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The Trump administration has carried out a series of military operations near Venezuela over the past three months, including attacks on alleged drug-smuggling vessels and the seizure of an oil tanker, in what officials describe as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. At least 99 people have been killed in 26 known strikes, while the U.S. has deployed its largest regional naval buildup in decades. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned of potential land operations in Venezuela, and on Dec. 16 ordered a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” entering or leaving the country. The administration alleges that Venezuela’s oil is being used to fund drug trafficking, terrorism, and other crimes, though Caracas denounces the actions as theft and international piracy. The military campaign began in September with the first strike on a suspected drug boat linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Subsequent attacks have taken place in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, often targeting vessels accused of smuggling narcotics. In addition to the strikes, the U.S. has sent guided-missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships, fighter jets, and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the region, bringing total troop presence to around 12,000. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns over the legality and transparency of the operations. Democratic leaders have criticized the administration for not providing sufficient legal justification and called for congressional oversight, while the U.N. human rights chief urged an investigation into the strikes, warning against extrajudicial killings. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned the U.S. actions, mobilizing troops and volunteers for military exercises and insisting that Washington’s operations aim to force him from power. Trump, however, has indicated willingness to engage in discussions with Maduro without specifying details. The campaign continues to draw scrutiny in Congress as lawmakers weigh potential limits on executive military authority, even as House Republicans rejected resolutions seeking to constrain the president’s use of force against drug cartels and Venezuela.  

Western officials say Russia is waging a widespread campaign of sabotage across Europe, aiming to disrupt support for Ukraine, expose security weaknesses, and sow divisions among EU nations. In November, a train carrying nearly 500 passengers in eastern Poland was forced to stop after a broken overhead line shattered windows, while explosives detonated under a freight train on the same line. Poland blamed Russian intelligence and deployed 10,000 troops to protect critical infrastructure. These incidents are part of at least 145 documented sabotage acts since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to an Associated Press database and European officials. While most attacks have caused limited damage, ranging from vandalism to cyberattacks and warehouse fires, they consume significant resources from security services across Europe, officials say. European intelligence agencies report that the hybrid campaign costs Russia very little, often relying on foreigners with criminal backgrounds as proxies, while forcing EU nations to cooperate extensively on investigations. “It’s a 24/7 operation between all the services to stop it,” said a senior European intelligence official on condition of anonymity. Incidents have targeted countries bordering Russia, including Poland and Estonia, as well as Latvia, the U.K., Germany, and France. Officials note a temporary lull in late 2024, likely to align with the start of President Donald Trump’s new administration, but attacks have since resumed at full intensity. Many plots involve cross-border perpetrators, straining multiple authorities. For instance, a Moldovan man set fire to a Ukrainian restaurant in Estonia and fled through Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland before being caught in Italy. Russian intelligence frequently recruits individuals with criminal records, including former prisoners, to carry out operations, reducing risk to Russian operatives. Even foiled plots drain European resources while testing defenses. Last year, a Ukrainian recruited by Russian intelligence in Lithuania planted explosives inside drone components, which authorities later intercepted. Despite the pressure, Moscow’s campaign has prompted greater cooperation among European nations. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have formed joint investigative teams, while U.K. police receive specialized training to detect state-backed attacks. Officials caution that Russia continues experimenting with new tactics. In Belarus, smuggling networks have repeatedly sent hundreds of weather balloons carrying cigarettes into Lithuania and Poland, temporarily shutting down airports—a hybrid tactic authorities warn could evolve into more dangerous threats.  

Belgium on Thursday demanded firm guarantees from its European Union partners that it would be shielded from Russian retaliation before supporting a major EU loan to Ukraine. At a high-stakes EU summit in Brussels, leaders of the 27-nation bloc are set to consider using tens of billions of euros from frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s military and economic needs over the next two years. Most of the assets—around 193 billion euros ($227 billion) as of September—are held by Brussels-based financial clearing house Euroclear, which Russia’s Central Bank recently sued. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever told parliament: “Give me a parachute and we’ll all jump together. If we have confidence in the parachute, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Belgium fears potential Russian retaliation and prefers borrowing on international markets, while seeking contributions from frozen assets in other EU countries and legal guarantees for Euroclear. European officials have warned of Russian attempts to disrupt and pressure the continent, with the Central Bank lawsuit intensifying scrutiny on Belgium ahead of the summit. The proposed “reparations loan” would provide Ukraine 90 billion euros ($106 billion), with countries such as the U.K., Canada, and Norway covering any shortfall. Russia’s claim to the assets remains, but the funds would remain frozen until the Kremlin ends the war and compensates for damages. De Wever said Belgium remains “a faithful ally” of Ukraine but is unconvinced by current EU safeguards. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the urgency, saying: “We will not leave the European Council without a solution for the funding of Ukraine for the next two years.” EU Council President António Costa pledged to continue negotiations until an agreement is reached. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned of stark choices, stating: “Either money today or blood tomorrow,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged using frozen Russian assets, citing escalating Russian threats. Opposition exists within the bloc: Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Malta have raised objections, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticizing the plan as “a dead end” and warning that providing funds could escalate conflict.  

