US-Venezuela tensions rise as US warships arrive in Southern Caribbean
The United States has deployed a large naval force to the Southern Caribbean, saying the move targets Latin American drug cartels. President Donald Trump has made cartel crackdowns central to his security agenda, Reuters reported.
Seven US warships, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of Marines are part of the buildup, supported by surveillance flights. The White House said the mission aims to stop narcotics flows, claiming support from regional governments.
According to Reuters, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the deployment as a threat to his country’s sovereignty and filed a complaint with the UN. He has ordered 15,000 troops to Colombia’s border and urged citizens to prepare for civil defense, portraying US pressure as part of an “economic war.”
CDC director refuses to leave after White House order
The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remains in a heated standoff with the Trump administration after the White House announced she had been fired.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chief Susan Monarez has been fired just a month into the job after clashing with the Trump administration over vaccine policy, BBC reported.
Monarez, nominated by President Trump and confirmed in July, refused to endorse what she called “reckless, unscientific directives” from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The White House said she was removed for not aligning with the president’s agenda.
Her dismissal sparked a string of senior resignations at the CDC, including top vaccine and infectious disease officials, who accused Kennedy of politicising public health, according to BBC.
US withdraws from key UN human rights report, draws criticism from rights advocates
The United States will not participate in a U.N. review of its human rights record, officials said, a move that rights advocates called a worrying retreat from Washington's global engagement on rights and justice issues, Reuters reported.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) expects all 193 U.N. member states to submit reports on their human rights records every 4.5 to 5 years. The reports are reviewed by other member states, which provide non-binding recommendations.
A U.S. State Department official told Reuters the U.S. will not participate in the UPR mechanism or submit its report in November, when it and 13 other countries are due to be reviewed.
This followed an executive order by President Donald Trump on 4 February to disengage from the U.N. Human Rights Council, the official said, according to Reuters.
European leaders outraged after Russian strikes kill 19 and damage EU's HQ
The head of the European Union's executive Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has spoken of her outrage at Russia's deadliest onslaught on Kyiv since July - which also damaged the EU's delegation office in the Ukrainian capital, BBC reported.
At least 19 people including four children were killed and dozens more wounded in the bombardment, Ukrainian officials said.
A five-storey residential building was destroyed, and the EU mission and nearby British Council were damaged according to BBC.
In a strongly worded statement, von der Leyen said that Russian missiles struck in close proximity to the diplomatic mission: "Two missiles hit in a distance of 50m (165ft) of the delegation within 20 seconds."
