Global Edition

Trump says Iran 'want to negotiate' after reports of hundreds killed in protests

Global Edition

Trump says Iran 'want to negotiate' after reports of hundreds killed in protests

  • "The leaders of Iran called" yesterday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that "a meeting is being set up...
  • US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Iran's leadership had called him seeking "to negotiate" after he repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily if Tehran killed protesters.
  • "The leaders of Iran called" yesterday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that "a meeting is being set up...
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Iran's leadership had called him seeking "to negotiate" after he repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily if Tehran killed protesters.
For two weeks, Iran has been rocked by a protest movement that has swelled in spite of a crackdown rights groups warn has become a "massacre".
Initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, the demonstrations have evolved into a serious challenge of the theocratic system in place since the 1979 revolution.
Information has continued to trickle out of Iran despite a days-long internet shutdown, with videos filtering out of capital Tehran and other cities over the past three nights showing large demonstrations.
As reports emerge of a growing protest death toll, and images show bodies piled outside a morgue, Trump said Tehran indicated its willingness to talk. 
"The leaders of Iran called" yesterday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that "a meeting is being set up... They want to negotiate."
He added, however, that "we may have to act before a meeting".
The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said it had received "eyewitness accounts and credible reports indicating that hundreds of protesters have been killed across Iran during the current internet shutdown". 
"A massacre is unfolding," it said. 
The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said it confirmed the killing of at least 192 protesters but that the actual toll could be much higher.
"Unverified reports indicate that at least several hundreds, and according to some sources, more than 2,000 people may have been killed," said IHR.
More than 2,600 protesters have been arrested, IHR estimates.
A video circulating on Sunday showed dozens of bodies accumulating outside a morgue south of Tehran.
The footage, geolocated by AFP to Kahrizak, showed bodies wrapped in black bags, with what appeared to be grieving relatives searching for loved ones.

Near paralysis

In Tehran, an AFP journalist described a city in a state of near paralysis. 
The price of meat has nearly doubled since the start of the protests, and many shops are closed. Those that do open must close at around 4:00 or 5:00 pm, when security forces deploy en masse.
There were fewer videos showing protests on social media Sunday, but it was not clear to what extent that was due to the internet shutdown.
One widely shared video showed protesters again gathering in the Pounak district of Tehran shouting slogans in favour of the ousted monarchy.
The protests have become one of the biggest challenges to the rule of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, coming in the wake of Israel's 12-day war against the Islamic republic in June, which was backed by the United States.
State TV has aired images of burning buildings, including a mosque, as well as funeral processions for security personnel. 
But after three days of mass actions, state outlets were at pains to present a picture of calm returning, broadcasting images of smooth-flowing traffic on Sunday. Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian insisted in televised comments that "the number of protests is decreasing". 
The Iranian government on Sunday declared three days of national mourning for "martyrs" including members of the security forces killed.
President Masoud Pezeshkian also urged Iranians to join a "national resistance march" Monday to denounce the violence.
In response to Trump's repeated threats to intervene, Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would hit back, calling US military and shipping "legitimate targets" in comments broadcast by state TV. 

'Stand with the people'

Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's ousted shah, who has emerged as an anti-government figurehead, said he was prepared to return to the country and lead a democratic transition. 
"I'm already planning on that," he told Fox News on Sunday. 
He later urged Iran's security forces and government workers to join the demonstrators.
"Employees of state institutions, as well as members of the armed and security forces, have a choice: stand with the people and become allies of the nation, or choose complicity with the murderers of the people," he said in a social media post.
He also urged protesters to replace the flags outside of Iranian embassies. 
"The time has come for them to be adorned with Iran's national flag," he said. 
The ceremonial, pre-revolution flag has become an emblem of the global rallies that have mushroomed in support of Iran's demonstrators. 
In London, protesters managed over the weekend to swap out the Iranian embassy flag, hoisting in its place the tri-colored banner used under the last shah.  
burs/lb/tc

Venezuela

Trump vows to cut off Cuba's oil after toppling Venezuelan ally Maduro

BY MICHAEL MATHES

  • "I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE." He said "Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela.
  • US President Donald Trump urged Cuba on Sunday to "make a deal" soon, pledging to cut off all oil and money flowing to the communist-run island after the toppling of Havana's key ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
  • "I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE." He said "Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela.
US President Donald Trump urged Cuba on Sunday to "make a deal" soon, pledging to cut off all oil and money flowing to the communist-run island after the toppling of Havana's key ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
The threatening social media post drew an angry retort from Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who said "no one" would tell his country what to do.
Washington has imposed economy-crippling sanctions on its island neighbor for decades, but Trump has ramped up the pressure in recent days.
US special forces seized Maduro and his wife this month in a lightning raid that left dozens of the ousted Venezuelan president's security personnel dead -- many of whom were Cuban.
Though Maduro's allies have become interim leaders, Trump has claimed the United States now actually controls Venezuela, through a US naval blockade of its vital oil sector.
"THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!" Trump said Sunday morning on his Truth Social platform. "I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."
He said "Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided 'Security Services' for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE!"
"Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last week's U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn't need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years."
Trump provided almost no details about what potential deal he referred to, or what such an arrangement would achieve.
Asked about it later Sunday, Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One that he wanted people forced out of Cuba or who "left under duress" to be taken care of. 
"Most importantly, right now, we're going to take care of the people that came from Cuba, that are American citizens, or in our country," Trump said, without clarifying how this would be achieved under a deal with Havana.

'Ready to fall'

A week ago, Trump stated that "Cuba is ready to fall," noting that the island's economic crisis was worsening and it would be difficult for Havana to "hold out" without receiving heavily subsidized Venezuelan oil.
Earlier on Sunday, the president reposted a message that jokingly suggested US Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- a child of Cuban immigrants who concurrently holds the posts of national security advisor, acting head of the US archives, and acting international aid administrator -- could also become the president of Cuba.
Trump shared that post with the comment: "Sounds good to me!"
Cuba's president rebuffed Trump's threatening language, saying the Caribbean island's residents were "ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood."
"Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation. No one tells us what to do," Diaz-Canel wrote on X.
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also weighed in to stress that Cuba is within its rights to import fuel from any willing exporter, "without interference or subordination to the unilateral coercive measures of the United States."

'Talk, talk, talk'

A Cold War-era US trade embargo has cinched Cuba's economy beginning in 1962, and since 2000 Havana increasingly has relied on Venezuelan oil provided as part of a deal struck with Maduro's predecessor, the firebrand leftist Hugo Chavez.
On Sunday in the streets of Havana, retiree Mercedes Simon seemed to dismiss the US leader's latest bluster.
"Trump is not going to touch Cuba," the 65-year-old told AFP. "All the presidents talk, talk, talk" about Cuba, for decades, "but they don't act."
Marcos Sanchez, a 21-year-old working in the restaurant business, said the two countries should find common ground, "without resorting to violence."
Trump's provocative language on Cuba comes as the emboldened American leader has hinted he has other countries in his sights after capturing Maduro.
Trump, who had openly sought last year's Nobel Peace Prize, has recently threatened Colombia, Mexico, Iran and Greenland.
Some Republican US lawmakers on Sunday lauded Trump for his aggressive comments on Cuba, including congressman Mario Diaz-Balart from Florida.
"The tyranny in Cuba will not survive the second term of President Trump," Diaz-Balart posted in Spanish on X, "and Cuba will finally be free after decades of misery, tragedy, and pain."
bur-mlm/ksb/tc

court

Top UN court to hear Rohingya genocide case against Myanmar

BY RICHARD CARTER WITH SHEIKH SABIHA ALAM IN COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH

  • The United States officially declared that the violence amounted to genocide in 2022, three years after a UN team said Myanmar harboured "genocidal intent" towards the Rohingya.
  • Did Myanmar commit genocide against its Rohingya Muslim minority?
  • The United States officially declared that the violence amounted to genocide in 2022, three years after a UN team said Myanmar harboured "genocidal intent" towards the Rohingya.
Did Myanmar commit genocide against its Rohingya Muslim minority? That's what judges at the International Court of Justice will weigh during three weeks of hearings starting Monday.
The Gambia brought the case accusing Myanmar of breaching the 1948 Genocide Convention during a crackdown in 2017.
Legal experts are watching closely as it could give clues for how the court will handle similar accusations against Israel over its military campaign in Gaza, a case brought to the ICJ by South Africa.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled violence by the Myanmar army and Buddhist militias, escaping to neighbouring Bangladesh and bringing harrowing accounts of mass rape, arson and murder.
Today, 1.17 million Rohingya live crammed into dilapidated camps spread over 8,000 acres in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.
From there, mother-of-two Janifa Begum told AFP: "I want to see whether the suffering we endured is reflected during the hearing."
"We want justice and peace," said the 37-year-old.

