(2026-01-05). Egypt says it shares 'identical' views with Saudi Arabia on Yemen, Sudan. aljazeera.com Comments come amid widening differences between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, once close partners.
(2026-01-05). Does Legalization of Sex Work Create Trafficking and Sex Tourism? counterpunch.org 
With sex work (prostitution) legal in some parts of Europe, one place in the US and many parts of the world, questions about legalization abound. Will decriminalization help women who are just trying to make a living or create victims from trafficking and sex tourism? The revival of Jeffrey Epstein's deeds heightens and crystallizes such human rights questions. Recently,
(2026-01-05). India's Top Court Rejects Bail for Long-Held Student Activists. hrw.org Click to expand Image | Prominent student activist Umar Khalid speaks during a protest against sectarian violence, the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens on March 3, 2020 in Dehli, India. | © 2020 Manish Rajput/SOPA Images/Sipa USA via AP Photo…
(2026-01-05). Head of disability charity rejects MBE and slams Labour's treatment of disabled people. thecanary.co The chief executive of a leading disability rights charity has turned down an MBE over the "intolerable" treatment of disabled people by the UK government. Honoured whilst disabled people are dishonoured Tressa Burke, CEO of disability charity Glasgow Disability Alliance, wrote to the Cabinet Office to turn down the "honour". In her letter, she called […] | By
(2026-01-05). Is the Chinese presence in Congo Brazzaville a threat to 'first occupants' or a relief to them? globalvoices.org 
Local NGOs in the Congo say that Chinese companies do not respect the environment and Indigenous peoples' rights Global VoicesTropical forest around Sibiti, Lekoumou Department, Republic of the Congo. The Central African region, also known as the
(2026-01-05). The Crisis of British Democracy. counterpunch.org 
Paul Holden, The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy. New York: OR Books, 2025. 534pp. $26 +++ More than a half century ago, Ralph Miliband's Parliamentary Socialism—published by Monthly Review Press in 1964—described the uncertain course of the Labour Party. It was, truth to tell, pretty much always uncertain about
(2026-01-05). Silent Crisis: Uganda's rising Lake Nalubale (Victoria) water levels. independent.co.ug 
COMMENT | NADA ANDERSEN | The water levels of Lake Victoria — that the locals call Lake Nalubale — have risen dramatically in recent years, displacing communities, destroying livelihoods, and causing ecological damage — yet public awareness and policy responses remain weak. Despite an article in the New Vision on 3rd January 2025, arguing that people …
(2026-01-05). The Uncomfortable Truth Venezuela Crisis Reflects. ummid.com Venezuela's crisis reflects an uncomfortable truth of global politics: As long as the earth hides immense wealth beneath its surface, power struggles above it will rarely be peaceful.
(2026-01-05). Over half of Gaza under Israeli control as it expands 'yellow line'. tehrantimes.com Israeli forces expanded the "yellow line" in eastern Gaza on Sunday—especially Tuffah, Shujayea, and Zeitoun—tightening control and squeezing civilians into smaller areas, while pushing closer to Salah al-Din Street and forcing more displaced families to flee.
(2026-01-05). Children Killed and Wounded by Israeli Airstrike on Tent in Southern Gaza. news.antiwar.com An Israeli airstrike hit a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi camp in southern Gaza on Monday, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported, as the IDF continues its daily violations of the US-backed ceasefire deal. Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported that the strike killed at least two people, including a child. WAFA had a higher …
(2026-01-05). How Israel turns winter into a weapon in Gaza. newarab.com 
On December 12, 2025 as a severe storm struck Gaza, While Israel's war machine has eased, the aftermath of the past two years of relentless attacks has left Gaza's infrastructure decimated, worsening every aspect of life and creating new silent threats. | The children who died were displaced after their home was bombed, and had been living in…
(2026-01-05). The US Attacks Venezuela And Seizes Its President. popularresistance.org A little after 2am, Venezuela time, on 3 January 2026, in violation of Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, the United States began an attack on several sites in the country, including Caracas, the capital. Residents awoke to loud noises and flashes, as well as large helicopters in the sky. Videos began to appear on social media, but without much context. Confusion and rumor flooded social media. | Within an hour, the sky was quiet. US President Donald Trump announced that his forces had conducted attacks on Venezuela and had seized President Nicolas Maduro Moro and his wife Cilia Flores.
(2026-01-05). Blow to Trump's Venezuela Plan after Maduro's Deputy Contradicts US President. dissidentvoice.org Donald Trump's plan to smoothly run Venezuela after attacking the sovereign country and capturing its president with his wife has faced a major setback. This was after the Venezuelan armed forces and Nicolas Maduro's deputy condemned the US invasion of their country and capturing of their president and the First Lady. Rifat Jawaid digs deeper …
(2026-01-05). Information from the Revolutionary Government on Combatants Killed in the Line of Duty in Venezuela. radiohc.cu As a result of the criminal attack perpetrated by the United States government against the sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, carried out in the early morning of January 3, 2026, 32 Cubans lost their lives in combat. They were serving on missions representing the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, at the request of their counterparts in the South American country. | Faithful to their responsibilities for security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism, falling after fierce resistance in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bo…
(2026-01-05). Israeli forces kill three in south Gaza, detain 20 in West Bank. newarab.com 
Israeli forces shot and killed at least three Palestinians in separate attacks in the southern Gaza Strip city of Medics reported that the dead included a 15-year-old boy, a fisherman killed outside areas still occupied by Israel in the enclave, and a third man who was shot and killed east of the city in areas under Israeli control. | The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the reported incidents.
(2026-01-05). Venezuelan Armed Forces Condemn Trump's Illegal Abduction of President Maduro and 'Cold-Blooded Murder' of Venezuelans. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan Defense Minister and sectoral Vice President for Political Sovereignty, Security, and Peace Vladimir Padrino López read a statement alongside the high military command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB). The statement repudiated the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, denouncing that much of President Maduro's security team, "soldiers and innocent citizens," were "cold-bloodedly murdered." It fully supported the previously signed decree on external commotion and noted that he will guarantee the country's governability, the maintenance of internal orde…
(2026-01-05). Trump Opens 2026 With Three Days of Airstrikes in Somalia. news.antiwar.com The US began the New Year with three straight days of airstrikes in Somalia, according to a press release from US Africa Command, as the Trump administration appears poised to continue its record-shattering bombing campaign in the country throughout 2026. AFRICOM said in a press release on Monday that its forces launched airstrikes against the …
(2026-01-05). China Rebukes U.S. Over Maduro Capture, Rejects 'World Judge' Role. moderndiplomacy.eu China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing cannot accept any country acting as the world's judge or police, commenting on the "sudden developments in Venezuela" after U.S. forces captured President Nicolas Maduro. Speaking during talks with Pakistan's foreign minister, Wang stressed that national sovereignty and security must be protected under international law. His remarks came …
(2026-01-05). Maduro Faces U.S. Court as Trump Threatens More Strikes. moderndiplomacy.eu Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was set to appear before a federal court in New York after being seized by U.S. forces in a weekend raid in Caracas. The Trump administration has framed the operation as a law-enforcement action tied to drug trafficking charges first filed in 2020, though Trump has openly linked it to …
(2026-01-05). Cuba Says 32 Citizens Killed as U.S. Forces Seize Venezuela's Maduro. moderndiplomacy.eu Cuba announced that 32 of its citizens were killed during a U.S. military raid in Venezuela aimed at extracting President Nicolas Maduro for prosecution in the United States. Havana said the dead were members of Cuba's armed forces and intelligence services and declared two days of national mourning. The statement said they died in direct …
(2026-01-05). 'Free our president', Maduro supporters demand at rally. ecns.cn Around 2,000 supporters of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro demonstrated Sunday in Caracas to demand that he and his wife, who were nabbed by US forces and taken to a New York jail, be released.
(2026-01-05). The Coup at Home: The Unitary Executive and the Silencing of Dissent. indybay.org American democracy is currently facing a "coup" driven by the convergence of two authoritarian forces: the political "Unitary Executive" and the "Ultimate Media Mogul." On the political front, Steve Bannon's "Days of Thunder" strategy seeks to "deconstruct the administrative state" by removing the civil servants and regulations that historically check presidential power, effectively crowning the President as an unchecked CEO.
