Cuba has an extensive presence in Venezuela and Cuban intelligence and military personnel not only trained the Venezuelan military but also led the effort to crack down on opposition to the Chavez-Maduro dictatorship. Experts and former Venezuelan officials estimate there are between 5,000 and 15,000 Cuban personnel dedicated specifically to intelligence, counter-intelligence, and security tasks.
søndag 4. januar 2026
Is Cuba next after Maduro’s capture?
Nicolás Maduro was the head of the Venezuelan dictatorship, but his removal not only signals the coming liquidation of the Venezuelan cartels and thugs; it also has a dramatic immediate impact on Cuba. Is Cuba next?
Cuba has an extensive presence in Venezuela and Cuban intelligence and military personnel not only trained the Venezuelan military but also led the effort to crack down on opposition to the Chavez-Maduro dictatorship. Experts and former Venezuelan officials estimate there are between 5,000 and 15,000 Cuban personnel dedicated specifically to intelligence, counter-intelligence, and security tasks.
Cuba has an extensive presence in Venezuela and Cuban intelligence and military personnel not only trained the Venezuelan military but also led the effort to crack down on opposition to the Chavez-Maduro dictatorship. Experts and former Venezuelan officials estimate there are between 5,000 and 15,000 Cuban personnel dedicated specifically to intelligence, counter-intelligence, and security tasks.
South Korean president begins China state visit
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung arrived in China on Sunday to hold talks with Xi Jinping, with the hope of improving Seoul's ties with Beijing and promoting peace in the Korean Peninsula.
Lee's visit came just hours after North Korea fired ballistic missiles from Pyongyang towards the sea.
Are ties between China and South Korea deepening? In the last six years, no other South Korean leader has visited Beijing, and Lee's meeting with Xi will be his second in two months. Lee's four-day trip to China is also his first since he took office in June last year and comes amid heightened tensions over China's military drills around Taiwan, over which China claims sovereignty.
Lee's visit came just hours after North Korea fired ballistic missiles from Pyongyang towards the sea.
Are ties between China and South Korea deepening? In the last six years, no other South Korean leader has visited Beijing, and Lee's meeting with Xi will be his second in two months. Lee's four-day trip to China is also his first since he took office in June last year and comes amid heightened tensions over China's military drills around Taiwan, over which China claims sovereignty.
World Leaders Left Stunned by US Attacking Venezuela
World leaders on Saturday were stunned as the United States moved in the early hours of Saturday to strike Venezuela and capture the country's president Nicolás Maduro, with some seeking clarity and others condemning the move.
The White House referred Newsweek to President Donald Trump's statement on Truth Social, in which he wrote, in part: "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow."
Maduro and his wife, Cilla Flores, have been formally indicted in the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced, after Trump confirmed the U.S. captured them during a "large-scale strike" against Caracas early Saturday morning. Maduro earlier declared a national emergency after multiple explosions rocked the capital city.
The White House referred Newsweek to President Donald Trump's statement on Truth Social, in which he wrote, in part: "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow."
Maduro and his wife, Cilla Flores, have been formally indicted in the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced, after Trump confirmed the U.S. captured them during a "large-scale strike" against Caracas early Saturday morning. Maduro earlier declared a national emergency after multiple explosions rocked the capital city.
2025 was a terrible year for the ‘Four Families’ accused of running global cyber scam operations
People traded as commodities, iron cages used for punishment, severed fingers and even human sacrifice. These grisly details, revealed during interrogations of some of Asia’s most notorious criminal magnates, expose the horror of life in the many scam factories that dot Myanmar’s rugged and lawless border with China.
The suspects were alleged members of powerful crime families whose political connections, wealth and thousand-strong private armies allowed them to build multibillion-dollar empires on illegal gambling, telecoms and internet fraud, drug production, prostitution, and other illicit activities with impunity.
Now behind bars in Chinese prisons, more than a dozen on death row, their confessions have been beamed through TV screens across China and their alleged crimes detailed in lengthy investigations in Chinese state media.
The suspects were alleged members of powerful crime families whose political connections, wealth and thousand-strong private armies allowed them to build multibillion-dollar empires on illegal gambling, telecoms and internet fraud, drug production, prostitution, and other illicit activities with impunity.
Now behind bars in Chinese prisons, more than a dozen on death row, their confessions have been beamed through TV screens across China and their alleged crimes detailed in lengthy investigations in Chinese state media.
China urges US to ‘stop toppling’ Venezuelan government, release Maduro
China has called on the United States to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after Washington carried out massive military strikes on the capital, Caracas, as well as other regions, and abducted the leader.
Beijing on Sunday insisted the safety of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores be a priority, and called on the US to “stop toppling the government of Venezuela”, calling the attack a “clear violation of international law“. It was the second statement issued by China since Saturday, after US President Donald Trump said Washington had taken Maduro and his wife and flown them out of the country.
