US President Donald Trump on Tuesday mocked Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, accusing him of imitating his trademark dance moves, as he celebrated Maduro’s capture in a wide-ranging and often theatrical speech to Republican lawmakers. Trump’s remarks followed a report by The New York Times, which said Maduro’s repeated public appearances dancing defiantly amid US threats helped convince senior White House officials that it was time to act. “One of his…

The US Department of Justice has released less than 1% of the Epstein files. According to a court filing, prompting renewed criticism from Democrats who accuse the Trump administration of unlawfully keeping records under seal. The department has so far published 12,285 documents, totalling 125,575 pages, related to the disgraced financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Federal law required the bulk of the material to be released by 19…

Israel is moving towards the construction of a major new settlement in the occupied West Bank, a project critics say is designed to permanently undermine the possibility of a Palestinian state. In mid-December, the Israel Land Authority quietly issued a tender for the construction of 3,401 housing units in the area known as E1, a strategic stretch of land east of Jerusalem. The tender gives construction firms until mid-March to…

Nearly 150 countries have agreed a plan aimed at stopping multinational companies from shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions, but the United States will be exempt from the agreement, prompting criticism from tax transparency groups. The deal, finalised under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), excludes large US-based multinationals from the proposed 15% global minimum corporate tax. The exemption followed negotiations between the Trump administration and…

Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has explained that discussions around Israel’s intention to help protect Christian communities in Nigeria are focused primarily on intelligence cooperation between both countries. The clarification follows comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with evangelical leaders in Florida last week, where he mentioned Nigeria among countries experiencing persecution of Christians and described Israel as uniquely positioned to offer protection. Netanyahu’s…

Denmark’s prime minister has warned that any military attack by the United States on a Nato ally would bring the alliance, and the post-second world war security order, to an end, after Donald Trump again suggested taking control of Greenland. Speaking on Danish television on Monday, Mette Frederiksen said a US attack on another Nato country would mean that “everything would stop”, including Nato itself. Her remarks followed renewed comments…

On January 3, US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. Trump later shared an image showing Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed aboard the amphibious warship USS Iwo Jima, presenting it as evidence of the operation’s success. Maduro was subsequently flown to the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba before being transferred…

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was brought before a New York court on Monday, just two days after he was taken out of Caracas by United States special forces during a military operation. Photographs circulating online showed an armoured vehicle transporting Maduro as it arrived at the courthouse earlier in the day. Maduro is facing four criminal charges linked to alleged drug trafficking and weapons-related offences. Also listed as co-defendants in…

“Stop slandering me, Mr Trump,” Petro added.

At least 80 people have been killed following Saturday’s United States military operation in Venezuela, according to a report by The New York Times. The newspaper quoted a senior Venezuelan official as saying the fatalities include both civilians and members of the country’s security forces, warning that the figure could still rise. Residents of Caracas, the capital, were jolted awake early Saturday by a series of explosions that marked the…

German leftwing militants have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that caused a major power cut in Berlin, leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity and heating during freezing weather. The fire broke out early on Saturday on a bridge over the Teltow canal in the south-west of the city. Stromnetz Berlin, the grid operator, said up to 35,000 households and 1,900 businesses could remain without power until 8…

Canadian officials and public health experts have warned that US health and science institutions can no longer be relied upon for accurate information, particularly on vaccines, amid concerns that misinformation from the Trump administration could undermine confidence in healthcare in Canada. Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist and professor at McMaster University in Ontario, said misleading claims from the US risk spilling over the border and influencing Canadian attitudes. “I can’t imagine…