U.S

UNITED NATIONS — A stark divide over sovereignty and the use of force split the U.N. Security Council during an emergency session as the United States defended the capture and prosecution of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, even as critics warned the move tramples international law and sets a perilous precedent. Diplomats arrived stone-faced for the hastily convened meeting in New York. None stopped to speak with reporters except U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz, who said, “It’s good to see justice,” shortly before Maduro and his…

PARIS — Key Ukrainian allies are meeting in Paris to hammer out security guarantees for Kyiv and advance U.S.-brokered plans aimed at ending the war with Russia, with Washington’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner set to join the talks. The gathering, convened by France and the United Kingdom under the banner of the “Coalition of the Willing,” brings together representatives from 35 countries, including Ireland. The French presidency said the aim is to demonstrate alignment between Washington, Kyiv and European partners…

African Union and Member States React to U.S. Intervention in Venezuela The African Union (AU), along with several countries including Ghana, Uganda, and South Africa, has expressed significant concern over the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela. This situation escalated when U.S. authorities seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as part of an indictment involving drug and weapon charges. In an official statement, the AU stated it would be "following with grave concern the recent developments in…

The United States has ended its longstanding guidance that all children receive vaccines against influenza and three other diseases, shifting to “shared clinical decision-making” between families and providers. The sweeping change — approved by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Acting Director Jim O’Neill without the agency’s usual outside expert review — applies to rotavirus, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A, in addition to flu. Public health experts warned the rollback could lead to preventable…

With Nicolas Maduro in U.S. custody after a pre-dawn raid and President Donald J. Trump touting a “Donroe Doctrine,” Washington has put a modern stamp on one of its oldest ideas: uncontested dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The operation in Venezuela, framed by the White House as a corrective to autocracy and a bid to unlock oil wealth, also signals an unapologetic return to sphere-of-influence politics—this time with China and Russia cast as the intruders to be pushed out. The White House’s case mixes moral clarity with…

Venezuelan officials vowed to remain unified behind President Nicolas Maduro after U.S. forces seized the 63-year-old leader and flew him to New York to face drug charges, deepening uncertainty over Venezuela’s future and prompting international pushback. Maduro is being held in a New York detention center ahead of a court appearance. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered his capture and said Washington would take control of the oil-rich South American nation, a declaration that rattled allies and adversaries alike and drew…

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…

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…

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said the United States is “locked and loaded” to respond if Iran kills protesters, issuing a stark warning as cost-of-living demonstrations in the country turned deadly and Iranian authorities cautioned Washington against interference. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that if Iran shoots “and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.” His message followed reports of fatal clashes between…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government said Thursday that a planned airstrike in the al-Shabab-held town of Jilib on Dec. 10 killed two senior leaders of the extremist group, including a bomb-making chief who carried a $5 million U.S. bounty. The National Intelligence and Security Agency, known as NISA, said the strike killed Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, widely known as Engineer Ismail, describing him as al-Shabab’s chief explosives planner. The United States had offered up to $5 million for information leading to his…