On Saturday, Beijing slammed the US for “hegemonic acts” and “blatant use of force” against Venezuela and its president, urging Washington to abide by the United Nations charter.
Beijing on Sunday insisted the safety of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores be a priority, and called on the US to “stop toppling the government of Venezuela”, calling the attack a “clear violation of international law“. It was the second statement issued by China since Saturday, after US President Donald Trump said Washington had taken Maduro and his wife and flown them out of the country.
On Saturday, Beijing slammed the US for “hegemonic acts” and “blatant use of force” against Venezuela and its president, urging Washington to abide by the United Nations charter.
North Korea fires missiles towards sea as South Korean leader visits China
North Korea has launched multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast into the sea as South Korea’s leader begins a state visit to China in its first barrage of the new year. According to South Korea’s military, the missiles launched at about 7:50am on Sunday (22:50 GMT on Saturday) flew about 900km (560 miles).The military added that the country, as well as the United States, was “closely analysing the specifications” while “maintaining a full readiness posture”.
In a statement, the US forces for the Asia Pacific said the missile launches did not pose an “immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies”. Japan also reported that at least two missiles had reached distances of 900km (560 miles) and 950km (590 miles).
“North Korea’s nuclear and missile development threatens the peace and stability of our country and the international society, and is absolutely intolerable,” Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters.
In a statement, the US forces for the Asia Pacific said the missile launches did not pose an “immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies”. Japan also reported that at least two missiles had reached distances of 900km (560 miles) and 950km (590 miles).
“North Korea’s nuclear and missile development threatens the peace and stability of our country and the international society, and is absolutely intolerable,” Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters.
China’s BYD overtakes Tesla as world’s top EV seller for the first time
Chinese auto giant BYD on Friday dethroned U.S. rival Tesla as the world’s biggest seller of electric vehicles on a calendar-year basis. The milestone caps an extraordinary rise for BYD, a company Tesla CEO Elon Musk once dismissed by laughing at their products during a 2011 Bloomberg interview.
In a statement published Thursday, BYD said sales of its battery-powered cars rose nearly 28% to 2.26 million units. Musk openly laughed at the mention of BYD while being interviewed on Bloomberg TV in October 2011. He said he did not see the company as a competitor to Tesla, adding: “I don’t think they have a great product.”
In a statement published Thursday, BYD said sales of its battery-powered cars rose nearly 28% to 2.26 million units. Musk openly laughed at the mention of BYD while being interviewed on Bloomberg TV in October 2011. He said he did not see the company as a competitor to Tesla, adding: “I don’t think they have a great product.”
Myanmar to free thousands of prisoners in annual amnesty
The Myanmar junta will release more than 6,000 prisoners to mark Independence Day, the state media reported on Sunday. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has granted amnesty to 6,134 imprisoned Myanmar nationals, the National Defence and Security Council said in a statement. The amnesty also includes 52 foreigners who will be released and deported from Myanmar.
The junta also commuted the sentences of all prisoners by one-sixth, excluding those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, terrorism, corruption and arms- or drug-related offenses.
The junta also commuted the sentences of all prisoners by one-sixth, excluding those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, terrorism, corruption and arms- or drug-related offenses.
In India, youths are quiet as Gen Z protests rock South Asia
"Gen Z is a generation of convenience," said Harshita V., referring to her cohort's political activism, as she sipped her strawberry-flavored kombucha.
When India's Supreme Court ordered the removal of stray dogs from the streets of New Delhi in August, she said, one of her friends organized a protest. Scores signed up online. But when the protest took place the next day, only four or five people showed up.
"They rally online," Harshita said. "But, when it comes to finishing something they have started, the enthusiasm fizzles out."
This anecdote set the tone for the conversation on Gen Z youths in India and their politics on a cold afternoon in late December among a small group of young people in the capital, New Delhi.
India has the world's largest youth population. About 377 million Indians — some 27% of the population — belong to Generation Z, a term referring to people born roughly between 1997 and 2012. It's a demographic that will play a decisive role in shaping the country's democratic future.
When India's Supreme Court ordered the removal of stray dogs from the streets of New Delhi in August, she said, one of her friends organized a protest. Scores signed up online. But when the protest took place the next day, only four or five people showed up.
"They rally online," Harshita said. "But, when it comes to finishing something they have started, the enthusiasm fizzles out."
This anecdote set the tone for the conversation on Gen Z youths in India and their politics on a cold afternoon in late December among a small group of young people in the capital, New Delhi.
