According to an unnamed US official, a Reuters news agency report citing an unnamed US official stated that the US will concentrate on pursuing sanctioned Venezuelan oil over the next two months rather than military pressure.
Even as the US continues to put pressure on the region, the White House has ordered the military to concentrate “almost exclusively on enforcing a ‘quarantine’ of Venezuelan oil,” according to the Reuters report.
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The official told Reuters on Wednesday that while there are still military options, the focus should be on using economic pressure and imposing sanctions to achieve the desired result.
According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump has deployed 15, 000 troops, aircraft carriers, guided missile destroyers, and amphibious assault ships in the Caribbean over the past month.
The expansion is the largest US military deployment in the Caribbean in a long time, and it has sparked concerns that Trump might invade Venezuela under the pretense of defending the country from “narcoterrorists” and international drug cartels.
Trump mandated a “total and complete blockade” of all oil tankers that were subject to US law entering and leaving Venezuela in mid-December. According to Reuters, US forces are currently looking into a third vessel and have already apprehended two oil tankers.
Venezuela is on a lifeline because of the various US sanctions in place in Caracas since 2005. During Trump’s first term in office, sanctions on the energy sector increased significantly.
Despite the ongoing tensions, some media reports suggest that the US Coast Guard’s enforcement actions could lead to a de-escalation rather than the military.
In peacetime, the Coast Guard is regarded as a branch of US law enforcement and is a civilian organization. Under US sanctions, its agents have the right to board ships. By contrast, staging a naval blockade of Venezuela would be viewed as a war deed.
In a statement to the UN Security Council, Venezuela declared this week that the oil seizures were “worse than piracy.”
Different boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, which the White House claims were bringing illegal drugs to the US, have been targeted by US forces since September.
At least 105 people have died in what the White House has described as a “non-international armed conflict” because the strikes were ordered by Trump and not by the US Congress.
After almost 17 years in exile, Tarique Rahman, the heir to Bangladesh’s long-standing family and opposition leader, has returned to the country, according to his party.
Rahman, 60, a former Bangladeshi prime minister who has emigrated to London after fleeing the country in 2008 because of what he called politically motivated persecution, arrived on Thursday.
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He is expected to succeed his ailing mother, 80-year-old former prime minister Khaleda Zia, as acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
As senior BNP leaders welcomed Rahman at the airport under heavy security, hundreds of thousands of supporters scurried from the capital’s airport to the reception venue, waving party flags and carrying placards, banners, and flowers along the way.
Rahman waved to the crowd while wearing a light grey, finely chequered blazer over a crisp white shirt.
For what it called an “unprecedented” mobilization, the BNP had previously stated that it wanted to gather up to five million supporters in the capital to welcome Rahman.
In the general election in February, Rahman is widely regarded as the front-runner for prime ministerial office.
After Sheikh Hasina’s longtime leader was ousted in 2024, his arrival coincides with the BNP’s revival.
shifting political landscape
Rahman was unable to return to Bangladesh because of his domestic violence struggles.
He was found guilty in absentia on charges including money laundering and a case involving an alleged plot to assassinate Hasina, but the decisions were overturned after his ouster last year in a student-led uprising, removing the legal obstacles to his return.
Khaleda Zia has been seriously ill for months, so his return also comes with a sense of urgency. Before visiting his mother, Rahman would travel from the airport to a reception area, according to party officials.
Since Hasina’s ouster from power, which marked the end of decades of her and Khaleda Zia’s largely alternate office, has changed dramatically.
According to a survey conducted by the American-based International Republican Institute in December, the BNP is expected to take the most parliamentary seats, along with the Jamaat-e-Islami party.
Some people fear unrest could disrupt the election, according to Hasina’s Awami League, which has been barred from the election.
The 50-year-old has shared details of her remarkable transformation.
3 images to be seen
Alison Hammond(Image: Kate Green, Getty Images for the NTA’s)
Alison Hammond has worked hard to lose weight after being given some scary health news. The TV presenter made two huge lifestyle swaps, which led to remarkable results both inside and outside her body, helping her discover ‘new love’.
Aside from losing an impressive 11 stone, the beloved TV host known for her work on programmes like ITV’s This Morning and Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off also managed to ‘reverse’ her prediabetic condition through dedication and determination.
The 50-year-old first earned public fame during a brief appearance on Big Brother back in 2002. Alison stepped into the famous house at just 22 years old, and her brief fifteen days on the reality show led to a successful TV career that has spanned decades.
In recent years, the presenter has slimmed down and achieved an incredible 11 stone loss with the help of a personal trainer. However, alongside her fitness regime, she cut out two key items from her diet after receiving a prediabetic diagnosis.
