Venezuela

US forces board another tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean

16 Feb 2026 - 8:33AM

3 dead in latest US strike on suspected drug vessel in Caribbean

14 Feb 2026 - 10:26AM

Middle East

Trump says change of power in Iran would be ‘best thing’

The US president’s comments are his most overt reference yet to regime change, as he pushes Tehran to make a nuclear deal.

14 Feb 2026 - 7:50AMvideocam

The USS Gerald R. Ford departs from Newport News, Virginia, in April 2017. Photo: US Navy via AP

Trump hails US ‘discombobulator’ weapon as he meets Maduro op troops

The US president made his first public comments on a device that he boasted could block Russian and Chinese defence systems.

14 Feb 2026 - 4:57AMvideocam

US allows oil majors to resume Venezuela operations

The authorisation does not allow transactions ‌with companies in Russia, Iran or China.

14 Feb 2026 - 1:14AMvideocam

From sanctioned to ‘legitimate’: how China bought Venezuelan oil from the US

After Nicoals Maduro’s January seizure, Washington is selling seized oil globally, with China a key buyer, says Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

13 Feb 2026 - 9:29AMvideocam

An oil tanker anchored in Lake Maracaibo, in the state of Zulia, Venezuela in December. Photo: Xinhua

China-Latin America relations

US military laser tech and cartel drones stir airspace confusion in Texas

El Paso flights resume after conflicting reports of Mexican cartel drone incursions and uncoordinated Pentagon laser testing.

12 Feb 2026 - 10:31AM

China vows to ‘do what it can’ as US blockade leaves Cuba with just weeks of oil

Beijing pledges continued support for Cuba and champions Havana’s sovereignty as the island grapples with worsening fuel shortages.

12 Feb 2026 - 7:38AMvideocam

Cuba warns airlines it’s almost out of fuel as US blockade tightens chokehold

Air Canada suspends Cuba flights as Havana warns it can no longer guarantee refuelling for international carriers.

10 Feb 2026 - 3:33PM

A Turkish Airlines plane takes off at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba on Monday. Photo: AP

‘Tracked and hunted’: US forces board tanker in Indian Ocean

US military intercepts the US-sanctioned Aquila II after a transoceanic chase from the Caribbean.

10 Feb 2026 - 3:08PM

The Aquila II tanker, which was boarded by US forces
after it was ‘tracked and hunted’ from the Caribbean. Photo: Pentagon via X

China-Latin America relations

Venezuela’s Machado says ally ‘kidnapped’ after prison release

Juan Pablo Guanipa was ‘violently’ taken away, hours after his release from prison, opposition leader says.

9 Feb 2026 - 4:35PM

Greenland

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

9 Feb 2026 - 1:10PMvideocam

Xi Jinping

Editorial | Xi’s same-day calls with Trump and Putin showcase head-of-state diplomacy

At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, the extraordinary back-to-back conversations with the leaders of Russia and the US highlight Xi’s diplomatic approach.

7 Feb 2026 - 7:15AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping (centre) spoke to both US President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) on Wednesday. Photo: AFP/ Xinhua/ Reuters

India

Opinion | Why the new US-India trade agreement is a big deal

The warming of New Delhi’s ties with Washington has implications for Russia, China and the global dynamics of trade and geopolitical power.

7 Feb 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington on February 13, 2025. Photo: Reuters

China keeps Cuba and Uruguay in the fold, puts Panama out in the cold

Beijing promises more aid to struggling Havana and cooperation with Montevideo as Washington looks to extend its reach in Latin America.

6 Feb 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

US pledges food aid for Cuba while putting squeeze on fuel supply

Havana signals a cautious readiness for talks as the island’s leader accuses the US of imposing an ‘energy blockade’.

6 Feb 2026 - 3:35PM

Belt and Road Initiative

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

6 Feb 2026 - 7:30AMvideocam

A container is lifted by a crane at the Chinese-funded Chancay port in Peru, on October 29, 2024. Photo: AP

China energy security

China’s cheap oil flows under strain as US ramps up Iran, Venezuela pressure

US restrictions could lead China to turn to higher-priced barrels in other markets, while it continues to reduce its reliance on oil imports.

5 Feb 2026 - 7:55AM

Vietnam

Friend or foe? Leaked Vietnamese military document labels US ‘belligerent’

While noting that ‘there is little risk of a war’, document urges vigilance to prevent the US from finding a pretext to invade Vietnam.

4 Feb 2026 - 12:01PM

Donald Trump

Trump and Colombia’s Petro appear to bury hatchet after months of tensions

US president calls Gustavo Petro ‘terrific’ after their first face-to-face encounter, following months of trading barbs.

4 Feb 2026 - 12:16PM

Colombian President Gustavo Petro meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Colombia Presidency via dpa

1 month after Maduro abduction, Venezuela assures China investments are safe

Venezuelan envoy Remigio Ceballos dismisses reports US will set the price for all oil transactions between China and Venezuela.

3 Feb 2026 - 9:41PMvideocam

Former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are brought to the United States following an American military raid on their compound in Caracas on January 3. Photo: TNS

US-Cuba relations

Cuba confirms ‘communications’ with US as Trump moves to block oil

Reeling from blackouts and the loss of its Venezuelan patron, Havana confirms communications with the US but says no formal negotiations yet.

3 Feb 2026 - 3:28PM

Trump lifts Russia-related oil tariffs on India under new trade deal

Under the pact, India’s tariffs have been reduced from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.

3 Feb 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

Asean

Asian Angle | ‘Old order is not coming back’: Trump’s US, not China, threatens status quo

American unpredictability is pushing countries to hedge more proactively – and, ironically, soften existing tensions with China.

31 Jan 2026 - 11:00AM

A protester interrupts US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) as he testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. Photo: Getty Images

North Korea

Kim Jong-un set to signal stronger nuclear deterrence posture at congress

After viewing a test of a multiple rocket launcher system, Kim is likely to unveil ICBM plans capable of hitting the US, analysts say.

31 Jan 2026 - 2:07PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae, oversee a test-fire of a large-calibre multiple-rocket launcher system at an unknown location in North Korea. Photo: EPA/KCNA