4 h. ago Trump’s territorial ambition: new imperialism or a case of the emperor’s new clothes?

Trump’s attack on Venezuela suggests expansionism is under way but some argue it is simply standard US foreign policy stripped of hypocrisyThe attack on Venezuela and the seizure of its president was a shocking enough start to 2026, but it was only the next day, when the smoke had dispersed and Donald Trump was flying from Florida to Washington DC in triumph, that it became clear the world had entered a new era.The US president was leaning on a bulkhead on Air Force One, in a charcoal suit and gold tie, regaling reporters with inside details of the abduction of Nicolás Maduro. He claimed his government was “in charge” of Venezuela and that US companies were poised to extract the country’s oil wealth. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago Trump news at a glance: president pitches oil companies on major extractions in Venezuela

‘We’re going to be extracting numbers in terms of oil like few people have seen,’ Trump said – key US politics stories from 9 January 2025Donald Trump had a message for fossil-fuel companies on Friday: Venezuela is now “open for business” as the US president vowed the country’s resources would be extracted for the benefit of the US, oil companies – and “some” money for Venezuelans.At a roundtable press conference at the White House with more than a dozen oil executives, including leaders from Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, the US president doubled down on claims that Nicolás Maduro’s arrest presents American oil companies with an unprecedented opportunity for extraction. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago Trump promises oil companies ‘total safety’ in Venezuela as he urges them to invest billions

Country is ‘uninvestable’ today, president told, but CEOs signal they are ready to spend with supportDonald Trump promised oil giants “total safety, total security” in Venezuela in an effort to persuade them to invest $100bn in the country’s infrastructure after US forces toppled Nicolás Maduro from power.At a roundtable press conference at the White House on Friday afternoon with more than a dozen oil executives, including leaders from Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhilips, the US president doubled down on claims that Maduro’s arrest presents American oil companies with an unprecedented opportunity for extraction. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago Donald Trump gives real reason he wants to own Greenland as he ramps up threats

Speaking at an event with oil companies hoping to be involved in Trump's raid of Venezuelan resources, the US President said: "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not."

Politics

14 h. ago Trump says major oil companies will invest $100B in Venezuela and promises them government security assistance

The U.S. government is attempting to take control of the Venezuelan oil industry

Politics

18 h. ago Trump says major oil companies will invest $100B in Venezuela ahead of White House meeting

The U.S. government is attempting to take control of the Venezuelan oil industry

Politics

20 h. ago Trump promises the US will soon start attacking drug cartels on land

In an interview with Fox, the president claimed drug cartels were “running” Mexico and hinted the country could be his next target

Events

22 h. ago Trump’s Venezuela strike won’t distract voters from the crises at home | Steven Greenhouse

As Americans worry about healthcare and affordability, the ‘no more wars’ president is helping oil companies insteadImmediately after Donald Trump ordered a military strike in Venezuela, many critics focused on how that attack violated international law as well as the US War Powers Resolution. But there hasn’t been nearly enough focus on the domestic implications of Trump’s move.Trump seems to have ordered his Venezuela venture in part to flip the script away from domestic matters, where things aren’t going well for him. His approval ratings are under water, and he’s getting low marks on the economy, health policy (just 30% approval), inflation (31% approval on the cost of living), his immigration crackdown (41% approval) and his sending the national guard into US cities. Then there’s the big thumbs down that Americans are giving to his tariffs, which have helped push up prices even though candidate Trump promised to lower prices on day one.Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and auth...

Politics

43 h. ago Trump predicts he’ll control Venezuela for YEARS and give oil riches to the people as post

TRUMP has said the US will run Venezuela for years and give its oil riches to the people. It comes after the US captured Venezuelan tyrant Nicolas Maduro and vowed to send its oil companies back into the Latin American country. Trump said: “We will rebuild it in a very profitable way. “We’re going to...

Politics

46 h. ago Dense, sticky and heavy: why Venezuela’s oil is valuable to Trump – video explainer

The Venezuelan oil industry is ‘a total bust’ according to Donald Trump, something he has promised to ‘fix’ after attacking Caracas and seizing the country’s leader. But with analysts estimating it could take up to 14 years and billions to fix, what is in it for the US president? Jillian Ambrose, the Guardian’s energy correspondent, explains why Venezuela’s dense, sticky oil is so valuable to Trump Continue reading...