India has the world's largest youth population. About 377 million Indians — some 27% of the population — belong to Generation Z, a term referring to people born roughly between 1997 and 2012. It's a demographic that will play a decisive role in shaping the country's democratic future.
fredag 2. januar 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: New Year’s Greeting from the Drum Tower
Time passes, and silence reigns in the Drum Tower. Yet for nearly seven hundred years the largest drum in the Middle Kingdom dictated the rhythm of life for all of Beijing’s inhabitants. “The beats rolled like heavy waves in all directions,” I read in an old book.
The beats announced the regime of the night—that movement, trade, and crafts in public spaces were to cease, and that the city gates were to be closed.
“Every night guards ride around the city in groups of thirty to forty men to check whether anyone is out at an unlawful hour,” Marco Polo wrote toward the end of the thirteenth century. “Anyone found is arrested and thrown into prison.”
The beats announced the regime of the night—that movement, trade, and crafts in public spaces were to cease, and that the city gates were to be closed.
“Every night guards ride around the city in groups of thirty to forty men to check whether anyone is out at an unlawful hour,” Marco Polo wrote toward the end of the thirteenth century. “Anyone found is arrested and thrown into prison.”
Torbjørn Færøvik: Nyttårshilsen fra Trommetårnet
Tiden går, og stillheten rår i Trommetårnet. Men i nesten 700 år dikterte den største trommen i Midtens rike livsrytmen til alle Beijings innbyggere. «Slagene rullet som tunge bølger i alle himmelretninger», leser jeg i en gammel bok.
Slagene varslet nattens regime – at ferdsel, handel og håndverk i det offentlige rom skulle opphøre, og at byportene skulle stenges.
«Hver natt rir vakter rundt i byen i grupper på tretti til førti mann for å undersøke om noen er ute på ulovlig tidspunkt», skrev Marco Polo på slutten av 1200-tallet. «Den som blir funnet, blir arrestert og satt i fengsel.»
South Korea's Lee ditches hard-line path on Kim, North Korea
In a clear departure from his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has adopted a softer stance on North Korea during his first seven months in office, offering carrots rather than sticks to the regime in Pyongyang. The change became obvious in recent weeks as Seoul pushed multiple initiatives to reopen communication channels and build trust with North Korea.
"Both Yoon and Lee want the same thing because there has been a stalemate in inter-Korean ties since the North's last nuclear test, in September 2017," said Choo Jae-woo, a professor of foreign policy at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.
The Korean Peninsula has been divided since 1948. The subsequent decades have seen periods of tension and relative rapprochement between Seoul and Pyongyang, but the bilateral ties have "broken down" in recent years, Choo said. The conflict over the North's nuclear arsenal is still the main stumbling block between the countries. Ex-President Yoon was adamant that denuclearization of the North was a pre-condition to any talks on the future of bilateral ties. Pyongyang would not agree to that stipulation. Lee, however, pushed denuclearization down the list of priorities and now sees it as an "eventual goal,” Choo said.
"Both Yoon and Lee want the same thing because there has been a stalemate in inter-Korean ties since the North's last nuclear test, in September 2017," said Choo Jae-woo, a professor of foreign policy at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.
The Korean Peninsula has been divided since 1948. The subsequent decades have seen periods of tension and relative rapprochement between Seoul and Pyongyang, but the bilateral ties have "broken down" in recent years, Choo said. The conflict over the North's nuclear arsenal is still the main stumbling block between the countries. Ex-President Yoon was adamant that denuclearization of the North was a pre-condition to any talks on the future of bilateral ties. Pyongyang would not agree to that stipulation. Lee, however, pushed denuclearization down the list of priorities and now sees it as an "eventual goal,” Choo said.
Ten years after it ended its ‘one-child’ policy, China’s push for more babies isn’t winning its citizens over
Welkin Lei has been doing some paper-napkin calculations in his spare time.
As the 30-year-old from Beijing and his wife consider whether to have a second child, they face a question of resources. Caring for their three-year-old son requires hiring childcare while they’re at work, and the couple – both only children – are also looking ahead to when they’ll need to balance parenting with the cost and time of caring for their own aging parents.
While those considerations are not uncommon around the world, they’re also uniquely at the heart of one of the biggest long-term domestic challenges facing China’s leaders: spurring the country’s young people to have more children after decades of stringent, state-enforced birth control that skewed its demographics.
As the 30-year-old from Beijing and his wife consider whether to have a second child, they face a question of resources. Caring for their three-year-old son requires hiring childcare while they’re at work, and the couple – both only children – are also looking ahead to when they’ll need to balance parenting with the cost and time of caring for their own aging parents.
While those considerations are not uncommon around the world, they’re also uniquely at the heart of one of the biggest long-term domestic challenges facing China’s leaders: spurring the country’s young people to have more children after decades of stringent, state-enforced birth control that skewed its demographics.
Could Japan Get a Nuclear Weapon? What To Know
A senior Japanese official’s suggestion that Japan should possess nuclear weapons has reignited debate over whether the country could—or would—break with a decades-old taboo in response to an increasingly tense security environment.
