United States

• Friday, January 30th 2026 - 05:11 UTC

  US returns seized oil tanker to Venezuela amid broader energy policy shift

  

  The United States government this week returned the seized oil tanker M/T Sophia to Venezuela, reflecting a broader shift in U.S. energy policy toward Caracas amid efforts to normalize commercial ties, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The move comes after several high‑profile seizures of vessels tied to Venezuelan oil shipping.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 22:52 UTC

  Petro revives anti-Trump rhetoric, urges U.S. to “return” Maduro ahead of Feb. 3 White House meeting

  

  Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has revived his sharpest anti-Trump rhetoric days before a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, calling on Washington to “return” Nicolás Maduro so he can be tried in Venezuela rather than in U.S. courts.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 22:38 UTC

  Marco Rubio: “Our relationship with Delcy Rodríguez's government is productive and respectful”

  

  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington is not considering “any military action” in Venezuela, as he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to outline the Trump administration’s strategy following the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 14:30 UTC

  U.S. prepares general licence to ease Venezuelan energy sanctions after Maduro capture

  

  The United States is preparing a general licence to ease sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector, aiming to facilitate an estimated $2 billion oil supply deal between Caracas and Washington, U.S. government sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The move is part of a strategic shift in U.S. policy after the Jan. 3 capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 08:56 UTC

  Marco Rubio says U.S. may use force again in Venezuela if Delcy Rodríguez “does not cooperate”

  

  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that Washington is prepared to “use force” again in Venezuela if it determines that acting president Delcy Rodríguez is not cooperating “to the level” expected by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a draft of his prepared remarks cited by media.

• Tuesday, January 27th 2026 - 10:59 UTC

  Why a U.S. military plane landed in Ushuaia: lawmakers, ports and geopolitics

  

  The landing in Ushuaia of a U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers has reignited political controversy in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province and sharpened attention on the country’s strategic footprint in the South Atlantic and Antarctica, amid deepening ties between President Javier Milei and U.S. President Donald Trump.

• Tuesday, January 27th 2026 - 09:55 UTC

  Delcy Rodriguez meets Repsol, Chevron and Shell as Venezuela pushes oil law overhaul to draw investment

  

  Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez met on Monday in Caracas with representatives of oil companies including Repsol, Chevron and Shell to discuss a hydrocarbons law reform now moving through the National Assembly, as her government seeks to attract private and foreign investment. The meeting took place at PDVSA facilities and forms part of a mandatory public consultation phase after the bill cleared its first legislative debate.

• Monday, January 26th 2026 - 23:18 UTC

  Lula urges Trump to limit “Peace Board” to Gaza in call covering governance, Venezuela and bilateral agenda

  

  Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a phone call on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, in a nearly hour-long conversation that blended global governance issues with the bilateral agenda. Brazilian media, citing Planalto Palace sources, reported that Lula argued Trump’s proposed “Peace Board” should be restricted exclusively to the future governance of the Gaza Strip and should also contemplate the creation of a Palestinian state—an approach those sources said Trump does not share.

• Monday, January 26th 2026 - 13:27 UTC

  Winter storm triggers worst U.S. flight-cancellation day since the pandemic, officials say

  

  A sweeping U.S. winter storm of snow and ice delivered the worst single day of flight cancellations since the Covid-19 pandemic, grounding more than 11,000 flights and triggering roughly 17,000 delays on Sunday, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The disruption, hitting during a high-volume weekend travel window, strained airlines, airports and utilities and raised the risk of continued delays into the start of the workweek.

• Monday, January 26th 2026 - 10:15 UTC

  Global opposition to U.S. policy gains momentum after Davos confrontations

  

  Global opposition to United States foreign and trade policies has intensified in the wake of sharp confrontations at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2026, with leaders from Europe, Asia, and Latin America pushing back against unilateral U.S. initiatives, including strategic pressure tactics.