'Senseless killings'

The Gambia, a Muslim-majority country in West Africa, brought the case in 2019 to the ICJ, which rules in disputes between states.
Under the Genocide Convention, any country can file a case at the ICJ against any other it believes is in breach of the treaty.
In December 2019, lawyers for the African nation presented evidence of what they said were "senseless killings... acts of barbarity that continue to shock our collective conscience".
In a landmark moment at the Peace Palace courthouse in The Hague, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi appeared herself to defend her country.
She dismissed Banjul's argument as a "misleading and incomplete factual picture" of what she said was an "internal armed conflict".
The former democracy icon warned that the genocide case at the ICJ risked reigniting the crisis, which she said was a response to attacks by Rohingya militants.
Myanmar has always maintained the crackdown by its armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents after a series of attacks left a dozen security personnel dead.

'Physical destruction'

The ICJ initially sided with The Gambia, which had asked judges for "provisional measures" to halt the violence while the case was being considered. 
The court in 2020 said Myanmar must take "all measures within its power" to halt any acts prohibited in the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
These acts included "killing members of the group" and "deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part".
The United States officially declared that the violence amounted to genocide in 2022, three years after a UN team said Myanmar harboured "genocidal intent" towards the Rohingya.
The hearings, which wrap up on January 30, represent the heart of the case.
The court had already thrown out a 2022 Myanmar challenge to its jurisdiction, so judges believe they have the power to rule on the genocide issue.
A final decision could take months or even years and while the ICJ has no means of enforcing its decisions, a ruling in favour of The Gambia would heap more political pressure on Myanmar.
Suu Kyi will not be revisiting the Peace Palace. She has been detained since a 2021 coup, on charges rights groups say were politically motivated.
The ICJ is not the only court looking into possible genocide against the Rohingya.
The International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, is investigating military chief Min Aung Hlaing for suspected crimes against humanity.
Another case is being heard in Argentina under the principle of universal jurisdiction, the idea that some crimes are so heinous they can be heard in any court.
ric/jxb/lb

shooting

US sends more agents to Minneapolis despite furor over woman's killing

BY KEREM YUCEL, WITH RAPHAEL HERMANO IN NEW YORK

  • Confrontations between federal agents and protesters occurred again Sunday in Minneapolis, with officers seen using pepper spray against people holding signs outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city.
  • Hundreds more federal agents were heading to Minneapolis, the US homeland security chief said Sunday, brushing aside demands by the Midwestern city's Democratic leaders to leave after an immigration officer fatally shot a woman protester.
  • Confrontations between federal agents and protesters occurred again Sunday in Minneapolis, with officers seen using pepper spray against people holding signs outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city.
Hundreds more federal agents were heading to Minneapolis, the US homeland security chief said Sunday, brushing aside demands by the Midwestern city's Democratic leaders to leave after an immigration officer fatally shot a woman protester.
In multiple TV interviews, Kristi Noem defended the actions of the officer who shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, whose death has sparked renewed protests nationwide against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Homeland Security Secretary Noem reiterated her claim that Good's actions in the Midwestern city on Wednesday amounted to "domestic terrorism," and that the agent acted in self-defense when he shot Good in her car.
Prominent Democratic officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have strongly disputed this narrative, saying viral footage from the scene shows Good's vehicle turning away from the agent and posing no threat to his life.
Noem was pressed repeatedly by CNN about how she could make such definitive statements while an investigation into the incident had just begun, but she insisted the administration was in the right.
"Why are we arguing with a president who's working to keep people safe?" she said.
Asked late Sunday if deadly force was justified in the Minnesota incident, Trump replied that Good was "violent" and "very, very disrespectful to law enforcement. 
"These are professional agitators, and law enforcement should not be put in a position where they have to put up with this stuff," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.  

'Extremely politicized'

Speaking separately to the Fox News network, Noem said hundreds more officers would arrive Sunday and Monday, to allow immigration agents "that are working in Minneapolis to do so safely."
If protesters "conduct violent activities against law enforcement, if they impede our operations, that's a crime, and we will hold them accountable to those consequences," Noem told "Sunday Morning Futures." 
Confrontations between federal agents and protesters occurred again Sunday in Minneapolis, with officers seen using pepper spray against people holding signs outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city.
Noem accused Democrats of encouraging violence against immigration officers.
"These locals, if you look at what Governor Walz has said, if you look at what Mayor Frey has said, they've extremely politicized and inappropriately talked about the situation on the ground in their city," she told CNN's "State of the Union."
"They've inflamed the public. They've encouraged the kind of destruction and violence that we've seen in Minneapolis the last several days."
Since Wednesday's shooting, thousands of people have largely peacefully demonstrated in several cities across the country, including in Minneapolis, where 29 people were detained and then released Friday, according to police.
Protesters have demanded a full investigation into the circumstances of the deadly encounter.
Democratic officials are particularly critical of the fact that local authorities have been excluded from the investigation, which is being conducted by the FBI.
"It should be a neutral, unbiased investigation where you get the facts," Frey told CNN.
He also described as legitimate some activists' actions to disrupt immigration enforcement operations, such as the one in which Good was involved.
"You need to enforce laws, of course, but there's also a requirement that you carry out laws and carry out enforcement in a constitutional way," Frey added.
"We've got pregnant women getting dragged through the street. We've got high schoolers just getting -- American citizens, by the way -- getting taken away."
On Sunday agents were carrying out Trump's immigration crackdown and were seen detaining people in residential areas. People were also seen laying flowers at makeshift memorials honoring Good.
The federal security operation in Minneapolis occurred amid a highly politicized fraud investigation in Minnesota.
rh/eml/des/ksb/jm

religion

Bangladesh's powerful Islamists prepare for elections

BY SHEIKH SABIHA ALAM

  • They have papered over divisions with several other Islamist groups for the election and put forward only male candidates.
  • After years of repression, Bangladesh's Islamist groups are mobilising ahead of February 12 elections, determined to gain a foothold in government as they sense their biggest opportunity in decades. 
  • They have papered over divisions with several other Islamist groups for the election and put forward only male candidates.
After years of repression, Bangladesh's Islamist groups are mobilising ahead of February 12 elections, determined to gain a foothold in government as they sense their biggest opportunity in decades. 
The South Asian nation -- home to 170 million people, the vast majority Sunni Muslims -- is preparing for its first polls since the mass uprising that toppled the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina in 2024.
At the centre of this formidable push is the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest and best-organised Islamist party.
Ideologically aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, they are seeking a return to formal politics after years of bans and crackdowns.
They have papered over divisions with several other Islamist groups for the election and put forward only male candidates.
The Jamaat has also allied with the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders who spearheaded the 2024 uprising -- prompting some aspiring female candidates to quit.

Troubled past  

Hasina, who was blamed for extensive human rights abuses, took a tough stand against Islamist movements during her 15-year rule.
Under her tenure, several top Islamist leaders were sentenced to death -- and several hanged -- for war crimes.
They were accused of having supported Pakistan during Bangladesh's 1971 independence war, a role that still sparks anger against Islamists from many in Bangladesh today.
Hasina, a onetime ally of the United States and close to the Hindu-nationalist government of neighbouring India, also launched crackdowns against Islamist militants, killing scores and arresting hundreds.
Since 2013, extremist groups inspired by Al-Qaeda or the so-called Islamic State carried out a string of attacks, including targeting writers and publishers. A 2016 attack on a Dhaka cafe killed 22 people, including 17 foreigners.
Mufti Abdul Hannan, the Afghanistan-trained leader of the Bangladesh chapter of the Harkat-ul-Jihad group, was executed with two associates in 2017 for an attempt to kill Britain's High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Resurgence

Since Hasina fled to India, key Islamist leaders have been released from prison, and Islamist groups have grown increasingly assertive.
They have demanded restrictions on cultural activities they consider "anti-Islamic", including music and theatre festivals, women's football matches and kite-flying celebrations.
More violent elements have smashed Sufi shrines, and even exhumed a Sufi leader's body and set it on fire.
Many are inspired by the Deobandi teachings, a conservative Sunni movement rooted in 19th-century India, and the ideological source of Afghanistan's Taliban.
Hefazat-e-Islam, an influential coalition of thousands of Islamic schools and Muslim organisations, acts as a powerful grassroots pressure group in Bangladesh.
Hefazat leaders travelled to Afghanistan last year, and Afghan Taliban officials visited Bangladesh in December.
Other strands of Bangaldesh's Islamist movements follow the rigid Wahabi and Salafi schools of Islam, powerful in the Arabian Peninsula, and which reject centuries-old Bengali cultural rituals.