Speaking to Women’s Health, she said: “My mum had Type 2 diabetes and she was worried for me, so when I then found out that I was pre-diabetic, that was frightening. I thought ‘I have to be an adult about this’. The sweets had to stop, and the fatty foods.”
Alison, who was 28 stone at her heaviest, maintains her fitness by visiting her personal trainer twice a week and using the weights to exercise in her bedroom. She continued, “I try to change it so it doesn’t feel the same every day.
“If I miss a session or two with my trainer, I notice it. That kick you get out of the way you feel is so good.” Following a complete lifestyle transformation, according to a previous report by Surrey Live, the TV star revealed she’s no longer prediabetic.
She said, “I can allow myself a little sugar here and there because my body is functioning properly.” Although I still have areas of awareness in my arms and stomach, I really enjoy being able to wear things I couldn’t before. Look at me, I’m a bombshell, I mean.
Describe prediabetes.
Diabetes UK claims that people who have “higher than usual but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes” may be classified as having type 2 diabetes. It added that people who develop this condition before it crosses the threshold can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and can prevent or delay the development of the condition.
Prediabetes doesn’t have any symptoms. If you start to have any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, it means you have probably already developed it. Diabetes UK shared a list of signs people may want to look out for, including:
Continue reading the article.
using the restroom more frequently, especially at night,
For the first time since Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza started in 2023, Palestinian Christians have gathered at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity to celebrate Christmas.
After a long period of silence and darkness, Bethlehem’s mayor claims the city has chosen to resume its festivities.
Safaa Thalgieh, a mother from Bethlehem, told Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, “We can only pray that things get better. Our joy doesn’t mean people aren’t suffering, have lost their loved ones, or are desperate.”
Palestine: The place where Christianity first came from.
One of the oldest Christian denominations in the world is made up of Palestinian Christians.
Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born and enshrined. This location served as the site of the Church of the Nativity, and its grotto is of significant religious significance, drawing Christians from all over the world to Bethlehem every Christmas.
However, as shown on the map below, the separation wall, illegal settlements, and several checkpoints in Israel would make the trip very different today.
Christians in Palestine who are governed by Israeli rule
The number of Christians who once lived in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza is now less than 50 000, according to the 2017 census, accounting for about 1% of the population.
About 12% of the population were Christians at the beginning of the 20th century. However, Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank has strained communities, led to economic hardships, and deprived them of the conditions required for living on their land, leading to more families pursuing a more stable life abroad.
The Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha, on the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel, was severely damaged on June 18, 2015, according to a nun.
Between 47, 000 and 50, 000 Palestinian Christians reside in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with an additional 1, 000 previously living in Gaza.
Three of the West Bank’s three main urban areas are where the Christian population is most concentrated:
The largest concentration is concentrated in Bethlehem and the nearby towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, in the province’s 22-mile-long governorate.
Ramallah and El-Bireh (10, 000): A significant administrative and commercial hub with historic towns like Taybeh, Birzeit, and Jifna nearby.
East Jerusalem (8, 000–10, 000) is primarily found in Beit Hanina and the Christian Quarter of Old City.
Palestinian Christians are subject to Israeli military rule, settler violence, and a discriminatory legal system, just like the rest of the Palestinian population.
Israeli attacks on Christians and churches
Christian communities and their churches have been the targets of numerous attacks by Israeli forces and members of the Israeli public throughout Palestine.
Through a volunteer-run incident hotline, the Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC) has been monitoring violent against Christians.
The group documented at least 201 incidents of violence against Christians between January 2024 and September 2025, primarily committed by Orthodox Jews against international clergy or individuals who display Christian symbols.
These incidents range from verbal abuse, assaults, spitting to assaults, and more.
The Old City in occupied East Jerusalem, home to 137 of these incidents, was where they occurred the most.
Jerusalem, which includes many holy sites, is of profound significance to people of all faiths, including Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised again, is one of the most notable for Christians.
In the occupied West Bank, there was an alarming rise in targeted violence and land seizures in 2025.
In the predominantly Christian town of Beit Sahour, east of Bethlehem, Israeli settlers supported by the military bulldozed the site of the famous Ush al-Ghurab hilltop in November to build a new illegal settlement outpost.
In Taybeh, a town with a majority of Christians in the West Bank, arsonists targeted the historic St. George Church in July.
During a raid on the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of East Jerusalem, which has been repeatedly attacked, a group of Israelis were filmed attacking the Armenian Monastery and Christian holy sites in June.
In the Armenian Quarter of occupied East Jerusalem, Father Aghan Gogchyan, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, stands outside St. James Cathedral.
Israeli forces have attacked a number of places of worship in Gaza, including churches.
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war, according to an Open Doors report from early 2025, roughly 75% of Christian-owned homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.