(2026-01-05). Trump Floats Military Action Against Colombia After Maduro Raid. moderndiplomacy.eu U.S. President Donald Trump threatened possible military action against Colombia, days after American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a surprise raid. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump accused Colombia's leadership of enabling cocaine production and trafficking into the United States, making remarks widely interpreted as targeting President Gustavo Petro. When asked …
(2026-01-05). Main protesters 'announced end' of lawful protests: Iranian Embassy>. geo.tv 
People walk on a street as protests erupt over the collapse of the currency's value in Tehran, Iran, January 2, 2026. — ReutersGovt dialogue addressed shopkeepers' concerns: embassy.Security forces swiftly contained scattered illegal protests.Internet restored nationwide amid…
(2026-01-05). PGCC forces hold joint military drill in Saudi Arabia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Persian Gulf Cooperation Council forces have begun a major joint military exercise in Saudi Arabia aimed at strengthening collective defence and improving regional military coordination.
(2026-01-05). "Venezuela Is Not Going to Be a U.S. Colony" : Report from Caracas on U.S. Attack & Maduro Abduction. democracynow.org 
U.S. forces attacked Venezuela and abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a Saturday night raid. About 80 people were reportedly killed, including 32 Cubans. Democracy Now! speaks with Andreína Chávez, a Venezuelan reporter based in Caracas, who calls the strikes an "imperialist attack." Trump also said the U.S. would take the oil from Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven reserves.
(2026-01-05). Trump poses with 'Make Iran Great Again' hat after Maduro abduction. aljazeera.com US president renews his threat to hit Iran 'very hard' if the country's security forces kill anti-government protesters.
(2026-01-05). Russia and China condemn U.S. "crimes" and "bullying" in Venezuela. tehrantimes.com Russia and China condemned the United States at a UN Security Council meeting, accusing Washington of committing "crimes" and "bullying" in Venezuela. The criticism followed a U.S.-led military operation that included deadly strikes and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
(2026-01-05). UN General Assembly: Principled humanitarian action is under increasing pressure. icrc.org Delivered by Elyse Mosquini, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, at the 60th plenary meeting on strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance.
(2026-01-05). Iranian wrestling champions visit cancer patients. tehrantimes.com TEHRAN – World heavyweight champion Amirhossein Zare, Greco-Roman wrestling world gold medalist Ali Arsalan, and world junior Greco-Roman champion Fardin Hedayati visited cancer patients in a humanitarian initiative aimed at offering support and encouragement.
(2026-01-05). Israel Police seek correspondence as probe of ex-IDF legal chief nears end. haaretz.com Investigators are reviewing correspondence between Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and her attorneys, despite attorney-client privilege, as part of a probe tied to a leaked detainee-abuse video. Police Commissioner Danny Levy blocked public disclosure and postponed closing the investigation…
(2026-01-05). Pierre Vesperini: Government of the Past. newleftreview.org If the past is always that of a certain present, what are the conditions for avoiding the subordination of public history to self-interested origin stories, or the consignment of past infamies to oblivion? Who belongs in public memory, and who not? Reflections on the political use and abuse of popular historiography.
(2026-01-05). In 2025, success came through integration, not traditional labels. ecns.cn The famed Labubu from "The Monsters" collection on show at a Beijing expo on Sept 10.That distinction marks the point at which Chinese cultural products cease to require contextual explanation to be legible."ÄÄ"ÄÄ…
(2026-01-05). Why support for Palestine Action hunger strikers runs deep in Belfast. aljazeera.com Belfast held a protest for the four Palestine Action detainees whose health is rapidly deteriorating behind bars.
(2026-01-05). From Gaza aid groups to Haaretz: The shrinking space for of Israel. haaretz.com This government's hunger for control over the narrative will not end with international NGOs and foreign media, who dare cross the arbitrary line drawn by Israel's far-right leadership…
(2026-01-05). Can Donald Trump defeat Iran? en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — As Donald Trump once again resorts to threats, pressure, and performative declarations of support for the Iranian people, a familiar question resurfaces in global discourse: Can Iran be defeated?
