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India formally launched its BRICS 2026 Chairship in New Delhi on January 13, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar unveiling the official logo, theme, and website.  Framed around the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” India’s tenure marks the 20th anniversary of the BRICS grouping and comes at a moment of expanding membership and heightened geopolitical complexity. EAM Jaishankar launched preparations for BRICS India 2026 The logo, which incorporates the national colors of all BRICS members and centers around the traditional "Namaste" gesture, was described as a symbol of unity, inclusivity and collaborative intent.  According to the External Affairs Minister, the design reflects India’s approach to blend tradition with modernity, while projecting BRICS as a forum of diverse but convergent interests. Unveiled alongside the logo, the BRICS 2026 website — brics2026.gov.in — will function as a central platform for information...

Sergio Gor formally assumed office as the United States Ambassador to India on Monday, pledging to deepen the strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi while strongly hinting at a potential visit by President Donald Trump in the near future. Speaking after taking charge, Gor struck a tone of personal diplomacy and strategic intent. He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump as “real friends,” noting that the bilateral relationship is rooted in mutual respect and sustained by direct ties at the highest political level.  Image Source: USAmbassadorIndia Gor’s remarks included repeated references to his proximity with Trump, whom he has accompanied across the world, and underlined the former president’s continued interest in India. “I spoke with President Trump just yesterday,” Gor said, “and I bring his warm wishes to all the people of India, especially his dear friend, the incredible Prime Minister Modi.”  He also suggested a visit by Trump could ...

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni projected a careful balance between major powers during her New Year’s press conference on 9 January 2026, positioning Italy as a pragmatic actor navigating intensifying US-Russia tensions.  While the US military action in Venezuela drew strong condemnation from much of the international community—including sharp statements from India and UN leadership—Meloni refrained from aligning unequivocally with Washington. Instead, she focused on protecting Italian national interests and reaffirmed a preference for multilateral diplomacy. Image Source: GreenpeaceItalia Responding to questions about the continued detention of Italian nationals in Venezuela, Meloni confirmed that her government had worked “daily” over the past 400 days using “political, diplomatic and intelligence channels.”  She welcomed the unilateral decision by Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez to release Biagio Pilieri and expressed “confidence” about further releases....

In a noteworthy address delivered to the United Nations Security Council on 5 January 2026, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, expressed grave concern over the United States’ recent military operation in Venezuela.  File Photo: Antonio Guterres The remarks mark the UN's most direct assessment yet of the unfolding situation after the dramatic seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. According to the Secretary-General, U.S. troops operated in multiple Venezuelan states, including Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, on 3 January, during what President Donald Trump later confirmed as a “large-scale strike.”  Trump’s declaration that the United States will "run the country until such time that we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition" was noted in the session as raising serious questions about the violation of international legal norms. The Venezuelan ...

In a swift military operation that has shaken international norms and reignited global tensions, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were seized by U.S. forces and transported to New York, where Maduro is now facing federal narcotrafficking and weapons charges.  Image Source: New York Post The operation, authorized by U.S. President Donald Trump and executed with the involvement of U.S. Navy warships, special forces, and intelligence assets, was described by the White House as part of a broader campaign to combat narco-terrorism and reestablish U.S. primacy in the Western Hemisphere. The early hours of Saturday saw at least seven coordinated explosions across Caracas, witnessed by residents and captured on video. Smoke billowed near a major military base, and several districts experienced electricity outages.  U.S. officials later confirmed that more than 150 aircraft had been deployed to neutralize Venezuela’s air defenses. Helicopter-borne troops de...

The United States Vice President JD Vance has publicly defended the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela, framing it as a justified exercise of American power and a necessary strike against drug trafficking and the legacy of expropriated U.S. interests.  His comments, made via an extended social media statement, mark the most detailed response from a senior U.S. administration official since President Donald Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. File Photo of US VP JD Vance; Via ElonNewsUpdate Vance’s remarks come amid escalating global criticism of the raid, which saw U.S. special forces seize Maduro in a rapid pre-dawn operation from his fortified residence in Caracas.  The Venezuelan leader was then transported via a U.S. Navy warship to Guantanamo Bay before being flown to New York, where he is now in federal custody facing narco-terrorism and weapons charges. The Vice President addressed growing skepticism aro...

Australia has joined the growing list of nations responding to the United States’ military operation in Venezuela , in which President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and flown out of the country.  In a measured statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the need for restraint, dialogue, and a commitment to democratic principles as the region grapples with the fallout of the sudden and unprecedented removal of Venezuela’s long-standing leader. Image Source: Anthony Albanese “The Australian Government is monitoring developments in Venezuela,” Albanese said via his official social media account. He called on all parties to avoid escalation and to support regional stability through diplomacy.  While not directly addressing the U.S. operation , the Prime Minister made clear that Australia maintains serious concerns about the situation in Venezuela, particularly the need to uphold human rights and democratic freedoms. Australia has not formall...

The fallout from the United States' dramatic military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has drawn sharp global reactions, with key Western allies such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and France expressing cautious support for what they see as a long-overdue shift in Venezuela’s leadership.  File Photo: FrontPageMagazine While all three governments stopped short of explicitly endorsing the U.S. military strike, their statements reflect a shared relief at the downfall of a regime they have long opposed. Mark Carney, who leads Canada’s newly elected administration, underscored Ottawa’s longstanding position that Maduro’s presidency was illegitimate, referencing the contested 2018 election which Canada did not recognize.  Carney called Maduro’s regime “brutally oppressive” and emphasized Canada’s early sanctions from 2025 targeting the Venezuelan leadership. Framing the capture as an opportunity, he stated that “freedom, democracy, peace, and...

China has issued a strong condemnation of the United States following its large-scale military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture and removal of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.  Representational Image: MFA China Press deck In an official response released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on January 3, a spokesperson called the U.S. action a blatant use of force against a sovereign nation and a serious breach of international law. The statement came in response to a direct question posed at a press briefing, referencing public claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump on the social platform Truth Social, where he described the operation as a “successful” mission involving a military strike and the extraction of Venezuela’s head of state. Beijing expressed “deep shock” over the development and described the actions of the U.S. as hegemonic, saying they not only violated Venezuela’s sovereignty but also posed a significant threat to pea...

The Russian Federation has issued a series of formal statements condemning the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela , in which Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were captured and transported to the United States.  Describing the action as “armed aggression,” Moscow demanded their immediate release and called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Sergey Lavrov’s telephone conversation with Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez. Via: MFA Russia In its first response, issued shortly after reports of Maduro’s capture on January 3 , the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the justifications provided by the United States for the raid lacked any factual basis. It characterized the action as a case of ideological hostility supplanting diplomacy and respect for sovereignty.  Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable. That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change...

In an unprecedented turn of events, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are now in U.S. custody after a swift and covert military operation conducted by American forces over the weekend.  The raid, which began late Friday night in Caracas, ended with Maduro’s transfer to New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he awaits trial on charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking, and possession of weapons. Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth remotely followed the operation. Via: White House The operation began with a seizure from inside Maduro’s fortified presidential residence, where U.S. intelligence reportedly used real-time surveillance and human assets on the ground to track the Venezuelan leader’s movements.  He was flown by helicopter to a U.S. Navy warship, the USS Iwo Jima, stationed in the Caribbean Sea. From there, his journey continued via Guantanamo Bay before landing at Stewart Air Force Base in New York. Escort foota...