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Disturbing videos of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores being arrested in New York are flooding social media. The footage shows US authorities escorting the couple in handcuffs aboard a helicopter to a New York courtroom. As President Maduro was taken out of the helicopter and into a courtroom, he was seen stumbling and struggling to walk. His wife, Cilia Flores, also denied the allegations leveled against her during their court appearance, claiming she was innocent. This development comes amidst a significant shift in the global landscape, with the US taking a firmer stance on Venezuela’s affairs. The arrest of President Maduro and his wife is a result of their detention in a military operation on January 3, where they were taken into custody by US authorities.
As part of this operation, the US has announced plans to control Venezuela’s oil reserves, with President Donald Trump stating that the country will be given to the US in exchange for $30-50 million barrels of oil. The oil will be sold at market rate, and the proceeds will be placed under the control of the US President. In a bid to achieve this objective, the Trump administration is reportedly considering military options to seize control of Venezuela’s oil resources.
In related news, the US government has come under fire for its handling of the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection. The White House has accused former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of failing to act decisively to prevent the violence. Meanwhile, in Nepal, a curfew has been imposed in the border town of Birgunj after a series of attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned properties by radical Hindus.
In a significant diplomatic development, Israel and Syria have agreed to establish a joint mechanism for intelligence and diplomatic cooperation. In the UK, a taxi driver has been barred from obtaining a private hire license after allegedly harassing a female passenger and sending her unwanted messages. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater action to address the issue of harassment.
In other news, Russia has reportedly deployed its naval forces to protect its oil tankers, with the US media citing the deployment of submarines and other vessels. In a separate development, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Bangladesh’s bid to shift the T20 World Cup matches from India in response to the country’s rising COVID-19 cases. The 100 Index has continued to rise, closing at 1,85,62 points after the previous day’s close.
Finally, the UK has seen its lowest temperature record broken in recent days, with reports of temperatures dropping as low as -12.5 degrees Celsius in the town of Marham, Norfolk. The extreme cold has forced children to extend their Christmas break, with schools remaining closed due to the weather conditions.