Sufi opposition

Home to the world's fourth-largest Muslim population, Bangladesh includes a wide range of beliefs.
Bangladesh has a significant number of Sufi followers -- more than a quarter of Muslims, according to one estimate by the US Pew Research Center.
The country's two traditional power brokers -- the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the now-banned Awami League of Hasina -- previously launched their election campaigns from a centuries-old Sufi shrine in the northern city of Sylhet.
Sufi popularity poses a challenge to the Islamists, who condemn their mystical interpretation of the Koran as heretical. Bangladesh also has communities of the long-persecuted Ahmadiyya, as well as Shia Muslims.
Around 10 percent of Bangladeshis are not Muslim -- the majority of those are Hindu and the country is also home to a small number of Christians. 
Jamaat-e-Islami has named a Hindu candidate -- but analysts are sceptical.
"These efforts are to deceive the public. The reform is not coming from within," political analyst Altaf Parvez told AFP. 
sa/pjm/ceg/abs

AUS

Ukraine's Kostyuk defends 'conscious choice' to speak out about war

  • In her speech at the trophy presentation, the 23-year-old Kostyuk said: "I want to say a few words about Ukraine.
  • Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has defended her "conscious choice" to address the plight of her country during the trophy presentation of a pre-Australian Open event in Brisbane.
  • In her speech at the trophy presentation, the 23-year-old Kostyuk said: "I want to say a few words about Ukraine.
Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has defended her "conscious choice" to address the plight of her country during the trophy presentation of a pre-Australian Open event in Brisbane.
The world number 20 did not shake hands with top-ranked Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after being beaten in Sunday's final in straight sets.
Like many Ukraine players, Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Russians or Belarusians following Moscow's invasion of her homeland.
In her speech at the trophy presentation, the 23-year-old Kostyuk said: "I want to say a few words about Ukraine.
"I play every day with a pain in my heart and there are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now.
"It's minus 20 degrees outside and it's very painful to live this reality every day," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
Post-final ceremonies usually involve players congratulating their opponents.
Kostyuk did however thank "all the opponents I've played this week".
Sabalenka, who has said in the past that she does not support the war, congratulated Kostyuk on reaching the final in her on-court speech.
Writing on Instagram, where some users accused Kostyuk of poor sportsmanship, she wrote: "The words I shared after the match sparked a lot of reaction. 
"For me, it's a conscious choice to keep reminding people of what Ukraine and its citizens are going through.   
"Thank you to everyone who showed support. And thank you to all the players I faced on the other side of the net this week."
Both players will be at the Australian Open starting on Sunday, where Sabalenka is favourite to win the title for the third time in four years.
bur-pst/tc

conflict

Trump says working well with Venezuela's new leaders, open to meeting

BY JAVIER TOVAR WITH DANIEL STUBLEN IN WASHINGTON

  • Many were stunned when Trump dismissed the possibility of Machado serving as Venezuela's interim leader following the toppling of Maduro, and instead accepted Rodriguez's ascent.
  • US President Donald Trump said Sunday his administration was working well with Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez -- and that he would be open to meeting with her.
  • Many were stunned when Trump dismissed the possibility of Machado serving as Venezuela's interim leader following the toppling of Maduro, and instead accepted Rodriguez's ascent.
US President Donald Trump said Sunday his administration was working well with Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez -- and that he would be open to meeting with her.
Trump's upbeat remarks came just over a week after Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was seized in a US special forces raid and brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
Trump has said that the United States now has de facto control of Venezuela, as it enforces a naval blockade of the South American nation's vital oil exports.
Rodriguez, despite being a close Maduro ally, has indicated a willingness to work with the United States, saying she is open to cooperate on Trump's demands for access to Venezuelan oil.
Her government has also vowed to release political prisoners and begin talks on reestablishing diplomatic ties with Washington.
US envoys visited Caracas on Friday to discuss reopening Washington's embassy there.
"Venezuela is really working out well. We're working along really well with the leadership," Trump told reporters Sunday aboard Air Force One.
Asked if he planned to meet with Rodriguez, Trump said: "At some point I'll be."
He also said he expected to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Many were stunned when Trump dismissed the possibility of Machado serving as Venezuela's interim leader following the toppling of Maduro, and instead accepted Rodriguez's ascent.
Machado was given the Nobel Peace Prize last year and dedicated it to Trump, though he has made no secret of his frustration at being passed over for the award.

Political prisoners

The Venezuelan government began to release prisoners jailed under Maduro on Thursday, saying a "large" number would be released -- but rights groups and the opposition say only about 20 have walked free so far, including several prominent opposition figures.
Relatives have gathered outside prisons believed to be holding political detainees, to await their loved ones' release, sometimes even camping outside.
Rights groups estimate there are 800 to 1,200 political prisoners currently being held in Venezuela.
"Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners. Thank you!" Trump said in a post late Saturday on his Truth Social platform.
"I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done."
Meanwhile, a detained police officer accused of "treason" against Venezuela died in state custody after a stroke and heart attack, the state prosecution service confirmed Sunday.
Opposition groups said the 52-year-old man, Edison Jose Torres Fernandez, had shared messages critical of Maduro's government.
"We directly hold the regime of Delcy Rodriguez responsible for this death," Justice First, part of the Venezuelan opposition alliance, said on X.
Late Saturday, families held candlelight vigils outside El Rodeo prison east of Caracas and El Helicoide, a notorious jail run by the intelligence services, holding signs with the names of their imprisoned relatives.
Prisoners include Freddy Superlano, a close ally of Machado who was jailed after challenging Maduro's widely contested reelection in 2024.
"He is alive -- that was what I was most afraid about," Superlano's wife Aurora Silva told reporters.
"He is standing strong and I am sure he is going to come out soon."
Maduro's supporters rallied in Caracas on Saturday but the demonstrations were far smaller than his camp had mustered in the past, and top figures from his government were notably absent.

Oil

Trump pressed top oil executives at a White House meeting on Friday to invest in Venezuela, but was met with a cautious reception.
ExxonMobil's chief executive Darren Woods notably dismissed the country as "uninvestable" without sweeping reforms -- earning a rebuke from Trump.
"I didn't like Exxon's response. You know, we have so many that want it, I'd probably be inclined to keep Exxon out. I didn't like their response. They're playing too cute," Trump said Sunday.
Experts say Venezuela's oil infrastructure is creaky after years of mismanagement and sanctions.
bur-rlp/des/sst

politics

Hong Kong court hears sentencing arguments for Jimmy Lai

BY HOLMES CHAN

  • Hong Kong had arrested 385 people for various national security crimes and convicted 175 of them as of January 1, according to official figures.
  • A Hong Kong court began hearing sentencing arguments on Monday for pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was convicted of national security crimes that could land him in prison for life.
  • Hong Kong had arrested 385 people for various national security crimes and convicted 175 of them as of January 1, according to official figures.
A Hong Kong court began hearing sentencing arguments on Monday for pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was convicted of national security crimes that could land him in prison for life.
Lai was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion last month under a sweeping national security law that was imposed by Beijing in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The 78-year-old media mogul was also convicted of publishing seditious articles through his now-closed Apple Daily newspaper.
Lai is a British citizen and the UK government has condemned his "politically motivated prosecution" in an earlier statement calling for his release.
US President Donald Trump also said he had asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping to consider releasing Lai.
Lawyers will address three High Court judges on how to punish Lai starting from 10 am (0200 GMT), with arguments scheduled to last four days.
The court has yet to announce a date for Lai's sentencing. The rags-to-riches tycoon can appeal.
The judges wrote in their 856-page verdict that Lai "harboured his resentment and hatred of (China) for many of his adult years" and sought the "downfall of the Chinese Communist Party".
Hong Kong's national security law states that collusion offences "of a grave nature" will result in a prison term of between 10 years and life.
The colonial-era crime of sedition carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail.
Dozens queued up outside the West Kowloon court building over the weekend, with some telling AFP they hoped to get a seat in the public gallery to support Lai.
Judges began Monday's hearing by confirming the guilty pleas of two co-defendants, Chan Tsz-wah and Li Yu-hin.
The two men, along with six Apple Daily executives, had pleaded guilty as part of the same case and were also awaiting their sentences.

