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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

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31 May 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

India

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US-China relations

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Brazil

US labels major Brazilian crime groups as terrorist organisations

Washington equates PCC and CV with global terror groups like Isis, opening the door for aggressive US interventions.

29 May 2026 - 2:21PM

Brazilian security forces regularly conduct large operations against the criminal groups, which often turn violent. Photo: EPA

Cuba

Cuba receives shipment of rice donated by China as US squeezes island

Beijing reinforces ties through ‘the largest food aid’ in recent years as Cuba reels under economic crisis.

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War and conflict

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China-India relations

Rubio expected to brief New Delhi on Xi-Trump summit during India trip

US Secretary of State arrives on Saturday for four-day visit, with relations between the two countries strained and continuing to fluctuate.

23 May 2026 - 4:11PMvideocam

US United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in India on Saturday for a four-day visit that will include Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi. Photo: AFP

China-Latin America relations

US charges Raul Castro as Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Cuba

Historic murder charges against 94-year-old former leader mark the first time Washington has criminally pursued a Castro brother.

21 May 2026 - 12:55PMvideocam

China-Russia relations

China and Russia warn US Golden Dome poses ‘clear threat’ to stability

Days after Xi-Trump talks, Beijing and Moscow slam Washington’s military provocations and its plans for missile defence system.

20 May 2026 - 10:02PM

China-Latin America relations

US plans to charge Raul Castro increases Trump administration’s pressure on Cuba

US Justice Department preparing to indict ageing Cuban leader on Wednesday over the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago.

20 May 2026 - 4:03AMvideocam

Former Cuban president Raul Castro attends a May Day rally in Havana, Cuba, on May 1. Photo: Reuters

Spain

Spain investigates ex-prime minister Zapatero over airline bailout scandal

This is the first time in Spain’s modern history that a former prime minister has been placed under formal investigation.

19 May 2026 - 8:53PM

Spain’s former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero speaks to journalists in La Paz, Bolivia, on May 12, 2022. Photo: AP

United States

ICE agent charged over shooting of Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota

Minnesota county charges Christian Castro in a non-fatal shooting during Trump’s immigration crackdown.

19 May 2026 - 1:27PM

US-Cuba relations

Cuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions

Cuba’s president defends right to self-defence as US report claims the island has acquired more than 300 military drones.

19 May 2026 - 5:03PM

Diplomacy

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Lin Jian, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, speaks at a daily briefing in Beijing in 2025. Photo: dpa

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Marco Rubio dons ‘Maduro look’ as he heads to China, sparking internet frenzy

Chinese social media users react to Rubio’s tracksuit photo, calling it a ‘meaningless gimmick’ and raising questions about sanctions.

13 May 2026 - 6:45PM

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) wears the grey Nike tracksuit made famous following the abduction of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro (right) by the US military in January. Photo composite: X/ @StevenCheung47, @WhiteHouse

United States

Trump says Cuba is seeking help, will hold talks

Trump had threatened that Cuba was ‘next’ after the US military seized ‌the leader of long-time Cuban ally Venezuela earlier this year.

12 May 2026 - 9:31PMvideocam

Diplomacy

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Asean

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1 May 2026 - 8:58PMvideocam

People walk on the boardwalk in front of Singapore’s financial centre. Photo: AFP

China-Latin America relations

Senate vote leaves Cuba’s uncertain future at dangerous crossroads

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1 May 2026 - 8:30AMvideocam

United States

First direct US-Venezuela commercial flight in 7 years heads to Caracas

For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighbouring Latin American countries.

30 Apr 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

Science

Will the future world order be determined by who controls low Earth orbit?

Amid Starlink’s ability to service conflict zones, Chinese article warns of ‘new form of power’ to allow or cut connectivity in real time.

25 Apr 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Starlink was rolled out in Ukraine in 2022 to replace internet and communication networks damaged by Russia’s invasion of the country, quickly becoming a critical tool for both civilian and military connectivity. Photo: Shutterstock

War and conflict

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

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25 Apr 2026 - 11:00AM

Russia

Russia says US using coups, kidnappings to ‘defend its well-being’ at any cost

‘The United States has officially declared that no one can dictate to it,’ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says.

25 Apr 2026 - 9:29AMvideocam

US-China relations

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24 Apr 2026 - 11:30AM

US-Venezuela conflict

US soldier charged with using classified intel for Maduro removal bet

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Nicolas Maduro before his initial court appearance in New York City on January 5. Photo: Reuters

China energy security

China’s slowing oil imports

The war on Iran that has shut the Strait of Hormuz highlights China’s reliance on foreign energy supplies and shows why geopolitical risk is spurring its efforts to lower that dependence even as its economy grows.

