Author: Justin M. Larson

Norberto ParedesBBC News MundoGetty ImagesVenezuelan President Nicolás Maduro could be forgiven for wondering who his true friends are. Once rock solid, his reliance on his two main allies – China and Russia – now appears increasingly uncertain.For years, both countries supported Venezuela’s socialist-led government politically, financially and militarily – a relationship that began under former President Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s mentor and predecessor.But experts say that backing now seems to be largely symbolic, with statements being given in support rather than concrete military or financial aid.This shift comes as the US has deployed air and naval forces – including a nuclear-powered…

Sarah RainsfordSouthern and Eastern Europe correspondent in VilniusLithuania State Border Guard ServiceGiant balloons carrying contraband cigarettes are crossing the border from Belarus into Lithuania – forcing the closure of the airspaceWhenever the wind blows northwest from Belarus, Lithuania braces for problems.That’s when giant white balloons are launched across the border, crates of cheap cigarettes dangling beneath.Over the past 10 weeks, the illicit balloon traffic has already forced Lithuania’s main airport into shutdown 15 times, stranding or delaying thousands of travellers.On one occasion the airspace was closed completely for 11 hours.But the government here is sure it is dealing with something…

The US has lifted sanctions on a Brazilian judge who led investigations into Jair Bolsonaro, days after a bill which would cut the former president’s jail sentence passed a major hurdle. Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 election, but would see his term cut to less than three years under a move pushed by conservative lawmakers.President Donald Trump has previously described the investigation into Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt”, and Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes was placed on a US sanctions list in July.Those sanctions were lifted on Friday…

James LandaleDiplomatic correspondentBBCVladimir Putin may have a reputation among some as a ruthless autocrat, a master manipulator of the international scene. But one thing Russia’s president does not have is a poker face. The late US Senator John McCain used to joke that when he looked into Putin’s eyes, he saw three things, “a K and a G and a B”, a reference to his past life as a Soviet intelligence officer. I thought of this as I watched footage of Russia’s leader sitting opposite American envoys in the Kremlin. He could not hide his emotions; he exuded an air…

Grace Eliza GoodwinandLeyla KhodabakhshiAFP via Getty ImagesSanam, an Iranian immigrant who came to the US over a decade ago, was finally about to become a US citizen. Years of navigating paperwork, approvals, tests, and security vetting, had brought her to the last step: a naturalization ceremony.But then, just two days before she was to take her oath on 3 December, the US government abruptly cancelled it.Sanam was shocked and confused at first – there was no explanation. She didn’t understand why the ceremony was cancelled when she hadn’t done anything wrong, she told the BBC.Later, she found out it was…

Tom McArthurandIlma HasanWatch: Anger and chaos in Salt Lake stadium, Kolkata as Messi leaves event earlyAngry fans attending Lionel Messi’s tour of India ripped up seats and threw items towards the pitch after his appearance at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.Thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees (£100; $133) to catch a glimpse of the football star, but were left disappointed when he emerged to walk around the pitch and was obscured by a large group of officials and celebrities.When the Argentina and Inter Miami forward was whisked away early by security after around 20 minutes, elements of…

Ione WellsSouth America correspondent, SantiagoReutersJosé Antonio Kast will be inaugurated as Chile’s president in March next yearChile has elected the far-right wing José Antonio Kast to be its next president, after an election campaign that was dominated by themes of security, immigration and crime.Kast beat the governing left-wing coalition candidate Jeanette Jara decisively with more than 58% of the vote in his third attempt at running for president.It marks the biggest shift to the right since the end of Chile’s military dictatorship in 1990. Kast has openly praised Chile’s former right-wing dictator, Augusto Pinochet.In his first speech to supporters as…

Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s president, arrives for a hearing at the Constitutional Court of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesTo justify a case for martial law, former President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to provoke neighboring North Korea into taking military action, South Korean prosecutors alleged Monday, according to domestic media. Speaking to reporters, special counsel Cho Eun-suk said that Yoon and his military commanders tried to lure North Korea into mounting an armed aggression against the South, but this failed as Pyongyang did not resort to military force. Cho and…

