US | DD News

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)...

October 30, 2026 4:53 PM

Was the US capture of Venezuela’s president legal?

The U.S. captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in a military operation early on Saturday morning, culminating a months-long pressure campaign by President Donald Trump's administration that drew condemnation from some international leaders. Maduro was on a warship bound for New York to face criminal charges, according to U.S. officials. Below is a look at the legality of the U.S. action. WHAT HAPPENED? On Saturday, U.S. forces attacked Venezuela and seized Maduro, who has been widely...

October 30, 2026 4:53 PM

No quick wins in tapping Venezuela’s oil reserves

Venezuela is unlikely to see any meaningful boost to crude output for years even if U.S. oil majors do invest the billions of dollars in the country that President Donald Trump promised just hours following Nicolás Maduro's capture by U.S. forces. The South American country may have the world's largest estimated oil reserves, but output has plummeted over the past decades amid mismanagement and a lack of investment from foreign firms after Venezuela nationalized oil operations in the 2000s tha...

October 30, 2026 4:53 PM

Trump’s bet on regime change in Venezuela is a sharp departure from MAGA agenda

President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Venezuela, arrest its president and temporarily run the country marks a striking departure for a politician who long criticized others for overreaching on foreign affairs and vowed to avoid foreign entanglements. His vision for U.S. involvement in Venezuela, sketched out in a midday news conference, left open the possibility of more military action, ongoing involvement in that nation’s politics and oil industry and “boots on the ground.” The t...

January 4, 2026 12:50 PM

Iran supreme leader says will not yield as protests simmer and US threatens

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to yield after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to come to the aid of protesters, as rights groups reported a sharp rise in arrests following days of unrest sparked by soaring inflation. Speaking in a recorded appearance on television on Saturday, Khamenei said the Islamic Republic "will not yield to the enemy" and said rioters should be "put in their place". Rights groups say more than 10 people have been killed and scores detained ...

January 4, 2026 12:50 PM

Trump says he’s ‘not thrilled’ with Putin over war in Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the continued war in Ukraine, repeating that he had initially believed that ending the war would be easy. "I'm not thrilled with Putin. He's killing too many people," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, during a press conference to discuss the overnight U.S. military operation in Venezuela and capture of its President Nicolas Maduro. Trump said he did not ...

January 4, 2026 10:53 AM

UN Security Council to meet Monday over US action in Venezuela

The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday after the U.S. attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, a move that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views as setting "a dangerous precedent." Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15-member council, diplomats said. The U.N. Security Council has met twice - in October and December - over the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela. U.S...

January 1, 2026 11:28 AM

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor in the first minutes of the New Year at the historic City Hall subway station, with his wife Rama Duwaji standing by his side. The oath, in which he pledged to support the Constitution of the United States and the laws of New York, was administered by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. "Happy New Year to New Yorkers, both inside this tunnel and above," said Mamdani, standing beneath a vaulted ceiling with the words City Hall over h...

December 29, 2025 9:31 AM

US and Ukraine ‘a lot closer’ on peace deal, Trump says after meeting with Zelenskiy

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy were "getting a lot closer, maybe very close" to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while acknowledging that the fate of the disputed Donbas region remains a key unresolved issue. The two leaders spoke at a joint news conference after meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday afternoon. Both leaders reported progress on two of the most contentious issues in peace talks - security ...

December 24, 2025 1:12 PM

Expanded US Visa Screening Delays H-1B Appointments, Affects Families Abroad

Changes in US visa screening procedures have disrupted travel plans for skilled workers across several countries, including India, as consulates implement expanded vetting measures that have led to appointment delays and rescheduling. The impact has been particularly visible among H-1B professionals and their families who were temporarily abroad and are now facing uncertainty in returning to their workplaces and homes in the United States. The delays follow a December 3 decision by the US State...