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Venezuela

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is situated on the northern coast of South America. Home to an estimated population of 29.1 million, it covers around 916,445 square kilometres which includes the Andes mountains and the Amazon Basin Rainforest. Its main export is oil. Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522 but continued resistance led in 1811 to it becoming the first Spanish American country to declare independence. A chequered political history followed which saw dictatorships rise and fall, as well as military coups.

Capital

Caracas

Head of State

President Nicolás Maduro

Head of Government

President Nicolás Maduro

A Turkish Airlines plane takes off at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba on Monday. Photo: AP

Americas and the Caribbean

Cuba warns airlines it’s almost out of fuel as US blockade tightens chokehold

Air Canada suspends Cuba flights as Havana warns it can no longer guarantee refuelling for international carriers.

10 Feb 2026 - 3:33PM

Americas and the Caribbean

‘Tracked and hunted’: US forces board tanker in Indian Ocean

10 Feb 2026 - 3:08PM

United States

Venezuela’s Machado says ally ‘kidnapped’ after prison release

9 Feb 2026 - 4:35PM

Greenland

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

9 Feb 2026 - 1:10PMvideocam

Xi Jinping

Editorial | Xi’s same-day calls with Trump and Putin showcase head-of-state diplomacy

At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, the extraordinary back-to-back conversations with the leaders of Russia and the US highlight Xi’s diplomatic approach.

7 Feb 2026 - 7:15AM

India

Opinion | Why the new US-India trade agreement is a big deal

The warming of New Delhi’s ties with Washington has implications for Russia, China and the global dynamics of trade and geopolitical power.

7 Feb 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

China keeps Cuba and Uruguay in the fold, puts Panama out in the cold

Beijing promises more aid to struggling Havana and cooperation with Montevideo as Washington looks to extend its reach in Latin America.

6 Feb 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla (left) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirm their countries’ ties in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

Americas and the Caribbean

US pledges food aid for Cuba while putting squeeze on fuel supply

Havana signals a cautious readiness for talks as the island’s leader accuses the US of imposing an ‘energy blockade’.

6 Feb 2026 - 3:35PM

Belt and Road Initiative

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

6 Feb 2026 - 7:30AMvideocam

China energy security

China’s cheap oil flows under strain as US ramps up Iran, Venezuela pressure

US restrictions could lead China to turn to higher-priced barrels in other markets, while it continues to reduce its reliance on oil imports.

5 Feb 2026 - 7:55AM

An oil tanker is anchored in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. China’s reliance on low-price crude from Venezuela is under strain as the United States tightens control over the country’s oil industry. Photo: Xinhua

Vietnam

Friend or foe? Leaked Vietnamese military document labels US ‘belligerent’

While noting that ‘there is little risk of a war’, document urges vigilance to prevent the US from finding a pretext to invade Vietnam.

4 Feb 2026 - 12:01PM

A US Marine honour guard holds the Vietnamese flag to welcome Defence Minister Phan Van Giang to the Pentagon on September 9, 2024. Photo: AP

Donald Trump

Trump and Colombia’s Petro appear to bury hatchet after months of tensions

US president calls Gustavo Petro ‘terrific’ after their first face-to-face encounter, following months of trading barbs.

4 Feb 2026 - 12:16PM

US-Venezuela conflict

1 month after Maduro abduction, Venezuela assures China investments are safe

Venezuelan envoy Remigio Ceballos dismisses reports US will set the price for all oil transactions between China and Venezuela.

3 Feb 2026 - 9:41PMvideocam

US-Cuba relations

Cuba confirms ‘communications’ with US as Trump moves to block oil

Reeling from blackouts and the loss of its Venezuelan patron, Havana confirms communications with the US but says no formal negotiations yet.

3 Feb 2026 - 3:28PM

A mechanic fixes a car on the street in Havana, as Cubans hunker into survival mode. Photo: Reuters

United States

Trump lifts Russia-related oil tariffs on India under new trade deal

Under the pact, India’s tariffs have been reduced from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.