The Trump administration has announced a massive arms sales package to Taiwan worth over $11 billion, including medium-range missiles, howitzers, and drones, prompting strong condemnation from China. The State Department unveiled the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump, who did not address China or Taiwan in his speech. U.S.-China tensions have fluctuated during Trump’s second term, largely over trade, tariffs, and Beijing’s growing assertiveness toward Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. If approved by Congress, the deal would be the largest-ever U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, surpassing the $8.4 billion provided during the Biden administration. The package covers eight agreements, including 82 high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), 60 self-propelled howitzers, drones, military software, Javelin and TOW missiles, helicopter parts, and Harpoon missile refurbishment kits. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry values the total package at $11.15 billion. The U.S. said the sales support Taiwan’s efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability, while promoting regional stability, political balance, and economic progress. China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the move, saying it violates diplomatic agreements, threatens China’s sovereignty, and could escalate military tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned the sales would backfire and accused Taiwan of wasting resources on weapons instead of pursuing reunification. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry thanked the U.S., saying the deal would strengthen the island’s self-defense and deterrence capabilities, which are key to regional peace. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung echoed the gratitude, highlighting the role of U.S. support in deterring conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has pledged to raise defense spending to 3.3% of GDP next year and target 5% by 2030. President Lai Ching-te announced a special $40 billion arms budget over eight years, including the Taiwan Dome air defense system. The U.S. arms package aligns with legislation recently passed by Congress, which Trump is expected to sign. China last week criticized the National Defense Authorization Act for unfairly portraying it as an aggressor. Mistreanu reported from Beijing. AP video journalists Olivia Zhang in Beijing and Johnson Lai in Taipei contributed to this report.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that he has approved a $35 billion natural gas export agreement with Egypt, marking the largest gas deal in Israel’s history. The 15-year deal could also help ease tensions between the two nations following the two-year war in the Gaza Strip. U.S. energy giant Chevron, a major stakeholder in Israel’s offshore gas fields in the Mediterranean, will deliver the gas. Approximately half of the revenue is expected to flow to Israel’s state treasury. In a recorded statement, Netanyahu said the deal “greatly strengthens Israel’s position as a regional energy power, and it contributes to stability in our region.” Egypt, which borders both Israel and Gaza and has played a key mediating role with Hamas ahead of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October, has not immediately confirmed the announcement. The agreement had faced earlier delays from Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, who initially criticized its terms as unfavorable to Israel. Cohen joined Netanyahu at Wednesday’s announcement, expressing support for the finalized deal. Israel began exporting natural gas nearly a decade ago, initially to Jordan and later to Egypt, following the discovery of substantial offshore reserves in the early 2000s. Separately, Israel’s defense ministry announced that German lawmakers approved an expansion of the Arrow 3 missile defense system deal, increasing its value from $3.5 billion to $6.5 billion — the largest Israeli defense export in history. Germany aims to bolster its air defenses against potential threats from Russia. Source: AP 

Africa is bearing the brunt of the Trump administration’s newly expanded travel restrictions, yet reactions across the continent of 1.5 billion people were largely subdued Wednesday as governments assessed the impact and next steps. The updated measures, announced Tuesday, add 20 countries to the travel ban, making it broader and more punitive than restrictions during Trump’s first term, which mainly targeted Muslim-majority nations and were reversed in 2021. Of the five countries newly added to the full ban list, four are in Africa — Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan, which already faced significant restrictions. Syria and holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents were also included. Other countries, including Sierra Leone and Laos, moved from partial to full restrictions. Twelve of the 15 countries under partial restrictions are African, including Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The remaining partial restrictions apply to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Tonga. The African Union urged the U.S. to implement border measures in a “balanced, evidence-based” manner, warning that the ban could harm educational, commercial, and diplomatic ties built over decades. Officials in affected nations expressed caution. Sierra Leone said it hoped to engage Washington for a review, while Mali’s foreign ministry described it as “too early to comment.” Analysts and citizens described the restrictions as unfair and likely to strain U.S.–Africa relations. “It paints all Nigerians with the same brush,” said Nigerian lawyer Ramlah Ibrahim Nok, highlighting concerns about educational, business, and tourism travel. Experts warned the measures may push African nations to seek partnerships elsewhere. The timing also raises practical concerns. Sports fans worry about attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., while in South Sudan, activists see the ban as a diplomatic warning over delayed peace agreement implementation. “The decision may penalize Malians who do business with the United States,” said resident Mohamed Keita, reflecting broader unease over the policy’s impact. Source: AP 

