January 15, 2026 6:31 PM

Fewer foreigners visited US in 2025 as global tourism spending rose

The United States registered a 6% drop in foreign visitors in 2025 even as global tourism overrode concerns about saturation in some locations to generate a 6.7% rise in spending compared to the previous year, according to an industry group. More than 1.5 billion tourists spent $11.7 trillion on hotels, cruises and flights last year, according to the data from the World Travel and Tourism Council. The tourism industry's contribution was equivalent to 10.3% of global gross domestic product, wit...

January 15, 2026 5:57 PM

Trump administration to suspend immigrant visa processing for 75 nations

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington's intensifying immigration crackdown. The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and t...

January 14, 2026 9:08 PM

US issues security advisory at Qatar base as Iran unrest raises regional tensions

The United States has issued a leave-by-evening advisory for certain personnel at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, reflecting heightened security concerns as unrest in Iran intensifies and regional tensions escalate. The base, which hosts about 10,000 US troops, was previously targeted by Iran in June in response to American strikes on its nuclear facilities. Qatar said the limited drawdown of personnel was a precautionary measure linked to current regional tensions, even as it renewed calls for de-e...

January 13, 2026 8:25 PM

US Central Command open new air defence cell in Qatar

The United States and its regional partners have opened a new combined air and missile defence coordination cell at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to strengthen joint responses to aerial threats across West Asia. U.S. Central Command said the Middle Eastern Air Defense- Combined Defense Operations Cell has been established within the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid, which already hosts representatives from 17 nations coordinating military air activity across the region. The new cell brin...

October 30, 2026 4:53 PM

Global oil markets show muted reaction to Venezuela political upheaval

Two days after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise operation in Caracas, global energy markets opened to cautious trading, with oil prices showing only modest movement despite the geopolitical shock. Futures briefly firmed in Asian trade on Monday, but analysts said the muted reaction reflected Venezuela’s sharply diminished output, now below one million barrels per day, and a market already weighed down by surplus supply and weak demand. The developments co...

January 5, 2026 11:57 AM

Maduro’s capture delivers blow to Tehran as Iranian protesters take to streets

The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, after a series of airstrikes under Operation Absolute Resolve. The development is a setback for Iran, which is facing its own internal unrest. The timing of Maduro's fall could not be more precarious for Tehran. Protests across Iran began in late December after the rial plunged to record lows, triggering demonstrations that have spread to at least 17 of Iran's 31 provinces. The unrest has already claimed lives, w...

January 4, 2026 5:36 PM

Trump says US will run Venezuela after Maduro seized

Venezuela's toppled leader Nicolas Maduro was in a New York detention center on Sunday awaiting drug charges after President Donald Trump ordered an audacious raid to capture him, saying the U.S. would take control of the oil-producing nation. The image of the 63-year-old Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed en route to the U.S. has stunned Venezuelans and was Washington's most controversial intervention in Latin America since the invasion of Panama 37 years ago. Maduro, who wished his captors a ...

January 4, 2026 2:40 PM

India calls developments in Venezuela a ‘matter of concern’, urges peaceful dialogue

India on Sunday expressed deep concern over the recent developments in Venezuela and called upon all parties to peacefully resolve issues through dialogue, stressing the importance of regional peace and stability. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is closely monitoring developments in the South American nation. “Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. India reaffirms its support to the well-...

January 4, 2026 12:40 PM

Maduro is out but his top allies still hold power in Venezuela

The U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro - praised by President Donald Trump as stunning and powerful - leaves behind uncertainty about who is running the oil-rich country. Trump said on Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, part of the powerful cabal at the top of the country's government, had been sworn in after Maduro's arrest and that she had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, leading to speculation that she would take the reins. Under Venezuela's constitu...

January 4, 2026 12:48 PM

Venezuelan oil industry: World’s largest reserves, decaying infrastructure

Following are key facts about the oil industry of Venezuela, whose President Nicolas Maduro was captured by U.S. forces on Saturday, according to U.S. President Donald Trump. RESERVES Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves but its crude output remains at a fraction of capacity due to mismanagement, lack of investment and sanctions, official data shows. Venezuela holds about 17% of global reserves or 303 billion barrels, ahead of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)...