Health concerns

Lai has been behind bars since 2020, and authorities say he has been kept in solitary confinement at his own request.
Two of Lai's children, Sebastien and Claire, warned in recent months that their diabetic father had "lost a very significant amount of weight" and showed signs of nail and tooth decay.
The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied those claims, insisting that Lai received "adequate and comprehensive" care while in custody.
Amnesty International said last month that Lai's conviction "feels like the death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong", while the Committee to Protect Journalists called it a "sham".
A government spokesperson said last month that Lai's case "has nothing to do with freedom of speech and of the press at all" and that he was using journalism as a front to commit crimes.
Hong Kong had arrested 385 people for various national security crimes and convicted 175 of them as of January 1, according to official figures.
Police made nearly 70 national security-related arrests last year, more than double the figure from 2024.
hol/dhw/hmn

politics

Powell says Federal Reserve subpoenaed by US Justice Department

  • The Federal Reserve, the world's most important central bank, makes independent monetary policy decisions and its board members typically serve under both Republican and Democratic presidents. ksb/jm
  • Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Sunday that the central bank had been subpoenaed by the US Justice Department, blasting the move as part of President Donald Trump's extraordinary pressure campaign on US monetary policy decisions.
  • The Federal Reserve, the world's most important central bank, makes independent monetary policy decisions and its board members typically serve under both Republican and Democratic presidents. ksb/jm
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Sunday that the central bank had been subpoenaed by the US Justice Department, blasting the move as part of President Donald Trump's extraordinary pressure campaign on US monetary policy decisions.
Powell added in a statement that the bank received grand jury subpoenas "threatening a criminal indictment" on Friday related to his Senate testimony in June, which had been about a major renovation project of Federal Reserve office buildings.
He dismissed the possible threat of indictment over his testimony or the renovation project as "pretexts."
"The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President," Powell said. 
"This unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration's threats and ongoing pressure," Powell said.
The Fed has a dual mandate to keep prices stable and unemployment low, and its main tool in doing so is by setting a key interest rate that influences the cost of borrowing across the economy.
Trump has consistently pressured Powell and the central bank to move faster in lowering interest rates, in a breach of the long-standing independence of the institution.
Trump on Sunday denied any knowledge of the Justice Department's investigation into the Federal Reserve.
"I don't know anything about it, but he's certainly not very good at the Fed, and he's not very good at building buildings," NBC quoted Trump as saying.

'Corrupt takeover'

Senators from both sides of the aisle blasted the investigation. 
"It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question," Republican Thom Tillis said.
"I will oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fed — including the upcoming Fed Chair vacancy — until this legal matter is fully resolved," he added.
Democrat Elizabeth Warren accused Trump of trying "to complete his corrupt takeover" of the central bank by pushing Powell out and installing a "sock puppet" instead.
Powell's term as chairman of the Federal Reserve ends in May, and Trump told Politico in an interview last month that he would judge Powell's successor on whether they immediately cut rates.
The US president has openly spoken about ousting Powell but stopped short of doing so, and focused instead on cost overruns for renovation of the Fed's Washington headquarters.
In July, the cost of the Fed's facelift of its 88-year-old Washington headquarters and a neighboring building were up by $600 million from an initial $1.9 billion estimate.
That month, Trump made an unusual visit to the construction site during which the two men, clad in hard hats, bickered over the price tag for the makeover.
A significant driver of the cost is security, including blast-resistant windows and measures to prevent the building from collapsing in the event of an explosion. 
The Federal Reserve, the world's most important central bank, makes independent monetary policy decisions and its board members typically serve under both Republican and Democratic presidents.
ksb/jm

film

Chalamet, 'One Battle' among winners at Golden Globes

BY ANDREW MARSZAL

  • Paul Thomas Anderson's screwball thriller "One Battle," which centers on an aging revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti), entered the night with nine nominations.
  • "One Battle After Another" was among the big winners at the Golden Globes on Sunday, though its star Leonardo DiCaprio missed out to Timothee Chalamet in one of the glitzy gala's most closely watched contests.
  • Paul Thomas Anderson's screwball thriller "One Battle," which centers on an aging revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti), entered the night with nine nominations.
"One Battle After Another" was among the big winners at the Golden Globes on Sunday, though its star Leonardo DiCaprio missed out to Timothee Chalamet in one of the glitzy gala's most closely watched contests.
Paul Thomas Anderson's screwball thriller "One Battle," which centers on an aging revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti), entered the night with nine nominations.
Midway through the ceremony, it had collected awards for best director, best screenplay, and best supporting actress for Teyana Taylor.
But its star missed out to Chalamet's performance as an ambitious 1950s table tennis player in "Marty Supreme."
"Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I'm in a category with many greats -- this category is stacked. I look up to all of you," said Chalamet, who also bested the likes of George Clooney ("Jay Kelly") and Ethan Hawke ("Blue Moon").
Chalamet said his four previous Globes losses "make this moment that much sweeter" before thanking his girlfriend Kylie Jenner.
The lavish Globes ceremony is a key stepping point in Hollywood's awards season, which culminates in March with the Oscars.
As the night progresses, the politically charged "One Battle After Another" is still expected to convert more of its nominations into wins, including best comedy or musical film.
A rollicking ride featuring violent leftist radicals, immigration raids and white supremacists, the film has connected with audiences and critics at a time when the United States is deeply polarized.

'Sinners' versus 'Hamnet'

The Globes offer separate awards for dramas and comedies/musicals -- widening the field of stars in attendance.
"Sinners," Ryan Coogler's period horror film about the segregated South of the 1930s, is expected to be the toughest competition for "One Battle" at the Oscars. 
But at the Globes, they are in separate categories.
"Sinners" surprised moviegoers with its eclectic mix of vampires, politics, race relations and blues music.
It won best score and best cinematic and box office achievement, and is the frontrunner for the best drama film Globe, against rival "Hamnet," which stars Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare.
Jessie Buckley, playing Shakespeare's grief-stricken wife who struggles to cope with the death of their won, is the favorite for best drama actress honors.
"Sentimental Value," the Norwegian family dramedy starring Stellan Skarsgard, earned a strong eight nominations and is also in the running.
Skarsgard took home the award for best supporting actor.

'BE GOOD'

Rose Byrne won for best comedy actress for "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You." Netflix's animated mega-hit "KPop Demon Hunters" won for best song.
The Globes also honor the best in television, with HBO's black comedy anthology "The White Lotus," sci-fi office thriller "Severance" leading the contenders, and searing teen murder saga "Adolescence" winning early awards.
Host Nikki Glaser kicked off the evening with jokes on wide-ranging topics, including the release of redacted US government files about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"The Golden Globe for best editing goes to the Justice Department," she said.
"There are so many A-listers, and by A-listers, I do mean people who are on a list that has been heavily redacted," Glaser added, referring to Epstein's many celebrity friends.
Several celebrities including Mark Ruffalo, Natasha Lyonne and Wanda Sykes walked the red carpet sporting pins with the message "BE GOOD."
The badges are part of a tribute to Renee Good, the US woman whose fatal shooting by a federal agent has sparked renewed protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
"Let's do the right thing," said Jean Smart, after winning best comedy series actress for "Hacks." She also was wearing a pin.
amz/sst

diplomacy

Turning point? Canada's tumultuous relationship with China

  • It will be Carney's first official trip to China as prime minister, and the first visit by a Canadian leader to Beijing since Justin Trudeau's in December 2017.
  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will head to Beijing on Tuesday to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, hoping for closer ties as he looks to reduce his country's dependence on the United States.
  • It will be Carney's first official trip to China as prime minister, and the first visit by a Canadian leader to Beijing since Justin Trudeau's in December 2017.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will head to Beijing on Tuesday to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, hoping for closer ties as he looks to reduce his country's dependence on the United States.
The trip will be the first by a Canadian leader in almost a decade, as the two sides seek to turn the page on a series of diplomatic spats.
Here is why the visit is significant and what it could mean for  China-Canada relations:

Big deal

Carney will visit China from Tuesday to Saturday, and is scheduled to meet with Xi and Premier Li Qiang, among other government and business leaders.
It will be Carney's first official trip to China as prime minister, and the first visit by a Canadian leader to Beijing since Justin Trudeau's in December 2017.
Canada's relations with China have been among the worst of any Western nation. But Carney and Xi in late October held the first formal talks between the countries' leaders since 2017, with the Chinese president inviting the Canadian to visit.
Carney's visit will aim to "elevate engagement on trade, energy, agriculture, and international security", his office said in a statement on Wednesday.

