Venezuela has formally requested the United Nations Security Council to declare recent U.S. military strikes on vessels off its coast illegal and to issue a statement affirming Venezuela’s sovereignty, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The appeal, made by Venezuela’s U.N. ambassador Samuel Moncada in a letter dated Wednesday, accused the United States of killing at least 27 people in what he described as attacks on “civilian vessels transiting international waters.”

He urged the council to launch an investigation to “determine their illegal nature” and reaffirm the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity under international law.

The strikes are part of a broader U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean, ordered by President Donald Trump, who has deployed guided missile destroyers, fighter jets, and thousands of troops to the region.

Washington claims the operations target drug-trafficking networks allegedly linked to Venezuela, though it has not publicly presented supporting evidence.

In a televised address from Caracas, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the Trump administration of authorizing the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct operations aimed at destabilizing his government.

“The CIA has always been behind coups around the world, but never before has a government openly admitted it ordered the CIA to kill, overthrow, and destroy countries,” Maduro said.

He vowed that Venezuela’s people were “clear, united, and ready to defeat this open conspiracy against peace and stability.”

Diplomats said the Security Council is unlikely to take any binding action because the United States holds veto power. The 15-member body met last week to discuss the growing tensions at the joint request of Venezuela, Russia, and China.

During that meeting, Washington defended the strikes as legitimate acts of self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which allows member states to respond to armed attacks.

On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz reiterated that stance, saying President Trump would continue to use “the intelligence community, the Defense Department, and diplomacy to defend U.S. sovereignty against actions that are actively killing Americans.”

“Venezuela can bring whatever they want to the U.N.,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News. “What’s also part of the U.N. is Article 51, the right to self-defense. That’s what President Trump is doing and will keep doing.”

The escalating diplomatic confrontation underscores growing tensions between Washington and Caracas, as U.S. military operations intensify in the Caribbean and Venezuela seeks international backing against what it calls an “illegal act of aggression.”

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

The U.S. military conducted a strike on Thursday against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean, and for the first time, survivors were found among the crew, a U.S. official told Reuters.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details about the number or condition of the survivors but said it was unclear whether the mission was intended to spare lives.

The incident, which has not been previously reported, raises new questions about whether the U.S. rendered medical aid to the survivors and whether they are now in U.S. custody, potentially as prisoners of war.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

It has consistently described targets of recent maritime strikes as “narcoterrorists,” arguing that the operations fall within the scope of the United States’ ongoing campaign against drug-linked militant groups operating out of Venezuela.

Prior to Thursday’s operation, U.S. military strikes on suspected narcotics boats off the Venezuelan coast had killed at least 27 people, sparking concern among legal experts and Democratic lawmakers over whether such actions comply with international law.

Videos previously released by the Trump administration showed boats being completely destroyed, with no evidence of survivors.

The strike comes amid a growing U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, which now includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and about 6,500 troops.

President Donald Trump has described the campaign as part of a broader effort to “neutralize narcoterrorism” and pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

On Wednesday, Trump confirmed he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, fueling speculation in Caracas that Washington is pursuing regime change.

In a letter to the United Nations Security Council seen by Reuters, Venezuela’s U.N. ambassador Samuel Moncada urged the council to declare the U.S. strikes illegal and issue a statement reaffirming Venezuela’s sovereignty.

The latest operation also comes as the Pentagon reorganizes its command structure in the region.

Last week, the Department of Defense announced that future counter-narcotics missions in the Caribbean would be led not by U.S. Southern Command, based in Miami, but by the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), a rapid-deployment unit headquartered at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The shift surprised many defense analysts, since a combatant command like Southern Command would normally oversee such operations.

Earlier Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of Southern Command, would step down two years ahead of schedule.

Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Holsey’s resignation “deeply troubling,” citing fears of an unchecked escalation toward military confrontation with Venezuela.

“Admiral Holsey’s resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-earned lessons of previous U.S. campaigns and the advice of our most experienced commanders,” Reed said.

As questions mount over Thursday’s unprecedented strike and the fate of the survivors, the incident underscores the rising stakes, and growing controversy, surrounding the Trump administration’s military operations in the Caribbean.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

John Bolton, former U.S. national security adviser under President Donald Trump, was charged on Thursday in a sweeping federal indictment accusing him of unlawfully sharing classified information with his wife and daughter for possible inclusion in a book project.

The indictment, filed in federal court in Maryland, marks the third time in recent weeks that the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against one of Trump’s prominent critics.

It charges Bolton with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of retaining national defense information under the Espionage Act, offenses that each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. No court appearance date has yet been scheduled.

According to prosecutors, Bolton sent electronic messages to his relatives between April 2018 and August 2025, containing sensitive notes from high-level meetings, discussions with foreign leaders, and intelligence briefings.

The indictment said the three often discussed incorporating some of the material into a book, with Bolton referring to his relatives as his “editors.” In one exchange, he reportedly wrote, “Talking with [book publisher] because they have a right of first refusal!”

Two people familiar with the matter identified the unnamed relatives as Bolton’s wife and daughter.

In a statement, Bolton said he “look[s] forward to the fight to defend [his] lawful conduct and to expose this abuse of power.” His attorney, Abbe Lowell, insisted that Bolton “did not unlawfully share or store any classified information.”

Asked about the charges, President Trump told reporters at the White House, “He’s a bad guy.” The indictment follows Trump’s ongoing campaign to target perceived political enemies.

Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has publicly pressured Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue investigations into his critics, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Comey is currently facing charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction, while James has been indicted on bank fraud-related charges, both cases widely viewed as politically motivated.