Attacks on hospitals and other medical facilities in conflict-ravaged Sudan have killed more than 1,600 people so far this year, the head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday, underscoring the scale of devastation caused by the war. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency has recorded 65 assaults on health centers since January, which have also left at least 276 people injured. The latest incident occurred Sunday, when a drone struck a military hospital in Diling, the capital of South Kordofan province — an area that has emerged as a major battleground between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to Tedros, the attack killed nine people and wounded 17. “Each attack further denies people access to health care and essential medicines,” he said in a post on X, adding that medical needs persist even as damaged facilities await repair and services struggle to resume. 34 dead, 80 injured as airstrike hits hospital in rebel-held Myanmar region The Sudan Doctors Network, a group of medical professionals monitoring the conflict, accused the RSF of carrying out the drone strike on the hospital in Diling. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the casualties in Diling were part of a wider toll of at least 104 people killed in attacks across the Kordofan region since Dec. 4. Health facilities have increasingly been caught in the crossfire. In October, an RSF assault on the Saudi Hospital in the Darfur city of el-Fasher left at least 460 people dead, according to the WHO. The agency said armed fighters also abducted doctors and nurses during the attack. Sudan descended into violence in April 2023 after a power struggle between the military and the RSF erupted into open warfare in Khartoum and rapidly spread nationwide. Renewed fighting in central Sudan displaces 2,000 in 3 days: UN agency Now in its third year, the conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives, according to U.N. estimates, though humanitarian groups warn the actual toll is likely far higher. The war has also triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 14 million people and fueling disease outbreaks and famine in several regions. Source: AP 

Israel’s military said on Wednesday that its troops fired a mortar shell into a Palestinian residential area in the Gaza Strip, wounding at least 10 people, in the latest incident to strain the fragile ceasefire with Hamas. According to the Israeli army, the mortar was fired during an operation near the so-called “Yellow Line,” a demarcation drawn under the ceasefire agreement that separates Israeli-held areas of Gaza from the rest of the territory. The military said the shell deviated from its intended target, which was not specified, and added that an investigation into the incident was underway. Fadel Naeem, director of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, said the hospital received at least 10 wounded people following the strike. This was not the first incident since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 in which Israeli fire has caused Palestinian casualties outside the Yellow Line. Palestinian health officials say more than 370 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce began. Israel maintains that its forces have responded to violations by Hamas and claims that most of those killed were militants. However, an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under military rules, acknowledged that the army is aware of several incidents in which civilians were killed, including young children and a family traveling in a van. Palestinians say civilian deaths have occurred partly because the Yellow Line is not clearly marked in many areas. While Israeli troops have been placing yellow blocks to delineate the line, residents say the markers are still missing in several locations. Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is facing difficulties as both sides accuse each other of repeated violations. The first phase of the truce involved the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The next phase is expected to include the deployment of an international stabilization force, the establishment of a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals. Israel has said it will not move to the second phase until the remains of hostage Ran Gvili, still believed to be in Gaza, are returned. Hamas, on the other hand, is urging increased international pressure on Israel to open key border crossings, halt deadly strikes and allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Moscow would seek to extend its territorial gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in ongoing peace talks. Speaking at an annual meeting with senior military officers, Putin said Russia preferred to achieve its objectives through diplomacy but was prepared to pursue them by force if negotiations collapse. “If the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means,” he said. The comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies diplomatic efforts to end nearly four years of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Those efforts, however, have faced deep disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv over territory and security guarantees. Putin claimed Russian forces had seized and were holding the strategic initiative across the entire front line. He also warned that Moscow would move to expand a so-called “buffer security zone” along Russia’s border with Ukraine. “Our troops are different now. They are battle-hardened, and there is no other such army in the world,” Putin said, praising Russia’s growing military capabilities. He also highlighted the modernization of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, including the new nuclear-capable intermediate-range Oreshnik ballistic missile, which he said would officially enter combat duty this month. Russia tested a conventionally armed version of the missile in November 2024 against a Ukrainian factory, with Putin later claiming it was impossible to intercept. Ukraine and its Western allies have repeatedly described Russia’s actions as an unprovoked act of aggression and a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. Putin’s remarks followed several rounds of talks this week involving Ukrainian, American and European officials on a U.S.-drafted peace proposal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after meeting U.S. envoys in Berlin that the document could be finalized within days before being presented to the Kremlin. Moscow is demanding international recognition of territories it occupies in four Ukrainian regions, along with Crimea, annexed illegally in 2014. It also insists Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations and rejects the deployment of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil. Zelenskyy has said Kyiv could consider dropping its NATO bid in exchange for strong Western security guarantees, but he has firmly rejected Russia’s territorial demands.

Sierra Leone has declared the end of an mpox outbreak in the country. The declaration on Tuesday aligns with international health standards, which require a minimum of 42 days without a new confirmed case, Health Minister Austin Demby told a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA). All 16 districts with reported cases have exceeded the 42-day timeframe, with several areas surpassing 150 days since their last infection. Since the first mpox case was recorded on Jan. 9, Sierra Leone has reported 5,442 confirmed cases, including 60 deaths. Foday Sahr, executive director of the NPHA, said the agency's establishment symbolizes Sierra Leone's commitment to never again facing health emergencies unprepared. The ceremony drew commendations from global health leaders, including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, and Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who praised Sierra Leone's efforts in effectively addressing public health threats.