Venezuela

JetBlue pilot calls incident ‘outrageous’ and says US military refueling tanker didn’t have transponder turned onA JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a US air force refueling tanker on Friday, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path.“We almost had a midair […]

Venezuelan politicians battling to end Maduro’s rule reject claims his downfall would thrust their country into maelstrom of bloodshed and retributionNicolás Maduro is chased out of office by a massive popular revolt but the Venezuelan military takes to the streets, turning its guns on the civilians who have brought him down.A palace coup sends […]

The jailing of a Sudanese militia leader is an anomaly in a world where Putin, Netanyahu and yes, Hegseth, act without fear of international lawIt was a rare success for international courts struggling to resist a rising tide of official lawlessness. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, a leader of the notorious, government-backed Janjaweed militia that […]

Cuban foreign ministry called US military action ‘maritime terrorism’ under a policy of ‘economic suffocation’Cuban officials have denounced the US seizure of the Skipper oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast on Wednesday, calling it an “act of piracy and maritime terrorism” as well as a “serious violation of international law” that hurts the […]

The seizure of the Skipper on Wednesday marked the first US capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019Venezuelan oil exports have reportedly fallen sharply since the US seized a tanker this week and imposed fresh sanctions on shipping companies and vessels doing business with Caracas, according to shipping data, documents and […]

The US is ramping up the pressure on Nicolás Maduro with a tanker seizure and expanded sanctions following threats and boat strikesEarly in his first term, Donald Trump mooted a “military option” for Venezuela to dislodge its president, Nicolás Maduro. Reports suggest that he eagerly discussed the prospect of an invasion behind closed doors. Advisers […]

Special forces veteran Bryan Stern says he told US defence officials some of his planned route to reduce airstrike riskThe most dangerous moments came when salvation seemed finally assured.Many miles from land, the small fishing skiff carrying the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel prize laureate María Corina Machado had been lost at sea for hours, […]

Nobel peace laureate says Maduro’s political downfall is inevitable after her fraught journey to freedom by boat‘Dangerous and scary’: how a US special forces vet helped María Corina Machado flee VenezuelaNicolás Maduro’s political downfall is inevitable, the Nobel laureate María Corina Machado has claimed, rejecting claims that the dictator’s […]

Measure to add two GOP-friendly seats failed 19-31 after 21 Republicans joined 10 Democrats. Plus, how the Paris climate treaty changed the worldGood morning.Indiana Republicans rejected an effort to redraw the state’s lines on Thursday in a rebuke to Donald Trump and Republican efforts to add two more Republican-friendly seats to Indiana’s […]

Six more oil supertankers added to sanctions list, as well as members of Maduro’s extended family, amid rising tensions following tanker seizureDonald Trump has exerted more pressure on Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, expanding sanctions and issuing fresh threats to strike land targets in Venezuela, as the South American dictator accused the US […]

This live blog is now closed.Trump at a glance: president ‘sick of meetings’ as Ukraine-Russia peace deal talks drag onIndiana Republicans reject effort to redraw voting maps in rebuke to TrumpChris Van Hollen, the Democratic senator from Maryland, was among the lawmakers speaking out against the Trump administration and its actions around Venezuela, […]

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado confirmed on Thursday that she received assistance from the United States in her secret departure from the South American country after more than a year in hiding.

The Skipper, a tanker sanctioned by the US in 2022, is thought to have been carrying 1.1m barrels of Venezuelan oilThe US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a ship that was previously sanctioned by the US in 2022 while sailing under another name, in a dramatic operation that further ratchets up tensions between the Trump administration and […]

US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, in a major escalation of Donald Trump’s campaign against the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, whose government called the seizure an act of international piracy.The Trump administration is facing increasing scrutiny over a series of attacks on boats off the Venezuelan coast. At least […]

Ukrainian leader says Washington has suggested that Russian troops would stay in region, but not advance furtherNato’s Rutte largely sticks to usual pleasantries, but says the clear political signal from Germany and other European partners is that “Europe is ready to take on more responsibility,” and “a signal that burden sharing is not just a […]