Such a move would mark a dramatic departure for Japan, the world’s only nation to have suffered atomic bombings and a country that, after World War II, adopted a pacifist constitution. For decades, the U.S. has pledged to protect Japan, South Korea, and Australia under its nuclear umbrella.
The statement comes amid heightened tensions with China, which has, since last month, waged a public-relations campaign portraying Japan’s recent actions as a return to pre-World War II militarism. The rhetoric escalated after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that a Chinese blockade of Beijing-claimed Taiwan would justify a joint intervention with U.S. forces.
Such a move would mark a dramatic departure for Japan, the world’s only nation to have suffered atomic bombings and a country that, after World War II, adopted a pacifist constitution. For decades, the U.S. has pledged to protect Japan, South Korea, and Australia under its nuclear umbrella.
The statement comes amid heightened tensions with China, which has, since last month, waged a public-relations campaign portraying Japan’s recent actions as a return to pre-World War II militarism. The rhetoric escalated after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that a Chinese blockade of Beijing-claimed Taiwan would justify a joint intervention with U.S. forces.
China’s Xi Doubles Down on Taiwan Territorial Claim After War Games
Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his government's designs for unification with Taiwan during his annual New Year's Eve address. "We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship," Xi said during Wednesday's speech. "The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable!"
The remarks come just one day after the People's Liberation Army fired missiles into waters north and south of the island during drills Beijing framed as a warning to Taiwan's government and to "external forces" supporting it, a thinly veiled threat toward the United States.
The remarks come just one day after the People's Liberation Army fired missiles into waters north and south of the island during drills Beijing framed as a warning to Taiwan's government and to "external forces" supporting it, a thinly veiled threat toward the United States.
China Ends Tax Break on Condoms, Contraceptive Pills Amid Birth Rate Slump
China has ended a decades-old tax exemption on contraceptives, including condoms and birth control pills, as part of its broader effort to reverse a sustained decline in population growth. Beginning January 1, contraceptives are now subject to a 13 percent value-added tax, while services related to childcare, marriage, and elder care are exempt.
The policy shift comes amid growing concern in Beijing over a shrinking population and the economic implications of an aging society. Official figures show that only 9.54 million babies were born in China in 2024, approximately half the number from a decade earlier. The country has now recorded three consecutive years of population decline.
The policy shift comes amid growing concern in Beijing over a shrinking population and the economic implications of an aging society. Official figures show that only 9.54 million babies were born in China in 2024, approximately half the number from a decade earlier. The country has now recorded three consecutive years of population decline.
China’s Plans to Dominate at Sea in 2026
China, a top maritime rival of the United States, is expected to continue rapid naval modernization and expand its presence at sea in the new year, following the fielding of new warships and a growing reach in the Pacific in 2025, analysts told Newsweek.
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China's Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek that China's military development is not directed at any third party. "They are solely for the purpose of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests."
China has built the world's largest navy by hull count, with more than 370 ships and submarines, including three aircraft carriers, as part of its push to field a "world-class" military. In its latest annual report on Chinese militarydevelopments, the Pentagon warned that China aims to displace the U.S. as the world's most powerful country.
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China's Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek that China's military development is not directed at any third party. "They are solely for the purpose of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests."
China has built the world's largest navy by hull count, with more than 370 ships and submarines, including three aircraft carriers, as part of its push to field a "world-class" military. In its latest annual report on Chinese militarydevelopments, the Pentagon warned that China aims to displace the U.S. as the world's most powerful country.
In India, door deliveries can come in under 10 minutes. But many drivers are fed up
Tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers in India went on strike over New Year’s Eve, protesting a system they say is defined by relentless pressure, including requirements to deliver items in under 10 minutes.
The workers are calling for “fair pay, dignity and safety,” as well as an immediate ban on a marketing hook that commits them to delivering groceries to any address within a roughly three kilometer (1.8 miles) radius within 10 minutes – no easy feat in India’s notoriously traffic-clogged cities.
They are also protesting against the automated systems used by the platforms to penalize delivery workers and reduce their ratings when delays occur, and are asking for comprehensive social security including health insurance and pensions. More than 200,000 workers joined the strike, according to the Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers who organized the strike.
The workers are calling for “fair pay, dignity and safety,” as well as an immediate ban on a marketing hook that commits them to delivering groceries to any address within a roughly three kilometer (1.8 miles) radius within 10 minutes – no easy feat in India’s notoriously traffic-clogged cities.
They are also protesting against the automated systems used by the platforms to penalize delivery workers and reduce their ratings when delays occur, and are asking for comprehensive social security including health insurance and pensions. More than 200,000 workers joined the strike, according to the Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers who organized the strike.
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