WASHINGTON: In an audacious raid into the heart of the world’s most oil-rich country, US special forces on Saturday captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores while they were asleep at their home in a military fortress in the early hours of the capital Caracas. Trump administration officials justified the abduction, as it was described in some quarters, on grounds of national security and law enforcement, including charges of narco-terrorism. The couple was dragged out of their beds and flown out on choppers by an elite Delta Force, CIA agents, and FBI agents, who reportedly coordinated the raid, and placed on the warship Iwo Jima anchored off the country’s coast, to be taken back to New York City to stand trial. President Trump gave interviews to media outlets at 4.30 am to boast about the raid, excitedly telling journalists he had watched the incursion live from his Mar-a-Lago resort, and how meticulous and professional it was, with few casualties on the American invading forces.

“I was able to watch it in real time, and I watched every aspect of it, and I listened to the communication between, you know, where we were in Florida and out in the field in Venezuela,” Trump told Fox News, adding, “It was amazing to see the professionalism, the quality of leadership…” He compared the military operation to the botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan during the Biden administration, saying, “We’re not a laughingstock anymore.”There was shock, concern, and anger in the region and beyond despite Maduro’s sketchy reputation and multiple indictments on drug smuggling charges, including a $25mn bounty going back to the Biden administration. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ office said he was deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected, and independently of the situation in Venezuela, “these developments constitute a dangerous precedent.” Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the military action and said it breached the UN Charter, while urging the U.S. to comply with international law and end “all acts of aggression against the Venezuelan government and people.”President Trump often accused the Venezuelan President and his government of conspiring to flood the US with drugs and illegal immigrants. Maduro was indicted in 2020, during Trump’s first term as president, on charges of smuggling cocaine into the US, with a $15 million bounty offered for his arrest at that time. That was increased to $ 25 million by the Biden administration and further doubled to $50 million in the Trump second term after he alleged Maduro of heading a drug mafia called Cartel de los Soles and designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation. There was support for the raid and capture from U.S legislators of Venezuelan origin, but several Democratic lawmakers questioned the legality of the attack and the lack of authorisation from Congress, which is vested with the sole authority to declare war. The Pentagon notified Capitol Hill on Saturday morning, after the raid, that it had been “authorised” by the president to launch a “military operation” inside Venezuela in response to “national security threats posed by the illegitimate Maduro regime.”Vice President JD Vance, in his first public comments after Maduro’s capture, applauded the mission and defended its legality. “Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism,” Vance wrote on social media. “You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.”In recent days, after Trump openly signaled his days were numbered, Maduro literally begged for peace, telling a Spanish reporter two nights ago that the “The American people should know they have a friendly, peaceful people here, and a friendly government as well,” while handing the journalist a red hat in the style of the Make America Great Again cap with the words: “No War. Yes, Peace.”By any measure, the U.S. military operation marks one of the most consequential acts of American force in Latin America in decades, coming only weeks after the Trump White House signalled its intention to assert its hegemony in the western hemisphere in a national security strategy document. Venezuela, by most estimates, has the largest oil reserves in the world, greater than even Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The Maduro abduction was evocative of the raid that captured the late Panamanian leader Gen. Manuel Noriega in the late 1980s. Once a U.S. ally, Noriega was accused of conspiring with drug traffickers to ship cocaine to the U.S. He was convicted of drug trafficking charges in a Miami federal court in 1992 and sentenced to 40 years in prison, serving 17 years before he was extradited to Panama, where he died in 2017. The latest abduction is a clear signal to other small countries in the region, which have been increasingly courted by China: Behave and fall in line behind the U.S, or else…The Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy identified China as a primary threat in the hemisphere, alongside migration, drugs, and crime. Beijing has expanded its economic footprint across South America through trade and critical minerals. The U.S. intervention in Venezuela signals a muscular reassertion of American primacy—and a warning that Washington is prepared to use force to defend it.In fact, Maduro met with a Chinese diplomatic team led by Beijing’s special representative for Latin American affairs, Qiu Xiaoqi, just hours before the raid to discuss the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers bound for China, with the envoy reiterating Beijing’s support for the Venezuelan President. Of great concern now is what the Venezuela raid will have on China’s approach to Taiwan, and more immediately, Russia’s position on Ukraine.

Shah Rukh Khan, Mustafizur Rahman

Former India cricketer Madan Lal spoke about the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decision to direct Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and supported actor and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, saying he had no role in team selection.“This is the decision of the BCCI and the Central government must have taken this decision, given the atrocities are being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh,” Madan Lal told news agency ANI.

