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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

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

Asean

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

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China-Latin America relations

Senate vote leaves Cuba’s uncertain future at dangerous crossroads

1 May 2026 - 8:30AMvideocam

United States

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

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Science

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

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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

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

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

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

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A man walks past a Chinese newspaper featuring a photo of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on April 15. Photo: EPA

US-Venezuela conflict

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.

24 Apr 2026 - 3:35PM

China energy security

China’s slowing oil imports

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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.

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The US embassy in Havana, Cuba. Photo: EPA

China-EU relations

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.

20 Apr 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

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US-Venezuela conflict

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

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Cuba

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump after he toppled Venezuela’s leader.

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Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel marking the 65th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s declaration of the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution. Photo: Reuters

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Kim Jong-un’s increased appearances at military drills show his confidence in Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence, analysts say.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits to observe the test launches of missiles at an undisclosed place on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AP

US-Venezuela conflict

IMF, World Bank say they are resuming dealings with Venezuela

The move follows the January ouster of Nicolas Maduro and could unlock billions in frozen assets for the Rodriguez administration.

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United States

Lula blasts Trump’s fear-based rule, calls for ‘great maturity’

‘Trump has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,’ Brazil’s president says.

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Asia travel

Lack of fuel reserves forces Southeast Asian flight cuts amid Hormuz crisis

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14 Apr 2026 - 12:10PMvideocam

A Vietjet Airline airplane in front of a Vietnam Airlines airplane, at Noi Bai International Airport, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Americas and the Caribbean

Cuba’s president warns US against attacking island or trying to depose him

Miguel Diaz-Canel said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security but should it happen, Cubans would defend themselves.

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US-Venezuela conflict

‘Eager to explore’: Chinese migrants return to Venezuela after Maduro’s capture

A large chunk of Venezuela’s Chinese community fled overseas during Maduro’s rule. Now, many are returning as they see ‘new opportunities’.

12 Apr 2026 - 10:08AMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | A stark clash of world views will overshadow Trump’s visit to China

As Xi and Trump prepare to meet, the divergence between their visions of global order has never been more acute.

10 Apr 2026 - 10:29AMvideocam

US-China relations

How can Beijing prepare for Trump’s ‘drunken boxing’ style before he meets Xi?

As Trump loomed large in both Iran war and subsequent pause, analysts weigh the importance of rhetoric vs results in his talks with China.

9 Apr 2026 - 10:47PMvideocam

Commentators say the US president’s volatile, and often contradictory, negotiation style may be effective and parties across the table should react to his actions, not his words. Photo: AP

China exports

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A new department will guide state-owned enterprises expanding overseas, as China’s firms look outwards for growth opportunities.

9 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

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9 Apr 2026 - 12:59AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Madness or bluster? Trump’s apocalyptic language raises key questions

A last-minute ceasefire halts threat to wipe out Iranian civilisation, but fuels questions about Trump’s negotiating style and mental state.

8 Apr 2026 - 2:47PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump participates in the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, maintaining a public schedule even as his war with Iran raged. Photo: Reuters

Americas and the Caribbean

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Peruvian presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori. Photo: Reuters

Asean

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Gun violence in the US

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Authorities initially accused 2 Venezuelan men of beating an ICE officer during a chase and scuffle in Minneapolis in January.

7 Apr 2026 - 5:53AMvideocam

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Venezuela

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

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

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.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}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.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}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.

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.

Exclusive | Iran keen on deal with US but has higher ‘pain tolerance’: think tank chief

Mohamed Amersi, who is close to Iranian negotiators, says regime is prepared for long haul and will not give up its missile programme.

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

The opposition leader called the US president a leader who ‘risked the lives of his country’s citizens’ for her nation’s freedom.

Cuba’s president says island does not wish for US aggression, but ready to fight

Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump after he toppled Venezuela’s leader.

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

Kim Jong-un’s increased appearances at military drills show his confidence in Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence, analysts say.

IMF, World Bank say they are resuming dealings with Venezuela

The move follows the January ouster of Nicolas Maduro and could unlock billions in frozen assets for the Rodriguez administration.

Lula blasts Trump’s fear-based rule, calls for ‘great maturity’

‘Trump has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,’ Brazil’s president says.

Lack of fuel reserves forces Southeast Asian flight cuts amid Hormuz crisis

Airlines are cutting flights, as dependence on Middle Eastern fuel hits operators from Pakistan to New Zealand.

Cuba’s president warns US against attacking island or trying to depose him

Miguel Diaz-Canel said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security but should it happen, Cubans would defend themselves.

‘Eager to explore’: Chinese migrants return to Venezuela after Maduro’s capture

A large chunk of Venezuela’s Chinese community fled overseas during Maduro’s rule. Now, many are returning as they see ‘new opportunities’.

Opinion | A stark clash of world views will overshadow Trump’s visit to China

As Xi and Trump prepare to meet, the divergence between their visions of global order has never been more acute.

How can Beijing prepare for Trump’s ‘drunken boxing’ style before he meets Xi?

As Trump loomed large in both Iran war and subsequent pause, analysts weigh the importance of rhetoric vs results in his talks with China.

China strengthens oversight of state-owned assets overseas amid global tensions

A new department will guide state-owned enterprises expanding overseas, as China’s firms look outwards for growth opportunities.

Why the US-Iran ceasefire is seen as a failure for Donald Trump

As the two sides prepare to meet in person in Pakistan, analysts identify American leader’s miscalculations leading to weaker footing.

Madness or bluster? Trump’s apocalyptic language raises key questions

A last-minute ceasefire halts threat to wipe out Iranian civilisation, but fuels questions about Trump’s negotiating style and mental state.

Peru set to choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential hopefuls

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori holds first place ⁠in the polls ⁠one week before Peru’s presidential election.

Most in Asean prefer China over US in survey, Trump cited as biggest concern

Support for China was stronger in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, according to the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey.

Video sheds light on Minnesota ICE shooting after charges against men collapsed

Authorities initially accused 2 Venezuelan men of beating an ICE officer during a chase and scuffle in Minneapolis in January.

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

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