Testy relations

Ties fell into a deep freeze in 2018 after the arrest of the daughter of Huawei's founder on a US warrant in Vancouver, and China's retaliatory detention of two Canadians on espionage charges.
Ottawa and Beijing have also imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on each other's products, including Canadian canola used to make cooking oil, animal feed and biodiesel.
Carney announced in July a 25 percent tariff on steel imports that contain steel melted and poured in China.
The following month, Beijing imposed a painful temporary customs duty of 75.8 percent on canola imports from Canada, which is among the world's top producers of the crop.
China has also been accused of interfering in Canadian elections in recent years.
The G7, which Canada is a member of, in late October announced new projects aimed at reducing China's dominance of critical mineral supply chains.
- 'Turning point' - 
The first sign of warming ties came in late October with Xi and Carney's meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in October.
The Canadian premier called it a "turning point" in relations, and said he raised tricky topics such as the alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections, saying it was "important to have that discussion" to get relations "back on track".
The leaders discussed "respective sensitivities regarding issues including agriculture and agri-food products, such as canola, as well as seafood and electric vehicles", according to a Canadian statement.
Meanwhile, Xi told Carney that China-Canada relations have "shown a recovery toward a trend of positive development" recently with joint efforts of both sides. 
China was willing to work with Canada to bring relations "back to the right track", Xi added.

Cosying up to China

While Canadian foreign policy has for years been hawkish towards China, US President Donald Trump's mercurial trade policies and aggression towards allies could prompt a pivot.
The majority of US-Canada trade remains tariff-free, but Canada has been hit particularly hard by Trump's global tariffs on steel, aluminium, vehicles and lumber -- due to the interconnected nature of the neighbouring economies.
Trump also previously hiked tariffs on Canada by 10 percent over an anti-tariff ad campaign that featured late US president Ronald Reagan.
In October, Carney said Canada should double its non-US exports by 2035 to reduce reliance on the United States.
US-Canada trade was worth more than $900 billion in 2024, US government data showed.
Canada was also outraged by Trump's calls last year for it to become the 51st US state.
With Canada and China both heavily targeted by Trump's tariffs, Carney and Xi will likely try to dial down trade tensions between their two countries.
China is Canada's second-largest trade partner, Carney's office said, totalling C$118.7 billion ($85.5 billion) in two-way merchandise trade in 2024.
isk/dhw/mtp

conflict

Maduro's fall raises Venezuelans' hopes for economic bounty

BY AHIANA FIGUEROA

  • US forces shocked many when they bombed Caracas in the night and seized Maduro -- but analysts agree that the raid has radically changed the country's outlook and economic expectations.
  • After the US raid that deposed Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's leader, citizens hope the ensuing talks on selling its oil to the United States may improve their dire economic fortunes.
  • US forces shocked many when they bombed Caracas in the night and seized Maduro -- but analysts agree that the raid has radically changed the country's outlook and economic expectations.
After the US raid that deposed Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's leader, citizens hope the ensuing talks on selling its oil to the United States may improve their dire economic fortunes.
US forces shocked many when they bombed Caracas in the night and seized Maduro -- but analysts agree that the raid has radically changed the country's outlook and economic expectations.
Maduro's successor, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, has insisted Venezuela is not "subordinate" to Washington after it seized him, but she has pledged to cooperate with it on oil.
Maduro's government had resorted to cryptocurrencies to boost foreign exchange flows amid a lack of investment, while runaway inflation wiped out people's already meager wages.
"I don't really understand those agreements signed by Trump and Delcy, but I hope they help improve the economy," said Marieta Ochoa, a 47-year-old teacher.
"Hopefully salaries go up -- this inflation is unbearable."

Oil negotiations 

Until Friday, January 2, relations between the two countries were at their lowest: US sanctions and seizures of tankers were squeezing Venezuela's shaky oil industry.
The country had been selling oil to allies such as China and Russia at discounts of up to 50 percent, with low production and export levels.
"Now, rapprochement between Washington and Caracas could mean easing sanctions, restoring oil exports and reviving cash flows," said Alejandro Grisanti, director of consultancy Ecoanalitica.
State oil company PDVSA has said it is negotiating crude sales with Washington under schemes similar to those applying to firms such as Chevron -- the only US company currently exempted from sanctions on dealing in Venezuelan crude.
Trump signed an order to safeguard Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts from the courts and debtors, and has urged US oil firms to invest in Venezuela and restore its creaky oil infrastructure.
Analysts say interim president Rodriguez could attract investment if she signals openness and flexibility.
"The country urgently needs a growing and stable cash flow, and oil can provide it immediately," said independent economist Carlos Torrealba Rangel.

Economy 'reactivating'

Growth prospects are strong since oil accounts for 87 percent of Venezuela's foreign currency earnings.
Asdrubal Oliveros, an independent economist, forecast "a 30-percent expansion -- double the rate of the past two years."
"Increased oil income from higher output and reduced discounts will boost cash flows and help a currency market that is practically dry," he said.
Traders said economic activity was timidly looking up after the US airstrikes on Saturday, January 3, that led to the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
"Little by little, the economy is reactivating," said Carmen Alvarez, who represents informal traders in western Caracas.
"People are buying again, dollar payments are stabilizing after rampant speculation above the official rate. Food sales are being prioritized."
Uncertainty and lack of confidence in exchange policy drove prices higher during the week, as the parallel dollar surged over 50 percent to about 800 bolivars.
Oliveros said the government was virtually out of foreign currency.
"There were practically no dollar revenues, and even crypto inflows had stalled."
But by the weekend, the unofficial dollar fell to 530 bolivars, possibly driven by optimism over the oil deal, analysts said.

Inflation warning

They warned however that Venezuela's economy remained fragile.
They stressed that the short term would be marked by uncertainty, requiring close monitoring of key variables such as exchange rates and inflation.
"Venezuela is on the brink of hyperinflation. The only way to avert it is through a constitutional, peaceful political transition to reorganize the economy," said Jose Guerra, an economist and former head of the country's central bank.
Oxford University visiting professor Jose Manuel Puente said easing sanctions would improve expectations and attract US and global investment.
But he warned that recovery wouldn't be easy.
"In the end, all this will unfold under a scenario where the country is effectively under US tutelage," he said.
He said the oil industry needs $100 billion annually to restart, and progress depends on negotiations.
"The year 2026 began with an unprecedented shift in Venezuela's policy that will reshape economic dynamics," said Oliveros.
"Politics and economics have never been so intertwined."
afc-pgf/rlp/ksb

Global Edition

Wildfires spread to 15,000 hectares in Argentine Patagonia

  • On Sunday afternoon, rain fell in some parts of the region, to the relief of residents like Atilla Missura, a 59-year-old who leads horseback tours.
  • Forest fires in southern Argentina have scorched more than 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) this week, authorities said, though rain began falling in parts of Patagonia on Sunday to the relief of residents.
  • On Sunday afternoon, rain fell in some parts of the region, to the relief of residents like Atilla Missura, a 59-year-old who leads horseback tours.
Forest fires in southern Argentina have scorched more than 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) this week, authorities said, though rain began falling in parts of Patagonia on Sunday to the relief of residents.
The largest blaze, burning since Monday near the small town of Epuyen in the Andes, has charred some 11,980 hectares, the Chubut provincial fire service said in a statement.
Another fire of unspecified size is burning nearby in the Los Alerces National Park.
Firefighters are also battling to contain another two fires in Chubut and neighboring Santa Cruz provinces that have burned some 3,800 hectares, Argentina's emergency management agency said.
On Sunday afternoon, rain fell in some parts of the region, to the relief of residents like Atilla Missura, a 59-year-old who leads horseback tours.
"We are very happy; hopefully it will stay this way," Missura told AFP by telephone from Rincon de Lobos, one of the most affected areas.
More than 500 firefighters, rescuers, police officers, and support personnel were combating the blazes, while dozens of local people supported operations on the front lines.
The governor of Chubut, Ignacio Torres, said in a radio interview that the situation in the area was "calmer" on Sunday morning but it "remains very critical." 
Torres urged people "never again to downplay the implications of climate change" and emphasized that the province is experiencing "the worst drought since 1965."
A volunteer firefighter working near Epuyen was in intensive care due to severe burns, health authorities told local media. 
Approximately 3,000 tourists have been evacuated from the area in recent days, and at least 10 homes have been destroyed by the fire, Torres said.
The region lost 32,000 hectares to wildfires in early 2025.
tev/ksb/des

