Page 4 - United States

Maduro pleads not guilty in US court, denies all drug trafficking charges

A defiant Nicolas Maduro declared himself the president of my country as he protested his capture and pleaded not guilty on Monday to the federal drug trafficking charges that the Trump administration used to justify removing him from power. I was captured, Maduro said in Spanish as translated by a courtroom reporter before being cut off by the judge. Asked later for his plea to the charges, he stated: "I'm innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country. The courtroom appearance, Maduro's first since he and his wife were seized from their home in a stunning middle-of-the-night military operation, kick-starts the US government's most consequential prosecution in decades of a foreign head of state. The criminal case in Manhattan is unfolding against the diplomatic backdrop of an audacious US-engineered regime change that President Donald Trump has said will enable his administration to run the South American country. Maduro, wearing a blue jail uniform, was

Export promotion: Mkt access schemes need to be backed by coherent strategy

Mas risks becoming an enabling add-on rather than being a tool for enhancing competitiveness

New US visa rule: Citizens from 13 countries must pay up to $15,000 bonds

The Trump administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders are required to post bonds of up to USD 15,000 to apply to enter the United States. Thirteen countries, all but two of them in Africa, are now on the list, which makes the process of obtaining a US visa unaffordable for many. The State Department last week quietly added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan to the list. Those designations took effect on January 1, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website. It's the latest effort by the Trump administration to tighten requirements for entry to the US, including requiring citizens from all countries that require visas to sit for in-person interviews and disclose years of social media histories as well as detailed accounts of their and their families' previous travel and living arrangements. US officials have defended the bonds, which ca

Maduro brought to New York court for first hearing after capture by US

Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to make his first appearance Monday in an American courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing him and bringing him to New York. Maduro and his wife are expected to appear at noon before a judge for a brief, but required, legal proceeding that will likely kick off a prolonged legal fight over whether he can be put on trial in the US. The couple were transported under armed guard early Monday from the Brooklyn jail where they've been detained to a Manhattan courthouse. The trip was swift. A motorcade carrying Maduro left jail around 7:15 am and made its way to a nearby athletic field, where Maduro slowly made his way to a waiting helicopter. The chopper flew across New York harbour and landed at a Manhattan heliport, where Maduro, limping, was loaded into an armoured vehicle. A few minutes later, the law enforcement caravan was inside a garage at the courthouse complex, just around the

Security scare at JD Vance's Ohio residence; windows damaged, suspect held

The United States Secret Service said the vice president's family was not in Ohio when the incident took place

Minnesota Guv Tim Walz, Democrats' V-P pick, won't contest third term

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democrats 2024 candidate for vice president, is ending his bid for a third term as governor less than four months after launching a reelection campaign. Walz said in a statement Monday that he believes he would have won another term but decided that I can't give a political campaign my all after what he described as an extraordinarily difficult year for our state. The 61-year-old cited ongoing investigations into fraud in the state's child care programmes and the fact that President Donald Trump has used the issue as a political cudgel. Donald Trump and his allies in Washington, in St. Paul, and online want to make our state a colder, meaner place, Walz said, referring to the Trump administration withholding funds for the programmes. They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbours. And, ultimately, they want to take away much of what makes Minnesota the best place in America to raise a family.

Safe-haven demand lifts gold to one-week high amid US-Venezuela conflict

In other precious metals, spot silver jumped 3.9 per cent to $75.42 an ounce after hitting a record $83.62 on December 29

Indian envoy urged Trump to relieve tariffs on oil imports: US Senator

US Senator Lindsey Graham has claimed that Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra informed him about New Delhi reducing its purchases of Russian oil and asked him to convey to President Donald Trump to "relieve the tariff" imposed on India. Graham, accompanying Trump on Air Force One Sunday, spoke about his tariff bill that seeks to impose 500 per cent levies on imports from countries buying Russian oil. He said that to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, pressure must be put on Russian President Vladimir Putin's customers. Trump said that the sanctions are hurting Russia very badly, and then mentioned India. Graham then said that the US put a 25 per cent tariff on India for buying Russian oil. I was at the Indian Ambassador's house about a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how they are buying less Russian oil," Graham said. He added that the Indian envoy conveyed to him, "Would you tell the President to relieve the tariff?" There were no immediate comments from India

Dollar climbs as traders shift attention from Venezuela to US data

Traders were also keeping a watchful eye on events ​in Venezuela, after the US raid and capture of President Nicolas Maduro

After Venezuela, Trump hints at US military intervention in these countries

US military operation in Venezuela followed months of rising tensions, during which Washington sank more than 30 suspected drug-smuggling vessels since September 2025

North Korea condemns US strikes on Venezuela as sovereignty violation

"The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the United States," KCNA said, citing a spokesperson for North Korea's Foreign Ministry

How US forces captured Nicolás Maduro in overnight operation in Venezuela

After months of growing military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump ordered a brazen operation into the South American country to capture its leader and whisk him to the United States where his administration planned to put him on trial. In a Saturday morning interview on Fox & Friends Weekend, Trump laid out the details of the overnight strike, after which he said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown by helicopter to a US warship. Later Saturday, Trump and other officials gave more details during a news conference from his Florida residence. 'Maduro was in a fortress,' Trump says ------------------------------------------- Trump described Maduro as being highly guarded" in a presidential palace that was like a fortress. Maduro had nearly made it to a safe room inside it, Trump told reporters, although he was unable to close it. American forces were armed with massive blowtorches, which they would have used to cut through steel walls .

Venezuelan Oppn leader Maria Machado says 'hour of freedom' has arrived

Machado reiterated her support for opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, whom she described as the legitimate president elected by Venezuelans

US will run Venezuela until judicious transition takes place: Trump

Trump said the US remained prepared to carry out a second and significantly larger attack in Venezuela, though he suggested it might not be necessary

China calls US strike on Venezuela a serious violation of international law

China on Saturday condemned the US airstrikes on Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, describing it as a hegemonic act that seriously violates international law. China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the US's blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its President, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, reacting to a question on US President Donald Trump's announcement about American airstrikes against Venezuela and the capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region, the ministry said in its reply posted on its website. China firmly opposes it. We call on the US to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries' sovereignty and security," it said. China shares a close strategic partnersh

Maduro charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy: US Attorney General

The Attorney General's remarks come as US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the US had carried out a large strike against Venezuela

Who is Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan leader US claims to have captured?

Venezuelan authorities said the government did not know the whereabouts of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following the US operation

US strikes Venezuela: World leaders condemn action, urge peace, dialogue

In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the country" following the operation

US strikes Venezuela, Trump claims President Maduro captured and flown out

Trump for months had threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land following months of attacks on boats accused of carrying drugs

Donald Trump withdraws National Guard from Chicago, LA and Portland

Donald Trump had earlier ordered the National Guard to Portland, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC