ZeeHistoric Moment: Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar Visits Somaliland After World‑First Recognition!
In a bold diplomatic move, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has made history by visiting Somaliland, becoming the first senior Israeli official to set foot in the self-declared republic after Israel officially recognised its independence just days ago.
Somaliland, which declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, has long operated as a separate government, but until recently it had never been recognised as a sovereign state by any UN member country. Israel’s recognition has now opened the door for international attention and new alliances.
During his visit to Hargeisa, the capital, Saar met with top officials, including President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro). Their talks focused on strengthening diplomatic ties, boosting trade and investment, and exploring security and development cooperation between the two nations.
The visit marks a major milestone for Somaliland, which has campaigned for decades for formal recognition, and signals Israel’s growing diplomatic reach in the Horn of Africa.
The trip has sparked mixed reactions: while many celebrate Somaliland’s new status and the potential for economic growth, Somalia has condemned the visit, calling it a violation of its territorial integrity. Other nations in the region are watching closely, as this recognition could reshape East African geopolitics.
For Somaliland, this is more than a diplomatic visit — it is a moment of global visibility and a step closer to being recognised on the world stage. 🌟
“We will not risk the lives and health of Azerbaijanis for anyone.
When we were in trouble, we were left alone.
Despite our sympathy for Palestine, it did not protect us either.
Azerbaijan has always supported Palestine and the creation of its state, but the affairs of Arab countries should be decided by the Arab countries themselves.”
The US is trying to take Greenland from Denmark by negotiating directly with the authorities there – The Economist
The US is developing a draft agreement with Greenland that could be offered directly to the island’s authorities, bypassing Denmark.
The proposal involves a Free Association Agreement — where the US provides funding and improvements in living standards, while Greenland hands over all defense matters to Washington, but the island retains internal self-government.
Trump’s strategy has two main goals:
The first is to deepen divisions between Greenland and Denmark.
The second is to open direct negotiations with the island, bypassing Copenhagen.”
MACHADO DEDICATES HER NOBEL TO TRUMP – SYMBOLISM WITH A TIMER ON IT
This is no longer subtle.
María Corina Machado says she dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump the moment she won it. Not after the operation. Not retroactively. The same day the prize was announced – October 10 – she spoke with Trump directly.
That timing matters.
She’s framing Trump not as a late-stage enforcer, but as part of the moral arc that led here. January 3, she says, will be remembered as “the day justice defeated a tyranny.” That’s not flattery. That’s a legitimacy transfer in progress.
Important caveat: Nobel Prizes aren’t transferable. Everyone knows that. Machado does too. When she says she wants to “give it” or “share it,” she’s talking politics, not protocol. Symbols, not statutes.
Context sharpens the message. Trump is openly asserting U.S. control. Allies are lining up. Rivals are screaming sovereignty. Machado is racing to lock the narrative before Venezuela’s future gets negotiated without Venezuelans.
Prediction: this accelerates recognition battles. Expect pushback from Europe, eye-rolls from Oslo, and full-throated applause from Trump-aligned capitals. The prize becomes a prop in a larger legitimacy war.
This isn’t about medals.
It’s about who gets to say this was justice -and who gets written out of the ending.
EU Leaders Rebuke President Trump Over Greenland Comments: “Sovereignty Is Not Negotiable”
European Union leaders have criticised US President Donald Trump following his recent comments about Greenland, warning that such remarks challenge international norms and the sovereignty of nations.
EU officials and several European heads of state stressed that Greenland is not for sale, pointing out that it is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and that its future can only be decided by its people. Leaders said any suggestion of taking control of another territory, even rhetorically, creates unnecessary tension at a time of rising global instability.
Denmark received strong backing from across Europe, with EU leaders reaffirming that territorial integrity and international law must be respected, regardless of a country’s size or strategic importance. Some leaders cautioned that comments like these could strain transatlantic relations and send the wrong signal to the rest of the world.
European officials acknowledged Greenland’s growing strategic value due to Arctic security, climate change, and natural resources, but insisted that cooperation must be based on dialogue and mutual respect, not pressure or public statements.
The issue has sparked wider debate:
Is President Trump raising legitimate strategic concerns, or crossing diplomatic red lines?
Should powerful nations openly discuss control over foreign territories?
Does this set a worrying precedent globally?
EU leaders made it clear: Europe stands united behind Denmark and Greenland, and sovereignty is not up for negotiation.