Greenland

Danish PM says Greenland showdown at 'decisive moment' after new Trump threats

BY CAMILLE BAS-WOHLERT

  • Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned US "threatening rhetoric" after Trump repeated that Washington was "going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not".
  • Denmark's prime minister on Sunday said her country faces a "decisive moment" in its diplomatic battle with the United States over Greenland, after President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the Arctic territory.
  • Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned US "threatening rhetoric" after Trump repeated that Washington was "going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not".
Denmark's prime minister on Sunday said her country faces a "decisive moment" in its diplomatic battle with the United States over Greenland, after President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the Arctic territory.
Ahead of meetings in Washington from Monday on the global scramble for key raw materials, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that "there is a conflict over Greenland".
"This is a decisive moment" with stakes that go beyond the immediate issue of Greenland's future, she added in a debate with other Danish political leaders.
Frederiksen posted on Facebook that "we are ready to defend our values -- wherever it is necessary  -- also in the Arctic. We believe in international law and in peoples' right to self-determination."
Germany and Sweden backed Denmark against Trump's latest claims to the self-governing Danish territory. 
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned US "threatening rhetoric" after Trump repeated that Washington was "going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not".
"Sweden, the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, and several major European countries stand together with our Danish friends," he told a defence conference in Salen where the US general in charge of NATO took part. 
Kristersson said a US takeover of mineral-rich Greenland would be "a violation of international law and risks encouraging other countries to act in exactly the same way".

No 'immediate threat'

Germany reiterated its support for Denmark and Greenland ahead of the Washington discussions. 
Before meeting US counterpart Marco Rubio on Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadehpul held talks in Iceland to address the "strategic challenges of the Far North", according to a foreign ministry statement.
"Security in the arctic is becoming more and more important" and "is part of our common interest in NATO", he said at a joint news conference with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir.
"If the American president is looking at what threats might come from Russian or Chinese ships or submarines in the region, we can of course find answers to that together," he added.
But "the future of Greenland must be decided by the people of Greenland" and Denmark, he said.
Asked about a possible strengthening of NATO's commitment in the Arctic, Wadephul said Germany was "ready to assume greater responsibilities".
Earlier Sunday, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said: "We are strengthening security in the Arctic together, as NATO allies, and not against one another."
He was speaking ahead of an international meeting on critical raw materials in Washington. 
European nations have scrambled to coordinate a response after the White House said this week that Trump wanted to buy Greenland and refused to rule out military action.
On Tuesday, leaders of seven European countries including France, Britain, Germany and Italy signed a letter saying it is "only" for Denmark and Greenland to decide the territory's future.
Trump says controlling the island is crucial for US national security because of the rising Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic.
NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Alexus Grynkewich told the Swedish conference that alliance members were discussing Greenland's status.
While there was "no immediate threat" to NATO territory, the Arctic's strategic importance was fast growing, the US general added.
Grynkewich said he would not comment on "the political dimensions of recent rhetoric" but talks on Greenland were being held at the North Atlantic Council.
"Those dialogues continue in Brussels. They have been healthy dialogues from what I've heard," the general said.
A Danish colony until 1953, Greenland gained home rule 26 years later and is contemplating eventually loosening its ties with Denmark. Polls indicate that Greenland's population strongly oppose a US takeover. 
"I don't think there's an immediate threat to NATO territory right now," Grynkewich told the conference.
But he said Russian and Chinese vessels had been seen patrolling together on Russia's northern coast and near Alaska and Canada, working together to get greater access to the Arctic as ice recedes due to global warming.
burs-jj/des

Britain

Demonstrators in London, Paris, Istanbul back Iran protests

  • In Istanbul, demonstrators voicing support for the Iranian protesters gathered in steady rain.
  • Demonstrators rallied in London, Paris and Istanbul on Sunday in support of protests in Iran that have been countered with a deadly crackdown by the country's security forces.
  • In Istanbul, demonstrators voicing support for the Iranian protesters gathered in steady rain.
Demonstrators rallied in London, Paris and Istanbul on Sunday in support of protests in Iran that have been countered with a deadly crackdown by the country's security forces.
London demonstrations, initially in front of the Iranian embassy and later in front of the British prime minister's residence, grew to several thousand as the day progressed.
"We want revolution, change the regime," Afsi, a 38-year-old Iranian, who declined to give her last name, told AFP at the rally in front of Downing Street.
Afsi has lived in London for seven years, and has not been able to contact her family in Iran because of an internet blackout imposed by authorities since Thursday.
"
It's so frustrating, but it's not the first time," he said. "This time, we have hope ... we feel like we can do it (overthrow the government) this time." 
In Paris, more than 2,000 people waving Iran's flag from before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 demonstrated, to chants of "No to the terrorist Islamic Republic".
Police did not allow them to approach the Iranian embassy.
"Close the mullahs' embassy, the terrorist factory," some demonstrators yelled.
A 20-year-old Iranian student living in Paris, who gave his first name as Arya, said: "In Iran, the people are rising up in the streets, and we Iranians outside Iran are here to show we are with them and they are not alone."
He said he was waiting to hear what the son of Iran's last shah, US-based Reza Pahlavi, "will tell us to do".
Pahlavi has emerged as a potential figurehead for government opponents.
The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have lasted two weeks and become a movement against the theocratic system in place since the 1979 revolution. Iranian authorities have called the protesters "rioters" who are backed by the United States and Israel.
In Istanbul, demonstrators voicing support for the Iranian protesters gathered in steady rain.
Police cordoned off the area outside the Iranian consulate and the crowd was kept away from the mission.
"It's been 72 hours since we had any news from the country, from our families. No internet or television, we can't reach Iran anymore," said Nina, a young Iranian living in Turkey who had the Iranian flag and red tears painted on her face.
"The regime kills at random -- whether families are on foot or in a car, whether there are children. It spares no one," she added.
The crackdown by Iran's authorities has resulted in at least 192 deaths, according to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights.
The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said it had received "credible" accounts of "hundreds of protesters" killed across Iran since the internet clampdown started. 
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Friday condemned the "killing of protestors" in Iran, while US President Donald Trump said Saturday his country stood "ready to help" as Iranians protest.
One of the demonstrators in London, Fahimeh Moradi, 52 ans, said she was taking part "to support the Iranian people who are killed and murdered by the Iran regime -- we don't want the Islamic Republic of Iran, we hate them!"
She added: "My son is there, and I don't know if he's alive or not. We just want this murderous regime to leave Iran, that's it!"
bur/rmb/tw

conflict

Venezuelans demand political prisoners' release, Maduro 'doing well'

BY JAVIER TOVAR

  • - 'Trust blindly' - Maduro claimed he was "doing well" in jail in New York, his son Nicolas Maduro Guerra said in a video released Saturday by his party.
  • Venezuelans waited Sunday for more political prisoners to be freed as ousted president Nicolas Maduro defiantly claimed from his US jail cell that he was "doing well" after being seized by US forces a week ago.
  • - 'Trust blindly' - Maduro claimed he was "doing well" in jail in New York, his son Nicolas Maduro Guerra said in a video released Saturday by his party.
Venezuelans waited Sunday for more political prisoners to be freed as ousted president Nicolas Maduro defiantly claimed from his US jail cell that he was "doing well" after being seized by US forces a week ago.
The government of interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday began to release prisoners jailed under Maduro in a gesture of openness after she pledged to cooperate with Washington.
The government said a "large" number would be released in a gesture of appeasement for which President Donald Trump's administration took credit -- but rights groups and the opposition say only about 20 have walked free since, including several prominent opposition figures.
Rodriguez, vice president under Maduro, said Venezuela would take "the diplomatic route" with Washington, with Trump claiming the United States was "in charge" of the South American country.
"Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners. Thank you!" Trump said in a post late Saturday on his Truth Social platform.
"I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done."
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured in a dramatic January 3 raid that began with overnight air strikes across Caracas. They were taken to New York by US forces to stand trial on drug-trafficking and weapons charges.