(2026-01-05). Palestinian and Regional Resistance Organizations and Popular Movements Stand with Venezuela Against US Imperialism. orinocotribune.com As the US attacked Venezuela and abducted its legitimate president, Nicolás Maduro—openly seeking control over Venezuela's politics, oil, and resources—Palestinian and regional resistance organizations and popular movements spoke out in condemnation of US imperialism and in support of the Venezuelan people and their government. | The Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, stated the following: | We condemn the military aggression perpetrated by the United States of America against the sovereign territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The affected areas thus fa…
(2026-01-05). Inside Venezuela's Response To Donald Trump's Attack. popularresistance.org Yesterday the United States carried out a direct military attack on Venezuela, abducting President Nicolás Maduro and conducting strikes around Caracas — a grave violation of international law that risks plunging the region into wider conflict. | To understand how Venezuelan officials and supporters of the Bolivarian project are interpreting these events — and what they believe comes next — Jacobin founding editor Bhaskar Sunkara spoke last night with Carlos Ron, a former Venezuelan diplomat who served as one of the government's principal interlocutors with the United States during years of sanc…
(2026-01-05). DWP cuts are coming as 750,000 people set to see support halved by 2029. thecanary.co The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) welfare overhaul, enshrined in the Universal Credit Act 2025, is being presented as a "rebalance" of Universal Credit—a modest reallocation of spending to encourage work and address purported perverse incentives in the benefits system. From April 2026, the basic Universal Credit standard allowance will be increased above inflation, […] | By
(2026-01-05). Benefit for Refuse Fascism. indybay.org Benefit to support refuse fascism in DC demanding TRUMP MUST GO NOW! | Music, poetry, film Jan 17 4-7 pm | Starry Plough 3101 Shattuck, Berkeley…
(2026-01-05). Venezuela: In Mass Demonstrations, the People Demand Return of President Maduro. orinocotribune.com 
With emotions running high, but with determination and great loyalty, the Venezuelan people mobilized in great numbers on Sunday from the Plaza de la Candelaria in Caracas to demand the release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were abducted by the US. | On an early January Sunday, when due to the season, public transit is very infrequent in the capital of Venezuela and when many holidaymakers have not returned to the city, thousands of Venezuelans flooded the streets showing the strength of Chavismo, the political force that supports the Bolivarian Revolution. As evidenced by photos and…
(2026-01-05). NSFAS to brief on preparations for 2026 academic year. sanews.gov.za NSFAS to brief on preparations for 2026 academic year | The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is set to outline its comprehensive preparations for the 2026 academic year at a media briefing on Tuesday. ⚪ "The briefing will outline NSFAS's comprehensive preparations for the 2026 academic year, with a focus on funding disbursements and registration support for all universities and TVET [Technical and Vocational Educational and Training] colleges. | "Dr Maluleke [NSFAS Board Chairperson] will provide detailed guidance on key processes, timelines, and responsibilities," NSFAS said in an advisory. ⚪ At…
(2026-01-05). Prominent Think Tank Joins Media in Endorsing Trump's Foreign Policy. counterpunch.org 
Donald Trump views armed dominance as the essential element of U.S. policy in the global arena. The New York Times and the Washington Post support his notions with their regular calls for greater military spending and nuclear modernization. Now it seems that the think tank community is joining the mainstream media in praising aspects of
(2026-01-05). 'Cover-Up': The Complicity Of The Press In US Violence. thedissenter.org 
All governments lie. Seymour Hersh built his journalism career around the creed that it's a reporter's job to expose government lies, especially those told by the United States government. Hersh unraveled a number of major cover-ups and earned a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. And yet, despite repeated lawless and violent acts throughout history, prestige media organizations remain reluctant to encourage journalism that questions the U.S. military and broader security state. Most editors and producers shun reporters, who dare to follow in Hersh's footsteps. "Cover-Up,&rdq…
(2026-01-05). From Minarets to City Hall. counterpunch.org 
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." —Frederick Douglass America likes to tell its story as a procession of wars won and enemies defeated. But its deeper moral history, the one that actually bends toward justice, has been written by those who resisted domination: slavery, empire, and the dangerous fiction that violence is
(2026-01-05). Journalist explains why Venezuela war propaganda is so effective. thecanary.co Journalist Glenn Greenwald has responded to a recent viral post on X, explaining in detail why war propaganda is so effective at achieving public consent for the ongoing cycle of bloodshed and violence. The original post on X predicted the US political landscape in 2030: Greenwald's response detailed how the US has been able to […] | By