TheJakartaPost

Trump says US oil firms to head into Venezuela

The US military carried out a series of air strikes on Venezuela's capital Caracas early on Saturday. Maduro and his wife were captured and flown to New York City, where they face drug-trafficking and weapons charges. ...

20 hours ago

Angelina Jolie visits Gaza's Rafah crossing

Accompanied by an American delegation and greeted by former and current officials, Jolie said she was "honoured" to meet aid volunteers at the crossing. ...

20 hours ago

The Latest

This image posted on US President Donald Trump's Truth Social account on January 3, 2026, shows what President Trump says is Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro onboard the USS Iwo Jima after the US military captured him on January 3, 2026.

Was the US capture of Venezuela's president legal?

Maduro was on a warship bound for New York to face criminal charges, according to US officials.

21 hours ago

This combination of pictures created on June 05, 2025, shows Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 8, 2025, and US President Donald Trump at US Steel - Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2025. Two two leaders held a phone call on Sept. 19, 2025.

China calls on US to 'immediately release' Maduro

"China calls on the US to ensure the personal safety of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, release them at once, stop toppling the government of Venezuela," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement, calling the strike a "clear violation of international law".

22 hours ago

This screengrab taken from the X account of Rapid Response 47, the official White House rapid response account, shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (center) escorted by DEA agents inside the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in lower Manhattan, New York, on January 3, 2026.

Trump says US will run Venezuela

As part of the dramatic operation early on Satuday that knocked out electricity in parts of Caracas and included strikes on military installations, US Special Forces seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transported them via helicopter to a US Navy ship offshore before flying them to the US.

22 hours ago

This handout photograph taken and released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP) on Jan. 2, 2026 shows Thailand's national flag on containers and barbed wire blocking a street following clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers in Chouk Chey village, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia. Cambodia said on Jan. 2 that Thai forces had taken control of a disputed border village, accusing Thailand of “annexing“ the area after a truce on Dec. 27 halted deadly fighting along their contested frontier.

Cambodia demands Thailand withdraw troops, week into border truce

Cambodia says that during a period of ceasefire based on a truce agreed on Dec. 27, Thailand seized several areas across four border provinces.

1 day ago

United States President Donald Trump (center), alongside (from left to right) Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, the US on Jan. 3, 2026. President Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a “large scale strike“ on the South American country.

Trump says US to 'run' Venezuela after toppling Maduro in military attack

Trump said he was "designating people" from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela, but gave no detail of how this would work.

1 day ago

A supporter of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro holds up a portrait of him in Catia, Caracas, Venezuela on Jan. 3, 2026. United States President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe.

Trump hails capture of Maduro as US vows legal 'wrath'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife both face drug and terrorism charges in the United States, which has waged a months-long pressure campaign against the leftist president.

1 day ago

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) looks on United States President Donald Trump as he delivers a speech in front of US Navy personnel on board the US Navy's USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan on Oct. 28, 2025.

Japan's Takaichi, Trump agree to work toward spring meeting in US

Takaichi's plan to make her first visit to the United States since taking office in October, confirmed during their phone call, comes at a time of strained relations between Japan and China.

1 day ago

Police officers stand guard in front of the Le Constellation bar after a fire and explosion during a New Year's Eve party in which people died and others were injured in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, on Jan. 2, 2026.

Scrutiny turns to safety set-up of Swiss bar after deadly blaze

Witnesses reported seeing staff at the Le Constellation bar carrying so-called fountain candles atop bottles of champagne.

1 day ago

A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on Dec. 31, 2025. Israel has said 37 aid organisations will be banned from operating in Gaza from Jan. 1, 2026, unless they comply with guidelines requiring detailed information on Palestinian staff, drawing criticism from the United Nations and the European Union.

UN chief calls on Israel to reverse NGOs ban in Gaza

Israel suspended 37 foreign humanitarian organizations from accessing the Gaza Strip after they had refused to share lists of their Palestinian employees with government officials.

2 days ago

Election Commission officials count ballots at a polling station during Myanmar's general election in Yangon, Myanmar, on Dec. 28, 2025.

Military-backed party in Myanmar takes lead in first phase of polls

Partial results from Myanmar's first election since 2020, released by the Union Election Commission (UEC) for 56 constituencies, showed the junta-backed party winning by a wide margin as expected, despite thin turnout.

2 days ago

Disgraced executive: South Korea’s former impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol (center) arrives at a court on July 9, 2025 in Seoul to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors.

South Korean court issues fresh arrest warrant for ex-president Yoon

Prosecutors indicted Yoon in November on several charges of aiding the enemy, alleging that he ordered drone flights over North Korea to strengthen his effort to declare military rule.

2 days ago

An activist holds a banner reading “Saudi Arabia, is a criminal of humanity“ during a protest against the execution of Indonesian migrant worker Ruyati outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Jakarta, in this file photo taken on June 21, 2011.

Saudi Arabia sets executions record in 2025, putting 356 people to death

Official data released by the Saudi government said 243 people were executed in drug-related cases in 2025 alone, according to AFP's tally.

2 days ago

Police control access to the street where a fire ripped through a crowded bar during New Year's Eve celebrations in the Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana on Jan. 1, 2026. Several dozen people are presumed dead and around 100 injured after a fire ripped through a crowded bar in the luxury Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, Swiss police said on Jan. 1.

