into the landlocked West African country.

“Niger is completely and permanently prohibiting the issuance of visas to all US citizens and indefinitely banning entry to its territory for nationals of the United States,” a ‘diplomatic source’ told the African Press Agency.

Niger, which has a population of more than 28 million, was recently added to the US ‘complete’ travel ban list and is already classified by the US State Department as a ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’ destination.

American’s hoping to view Niger’s natural beauty and diverse wildlife – including the tower of giraffes pictured – will be unable to in 2026 (Getty stock)

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso quickly followed Mali’s lead, as Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré confirmed the country would also restrict entry for Americans – citing the same reasoning.

According to BBC News, Traoré said the government was acting on the ‘principle of reciprocity’.

Chad

Chad’s restrictions date back to June, when it suspended visas for Americans after being named in an earlier round of US travel bans.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno made his feelings clear at the time, saying: “Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride.”

What this means for Americans

With Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad all restricting US citizens, travel across parts of West and Central Africa may be increasingly difficult. However, it’s still possible to travel through West Africa via its coastal countries.

As the bans come into force in 2026, Americans may find that Trump’s immigration crackdown is limiting not just who can enter the US, but also where its citizens can travel abroad.

George Clooney might be a Hollywood legend, but he and his wife, Amal, have chosen to move their family to France to raise their children, and Donald Trump clearly hasn’t taken it well.

Clooney and Amal rounded out 2025 by officially becoming French citizens, which they were granted by the country’s government.

Speaking to Esquire about the decision, Clooney explained that he didn’t want his two young children, Ella and Alexander, to be ‘walking around worried about paparazzi’ in America, adding: “I don’t want them being compared to somebody else’s famous kids.”

Clooney said his kids have a ‘much better life’ in France, and US President Trump appears to have hit back at the couple’s decision by issuing a personal insult on Truth Social in the wake of the news.

Clooney and Amal plan to raise their twins in France (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)

He wrote: “Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France, which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden.”

In return, Clooney himself hasn’t been quiet about his opinions of Trump, as he referred to the president in a recent interview with Variety just before the new year.

He described the current climate as a ‘very trying time’, adding: “It can depress you or make you very angry. But you have to find the most positive way through it. You have to put your head down and keep moving forward because quitting isn’t an option.”

Clooney went on to admit that he and Trump actually used to run in similar circles, saying he ‘knew him very well’ before he became president.

“He used to call me a lot, and he tried to help me get into a hospital once to see a back surgeon,” Clooney recalled. “I’d see him out at clubs and at restaurants. He’s a big goofball. Well, he was. That all changed.”

Clooney said Trump used to be a ‘goofball’ (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

While Clooney might have previously been friendly with Trump, the POTUS indicated he doesn’t have any kind feelings towards the actor as he continued his Truth Social post.

Trump went on to claim that Clooney got ‘more publicity’ for speaking about politics than he did for ‘his very few, and totally mediocre, movies’.

Just as a quick bit of context, Clooney has appeared in upwards of 40 movies and has secured two Academy Awards during his career – Best Supporting Actor for Syriana in 2005 and Best Picture as a producer for Argo in 2012.

However, according to Trump: “He wasn’t a movie star at all, he was just an average guy who complained, constantly, about common sense in politics.”

Trump signed off his rant with his catchphrase: “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”