Anxiety over prisoners

A detained police officer accused of "treason" against Venezuela died in state custody, the opposition and rights groups said on Saturday.
"We directly hold the regime of Delcy Rodriguez responsible for this death," Primero Justicia (Justice First), which is part of the Venezuelan opposition alliance, said on X.
Families held candlelight vigils outside El Rodeo prison east of Caracas and El Helicoide, a notorious jail run by the intelligence services, holding signs with the names of their imprisoned relatives.
"I am tired and angry," Nebraska Rivas, 57, told AFP as she waited for her son to be released from El Rodeo.
"But I have faith that they will hand him over to us soon," she said after sleeping on the pavement outside the prison for two nights.

'Trust blindly'

Maduro claimed he was "doing well" in jail in New York, his son Nicolas Maduro Guerra said in a video released Saturday by his party.
Around 1,000 protesters, waving flags and placards with the face of the mustachioed ex-leader and his wife Cilia Flores, rallied on Saturday in the west of Caracas and a few hundred in the eastern Petare district. 
"I'll march as often as I have to until Nicolas and Cilia come back," said demonstrator Soledad Rodriguez, 69. 
The demonstrations were far smaller than Maduro's camp had mustered in the past, and top figures from his government were notably absent.
The caretaker president has moved to placate the powerful pro-Maduro base by insisting Venezuela is not "subordinate" to Washington.

Pressure on Cuba

Trump vowed to secure US access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves following Maduro's capture, and Delcy Rodriguez has pledged to cooperate.
Trump pressed top oil executives at a White House meeting on Friday to invest in Venezuela's reserves, but was met with a cautious reception.
Experts say Venezuela's oil infrastructure is creaky after years of mismanagement and sanctions.
Washington has also confirmed that US envoys visited Caracas on Friday to discuss reopening their embassy there.
Trump on Sunday pressured Caracas's leftist ally Cuba, which has survived in recent years under a US embargo thanks to cheap Venezuelan oil imports.
He urged Cuba to "make a deal" or face unspecified consequences, warning that the flow of Venezuelan oil and money to Havana would now stop.
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel retorted on X that the Caribbean island was "ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood."
"Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation," he said. "No one tells us what to do."
bur-rlp/mlm

vote

Ugandan opposition turns national flag into protest symbol

BY ROSE TROUP BUCHANAN AND SOPHIE NEIMAN

  • Winnie Byanyima, wife of imprisoned opposition leader Kiiza Besigye, said Wine and his supporters were using the flag as a symbol for national unity. 
  • Hundreds screamed with excitement as Uganda's opposition leader passed by a rally where the crowd waved a sea of national flags that have become a dangerously politicised symbol ahead of a presidential election this week.
  • Winnie Byanyima, wife of imprisoned opposition leader Kiiza Besigye, said Wine and his supporters were using the flag as a symbol for national unity. 
Hundreds screamed with excitement as Uganda's opposition leader passed by a rally where the crowd waved a sea of national flags that have become a dangerously politicised symbol ahead of a presidential election this week.
Analysts say it is almost a foregone conclusion that President Yoweri Museveni, 81, will win a seventh term in Thursday's vote, given his near-total control over the state apparatus in the east African country.
But his opponent, 43-year-old Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, has framed the election as a protest vote and cannily turned the national flag into a symbol of resistance. 
Police last month warned against using the flag "casually and inappropriately".
Wine's supporters have faced frequent intimidation by security forces during the campaign, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office and other observers.
But the flag is "the only weapon we have," said woodworker Conrad Olwenyi, 31, at the Wine rally just outside Kampala this week where the national symbol was brandished. 
"We cannot fight the security, because they have a gun. We only have the flag," he said. But "if they shoot you when you have the flag, they are shooting the country."
Winnie Byanyima, wife of imprisoned opposition leader Kiiza Besigye, said Wine and his supporters were using the flag as a symbol for national unity. 
"And guess what? The reaction of President Museveni has been to say, you may not use the flag," she told AFP. 
"So in fact, in doing that, they have completely delegitimised President Museveni, that he now is trying to use force to stop people carrying the national flag. Who does that?"

'Reclaiming patriotism'

Uganda's flag -- created when the country achieved independence from Britain in 1962 -- has stripes of black to represent Africa, yellow for its sunshine, and red to represent African brotherhood, with a grey crowned crane overlaid.
In the 2021 elections, Wine's National Unity Platform (NUP) adopted red berets as a symbol, but the government ruled that was illegal since they were part of the military uniform, and used that ruling to justify raids on the party's offices.
The flag is a clever alternative and a way of "reclaiming patriotism," said Uganda expert Kristof Titeca.
"It's kind of taken the government by surprise, and so that's why they started this clampdown," he told AFP.
Like many countries in east Africa, there are laws governing how the national flag may be used, though these were rarely enforced in Uganda in the past. 
"It shows the panic," prominent cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo told AFP.
"I don't think they are threatened by misuse of the flag. They are threatened by the visibility of the support towards NUP," said Ssentongo, adding that as Museveni ages and nears 40 years in power, "the space for freedom of expression also shrinks".
"Everyone has a right to use the national flag, but it depends on in what context they're using it for. I believe the opposition is politicising it," said Israel Kyarisiima, a national youth co-ordinator for Museveni's National Resistance Movement party.
Security services have repeatedly been accused by Wine's supporters of targeting those carrying the flag at rallies. Wine urged followers in his Christmas address to "come to the defence of anyone assaulted for carrying the flag".
And the threats from police have not stopped Wine's supporters waving the flag at rallies. 
"Now we've got something that can really show our unity as Ugandans, and they are trying to make it criminal," said Ruth Excellent Mirembe, 25, waving a flag this week's rally.
Trying to stop its use is "oppression in the highest form," she told AFP. "This represents us as Ugandans."
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Kurds

Syria govt forces take control of Aleppo's Kurdish neighbourhoods

BY BAKR ALKASEM

  • A Syrian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that 419 Kurdish fighters, including 59 wounded and an unspecified number of dead, were transferred from the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood -- the second area to come under army control -- to the Kurdish-controlled zone in the northeast.
  • Syria's government was in full control of Aleppo on Sunday after taking over the city's Kurdish neighbourhoods and evacuating fighters there to Kurdish autonomous areas following days of deadly clashes.
  • A Syrian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that 419 Kurdish fighters, including 59 wounded and an unspecified number of dead, were transferred from the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood -- the second area to come under army control -- to the Kurdish-controlled zone in the northeast.
Syria's government was in full control of Aleppo on Sunday after taking over the city's Kurdish neighbourhoods and evacuating fighters there to Kurdish autonomous areas following days of deadly clashes.
Residents of the Ashrafiyeh neighbourhood, the first of two areas to fall to the Syrian army, began returning to their homes to inspect the damage, finding shrapnel and broken glass littering the streets.
The violence started earlier this week after negotiations stalled on integrating the Kurds' de facto autonomous administration and forces into the country's new government.
A Syrian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that 419 Kurdish fighters, including 59 wounded and an unspecified number of dead, were transferred from the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood -- the second area to come under army control -- to the Kurdish-controlled zone in the northeast.
The arriving fighters were met with tears and vows of vengeance from hundreds of people who gathered to greet them in the northeastern Kurdish city of Qamishli, according to AFP correspondents at the scene.
"We will avenge Sheikh Maqsud... we will avenge our fighters, we will avenge our martyrs," Umm Dalil, 55, said.
A correspondent saw crossed-out images of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US envoy Tom Barrack, as people chanted against Sharaa.
Kurdish leader Mazlum Abdi said on X that the combatants were evacuated "through the mediation of international parties to stop the attacks and violations against our people in Aleppo".
The Syrian official said that 300 other Kurds, including fighters and members of the domestic security forces, had been arrested.
Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP that 300 "young Kurds" had been arrested, stating that they were "civilians, not fighters".

