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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. ..

Photo credit: AP The United States carried out pre-dawn airstrikes across Venezuela on Saturday, with at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft reported over the capital, Caracas. The attacks, which killed at least 40 people, prompted the Venezuelan government to declare a national emergency and deploy its armed forces, calling for mass mobilisation. Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, flown them out of the country, and placed them in US custody.Trump later posted an image on his Truth Social platform showing a blindfolded Maduro aboard a US warship, captioned: “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.” 'Will Sell To China, Russia': Trump Lays Out Plans For Venezuelan Oil After Maduro Capture The US justice department said Maduro and Flores will face trial in New York after a fresh indictment issued on Saturday accused them of involvement in narco-terrorism,..

AdvertisementAmericas and the CaribbeanWorldAmericasCaribbean holidaymakers stranded after US operation to seize Maduro halts flightsEven though the airspace restrictions will end at midnight on Sunday, airlines have warned that disruptions could continue for days
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAssociated PressPublished: 1:16pm, 4 Jan 2026The US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country early on Saturday also disrupted Caribbean travel at a busy travel time for the region.No airline flights were crossing over Venezuela that day, according to FlightRadar24.com. Major airlines cancelled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region and warned passengers that disruptions could continue for days after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed restrictions.
Flights were cancelled to and from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba and more than a dozen other destinations in the Lesser Antilles island group no..

AdvertisementMyanmarThis Week in AsiaOpinionXu PengAsian Angle | How uneven borders fuel Myanmar’s vast and resilient scam economyFieldwork along the borders of China and Thailand reveals how uneven controls allow fraud networks to thrive despite crackdowns
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPXu PengPublished: 1:00pm, 4 Jan 2026Southeast Asia has become “ground zero” for the global online scamming industry, according to the UN, costing victims billions of US dollars each year. Scam operations are run by Chinese crime syndicates from fortified compounds in countries like Myanmar, which has been embroiled in a nationwide armed conflict since 2021.The size of the scam industry has led to sustained security crackdowns in recent years. This has included a number of joint operations involving police forces from multiple countries. However, despite releasing tens of thousands of trafficked workers from these compounds, the raids have done little to wipe out scam operations.
In October..

NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani interacted with commuters during his subway ride (AP image) Less than 24 hours after taking the oath, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani began his first full day in office with a routine familiar to millions of New Yorkers, a morning subway commute from his Queens apartment.Battling against the cold, the 34-year-old Democrat left the one-bedroom apartment in Queens on Friday. Unlike most commuters, Mamdani’s journey was documented by a photo and video crew with neighbors stopping to wish him luck as he headed to work.The subway ride came ahead of a busy first day that included signing orders, announcing appointments and facing questions from the press. Still, the mayor chose to begin with what aides described as a deliberately symbolic commute.Flanked by security guards and a small group of aides, Mamdani boarded a Manhattan-bound train, pausing to take selfies with surprised riders before settling into a corner seat to review briefing materials. The video of h..

Donald Trump (AP image) Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has formally written to the UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemning the “reckless and inflammatory threats” made by US President Donald Trump. Tehran also warned that the United States would bear full responsibility for any consequences or escalation that might arise from such statements.In the letter dated January 2, Iran accused the US president of openly threatening the use of force against a sovereign UN member state, asserting that such remarks amounted to a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter.Drawing attention to Trump’s recent comments, the Iranian envoy said the US president had gone beyond rhetoric by publicly declaring: “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” Iravani said the statement amounted to “the incitement of violence, unrest, and terrorist acts within Iran” and constituted “a clear, explicit, and unl..

AdvertisementSingaporeAsiaSoutheast AsiaWorkers’ Party in Singapore rules on Pritam Singh, disciplinary panel to be formedThe move follows the opposition leader’s recent court conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPCNAPublished: 1:09pm, 3 Jan 2026Updated: 1:10pm, 3 Jan 2026The top decision-making body of the Workers’ Party (WP) in Singapore has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if party chief Pritam Singh has contravened the WP’s constitution, following his recent court conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.In a media statement on Saturday, the WP said its central executive committee (CEC) met on Friday to discuss matters arising from Singh’s conviction after the High Court dismissed his appeal against it on December 4.
Party cadres had also requested that a special conference be held on the matter.
Advertisement“The CEC has concluded that it is appropriate to call the Special CMC [Cadre Members’..