The former World Cup winner said Shah Rukh Khan should not be linked to the matter and pointed out that team selection is handled by the franchise’s cricket management.“There is no fault of Shah Rukh Khan as they have the team who picks the team,” he added.His comments came after KKR confirmed that Mustafizur Rahman had been excluded from the squad for the upcoming season on the BCCI’s instructions. In a media advisory, the franchise said, “Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL as the regulator of IPL has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.” “The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control of Cricket in India,” the statement added. The advisory also said, “BCCI will allow Kolkata Knight Riders a replacement player in line with IPL regulations, and further details will be communicated in due course.” Earlier, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board had directed KKR to release the Bangladesh pacer “due to the recent developments.”Earlier on Saturday, BJP leader Sangeet Singh Som welcomed the BCCI’s decision. Som also took a swipe at Shah Rukh Khan and said the actor had understood not to go against the “Sanatanis”.Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the BCCI after KKR were told to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the IPL 2026 season.Sharing a video from Friday, Tharoor reiterated his stand on the issue. “Recalling my views on the subject, now that BCCI has deplorably pulled the plug on Mustafizur Rahman,” he said. He further questioned the decision, adding, “And what if the Bangladeshi player in question had been Litton Das or Soumya Sarkar?”Tharoor also raised broader concerns about the move. “Who are we punishing here: a nation, an individual, his religion? Where will this mindless politicising of sport lead us?” he asked.

File photo (Picture credit: ANI)

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have begun 2026 on a cautious note, continuing their selling streak in Indian equities after a bruising 2025. In the first two trading sessions of the new year, FIIs sold shares worth Rs 7,608 crore, extending a trend that saw heavy outflows through December, as per ET.FIIs were net sellers throughout December, offloading Indian equities worth Rs 22,611 crore during the month. This took the total foreign outflow for 2025 to Rs 1,66,286 crore. According to market participants, the scale of sales last year was unprecedented. V K Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments, described 2025 as the worst phase of FII selling since overseas investors began investing in Indian markets, reported ET.He noted that during the calendar year 2025, FIIs sold equities worth Rs 2.40 lakh crore in the secondary market. However, investments of Rs 73,909 crore through the primary market helped soften the overall impact. Even so, December alone saw secondary market selling of Rs 30,332 crore, underlining the persistent pressure on equities.Explaining the reasons behind the sustained exit, Vijayakumar pointed to relatively high valuations in India and the global shift towards artificial intelligence-linked trades as key drivers. He also said the relentless selling contributed to weakness in the rupee. The Indian currency emerged as the worst-performing major currency in 2025, depreciating nearly 5% against the US dollar over the year, as per ET.A closer look at quarterly flows shows how uneven FII behaviour was during the year. Foreign investors pulled out Rs 1,16,574 crore in the January–March quarter, setting a sharply negative tone. This was followed by a brief reversal in April–June, when inflows stood at Rs 38,673 crore. Despite the weak start to 2026, market experts believe the outlook could improve over the year. Vijayakumar expects a shift in FII strategy as India’s fundamentals strengthen. “Significant improvement in India’s fundamentals are likely to attract net FII inflows in 2026. Robust GDP growth and prospects of improvement in corporate earnings in 2026 augur well for positive FII flows in 2026,” he said, as quoted by ET.Nilesh Jain, head vice president – equity research at Centrum Broking, also struck an optimistic note. He expects 2026 to be better than the previous year and has pegged the Nifty’s December 2026 target at 29,731, implying a potential upside of 13%. He attributed this view to improving macro indicators, stronger GDP growth, easing inflation and an end to corporate earnings downgrades.Jain added that India underperformed global emerging markets in 2025, delivering its weakest relative performance in three decades. Rupee depreciation, persistent FII selling and high US tariffs of 50% weighed on sentiment, with no trade deal reached by year-end.

Maria Corina Machado (File photo)

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, has returned to global focus after US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that Venezuela’s long-time leader, Nicolas Maduro, has been “captured” amid large-scale American strikes on the South American nation.While Machado has not reacted publicly to Trump’s announcement, the developments place her at the centre of a rapidly shifting political moment in Venezuela. She has previously voiced strong support for Trump’s aggressive approach toward the Maduro regime and has openly backed external pressure, including military intervention, to end what she describes as communist rule in the country.