British astronaut Tim Peake has urged the US and China to de-escalate talk of a space race and instead return to the moon with a “spirit of collaboration.”In an interview with Sky News to mark the 10th anniversary of his launch to the International Space Station (ISS), Mr Peake said it would be “foolish” to start a new era of hazardous lunar exploration without contingency plans for rescuing astronauts from other countries in an emergency. “Space is incredibly hard, a very hostile environment,” he said.”It would be foolish to not have things like common docking systems so that we can…

I lived and worked around Bondi for years. The emergency response tells you everything you need to know about the area. Source link

A broad measure of investment fell more than 10 percent in November, continuing a recent reversal and signaling the depth of China’s property crisis. Source link

Jimmy Lai, the publisher of a popular tabloid, was convicted of national security charges on Monday after spending decades supporting the city’s vanquished pro-democracy movement. Source link

19 November 2025, China, Shanghai: Boats sail past downtown Shanghai on the Huangpu River. The tallest building on the skyline is the Shanghai Tower (rear). Bernd von Jutrczenka | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesChina’s economic slowdown deepened in November with consumption, investment and industrial output growth falling short of expectations, as authorities sought to curb supply while struggling to revive demand and arrest the property sector decline. Retail sales rose 1.3% last month from a year earlier, sharply missing Reuters’ median forecast for a 2.8% growth, and slowing from 2.9% rise in the prior month. Industrial production climbed 4.8% in…

Here’s how Jimmy Lai became a politically outspoken tycoon. Source link

Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Digital Ltd., exits a Correctional Services Department vehicle as he arrives at the Court of Final Appeal for the verdict of his bail hearing in Hong Kong, China, on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Prosecutors in Hong Kong charged Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing and local authorities, last year under the national security law imposed by Beijing, saying he had colluded with foreigners by calling for sanctions against China. Photographer: Chan Long Hei/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesHong Kong pro-democracy activist and media baron Jimmy Lai on Monday was found guilty of…

He attributed his rags-to-riches ascent to the freedoms of Hong Kong, and has paid a hefty price for defending them. Source link

Here’s the latest. Source link

Briefing the Security Council, Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, and Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said nearly half the population will need protection and humanitarian assistance in 2026.Women and girls remain “systematically excluded” from almost all aspects of public life, Ms. Gagnon said, as the ban on secondary and higher education for girls has now entered its fourth year, depriving the country of future doctors, teachers and leaders.“Media freedom is increasingly restricted. Journalists face intimidation, detention and censorship, reducing the space for public debate and public participation,” she added.Afghans – both women and…

In the mountainous municipality of Manufahi, in southern Timor-Leste, where healthy food is often beyond the budget of most households, the United Nations is helping to make sure the benefits of development are broad.“Our students were not starving, but they were not to getting a nutritious diet,” said Domingos de Jesus, principal of the Cossamar primary school in the town of Same, where 500 students get a meal each school day. “Now they get more protein and vegetables and proportionally less carbohydrates.”On a full stomach, students are more alert and pay attention in class, said Caetano Marcelo, principal of the…

In a social media post, Mr. Guterres said he was “horrified” by the incident.“My heart is with the Jewish community worldwide on this first day of Hannukah, a festival celebrating the miracle of peace and light vanquishing darkness,” he wrote. At least 11 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire on the Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, which authorities have called a terrorist attack.Two of the victims were police officers, according to media reports. One of the gunmen was killed and the other was taken into custody.Against antisemitismThe Secretary-General expressed solidarity with the people and Government of Australia,…

Here’s the latest. Source link

José Antonio Kast won the race on Sunday after a contest marked by concerns over security and immigration. Source link

Aerial view of vehicles being driven on the road through the central business district in Beijing, China. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets fell Monday, after Wall Street declined Friday stateside as investors took a breather from the AI trade. “[Friday] is a value-outperforms-growth day,” said Jed Ellerbroek, portfolio manager at Argent Capital Management. “Investors are definitely skittish as it relates to AI — not outright pessimistic, but just kind of, I think, cautious and nervous and hesitant.”Traders in Asia will also look toward key data from Japan and China, with China releasing its retail sales, fixed…

The Air Force refueling tanker was flying without its location transponder activated and could not be detected by air traffic control. Source link