3 Feb 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have reached a trade deal easing tariffs and reducing tensions over Russian oil purchases. Photo: AFP

Asean

Asian Angle | ‘Old order is not coming back’: Trump’s US, not China, threatens status quo

American unpredictability is pushing countries to hedge more proactively – and, ironically, soften existing tensions with China.

31 Jan 2026 - 11:00AM

North Korea

Kim Jong-un set to signal stronger nuclear deterrence posture at congress

After viewing a test of a multiple rocket launcher system, Kim is likely to unveil ICBM plans capable of hitting the US, analysts say.

31 Jan 2026 - 2:07PMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Venezuela proposes to free hundreds of prisoners, close ‘torture’ prison

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez says the proposed law will hopefully ‘heal the wounds’ and restore peace among Venezuelans.

31 Jan 2026 - 9:05AM

Relatives of detainees react outside the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas after interim president Delcy Rodriguez announces a proposed “amnesty law” for hundreds of prisoners on Friday. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

How will China respond as US expands foreign ship seizures?

The question is whether high-seas US actions will alarm Beijing into deploying naval safeguards or prompt similar moves in Taiwan Strait.

31 Jan 2026 - 8:02AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Venezuela approves oil industry overhaul as US eases some sanctions

Venezuela’s reform will enable additional foreign investment in the energy sector, a move expected to benefit the United States in particular.

30 Jan 2026 - 3:29PM

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump says he’s reopening Venezuelan airspace and Americans can visit soon

Even as the president suggested US citizens would be safe in Venezuela, the State Department kept in place its highest-level travel advisory.

30 Jan 2026 - 5:21AMvideocam

A passenger stands with his luggage at an airport near San Juan, Puerto Rico, on January 3 after airspace was closed due to US strikes on Venezuela. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s power politics is paving the way to a G2 world order with China

Trump’s actions signal an openness to G2, give China leverage with US allies and open the door for other powers to use coercive force.

29 Jan 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

29 Jan 2026 - 11:50AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

US’ Rubio says China profited from Venezuela’s collapse through cut-price oil

US secretary tells senators Beijing received discounted crude via opaque debt deals, saying Maduro’s removal was key to curbing influence.

29 Jan 2026 - 10:31AMvideocam

North Korea

North Korean ex-envoy on Kim Jong-un’s ‘decapitation’ fears after Maduro’s fall

Kim will ‘overhaul the entire system regarding his security and countermeasures in case of an attack against him’, Lee Il-kyu says.

28 Jan 2026 - 1:26PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a test firing of a rocket launcher system on Tuesday. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP

US-China trade war

Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it

As US president courts rural voters before midterms, growers fear Beijing may retaliate against Trump policies by curbing purchases again.

28 Jan 2026 - 7:17AMvideocam

Arkansas soybean farmer Randall Shelby says renewed US-China tensions risk pushing already struggling growers deeper into the red. Photo: Randall Shelby

China-Russia relations

China and Russia to bolster defence ties to counter risks

Call marks first ministerial-level exchange between Beijing and Moscow since US raid on Venezuela and Trump’s stronger words on Greenland.

27 Jan 2026 - 10:47PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Xi to meet Orsi in first Latin America-China visit since US capture of Maduro

State visit from February 1 to 7 aims to promote commercial ties with Beijing despite tension in region after US operation in Venezuela.

27 Jan 2026 - 6:17AMvideocam

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Venezuela

Cuba warns airlines it’s almost out of fuel as US blockade tightens chokehold

Air Canada suspends Cuba flights as Havana warns it can no longer guarantee refuelling for international carriers.

‘Tracked and hunted’: US forces board tanker in Indian Ocean

Venezuela’s Machado says ally ‘kidnapped’ after prison release

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | Xi’s same-day calls with Trump and Putin showcase head-of-state diplomacy

At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, the extraordinary back-to-back conversations with the leaders of Russia and the US highlight Xi’s diplomatic approach.