At least 18 displaced people, including children who were looking for shelter in the church, were killed when Israeli forces attacked Saint Porphyrius, Gaza’s oldest Greek Orthodox Church, on October 19, 2023.
The church, which was the country’s oldest active place of worship since 1150, had provided hundreds of civilians with a multi-faith sanctuary.
A father who is grieving for his three children’s deaths in the explosion told Al Jazeera. We sought refuge in a church because we believed it was our last safe haven. He referred to it as “the house of God.” They “bombed and killed my angels without warning” they said.
The only Roman Catholic church in Gaza, the Holy Family Church, has long been a refuge for the local Christian community.
A school inside the complex was partially destroyed by an air attack on November 4, 2023, which occurred inside the church compound. An Israeli tank shell struck the church in July 2025, killing three people and injuring several others.
A majority of Russians anticipate the end of the Ukrainian conflict in 2026, according to a state-owned research center. As a result, Russian forces advance on the battlefield and work gets more aggressive to reach a ceasefire agreement between Kiev and Moscow.
Russians are viewing 2026 with “growing optimism,” according to VTsIOM, Russia’s top public opinion research center, which released a statement on Wednesday.
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In other words, Russians are more likely to accept (or believe) hope as the outlook for the upcoming year traditionally appears much more optimistic. Future improvements are expected this year, but they still proceed cautiously, the organization said in a review of the survey findings, which were made public online.
According to VTsIOM deputy head Mikhail Mamonov, 70 percent of the 1,600 people surveyed thought that 2026 would be a more “successful” year for Russia than this year, with 55 percent of those predicting a better year and the potential resolution of what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Mamonov stated at the presentation that the main reason for optimism is the possibility of the special military operation being completed and the achievement of the stated goals in line with the president’s stated national interests.
Mamonov cited the Russian military’s ongoing offensive in Ukraine, Washington’s unwillingness to finance the Ukrainian conflict, and the EU’s inability to fully replace the US role in Ukraine as key factors in the development of a resolution.
Priorities will be placed first, according to Mamonov, including the reintegration of Russian military veterans into society and the reconstruction of Ukrainian regions under Russian control as well as the border regions.
According to independent pollster Levada, roughly two-thirds of Russians support peace talks, which is the highest number since the start of the war in 2022, despite the strict state-imposed media restrictions on the media, expressions of public dissent, and the prosecution of those who criticize Moscow’s war against its neighbor.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that he would withdraw troops from Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a strategy to put an end to the conflict if Moscow agreed by reversing its forces and allowing the region to become a demilitarized zone under international surveillance.
Zelenskyy also mentioned that a similar arrangement might be possible for the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control, in comments to reporters about an overarching 20-point plan that negotiators from Ukraine and the US had hammered out in Florida in recent days.
Russia has repeatedly urged Kyiv to give up the land it still holds in the Donbass industrial area before discussions on putting an end to the fighting. It has given no indication that it will do so.
The two Donbass regions, which are largely made up of Luhansk and Donetsk, are now largely under Russian control.
Zelenskyy added that the most difficult part of the plan was to determine where the Donbass will eventually be controlled, and that setting up a demilitarized economic zone in the area would require laborious discussions regarding where international forces would be stationed and how far troops would be needed to retreat.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot a moving car allegedly evading arrest, injuring two people in a Baltimore suburb, according to US authorities.
Two men from Portugal and El Salvador were allegedly living in the US illegally while driving through Glen Burnie, Maryland, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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Officers approached the vehicle and instructed the driver to turn off his engine, according to DHS in a post on X, but the driver did not and instead veered into several ICE vehicles.
The ICE officers shot the driver while defensively aiming their service weapons, according to a statement from DHS on X. The driver “then wrecked his van between two buildings, injuring the passenger.”
No ICE agents were hurt during the incident, according to DHS, and the two men later received medical attention.
By detaining and removing illegal aliens from our streets, our brave officers risk their lives every day, according to the DHS post. The extremist rhetoric must end as illegal aliens and violent agitators continue to actively resist ICE.
ICE agents approached a “white van” during an arrest on Wednesday, according to local police, who confirmed to ABC News that the driver had “attempted to run the agents over.”
The car then accelerated before coming to rest in a residential Glen Burnie, Maryland, area, according to ABC.
Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, stated on X that he was aware of the “involved shooting” and that his office would keep providing more details as the investigation progressed.
According to ABC News, the shooting comes after a similar incident occurred on Sunday in Minnesota when ICE agents shot a Cuban man who also attempted to ram ICE vehicles.
In an SUV, ICE agents approached the man in the city of St Paul as he entered the country on a discontinued asylum program.
According to Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, the agents threatened to break his window if he didn’t speak with them, leading to the man fleeing, according to ABC. The man struck an ICE agent with his car during the incident.