Machado emerged as the global face of Venezuela’s opposition after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, an honour that Trump himself was also reportedly seeking. Her rise has coincided with Washington’s escalating actions against Caracas, including a US military buildup in the Caribbean, strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats and a blockade on tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.Earlier, Machado travelled to Oslo in Norway, where she received her Nobel Peace Prize. The trip marked her first public appearance after spending more than a year in hiding in Venezuela under constant threat from state authorities.Her departure from the country was itself dramatic. Media reports in the United States said Machado’s escape involved wearing a disguise, including a wig, and travelling from a small Venezuelan fishing village by wooden boat to the Caribbean island of Curaçao, before boarding a private plane to Norway.The operation was later described in detail by Bryan Stern, a US special forces veteran and founder of the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, who told the BBC that he led the extraction mission. Stern said the journey, dubbed Operation Golden Dynamite, involved disguises, two boats navigating choppy seas and a flight out of the region.“The seas are very rough. It’s pitch black. We’re using flashlights to communicate. This is very scary; lots of things can go wrong,” Stern said, adding that the “formidable” Machado did not complain once during the operation.

The rare defiance

Machado had travelled to Norway in defiance of a decade-long travel ban imposed by Venezuelan authorities. She arrived too late to attend the official Nobel Peace Prize ceremony held last week, with the award being received on her behalf by her daughter.In earlier interviews, Machado has made no secret of her admiration for Trump’s posture toward Caracas. In December, she told CBS News that she was “absolutely” supportive of his strategy.“We, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere,” Machado said about Trump.Her political position has become even more significant following Trump’s claim that Maduro has been captured, a development that, if confirmed, would dramatically weaken the Venezuelan regime and reshape the country’s power dynamics. Machado has long argued that sustained external pressure was the only way to end Maduro’s rule, and Trump’s actions appear to align closely with her long-held stance.

Where is Maria Corina Machado?

Last year, Machado, when she was in Norway, had planned to return to Venezuela regardless of whether Maduro was ultimately removed from power. Her comments came hours after she appeared in public for the first time in 11 months, following her arrival in the Norwegian capital.“I think that the actions of President Trump have been decisive to reach where we are now, where the regime is significantly weaker,” she told reporters. “Because before, the regime thought it had impunity …. Now they start to understand that this is serious, and that the world is watching.”However, she sidestepped direct questions on whether a US military intervention was necessary to oust Maduro. On her return to Venezuela, Machado said timing would depend on security conditions rather than political outcomes.“I would return to Venezuela when we believe the security conditions are right, and it won’t depend on whether or not the regime leaves,” she said.As Washington intensifies pressure on Caracas and Trump projects decisive action, Machado stands to gain the most politically from any weakening or collapse of the Maduro regime. For now, she remains silent on the claim of Maduro’s capture, even as global attention once again turns toward the Nobel laureate widely seen as Venezuela’s most prominent opposition figure.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran “will not yield to the enemy” in response to US President Donald Trump’s remarks to come to the aid of Iran’s protests if they were fired upon. Khamenei also acknowledged the economic grievances driving the demonstrations while also warning against the “rioters.”In response to Trump, Khamenei said, “God willing and by ‍divine grace, we ‍will ⁠bring ⁠the enemy to its knees.” This comes after Trump on Friday, in a post on Truth Social, said, “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”In a speech marking the Shiite holiday, Khamenei recognised the economic demands of the protestors, saying, “The president and high-ranking officials are working to resolve.” “The shopkeepers have protested against this situation, and that is completely fair,” he addedHowever, he also drew a sharp distinction between peaceful protest and unrest, warning that “rioters must be put in their place.”Protests erupted last Sunday over rising prices and economic stagnation in the sanctions-hit country and have since become violent, spreading to more than two dozen cities. According to an AFP tally based on local media, at least 25 cities have seen protest gatherings of varying sizes, though coverage remains limited and many social media videos cannot be independently verified.Official figures say at least eight people have been killed in the unrest so far, including members of the security forces. The first deaths were reported on Thursday following clashes between demonstrators and authorities.On Saturday, the Mehr news agency, quoting the Revolutionary Guards, reported that Ali Azizi, a member of the Basij paramilitary force, was killed in the western city of Harsin “after being stabbed and shot during a gathering of armed rioters.”Separately, Tasnim news agency reported that a man was killed in the holy city of Qom when a grenade he was attempting to use exploded “in his hands.”While the demonstrations began over economic hardships, they have increasingly taken on political overtones, with some protesters chanting slogans against the ruling establishment.

