U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday appeared to backtrack on President Donald Trump's claim that the U.S. will "run" Venezuela after U.S. forces on Saturday captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and hauled him to the U.S. Asked for details on how the U.S. plans to run Venezuela, Rubio said the U.S. would use leverage gained from its oil blockade on the country and regional military buildup to achieve its policy aims. He did not say the U.S. would directly govern Venezuela. "What's going to happen here is we have a quarantine on their oil, that means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met, and that's what we intend to do," Rubio said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Trump said on Saturday said the U.S. would "run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." The comments sparked a firestorm of criticism from Trump's adversaries and some allies, who warned against a nation-building exercise in Venezuela. "We have learned through the years when America tries to do regime change and nation building in this way, the American people pay the price in both blood and dollars," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on ABC on Sunday. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived in New York on Saturday night to face charges related to drug trafficking. Rubio's comments suggest that the U.S. will take a softer approach with Venezuela than Trump's initial suggestions of ruling the country with a "group." Though Rubio said Trump still may take further military action to achieve U.S. goals. Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about further military action in Venezuela, Rubio said Trump "retains all his optionality." Rubio also extrapolated on the U.S.' aims with Venezuela's oil reserves. "Ultimately, this is not about securing the oil fields; this is about ensuring that no sanctioned oil can come in and out until they make changes to the governance of that entire industry," Rubio said on ABC. "The way to address it to the benefit of the Venezuelan people is to get private companies that are not from Iran or somewhere else to go in and invest in the equipment." Rubio said he has not spoken to specific U.S. oil companies about the prospect of starting business in Venezuela. Currently, only Chevron operates in the country. "We're pretty certain that there will be dramatic interest from Western companies," Rubio said. Rubio said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will be "taking an assessment and speaking to some of these companies." Clarification: The U.S. military captured Nicolas Maduro and removed him from Venezuela. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

A large part of erstwhile President Nicolas Maduro's security team was killed in the U.S. raid that led to the leader's Saturday capture, said Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino, in a televised statement on Sunday morning. Padrino did not give an exact figure of causalities but backed the declaration of Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president and said the armed forces have been activated across the country to guarantee sovereignty. Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. A Versant Media Company. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by

Valuations of several technology and artificial intelligence stocks are expected to remain in focus in 2026, as investors are concerned about the payoffs on massive AI spending. Nonetheless, top Wall Street analysts continue to be bullish on several tech and AI plays based on thorough analysis of their fundamentals, strong execution, and growth potential. Here are three stocks favored by some of Wall Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. This week's first pick is e-commerce and cloud computing giant Amazon (AMZN). In a research note on the 2026 outlook for stocks in the AI and internet space, RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson called Amazon one of his favorite ideas, citing "Best in-class visibility on AI infrastructure ROIC [return on invested capital] with compelling product cycle/capacity acceleration cycle coming." Interestingly, TipRanks' AI Analyst is also bullish on AMZN stock with an "outperform" rating but a lower price target of $240. First, Erickson highlighted that AWS has the most diversified and hedged revenue sources, with its core business largely unaffected by generative AI and not a competitor of ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Second, Erickson thinks that AWS is the most disciplined hyperscaler when it comes to capital spending. Notably, based on his ROIC scenario analysis, Erickson expects Amazon to see the fastest returns, with Alphabet-owned Google expanding more gradually, and Meta Platforms lagging in capital efficiency due to its indirect revenue model. He expects AWS to have the highest marginal contribution margin as the cloud unit increases its spending, thanks to its pay-as-you-go model and strong efficiency, with new capacity that is often pre-booked and revenue that is directly linked to infrastructure usage. 195 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. See Amazon Hedge Funds Trading Activity on TipRanks. Let's look at another tech giant, Microsoft (MSFT). Following meetings with the company's executives across businesses, Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss reiterated a buy rating on MSFT stock with a price target of $650. The stock scores an "outperform" rating from TipRanks' AI Analyst with a price target of $562. "Meeting with executives across Microsoft businesses leaves us with conviction on robust demand translating to durable mid-teens top-line growth and increased confidence in ROI contributing to continued operating margin expansion," said Weiss. The analyst added that demand is solid not only for Azure AI but across every product within the Azure portfolio, thanks to broader IT modernization efforts of enterprises. Consequently, Weiss raised his Azure estimates, assuming Azure AI gross margin (excluding OpenAI revenue share) reaches 30% by fiscal 2029. In fact, Weiss thinks that Azure AI margin can exceed 40%, suggesting huge upside to his estimates in the years ahead. Overall, Weiss called MSFT his Top Pick in the large-cap software sector, with the stock trading at 23x his calendar year 2027 GAAP EPS estimate of $20.65. 400 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. See Microsoft Technology Ownership Structure on TipRanks. Memory and storage solutions provider Micron Technology (MU) impressed investors with market-beating results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The company also issued an upbeat outlook for the fiscal second quarter, reflecting strong demand for its high-performance memory and storage products amid the rapid growth in AI data centers. Impressed by the Q1 FY26 print, Stifel analyst Brian Chin reiterated a buy rating on Micron stock with a price target of $300. TipRanks' AI Analyst is also bullish on MU stock, with an "outperform" rating and a price target of $285. Discussing the "blockbuster" quarterly performance and outlook, Chin observed that Micron easily surpassed Stifel's above-consensus expectations with a higher average selling price (ASP) driving a 20% sequential growth in DRAM and NAND revenue. Chin also noted the impressive rise in margins across all of Micron's business units, including the consumer-oriented Mobile and Client Business division, which saw its gross margin jump to 54% in Q1 FY26 from 36% in Q4 FY25. The analyst also discussed Micron's solid guidance and added that despite industry supply constraints, Micron expects both DRAM and NAND bit shipments to increase by 20% in 2026. Overall, Chin remains bullish on MU stock and noted that after another round of positive estimate revisions, the stock trades at less than 6x his next-12 months earnings per share estimate. 350 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

When 51-year-old Annouk Perret came to pay her respects to the victims of the Swiss New Year bar fire that killed at least 40 people in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, she knew that she too could have been one of the parents mourning a lost child. Authorities say most of the victims of the blaze that ripped through the Le Constellation bar were young people in a country renowned for orderliness and unaccustomed to mass fatalities. Laying flowers with her son Emile and her tearful mother-in-law Carmen outside the now cordoned-off popular bar, Perret recalled how her 17-year-old daughter wanted to go in too that night - but did not because of the long queue outside. Instead, she said her daughter went to a bar opposite with friends. When flames engulfing the bar sparked a blast, they first assumed it was fireworks; when police quickly arrived, the group feared it was gunfire and fled, Perret said. Afterwards, the family learned that another friend of her daughter decided to enter "Le Constellation" just before the fire and lost her life there, Perret told Reuters. We need to see the place where it happened," she said. "(She) could have been dead, but is not. Perret spoke just as Swiss authorities were announcing they had identified four more victims aged 16-21, without naming them. Prosecutors on Saturday said the two people who ran the bar are now under investigation suspected of crimes including homicide by negligence. Damiano Vizioli, a 24-year-old living in neighbouring Sion, was in Le Constellation on New Year's Eve but had gone outside to smoke a cigarette when the bar suddenly burst into flames. He was stunned to see people with their clothes on fire scrambling to escape from the burning bar, he said. The distressing scenes he witnessed have stayed with him. "I'm not sleeping well because I can hear the people screaming," said Vizioli, who went back to the bar desperate for news of a friend working there whom he has not heard from since. The blaze has hit many nationalities, with the injured and missing coming from all corners of Europe and as far afield as Australia. Mutual support was crucial for coping, Perret said. "Now we call each other, each parents, because everybody has children who were in there or almost were there, or didn't go... and everybody's completely shaken," she said. Reporters from all around Europe rushed to get to the Alpine retreat as images of the inferno began circulating online. Eric Schmid, a 63-year-old local businessman, said he had received messages from all over the world since the news broke. "The scar will be quite deep, and I think it'll take time to heal," he said. We will survive, of course, but that's not the most important thing," he said. "It's more about the kids and all these people who have been affected. But the messages and signs of solidarity are super important." Among those who expressed gratitude for the solidarity is Pierre Pralong, an 89-year-old anxiously awaiting word of his missing granddaughter Emilie, 22, who went to the bar. "I have a feeling she's probably passed on into the next life," Pralong said. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Airlines scrambled to add dozens of extra flights for tens of thousands of stranded travelers throughout the Eastern Caribbean on Sunday after the Federal Aviation Administration's flight restrictions in the area though some customers found no seats available for days. The restrictions expired overnight, allowing flights to resume. FlightAware showed about 20 cancellations in San Juan on Sunday, compared with 400 a day earlier. However disruptions for some travelers could last for days because seats were scarce and previously scheduled flights were packed for the end of the New Year holiday weekend and school vacations. Some said they didn't have places to stay or couldn't afford additional nights at Caribbean hotels. American Airlines told CNBC it added 17 extra flights between San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as Aruba, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica and Barbados, and its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina. Southwest Airlines added six extra round-trips between San Juan on Sunday and another eight on Monday as well as two additional flights to Aruba on Sunday. "We are looking for opportunities to add more capacity to both places in the coming days," the airline said in a statement. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines plan to add additional flights on Sunday. Carriers were evaluating using larger planes, like those normally used for Europe or Asia, to accommodate the surge in demand. American said it would use two Boeing 777-300s, the largest aircraft in its fleet and that sits 304 passengers, for two San Juan-Miami roundtrips on Monday. Airlines generally add flights and send bigger planes ahead of evacuations for hurricanes but had little time to prepare after the United States' attack in Venezuela. Major U.S. airlines have not served Venezuela directly for years. American Airlines was the last major carrier to halt flights to the country in 2019 amid unrest. The temporary restrictions were set to expire at midnight ET, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X. The United States' attack on Venezuela resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Maduro was indicted on narco-terrorism conspiracy and other charges in the Southern District of New York. His indictment was unsealed and posted online by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Saturday. The flight restrictions after the U.S. attacks underscored how quickly military action can disrupt civilian air travel, forcing airlines to suspend operations well beyond the immediate conflict zone. Airlines have been forced to take longer routes to avoid airspace if not periodically halt flights altogether due to conflicts in the Middle East as well as after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. -- CNBC's Victor Loh contributed to this article. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung began a state visit to China on Sunday, hoping to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula hours after rival North Korea launched ballistic missiles. The visit, Lee's first to China since taking office in June, comes amid heightened global tensions after Pyongyang's aggressive display, on the heels of the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Lee is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip for their second meeting in just two months, an unusually short interval that, analysts say, signals China's keen interest in boosting economic collaboration and tourism as its relations with neighbouring Japan have sunk to the lowest point in years. Beijing was incensed when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan. China claims the democratically governed island as its own - an assertion rejected by Taiwan's government. Sunday's missile launches by North Korea represent "a message to China to deter closer ties with South Korea and to counter China's stance on denuclearisation", said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. Lee arrived in Beijing with a delegation that includes more than 200 South Korean business leaders to start the four-day visit, Chinese state news broadcaster CCTV reported. These included Samsung Electronics 005930.KS Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, according to photos published by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. China and South Korea are expected to discuss matters such as supply chain investment, the digital economy and cultural exchanges during Lee's visit, CCTV said. We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that the US had conducted a raid on Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and big names in business and foreign policy have been reacting as the aftermath unfolds. Myers, chairman of political risk consulting firm Signum Global Advisors, told Business Insider that foreign investment in oil, tourism, and construction will be the "centerpiece" of Venezuela's financial recovery going forward, adding that he expects the country's economy will grow "faster over the next two years than people anticipate because of the extent or scale of foreign investment." Myers, also a former head of investment advisory firm Evercore, is planning a trip of 15-20 investors to visit Venezuela in March to identify investment opportunities. Signum Global Advisors has hosted similar trips for investor groups in Syria and Ukraine. The horse's head was depicted as a rudimentary children's drawing, captioned "plans for future of Venezuela. "I wouldn't exactly call it a plan," Bremmer added. Make no mistake where the world is heading here." The billionaire hedge fund manager wrote in a post on X that "The removal of Maduro will lower oil prices, which is good for America and very bad for Russia. A weaker Russian economy will increase the probability that the war in Ukraine ends sooner and on more favorable terms for Ukraine. And Putin will be sleeping in his safe room from this point going forward." In a series of posts on X, he said the raid on Caracas ushered in "the brave new world of international law." "Maduro's capture has triggered the biggest revival of international law since Grotius — and overnight turned everyone on X into an international law wonk, eager to compare Venezuela to Taiwan," he wrote. "But China has never treated the Taiwan issue as a matter of international law," he continued. The reason China has not acted is not because it lacks legal justification, but because it lacks the capability. Thus, US ops in Venezuela provide China with no additional legal justification." The Democratic senator from Massachusetts is a former Harvard Law professor who holds deep expertise in bankruptcy and consumer finance. In a post on X, she wrote that Trump's action to seize Maduro, "no matter how terrible a dictator he is — is unconstitutional and threatens to drag the US into further conflicts in the region." "The American people voted for lower costs, not for Trump's dangerous military adventurism overseas that won't make the American people safer." The Tesla and SpaceX CEO spent most of Saturday posting praise for the Trump administration and the military operations in Venezuela, posting that it was "heartwarming to see so many Venezuelans celebrating their country freed from a brutal tyrant." In another post, Musk retweeted a White House image of Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima after being apprehended, with the caption "Congratulations, President Trump! Musk and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, alternating between appearing to be close allies and trading sharp criticisms in the media.