Venezuelan transport workers organized a caravan through Caracas this week to demonstrate their support for President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The show of solidarity followed reports of their alleged abduction during a United States military strike against Venezuela, according to Maxwell Briceno of Reuters. The event was one of several significant global developments captured in photographs this week.

Elsewhere, the Syrian military successfully captured the strategic towns of Tabqa and Maskana in northern Syria from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Reuters photographer Mahmoud Hassano documented the welcome received by the Syrian army in Maskana following the SDF withdrawal. The Syrian government has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the long-term governance of the newly acquired territories.

In Tehran, Iran, funerals were held for security personnel killed during recent unrest. According to reports, a funeral ceremony took place on January 14, 2026, for over 100 members of security forces and others who died during a wave of protests. The Iranian government has attributed the unrest to foreign interference, a claim disputed by opposition groups who cite economic grievances and political repression as the primary drivers of the demonstrations. The government has not released specific details regarding the nature of the unrest or the identities of those responsible.