Politics

Thursday, January 8th 2026 - 10:20 UTC
US keeps seizing tankers linked to Venezuela

United States forces executed back-to-back seizures of two major oil tankers on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation in the naval blockade of Venezuela. The operations, part of the broader “Operation Southern Spear,” targeted vessels accused of defying sanctions and operating within the “dark fleet” to transport Venezuelan crude.
Thursday, January 8th 2026 - 10:14 UTC
Trump orders US out of 66 “wasteful” international organizations

US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Wednesday directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations. The White House characterized the targeted entities as “redundant,” “wasteful,” or “hostile to American sovereignty.”
Thursday, January 8th 2026 - 10:09 UTC
Bolsonaro back in hospital after all

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized on Wednesday following a head injury sustained in his jail cell. The incident has triggered a fierce legal battle after Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes denied the retired Army captain proper assistance, citing technicalities.
Thursday, January 8th 2026 - 09:56 UTC
Three years after the fact, the Jan. 8 uprising still has Lula's future in the balance

Brazil is commemorating Thursday the third anniversary of the Jan. 8, 2023, attempted coup d'état, for which most notably former President Jair Bolsonaro and some of his closest aides have been convicted, in addition to some 810 other defendants.
Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 19:05 UTC
PDVSA confirms negotiations with US for crude sales amid post-Maduro energy realignment

Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA confirmed on Tuesday that it is currently engaged in negotiations with the United States for the sale of crude oil volumes, framing the talks as a strictly commercial transaction.
Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 10:55 UTC
Trump claims control of Venezuelan oil: Up to 50 million barrels bound for US

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Venezuela's interim authorities had agreed to “turn over” between 30 and 50 million barrels of crude oil to the United States.
Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 10:22 UTC
Bolsonaro denied hospital trip after fall

Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes denied on Tuesday a request from former President Jair Bolsonaro's legal team to have their client transferred to a medical facility after suffering what his relatives claim was a fall while locked up at the Federal Police's headquarters in Brasilia to serve his 27-year prison sentence for masterminding the Jan. 8, 2023, attempted coup d'état.
Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 10:15 UTC
Delcy Rodríguez declares week of mourning for fallen Maduro's guardsmen

Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has declared seven days of national mourning to honor those fallen during the Jan. 3 US military mission to capture former ruler Nicolás Maduro. Rodríguez said the week will be dedicated to the “honor and glory” of the “martyrs.”
Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 09:18 UTC
Convicted CIA mole serving life with no parole dies in jail

Former CIA counterintelligence officer Aldrich Ames, whose nearly decade-long betrayal of the United States stood as one of the most catastrophic security breaches in history, died in federal custody on Monday at the age of 84.
Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 08:54 UTC
Trump sets eyes on Greenland, does not rule out military means

White House sources confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump was considering “a range of options” to acquire Greenland, explicitly stating that military intervention was not to be ruled out, thus sending shockwaves through the NATO alliance.