The vanishing of Nicolás Maduro: how the former dictator is being erased from Venezuela

• The 2026 Global Peace Index reports that global peace has reached a historic low due to a record-high number of interconnected conflicts. • This decline is attributed to the "Great Fragmentation," a geopolitical shift where traditional European powers are losing influence to rising middle powers.

• Portugal's Minister for Diplomacy, Mr. Rangel, announced that the agreement allowing the United States to use Lajes Air Base will be reviewed. • The review is deferred until after the current crisis in the Middle East is resolved to ensure regional stability.

• Two decades of Global Peace Index (GPI) data reveal a global trend of deteriorating peace and an increasing inventory of unresolved conflicts. • The report highlights a significant success in Ethiopia, where the November 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement reduced annual conflict deaths in Tigray from over 100,000 to roughly 2,300 in 2023.

• Global conflicts have surged to their highest levels since World War II, according to data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program. • Conflict-related fatalities reached a record high in 2025, with approximately 244,600 people killed.

• New Zealand has been ranked as the second-safest country in the world according to the latest Global Peace Index, which evaluates 163 independent states and territories. • This improvement in New Zealand's standing comes despite a broader global trend where world conflict has reached a historic high.

• An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has resulted in 100 deaths out of 550 reported cases. • Ongoing regional conflict is significantly hindering medical response efforts and slowing the containment of the virus.

• Energy markets reacted sharply to escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Brent crude rising to approximately $97 per barrel and U.S. oil trading between $94 and $95. • The price surge, representing a jump of more than 4.5%, indicates that traders are rapidly reintroducing a geopolitical risk premium into oil valuations.

Marine veteran won 72% of the vote despite infidelity and abuse allegations that emerged during primary campaignPlatner shrugs off scandals to win Maine Democratic Senate primaryHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic primary for Senate and called for supporters to “believe people can change” amid his controversial candidacy.Redemption is not just some simple or easy destination; it’s a journey. I’ve made mistakes in my life, mistakes I regret, that I live with, that I continue to learn from. I’m still far from perfect. But every day I wake up and I try to be a little bit better and a little kinder than I was the day before. And if you give me the chance, I will be a senator for the people who cannot afford to buy a senator.House Republicans narrowly passed a reconciliation bill on Tuesday, by two votes, to provide another $70bn in funding over the next three years to the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring that agencies carrying out Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda remain funded until the end of his presidency.At nearly the same moment, the US struck Iran again, in retaliation for the downing of a US helicopter near the strait of Hormuz.JD Vance, the US vice-president, said that a deal with Iran to end the war launched by the US and Israel 102 days ago, “could happen in the next week, but the deal could also happen months from now.”Lesley Groff, longtime executive assistant to Jeffrey Epstein, the late child sex offender Trump socialized with for nearly two decades, testified before the House oversight and reform committee. Continue reading...

Jermiah Copeland had admitted killing Angelina Resendiz, attacking another sailor and illegally recording anotherSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA member of the US navy has been ordered to spend 44 years in federal prison after admitting that he fatally strangled a fellow sailor in his barracks room, violently squeezed the neck of a second woman onboard an aircraft carrier and illegally made secret video recordings of a third, including while they were being intimate.Meanwhile, the family of the petty officer whom Jermiah Copeland acknowledged murdering, Angelina Resendiz, has called for reforms within the armed forces meant to better protect women serving in the military. Continue reading...

Lawmakers warn appointment of presidential loyalist will scuttle bipartisan agreement to renew Fisa surveillance lawDonald Trump is pushing ahead with his controversial plan to install political loyalist Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, a move that has sparked bipartisan congressional backlash and imperiled the reauthorization of a powerful surveillance law set to expire at the end of this week.Trump’s Tuesday evening announcement came after he met earlier in the day with the House speaker, Mike Johnson, to discuss Pulte’s elevation to the role, which has prompted widespread concern over his complete lack of national security experience and the prospect that he could use the office’s spying powers to continue his campaign of targeting Trump’s perceived political enemies. Continue reading...

EV maker aims to overtake Toyota, as it plans to spend £1.8bn to build five-minute flash chargers in EuropeBusiness live – latest updatesThe Chinese car company BYD has said it aims to be the world’s biggest automaker within the next five years.Targeting Toyota’s long-held top spot, BYD’s founder and chair, Wang Chuanfu said he was confident it could overtake global rivals through rapid advances in battery technology, fast charging advances and growing production overseas, including Europe. Continue reading...

‘Temporary agreement’ in place since Football Association safeguarding investigation began three years agoDavid Sullivan has faced restrictions on his contact with West Ham’s women’s and youth teams since 2023 because of a safeguarding investigation.The Football Association began an inquiry three years ago after receiving a complaint, which the Guardian understands involves an allegation of sexual misconduct unrelated to football. Continue reading...