Politics

52 h. ago Don’t dignify Trump with talk of a ‘new world order’ – there’s nothing new or ordered about this chaos | Aditya Chakrabortty

The US president’s grotesque theatrics on the world stage are an opportunistic distraction from his falling domestic ratingsOf all the commandments for living under Donald Trump, the first is always this: don’t believe him. Nothing he says can be taken at face value; everything should be fed into a polygraph. Those of scrupulous courtesy can wrap it up in red ribbon, or uncork that aphorism about how the man must be taken seriously but never literally. All the same, scratch a Trump promise and underneath will glint a pretext. Scrutinise his grand plans and you find only shabby tactics.The Manhattan Democrat turns into a Florida-dwelling Republican; the troll who demanded Barack Obama’s birth certificate will hem and haw over releasing the Epstein files. From real-estate deals to Trump University, all that this guy swears is solid gold soon settles into so much bullshit.Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

57 h. ago US oil companies warn they will need guarantees to invest in Venezuela

Donald Trump to hold more talks with industry bosses as president flexes power over energy markets

Events

63 h. ago The art of the drill: Trump considers subsidies to push oil companies to drill in Venezuela

Two of the three major US oil companies pulled business out of Venezuela nearly two decades ago after assets were seized

Events

2 d. ago Democrats can win back the White House in 2028. Here’s how | Colin Seeberger

Democrats should go on the offense against Republicans, but they should also lay out a vision for renewing the promise of a middle-class life By January 2029, Donald Trump will be capping off a nearly 14-year stretch at the helm of American politics. While he will no longer serve as president of the United States, his shadow over the future of American politics will continue to loom large across both sides of the aisle. Following Trump’s popular-vote victory in the 2024 election, the Democratic party has been forced to wrestle with what went wrong and how they can regain the support of an American majority to win back the White House. To win back Americans’ trust, Democrats have to prioritize affordability, broaden their cultural appeal, and reconnect with disaffected voters beyond their base.Trump’s political success has long been defined by his willingness to take on elite institutions and buck convention, putting distance between himself and weaknesses in the Republican brand whi...

Politics

2 d. ago Trump claims Venezuela is set for an oil boom after US attack – history points to a bumpy road ahead

From Venezuela to Libya to Iraq, removal of dictators has not always guaranteed a surge in oil production, data showsHours after Nicolás Maduro was captured by US special forces in Venezuela and indicted on drugs, weapons and “narco-terrorism” charges, Donald Trump spoke extensively about his plans for something else entirely: oil.Venezuela’s oil reserves – reputedly the world’s largest – are set to be pumped by a parade of powerful US oil companies, according to the US president, most of whom have not operated in the country in decades. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Venezuela ‘turning over’ $2bn in oil to US, Trump says, in move that could cut supply to China

Deal indicates Venezuelan government is responding to Trump’s demand that they open up to US oil companies or risk more military interventionDonald Trump has said Venezuela will be “turning over” $2bn worth of Venezuelan crude to the United States, a flagship negotiation that would divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts.“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump said in a post online. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump says US companies will invest billions in Venezuelan oil production. Experts aren’t so sure

Industry insiders say US oil firms want to ‘avoid getting screwed’ and will proceed with extreme caution in regionAnalysis: Trump’s focus on Venezuelan oil reinforces claim action was never about ‘war on drugs’Industry experts have expressed skepticism over Donald Trump’s bullish prediction that US big oil firms will rapidly invest tens of billions of dollars to fix Venezuelan infrastructure and ramp up production after the rendition of the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.Without an “iron-clad guarantee” that the US federal government will fully reimburse them for the cost of rebuilding the country’s oil market, analysts expect global energy giants to proceed with extreme caution. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Why the surprise over Trump’s Venezuela coup? US presidents promise isolation – and deliver war | Simon Jenkins

Last week’s events in Caracas come in a long line of American interventions. The White House has awesome power and is never shy of using itIt is starting to trickle out. Last week in Caracas was not an invasion, it was a putsch. It was the militarised kidnap of one ruler to aid his more amenable deputy into power. Since April last year, according to reports, vice-president and now interim president Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge – the president of the Venezuelan national assembly – have been dealing secretly with Washington. This has reportedly been via that hotspot of informal diplomacy, Qatar.We have yet to know the details. But the rumours are plausible that last week’s episode was staged to look outrageous, including Delcy Rodríguez’s initial condemnation of it as atrocious. President Nicolás Maduro was handed over to the Americans swiftly and peacefully. The only slip was Trump describing Delcy as “quite gracious” before she was hastily sworn into office soon after the r...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump says US will have to pay oil companies to rebuild Venezuela's aging infrastructure as he declares HIMSELF in charge of ambitious 18

Donald Trump said that the US must 'nurse' Venezuela back to health for the foreseeable future and may offer taxpayer-funded subsidies to oil companies to help rebuild.

Politics

4 d. ago Trump says US could reimburse oil companies that invest in Venezuela

US president looks to lure sceptical businesses to return to the country following the capture of Nicolás Maduro

Politics