The ministry of road transport and highways has proposed assigning an Aadhaar-like unique identification number to electric vehicle (EV) batteries to ensure end-to-end traceability and improve recycling efficiency, according to draft guidelines issued by the ministry.Under the proposed framework, battery producers or importers will be required to assign a 21-character Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) to every battery they introduce in the market, including those used for self-consumption, as per news agency PTI. They will also have to upload relevant Battery Pack Dynamic data on the official BPAN portal.“The battery producer or importer shall have the obligation of assigning a unique Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) to each battery that they introduce in the market and the battery they put to self-use,” the draft guidelines said. It added that the BPAN must be placed in a “clearly visible and accessible position” and located in a way that it “cannot be destroyed or deteriorate.”As per the ‘Guidelines for Implementation of Battery Pack Aadhaar System’, the BPAN will capture and store key information throughout the battery’s lifecycle, starting from raw material extraction and manufacturing to usage, recycling or final disposal. Any change in attributes due to recycling or repurposing will require the issuance of a new BPAN by the same or a new producer or importer.The ministry said the system aims to bring greater transparency, accountability and sustainability to the battery ecosystem by enabling accurate tracking of battery performance and environmental impact. BPAN is also expected to play a key role in facilitating second-life usage, regulatory compliance and efficient recycling.Electric vehicle applications currently account for 80–90 per cent of total lithium-ion battery demand in India, far exceeding demand from industrial or non-automotive uses. While the guidelines recommend applying BPAN to industrial batteries above 2 kWh, EV batteries have been proposed as a priority segment during standard formulation, given their scale, safety implications and regulatory relevance.“This approach will ensure that the Battery Pack Aadhaar framework addresses the most impactful segment of the Indian battery ecosystem in its initial phase,” the draft said.The ministry has recommended that the framework be developed through the Automotive Industry Standard route under the Automotive Industry Standards Committee, enabling structured stakeholder consultation, technical validation and alignment with existing automotive regulations, as per PTI.

Venezuela’s government on Saturday accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states after at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported over the capital, Caracas, around 2 am local time.Following the strikes, President Nicolás Maduro declared a nationwide state of emergency, ordered national defence plans to be implemented and called for ‘mass mobilisation’.

Meanwhile, US officials later told CBS News that President Donald Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities, as Washington escalated its campaign against the Maduro government.The strikes followed months of US military buildup in the region, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and several other warships in the Caribbean. In recent weeks, the United States has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela and launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats which, according to the US, were carrying drugs.Colombian President Gustavo Petro shared Venezuela’s official statement on X, which said:“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and population in the civilian and military areas of the city of Caracas, capital of the Republic, and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.This act constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, particularly its Articles 1 and 2, which enshrine respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of States, and the prohibition on the use of force. Such aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, and puts the lives of millions of people at grave risk.The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, attempting to break the Nation’s political independence by force. They will not succeed…”

Government accuses US, calls for mobilisation

In an official statement, Venezuela’s government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military areas and urged supporters to take to the streets.“People to the streets!” the statement said. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”The statement added that President Nicolás Maduro had “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance.”

Emergency declared as Maduro alleges regime change bid

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Caracas and Washington.In a pre-taped interview aired on Thursday, Maduro said the United States wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through a months-long pressure campaign that began with a major US military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States.

Trump threats, blockade and military buildup

Trump had, for months, threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land.The United States has seized sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, and Trump ordered a blockade of others, a move that appeared designed to tighten pressure on the South American country’s economy.The US military has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. As of Friday, there have been 35 known boat strikes and at least 115 people killed, according to figures released by the Trump administration.The strikes followed a major buildup of American forces off South America, including the arrival in November of the US military’s most advanced aircraft carrier, adding thousands of troops to what was already the region’s largest US military presence in generations.Trump had justified the strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and has said the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.(With inputs from AP)

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders have officially confirmed that Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has been released from their squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The franchise shared the update through a press release, stating that the decision was taken after instructions from the IPL governing body. “Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL as the regulator of IPL has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season,” said in a statement.

“The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control of Cricket in India.” “BCCI will allow Kolkata Knight Riders a replacement player in line with IPL regulations, and further details will be communicated in due course.”After a strong showing in the Bangladesh Premier League, Mustafizur shared a message on social media on Friday. “Alhamdulillah for another milestone. 400 T20 wickets and a solid win against the Sylhet Titans. Always grateful to perform. Thanks to everyone for the love and support,” Mustafizur Rahman wrote on X. While he continues to perform well on the field, developments off it took a different turn. The BCCI had earlier stepped in after public and political reactions followed KKR’s decision to sign him at the IPL auction. The franchise had bought Mustafizur for Rs 9.20 crore, much higher than his base price of Rs 2 crore, after competing with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals. Soon after the signing, objections were raised by some political leaders and religious groups. Their concerns were linked to current India–Bangladesh relations and reports of unrest in the neighbouring country. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the decision and said KKR would be allowed to name a replacement player. “The BCCI has asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from its squad. They can ask for a replacement if needed, and upon request, the BCCI will allow a replacement player,” Saikia told PTI on Saturday.