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AdvertisementUS-Venezuela conflictThis Week in AsiaPoliticsThe Maduro effect: regime change fears grip Asia’s autocrats after US raid on VenezuelaFearing they could be next, wary rulers are expected to embrace Moscow and Beijing to insulate themselves from US adventurism
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP6Maria SiowPublished: 12:22pm, 7 Jan 2026Updated: 12:50pm, 7 Jan 2026The United States’ dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro at the weekend has sent shock waves across Asia, where analysts say authoritarian rulers, now deeply wary of Washington’s motives, are likely to draw closer to Moscow and Beijing.US special forces stormed Maduro’s residence in Caracas early on Saturday morning, seizing the Venezuelan leader and his wife before flying them to the US, where both face federal charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking.Washington has long called Maduro’s presidency illegitimate, but the official rationale for the operation rested on the criminal indictme..

Oman now charges OMR 600 for citizenship applications and OMR 200 for nationality withdrawal/Image: X Applying for Omani citizenship will now come with a clearly defined price tag. In a move aimed at tightening and standardising nationality services, Oman has approved a new fee structure covering both citizenship applications and requests to relinquish nationality, according to details published in the Sultanate’s Official Gazette.Under the revised framework, the fee for submitting an application to obtain Omani citizenship has been set at OMR 600. This charge applies to foreign women married to Omani nationals, as well as widows or divorced spouses of Omanis. The same fee also covers applications submitted on behalf of the minor children of Omani women, ensuring a uniform cost across these family-based eligibility categories.In addition to citizenship applications, the updated regulations introduce an OMR 200 fee for requests related to the withdrawal or relinquishment of Omani nation..

ANI image Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected eight sorties of PLA aircraft and seven PLAN vessels operating around its territorial waters as of 6 am (local time) on Tuesday.Of the eight, two crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and eastern ADIZ.In a post on X, the MND said, “8 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded.”Earlier on Monday, Taiwan's MND detected three sorties of PLA sorties, eight PLAN vessels, and one official ship around its territory.A post on X stated, “(U) 3 sorties of PLA aircraft, 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 3 out of 3 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and r..

AdvertisementMalaysiaThis Week in AsiaPeopleMalaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir in hospital after a fall at home – ‘he was conscious’Mahathir, 100, fell when he was walking from the balcony to his living room in his home in Kuala Lumpur
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJoseph SipalanPublished: 1:15pm, 6 Jan 2026Two-time former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was sent to hospital on Tuesday after a fall in his home in Kuala Lumpur.The centenarian fell while walking from the balcony to his living room and was rushed to the National Heart Institute for observation, according to an aide.
“Tun was taken in by ambulance and arrived at 9.30am. He was conscious,” Mahathir’s press secretary Sufi Yusoff told the media, using the former leader’s honorific.
AdvertisementSufi said he was not in a position to comment on Mahathir’s condition, pending updates from the medical team attending to him.
Mahathir, who turned 100 last July, has been a constant fixture in Malaysian politics.Adverti..

AdvertisementScienceChinaScienceChina’s sensitive technology at risk after Trump abducts Venezuela leader MaduroFrom oil infrastructure to telecommunications, Chinese investments in the country have been long-standing and extensive
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLing Xinin OhioPublished: 1:06pm, 6 Jan 2026China risks losing access to satellite tracking stations and other sensitive technology infrastructure in Venezuela after the United States seized control of the country’s leadership and transferred its president Nicolas Maduro to New York for trial.Beijing’s embedded assets – from satellite ground stations to oilfield systems and telecommunications networks – could be compromised after US President Donald Trump said Washington would “run” Venezuela and “fix oil infrastructure” in the country with the world’s largest crude reserves.The El Sombrero tracking station at the Captain Manuel Rios airbase, along with its backup in Luepa, Bolivar state, supports Venezuela’s only ..

AP image Russia’s overnight strikes on Kyiv province killed two people on Monday after air raid alerts were issued across the country, Ukrainian authorities said. One person was killed in the capital Kyiv, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration. Another victim, a man in his 70s, died in the neighbouring city of Fastiv, Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said. Russia Smashes U.S. Weapons As Putin Fires Back At Trump After Maduro Capture, Ukraine Warning “One person has been killed so far as a result of the attack. The attack is continuing,” Tkachenko said in a post on the Telegram messaging app, according to Reuters.The latest strikes come as Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its allies are seeking to finalise a US-brokered plan aimed at ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.The violence follows a deadly weekend of cross-border attacks. On Sunday, two people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes in Russi..

Columbian President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump (AP images) US President Donald Trump on Sunday openly threatened possible military action against Colombia, saying such a move “sounds good to me”.His comments come just a day after the United States carried out an operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores and transporting them to New York to face federal charges. 'They Won't Survive': GOP Lawmakers Reveal 2 New Trump Targets After Maduro Operation Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump launched a sharp attack on Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, accusing his government of producing and exporting cocaine to the United States.“Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long,” Trump said.Also Read | 'If they don't behave': Is second strike on Venezuela off the table? Trump's fresh ..

AdvertisementSCMP HighlightsWorldAI scientist leaves US for China; domestic helpers in Asia: 5 weekend reads you missedFrom China’s reaction to Maduro’s capture to another AI scientist leaving the US, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPSCMPPublished: 1:06pm, 5 Jan 2026We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. ‘Stop subverting Venezuelan regime’: China urges US to release MaduroVenezuelans celebrate in Santiago, Chile on January 3, 2026, after US President Donald Trump announced that President Nicolas Maduro had been captured and flown out of Venezuela. Photo: APChina has expressed “serious concern” over the US capture and forcible removal of the Venezuelan leader, calling on Washington to ensure the personal safety of Nicolas Maduro and his wife and “release them i..

AdvertisementThe PhilippinesAsiaSoutheast AsiaPhilippines’ Marcos slashes ‘back door’ budget allocations amid flood control scandalMarcos used his veto powers to cut unprogrammed appropriations, historically prone to corruption, to their lowest level since 2019
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPBloombergPublished: 1:06pm, 5 Jan 2026Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Monday signed into law the 2026 budget worth 6.793 trillion pesos (US$115 billion) as his administration aims to revive an economy stunted by a government corruption scandal.While the 2026 budget was 7 per cent higher than last year’s spending plan, the president cut nearly US$1.6 billion in so-called unprogrammed appropriations that are historically prone to corruption.
Marcos approved the 2026 budget later compared to previous years, as allocations underwent closer scrutiny due to corruption allegations. Cabinet officials and legislators witnessed the signing at a ceremony in the presidential palace in..

Nicolas Maduro escorted by US officials (Image/X) The first video of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arriving in the United States was released on Saturday (local time), showing him handcuffed and escorted by US officials as he stepped off a helicopter at New York’s Stewart Airport.Hours earlier, Maduro was captured by US forces during a late-night operation in Venezuela. US President Donald Trump had also shared the first image of Maduro in custody, showing him handcuffed and blindfolded aboard a US warship. Maduro Lands In US: FBI Escorts Handcuffed Venezuelan President; THUMBS UP At DEA Office On Cam After landing in New York, a motorcade believed to be carrying Maduro exited the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) headquarters on Manhattan’s West Side Highway before briefly heading north and then returning to a heliport, according to BBC. Officials said Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, were flown by helicopter to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. ..