Prosecutors allege Bolton shared more than a thousand pages of notes from his tenure as national security adviser, including top-secret details of intelligence assessments and policy deliberations.

The indictment also revealed that after Bolton left government service, his personal email account, which contained classified materials, was hacked by a “cyber actor” linked to the Iranian government.

While Bolton’s representatives informed authorities of the breach, prosecutors said they failed to report that he had stored restricted information in the account.

Bolton, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before joining Trump’s White House, became one of Trump’s most outspoken critics after leaving his post.

In his 2024 memoir, he described the former president as “unfit for office” and accused him of endangering national security.

The indictment was signed by Maryland U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes and several career prosecutors, including Thomas Sullivan, head of the office’s national security division.

Despite that, legal analysts warned that the case could deepen perceptions of politically selective justice.

Earlier this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced scrutiny for sharing sensitive details about a planned military strike in Yemen with family members and a journalist via a Signal group chat, an act experts said could also fall under the Espionage Act.

The Justice Department quickly closed that case without charges.

Bolton’s indictment, one of the most serious under the Espionage Act in recent years, underscores the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive stance toward political opponents, even as critics question whether the law is being applied evenly.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

Israel and Hamas on Thursday traded blame over alleged violations of a U.S.-mediated ceasefire, as a dispute over the return of hostages’ bodies threatened to unravel the fragile truce and stall efforts to reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said Israel remained committed to the ceasefire agreement and accused Hamas of withholding the bodies of 19 hostages killed during the conflict.

Bedrosian confirmed that Hamas had handed over 10 bodies, but one was found not to be a hostage.

Hamas, meanwhile, said it was adhering to the truce and working to recover the remaining bodies, claiming some were buried under rubble or in tunnels destroyed by Israeli forces.

The group’s armed wing said recovering more remains would require heavy machinery and excavation equipment to be allowed into the blockaded enclave.

Tensions flared further after a senior Hamas official accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire by killing at least 24 Palestinians since Friday. He said a list of the alleged violations had been submitted to international mediators.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to the claims but has previously argued that its forces only fired at individuals who posed an “immediate threat.”

Local health authorities in Gaza said seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Thursday, including two in Khan Younis following what they described as an Israeli airstrike.

Witnesses reported drones and warplanes hovering over southern Gaza as sporadic gunfire echoed through the ruins.

The next phase of the 20-point ceasefire plan, drawn up under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons and relinquish control of Gaza, conditions the Islamist faction has so far rejected.

Instead, Hamas has launched a crackdown on armed clans in areas vacated by Israeli forces, underscoring its continued dominance.

Trump, addressing reporters in Washington, warned that further violence by Hamas would invite retaliation “under U.S. auspices.” He stated, “If they behave, good. If they don’t behave, we’ll take care of it,” adding that no American troops would be directly involved.

Earlier this week, 20 Israeli hostages were freed in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israel also returned 30 Palestinian bodies on Thursday, bringing the total number received since Monday to 120.

Israel’s military liaison agency, COGAT, said it was working with Egypt to set a date for reopening the Rafah crossing for civilian movement, though it emphasized that aid shipments would continue to enter only through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing after security checks.

With parts of Gaza facing famine-like conditions, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned that “thousands of trucks per week” would be needed to avert a worsening crisis.

Despite aid convoys entering Gaza on Wednesday, health services remain crippled and most of the enclave’s 2.2 million residents displaced. Hamas official Ismail Al-Thawabta described the aid received so far as “a drop in the ocean.”

Nearly 68,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gaza health authorities, while Israel’s campaign followed Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel that left about 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.

As both sides trade accusations, the unresolved issues, hostage returns, disarmament, and Gaza’s future governance, continue to cast doubt over the durability of the U.S.-brokered truce and prospects for long-term peace.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua

Madagascar’s new military ruler, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, announced that he will be sworn in as president on Friday, following a military coup that ousted civilian leader Andry Rajoelina and triggered swift international condemnation.

In a statement released late Wednesday, Randrianirina said the High Constitutional Court would preside over his swearing-in ceremony as “President for the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar.”

The colonel, who led the recent military takeover, said he was open to dialogue with the African Union (AU), which immediately suspended Madagascar’s membership after the coup.

The 55-member AU bloc called for the restoration of civilian-led governance and the holding of free and fair elections, denouncing the army’s seizure of power.

“From now on, there will be behind-the-scenes negotiations, we’ll see how things unfold,” Randrianirina said during a press conference on Thursday, adding that the AU’s suspension “was expected.”

The ousted president, Andry Rajoelina, who fled the country over the weekend amid mass youth-led protests demanding his resignation, has refused to step down.

Lawmakers subsequently voted to impeach him, citing a leadership vacuum.

Randrianirina confirmed that the military had dissolved all government institutions except the National Assembly, and would oversee a two-year transition alongside a provisional administration before organizing new elections.

International organizations have condemned the military’s move. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called the takeover “an unconstitutional change of government,” urging all Malagasy actors, including the youth, to work together to restore stability and democracy.

“The United Nations stands ready to support national efforts towards that goal,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

Randrianirina, a former commander of the elite CAPSAT unit, was previously involved in the 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to power.

However, he broke ranks with the president last week, calling on troops not to fire on protesters during escalating demonstrations.

Madagascar, a nation of about 30 million people, faces deep economic challenges, with three-quarters of its population living in poverty and an average age below 20.

The World Bank reports that the country’s GDP per capita has fallen by 45% since independence in 1960.

As the country enters another period of political uncertainty, regional leaders and the international community are urging restraint and a swift return to constitutional order.

Source: Reuters

Written By Rodney Mbua