Tears and stunned silence at vigil for Swiss fire victims

Around 40 people died and more than 100 were injured in the fire that ripped through the crowded Le Constellation bar around 1:30 a.m. local time.

2 days ago

French President Emmanuel Macron appears on a screen as he delivers his New Year's speech to the nation at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Dec. 31, 2025.

Macron wants to ban under-15s from social media from September 2026, Le Monde reports

The French government will submit draft legislation for legal checks in early January, Le Monde and France Info reported.

2 days ago

Pro-China supporters hold China and South Korea flags near Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea on Oct. 30, 2025, the day of a bilateral meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on trade tensions and bilateral relations on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

China's Xi to host South Korea's Lee in New Year amid Japan tensions

Xi's invitation to Lee for a state visit from Sunday is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations especially before the South Korean leader visits Japan, analysts say.

2 days ago

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (left) and his wife Rama Duwaji react as confetti falls during his inauguration ceremony in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 1, 2026.

New York Mayor Mamdani vows to enact democratic socialist agenda

In a speech following his public swearing-in, Mamdani promoted core campaign promises of universal childcare, affordable rents and free bus service.

3 days ago

This picture taken on Dec. 31, 2025 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on Jan. 1, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his daughter Kim Ju Ae (center) and wife Ri Sol Ju (left) watching a New Year's celebration performance at the May Day Stadium in the capital Pyongyang.

North Korean leader's daughter in first visit to symbolic mausoleum

South Korea's spy agency said last year Kim Ju Ae was now understood to be next in line to rule North Korea after accompanying her father on a high-profile visit to Beijing.

3 days ago

A boy holding a supply stands among people waiting to collect supplies at Batthkav refugee camp in Chong Kal, Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia, on Dec. 12, 2025, amid clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed border area.

Ceasefire holds, but half a million Cambodians remain displaced four days on

The Cambodian Ministry of Interior reported that 5,192 displaced persons returned home during the latest reporting period, but large populations remain in temporary shelters or host communities, particularly in Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces.

3 days ago

Explosive barrels placed by Taiwan military at the Tamsui River, as part of a series of emergency combat readiness drills, in response to China conducting “Justice Mission 2025“ military drills around Taiwan, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesdayy, Dec. 31, 2025.

Taiwan vows to defend sovereignty after China's military drill

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te says 2026 a crucial year for Taiwan, while Chinese President Xi Jinping says 'reunification' cannot be stopped

3 days ago

A journalist holds the blood-covered camera belonging to Palestinian photojournalist Mariam Dagga, a journalist who freelanced for AP since the start of the war and who was killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, during her funeral on August 25, 2025. Gaza's civil defense agency said five journalists, including Mariam Dagga, were among at least 20 people killed on August 25 when Israeli strikes hit Nasser hospital in the south, with Reuters, the Associated Press and Al Jazeera mourning their slain contributors.

Middle East and Africa premium

128 journalists killed worldwide in 2025: press group

The press group voiced particular alarm over the situation in the Palestinian territories, where it recorded 56 media professionals killed in 2025 as Israel's war with Hamas ground on in Gaza.

3 days ago

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference to announce the appointment of Sam Levine as a Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) in New York City on Dec. 22, 2025. New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to become the United States city's first Muslim mayor, and the youthful optimism of his Democratic Socialist platform will be put to the test as he takes office on Jan. 1, 2026, with high expectations.

Leftist Mamdani to take over as New York mayor under Trump shadow

"Our campaign was built around listening to the people of New York, and we will govern in the same way. Tomorrow, we get to work," Mamdani says.

4 days ago

Fireworks light up the midnight sky during 2026 New Year's Day celebrations in Jakarta on Jan. 1, 2026.

World welcomes 2026 with fireworks after year of Trump and turmoil

In Indonesia, major cities like Jakarta and Denpasar in Bali opted for muted celebrations in honor of the 1,154 people killed and nearly 400,000 displaced in the Sumatra floods and landslides.

4 days ago

Trucks carrying goods from Jordan move near the Allenby Bridge Crossing between the West Bank and Jordan after it was reopened, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Dec. 10, 2025. The UN says the crossing is a major route for bringing food, tents and other goods into Gaza.

US pledges $2 billion in new UN model for delivery of humanitarian assistance

But some areas that are priorities for the UN, including Yemen, Afghanistan and Gaza, will not be receiving US funding under the new mechanism, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said.

6 days ago

Cambodia's Defense Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defense Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit pose with documents during a special General Border Committee (GBC) meeting at a border checkpoint, in Chanthaburi province, Thailand on Dec. 27, 2025.

Thailand and Cambodia halt fierce border conflict with second ceasefire

Saturday's pact will not impact any border demarcation activities under way between both countries, leaving the task of resolving disputed areas along the frontier to existing bilateral mechanisms.

1 week ago

People walk past an election banner ahead of a general election in Thingangyun Township, Yangon, Myanmar, on Dec. 27, 2025.

Myanmar polls open amid civil war, junta-backed party tipped to win

Following the initial phase on Sunday, two rounds of voting will be held on Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, covering 265 of Myanmar's 330 townships.

1 week ago

United States President Donald Trump (center) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (left) as US Vice President JD Vance (right) reacts at the White House in Washington, D.C., the US, on Feb. 28, 2025.