Damaged walls, looted homes

On Sunday in Ashrafiyeh, an AFP correspondent saw people carrying bags and blankets return to their homes after being searched by security forces.
Yahya al-Sufi, a 49-year-old clothing seller, told AFP he had fled during the violence.
"When we returned, we found holes in the walls and our homes had been looted... Now that things have calmed down, we're back to repair the walls and restore the water and electricity," he said.
Some had hoped calm would prevail between the government in Damascus and the Kurdish fighters.
"We didn't want things to get this bad. I wish the Kurdish leadership had responded to the Syrian state. We've had enough bloodshed," said Mohammed Bitar, 39, who stayed in the Ashrafieh neighbourhood.
"There's no Arab, no Kurd, we're all Syrians."
Sheikh Maqsud, however, remained off limits on Sunday, with residents barred from returning, an interior ministry source told AFP.
An AFP correspondent in the area saw burnt armoured vehicles, cars loaded with ammunition and many landmines authorities took during their combing operation.
Syrian authorities said on Sunday that the toll from the fighting had reached "24 dead and 129 wounded since last Tuesday", while the Observatory reported 45 civilians and 60 soldiers and fighters were killed from both sides.
The Observatory reported "field executions" and the burning of fighters' bodies in Sheikh Maqsud by government forces, along with other "violations", but AFP was unable to independently verify the claims.

'Return to dialogue'

US envoy Tom Barrack met Saturday with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and afterwards issued a call for a "return to dialogue" with the Kurds in accordance with an integration agreement sealed last year.
Abdi in his statement called on "the mediators to abide by their promises to stop the violations".
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Abdi heads, control swathes of the country's oil-rich north and northeast, much of which they captured during Syria's civil war and the fight against the Islamic State group. 
Neighbouring Turkey, a close ally of Syria's new leaders, views the SDF's main component as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which agreed last year to end its four-decade armed struggle against Ankara.
Turkey has launched successive offensives to push Kurdish forces from the frontier.
The March integration agreement between Damascus and the Kurds was meant to be implemented last year, but differences, including Kurdish demands for decentralised rule, stymied progress.
The Aleppo fighting recalled a chapter in Syria's civil war when fierce fighting pitted the city's rebel-held east against the west, then controlled by the forces of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.
Assad's forces seized control of the entire city in December 2016, forcing the opposition and their families to evacuate to what was then the rebel stronghold of Idlib in the northwest.
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Kurds

Syrians in Kurdish area of Aleppo pick up pieces after clashes

BY OMAR HAJ KADOUR

  • Syria's government has since taken full control of the two areas as of Sunday, after agreeing the transfer of Kurdish fighters from the districts to Kurdish autonomous areas in the country's northeast.
  • Residents of a Kurdish neighbourhood in Syria's second city of Aleppo passed through government checkpoints Sunday to find blackened walls, destroyed vehicles and debris-littered streets as they returned home after days of deadly clashes.
  • Syria's government has since taken full control of the two areas as of Sunday, after agreeing the transfer of Kurdish fighters from the districts to Kurdish autonomous areas in the country's northeast.
Residents of a Kurdish neighbourhood in Syria's second city of Aleppo passed through government checkpoints Sunday to find blackened walls, destroyed vehicles and debris-littered streets as they returned home after days of deadly clashes.
While they picked up the pieces in the city's Ashrafiyeh neighbourhood, the city's only other Kurdish-majority district Sheikh Maqsud still remained off limits after suffering the worst of the fighting.
Many locals like wheelchair-bound Abdul Qader Satar returned to Ashrafiyeh on Sunday to inspect their homes after days of violence.
"I left on the first day and took refuge in one of the mosques," the 34-year-old told AFP while loading belongings onto his wheelchair.
"We left quickly with only the clothes on our backs... and now we are back to check on the house."
Others said they remained in their homes despite the violence, hoping calm would prevail between the government in Damascus and the Kurdish fighters.
"We didn't want things to get this bad. I wish the Kurdish leadership had responded to the Syrian state. We've had enough bloodshed," said Mohammed Bitar, 39, who stayed in the Ashrafieh neighbourhood.
"There's no Arab, no Kurd, we're all Syrians."
But the deadly clashes that erupted in the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods on Tuesday left dozens dead and displaced around 155,000 people, according to Syrian authorities. 
Syria's government has since taken full control of the two areas as of Sunday, after agreeing the transfer of Kurdish fighters from the districts to Kurdish autonomous areas in the country's northeast.

'Closed military zone'

In the streets of Ashrafiyeh, crumbled walls had turned black from explosions while families and children carried blankets and bags home to inspect damage to their homes under a heavy security presence.
"We were sitting safely in our homes... suddenly, heavy gunfire erupted. We left our homes under the bullets and fled," clothing seller Yahya al-Sufi, 49, told AFP in Ashrafiyeh.
"When we returned, we found holes in the walls and our homes had been looted... Now that things have calmed down, we're back to repair the walls and restore the water and electricity," he added, while supervising workers repairing the holes in his wall.
While many left the neighbourhood, Ammar Abdel Qader chose to stay with his family. 
Standing in front of the pharmacy where he works, the 48-year-old said "there was fear of the bombing, and most people left, but my family and I stayed and took refuge in the inner rooms".
"Now normal life has returned to Ashrafiyeh, things are good, and people are returning to their homes."
The last area to fall to the Syria army, the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood near Ashrafiyeh, was still closed off to those who wanted to return.
Kurdish fighters had entrenched themselves in a hospital in the area until Syrian authorities announced their transfer on Sunday.
An interior ministry source told AFP the neighbourhood was still considered a "closed military zone" despite the departures.
Ambulances later entered Sheikh Maqsud as authorities combed the area after the last Kurdish fighters had left.

'We will fight'

Syrian authorities and the Observatory both said the violence in the districts killed dozens.
In Qamishli city in the Kurdish-controlled northeast, the evacuated fighters were met with tears and pledges of vengeance from hundreds of people who gathered to greet them.
Upon his arrival, one fighter vowed "revenge" after embracing his mother as they both wept.
An AFP correspondent saw crossed-out images of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US envoy Tom Barrack, as people chanted against the Syrian leader.
"We will avenge Sheikh Maqsud... we will avenge our fighters, we will avenge our martyrs," Umm Dalil, 55, said.
"The Kurdish people will not fall, the Kurdish people will triumph, we will fight until the end and victory will be ours."
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conflict

Kyiv shivers without heat, but battles on

BY VIKTOR LEVCHUK

  • Massive Russian strikes on the capital Friday killed at least four people and left half the city's residential buildings without heat, at a time when temperatures are around -10C and expected to drop further.
  • Braving sub-zero temperatures, her heat cut off by Russian strikes on Kyiv, Natalia has to go to special tents set up in the Ukrainian capital to get warm -- but has no plans of leaving.
  • Massive Russian strikes on the capital Friday killed at least four people and left half the city's residential buildings without heat, at a time when temperatures are around -10C and expected to drop further.
Braving sub-zero temperatures, her heat cut off by Russian strikes on Kyiv, Natalia has to go to special tents set up in the Ukrainian capital to get warm -- but has no plans of leaving.
Nearly four years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainians are enduring another gruelling winter of heat and electricity cuts.
Massive Russian strikes on the capital Friday killed at least four people and left half the city's residential buildings without heat, at a time when temperatures are around -10C and expected to drop further.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, warned that the situation was "very difficult" and urged residents to temporarily evacuate.
But Natalia, who responded to Russia's February 2022 invasion by making Molotov cocktails to defend her city from Moscow's approaching army, said she was staying put, despite the hardships.
"I haven't left Kyiv a single second since the full-scale invasion," she told AFP.
"What did we do then? We made Molotov cocktails. I won't leave... I have my house here, I have my job and I love my city," said the 45-year-old manager, who declined to give her last name.
"We've had no electricity, heat or water for the past 42 hours," she said Saturday.
But "we're surviving, as you can see."
Her one concession to the upheaval of war: early in the invasion, she moved to a flat on a lower floor.
"It's less scary when the missiles fly overhead," she said.
Klitschko said Sunday morning that 1,000 buildings in Kyiv were still without heat -- down from an initial figure of 6,000 after the strikes.
Many residents' main heat source is electric, and Ukraine's power grid has been battered by Russian strikes since the start of the war.

Surpassing World War II

In the capital's Desnyansky district, AFP visited one of the tents set up by emergency services for residents to get warm, eat, connect to the internet and charge their devices.
Olena, a 50-year-old English teacher, said she was forcing herself to be optimistic in order to hang on.
Emergency tents and neighbourly solidarity help "a lot", she said.
"We support each other, dress warm, smile and wait."
One piece of clothing in particular sustains her, she said: a scarf that belonged to her grandmother, a World War II survivor.
"You put it on and you remember all that our people have endured. We will endure, too. We can't give up," she said.
Sunday marked the 1,418th day of Russia’s war on Ukraine, matching the length of what is known here as the "Great Patriotic War", when the Soviet Union fought off Nazi Germany's World War II onslaught, from 1941 to 1945.
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