Opinion | Why the new US-India trade agreement is a big deal

The warming of New Delhi’s ties with Washington has implications for Russia, China and the global dynamics of trade and geopolitical power.

China keeps Cuba and Uruguay in the fold, puts Panama out in the cold

Beijing promises more aid to struggling Havana and cooperation with Montevideo as Washington looks to extend its reach in Latin America.

US pledges food aid for Cuba while putting squeeze on fuel supply

Havana signals a cautious readiness for talks as the island’s leader accuses the US of imposing an ‘energy blockade’.

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

China’s cheap oil flows under strain as US ramps up Iran, Venezuela pressure

US restrictions could lead China to turn to higher-priced barrels in other markets, while it continues to reduce its reliance on oil imports.

Friend or foe? Leaked Vietnamese military document labels US ‘belligerent’

While noting that ‘there is little risk of a war’, document urges vigilance to prevent the US from finding a pretext to invade Vietnam.

Trump and Colombia’s Petro appear to bury hatchet after months of tensions

US president calls Gustavo Petro ‘terrific’ after their first face-to-face encounter, following months of trading barbs.

1 month after Maduro abduction, Venezuela assures China investments are safe

Venezuelan envoy Remigio Ceballos dismisses reports US will set the price for all oil transactions between China and Venezuela.

Cuba confirms ‘communications’ with US as Trump moves to block oil

Reeling from blackouts and the loss of its Venezuelan patron, Havana confirms communications with the US but says no formal negotiations yet.

Trump lifts Russia-related oil tariffs on India under new trade deal

Under the pact, India’s tariffs have been reduced from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.

Asian Angle | ‘Old order is not coming back’: Trump’s US, not China, threatens status quo

American unpredictability is pushing countries to hedge more proactively – and, ironically, soften existing tensions with China.

Kim Jong-un set to signal stronger nuclear deterrence posture at congress

After viewing a test of a multiple rocket launcher system, Kim is likely to unveil ICBM plans capable of hitting the US, analysts say.

Venezuela proposes to free hundreds of prisoners, close ‘torture’ prison

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez says the proposed law will hopefully ‘heal the wounds’ and restore peace among Venezuelans.

How will China respond as US expands foreign ship seizures?

The question is whether high-seas US actions will alarm Beijing into deploying naval safeguards or prompt similar moves in Taiwan Strait.

Venezuela approves oil industry overhaul as US eases some sanctions

Venezuela’s reform will enable additional foreign investment in the energy sector, a move expected to benefit the United States in particular.

Trump says he’s reopening Venezuelan airspace and Americans can visit soon

Even as the president suggested US citizens would be safe in Venezuela, the State Department kept in place its highest-level travel advisory.

Opinion | Trump’s power politics is paving the way to a G2 world order with China

Trump’s actions signal an openness to G2, give China leverage with US allies and open the door for other powers to use coercive force.

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

US’ Rubio says China profited from Venezuela’s collapse through cut-price oil

US secretary tells senators Beijing received discounted crude via opaque debt deals, saying Maduro’s removal was key to curbing influence.

North Korean ex-envoy on Kim Jong-un’s ‘decapitation’ fears after Maduro’s fall

Kim will ‘overhaul the entire system regarding his security and countermeasures in case of an attack against him’, Lee Il-kyu says.

Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it

As US president courts rural voters before midterms, growers fear Beijing may retaliate against Trump policies by curbing purchases again.

China and Russia to bolster defence ties to counter risks

Call marks first ministerial-level exchange between Beijing and Moscow since US raid on Venezuela and Trump’s stronger words on Greenland.

Xi to meet Orsi in first Latin America-China visit since US capture of Maduro

State visit from February 1 to 7 aims to promote commercial ties with Beijing despite tension in region after US operation in Venezuela.

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Editorial | Xi’s same-day calls with Trump and Putin showcase head-of-state diplomacy