22 Apr 2026 - 1:17PM

Americas and the Caribbean

Cuba confirms rare Havana talks with US officials

A senior diplomat describes ‘professional’ meetings as Havana seeks an end to the US oil blockade.

21 Apr 2026 - 12:14PM

China-EU relations

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

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20 Apr 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

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Venezuela

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | US quietly plays the long game on energy dominance against China

Behind the Trump administration’s detente with Beijing lies a strategy to redirect global energy flows and disrupt Chinese competitiveness.

India seals BrahMos missile deal with Vietnam, eyes Indonesia next

‘Clear-eyed’ on China: the takeaways from Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech

US labels major Brazilian crime groups as terrorist organisations

Washington equates PCC and CV with global terror groups like Isis, opening the door for aggressive US interventions.

Cuba receives shipment of rice donated by China as US squeezes island

Beijing reinforces ties through ‘the largest food aid’ in recent years as Cuba reels under economic crisis.

As I see it | How China wins by avoiding war

Trump, Putin and Netanyahu have all gone to war to prove how strong and powerful they are. The results should give any strongman pause.

Rubio expected to brief New Delhi on Xi-Trump summit during India trip

US Secretary of State arrives on Saturday for four-day visit, with relations between the two countries strained and continuing to fluctuate.

US charges Raul Castro as Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Cuba

Historic murder charges against 94-year-old former leader mark the first time Washington has criminally pursued a Castro brother.

China and Russia warn US Golden Dome poses ‘clear threat’ to stability

Days after Xi-Trump talks, Beijing and Moscow slam Washington’s military provocations and its plans for missile defence system.

US plans to charge Raul Castro increases Trump administration’s pressure on Cuba

US Justice Department preparing to indict ageing Cuban leader on Wednesday over the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago.

Spain investigates ex-prime minister Zapatero over airline bailout scandal

This is the first time in Spain’s modern history that a former prime minister has been placed under formal investigation.

ICE agent charged over shooting of Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota

Minnesota county charges Christian Castro in a non-fatal shooting during Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Cuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions

Cuba’s president defends right to self-defence as US report claims the island has acquired more than 300 military drones.

Opinion | How China is making the most of the US’ faltering global leadership

As the US’ latest foreign adventures weaken American legitimacy, the world needs a political force that can act as a neutral arbitrator.

Marco Rubio dons ‘Maduro look’ as he heads to China, sparking internet frenzy

Chinese social media users react to Rubio’s tracksuit photo, calling it a ‘meaningless gimmick’ and raising questions about sanctions.

Trump says Cuba is seeking help, will hold talks

Trump had threatened that Cuba was ‘next’ after the US military seized ‌the leader of long-time Cuban ally Venezuela earlier this year.

Opinion | Latin America is reassessing the benefits of warm ties with Beijing

From Honduras to Cuba and Venezuela, leaders are taking a more transactional view of what relations with Beijing really bring.

Why Singapore, Thailand are among the world’s ‘happiest’ economies

Southeast Asian countries outdid larger economies in the 178-nation Hanke’s Annual Misery Index for 2025.

Senate vote leaves Cuba’s uncertain future at dangerous crossroads

US Democrats failed on Tuesday in another attempt to limit Donald Trump’s authority to use military force against Cuba, so what’s next?

First direct US-Venezuela commercial flight in 7 years heads to Caracas

For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighbouring Latin American countries.

Will the future world order be determined by who controls low Earth orbit?

Amid Starlink’s ability to service conflict zones, Chinese article warns of ‘new form of power’ to allow or cut connectivity in real time.

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

From Iran to the Horn of Africa, disinformation is killing diplomacy. Mediators need facts, not state-sponsored fictions.

Russia says US using coups, kidnappings to ‘defend its well-being’ at any cost

‘The United States has officially declared that no one can dictate to it,’ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says.

Letters | China’s interest doesn’t lie in US failures

Readers discuss Chinese thinking on global stability, Turkey’s school shootings, and talk of regime change.

US soldier charged with using classified intel for Maduro removal bet

Gannon Ken Van Dyke is accused of using mission secrets to net a US$404,000 windfall on prediction site Polymarket.

China’s slowing oil imports

The war on Iran that has shut the Strait of Hormuz highlights China’s reliance on foreign energy supplies and shows why geopolitical risk is spurring its efforts to lower that dependence even as its economy grows.

Cuba confirms rare Havana talks with US officials

A senior diplomat describes ‘professional’ meetings as Havana seeks an end to the US oil blockade.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

Opinion | US quietly plays the long game on energy dominance against China

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe