military

Myanmar’s ruling junta said it will free more than 6,000 prisoners in an Independence Day amnesty, a rare concession amid a sweeping post-coup crackdown and a tightly managed election widely dismissed by critics as a sham. The National Defence and Security Council said junta chief Min Aung Hlaing pardoned 6,134 imprisoned Myanmar nationals. In a separate statement, authorities said 52 foreign prisoners would also be released and deported. The military has arrested thousands of protesters, activists and political figures…

CARACAS, Venezuela — U.S. airstrikes pounded military sites in and around Caracas before dawn as U.S. forces carried out a raid to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was later flown to New York to face drugs and weapons charges, U.S. officials said. The operation — described by the Pentagon as “Operation Absolute Resolve” — began shortly before 2 a.m. local time, with explosions rocking the capital and nearby cities for more than an hour. Video circulating on social media showed helicopters sweeping low over Caracas…

Trump’s ‘peace through strength’ doctrine is being tested across three regions, as the White House pairs anti-interventionist rhetoric with rapid, forceful action in Venezuela, Nigeria and the Middle East. Nearly a year after returning to office promising to be a “peacemaker and unifier,” President Donald Trump has ordered large-scale military strikes in Venezuela and announced the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s leftist strongman. The raid, launched at the start of the new year, follows a Christmas Day…

U.S. strikes rock Caracas as Trump claims capture of Maduro; Venezuela declares state of emergency Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 CARACAS, Venezuela — The United States launched a large-scale military strike on Venezuela early Saturday, shaking the capital with explosions as President Donald Trump claimed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country. The assertion was immediately denied by Venezuelan authorities and could not be independently verified. Here’s what we…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — North Western State of Somalia on Thursday denied that it had agreed to resettle Palestinians from Gaza or host Israeli military bases in exchange for recognition from Israel, rejecting the claims as false and politically motivated. In a statement posted on X, North Western State of Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “firmly rejects false claims made by the President of Somalia alleging the resettlement of Palestinians or the establishment of military bases in North…

Taiwan’s Lai vows to defend sovereignty after China’s ‘Justice Mission 2025’ drills TAIPEI — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged to “resolutely defend” the island’s sovereignty and accelerate its defense buildup after China fired rockets toward Taiwan and massed warships and aircraft nearby in sweeping “Justice Mission 2025” military drills. In a New Year’s address delivered from the presidential office and broadcast live, Lai said the international community is watching to see whether Taiwanese people have the resolve to…

Somalia to take Israel’s ‘North Western State of Somalia’ recognition to U.N., warns of Red Sea militarization MOGADISHU — Somalia will bring Israel’s announcement recognizing the self-declared “North Western State of Somalia” to the U.N. Security Council, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said, calling the move illegal and warning it could enable military basing, heighten Red Sea security risks and undermine Africa’s borders. In an interview with Egypt’s AlQahera News, Barre thanked Cairo for backing Somalia’s sovereignty and…

MOGADISHU — Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi warned Monday that any Israeli presence in North Western State of Somalia would be treated as a military target, escalating tensions days after Israel announced it would recognize the self-declared republic in the Horn of Africa. “We consider any Israeli presence in North Western State of Somalia a military target for our armed forces, as it constitutes aggression against Somalia and Yemen, and a threat to the security of the region,” al-Houthi said, according to a…

China launches live-fire drills around Taiwan after U.S. arms sale, warns against “external” interference China has begun live-fire military exercises around Taiwan, hours after announcing “major” joint drills in surrounding waters and airspace, as Beijing steps up pressure on the self-governed island and warns foreign backers to stay out. The People’s Liberation Army said it is deploying destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles for exercises that include live-fire training on maritime targets to…

Libya's army chief, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, was killed when the Falcon 50 jet he and four others were traveling in crashed in central Turkey, Turkish authorities and Libyan officials said. The aircraft was en route from Ankara to Tripoli when contact was lost about 42 minutes after takeoff. Officials said the jet had requested an emergency landing before it went down; searchers later found wreckage southwest of Ankara near the village of Kesikkavak. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been…