MADURO’S SON BACKS DELCY RODRÍGUEZ AS NEW PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA
After the U.S. captured Maduro and flew him out of Venezuela, his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, came out publicly saying he fully backs Delcy Rodríguez as the new acting president.
Delcy is Venezuela’s Vice President and one of Maduro’s closest political allies, known for her hardline stance and longtime loyalty to the regime.
Trump said Delcy would work with Washington to “make Venezuela great again” which has people wondering if this was the plan all along.
Rodríguez is now leading the country, and Maduro Guerra says he’ll “unconditionally support” her leadership as Venezuela enters total political chaos.
“Hard Work and Grace” – Funke Akindele Breaks Her Own Record as Behind the Scenes Hits N1.7 Billion
Nollywood filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele has solidified her title as the “Queen of the Box Office” by shattering her own previous cinematic record. Her latest release, Behind the Scenes (BTS), has reportedly grossed a staggering N1.7 billion, surpassing the N1.6 billion benchmark set by her 2024 hit, Everybody Loves Jenifa.
A Testament to Focus
Celebrating the milestone on Instagram, Akindele attributed the feat to divine grace and sheer dedication. She used the opportunity to advise her followers and young creatives to remain consistent and avoid distractions in their pursuit of success.
She wrote:
“Hard work and grace have brought me thus far. In all you do, stay focused, zero distractions, and remain grateful for every opportunity you’re given,”
27 Years of Grit
Reflecting on her 27-year journey in the industry, the filmmaker acknowledged that the path was not always smooth. She emphasized that stepping out of her comfort zone and maintaining patience turned her process into purpose. She also paid special tribute to her fanbase for their unwavering support.
She stated:
“Over the years, I’ve always valued my fans because without them, I would be nobody,”
Still Showing
The record-breaking film, Behind the Scenes, remains available in cinemas nationwide as fans continue to flock to see the movie that has redefined Nollywood’s box office standards.
MWIIMBU COMMENDS POLICE FOR PROFESSIONAL HANDLING OF ARCHBISHOP BANDA’S DEC APPEARANCE
By: Sun FM TV Reporter
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Jack Mwiimbu, has commended the Zambia Police Service for the professional manner in which they handled the appearance of Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda before the Drug Enforcement Commission’s Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit on Monday
Mr. Mwiimbu noted that the conduct of police officers during Dr. Banda’s questioning at the DEC head office in Lusaka was markedly different from what was experienced in the recent past, when appearances by high-ranking individuals or leaders before law enforcement agencies were often marred by chaos.
He recalled that such events previously involved the discharge of tear gas canisters and the firing of live ammunition, incidents that frequently resulted in the loss of lives.
The minister has since encouraged the Police Service to continue upholding high standards of professionalism for the benefit of the nation.
This is according to a statement issued by Principal Public Relations Officer, Mwala Kalaluka.
ZAMBIA’S KWACHA IS THE WORLD’S BEST PERFORMING CURRENCY
Zambia’s currency, the Kwacha, has extended its rally into 2026, appreciating nearly 10% against the US dollar since early December 2023, following a directive from the authorities that restricted foreign exchange use and encouraged companies to convert dollars into local currency.
On Monday, the Kwacha surged almost 4%, marking its largest single-day increase since October 2023, and reached a two-year peak the following day.
Market experts indicate that this uptrend was driven by sellers offloading dollars due to anxiety surrounding the central bank’s currency directive issued on December 26, 2025.
Additionally, corporations contributed to the Kwacha’s strength by converting foreign exchange for settling tax obligations and funding operations for the new year.
Contributing factors to the currency’s rise also include soaring copper prices and the recent introduction of yuan-denominated mining tax payments, which began in October.
On the London Metal Exchange, three-month copper futures climbed by up to 4.98% to a record price of 13,090 per ton. Zambia ranks as Africa’s largest copper producer, following the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Zambian government anticipates that the yuan will be used in 15% of mining tax settlements in 2024.
Furthermore, Zambia’s credit markets have benefited from this rally, with dollar bonds due in 2053 rising by 0.74 cents to trade at 71.51 cents on the dollar as of Tuesday afternoon in London.
For several days, the online narrative was clear and relentless. President Hakainde Hichilema had disappeared. He had collapsed. He had been privately evacuated to South Africa. Opposition-aligned platforms amplified the claims, feeding a familiar election-season instinct to frame uncertainty around power as weakness.
Then came the counter-image.
Not a press briefing. Not a medical bulletin. But a brief stop at the Daniel Munkombwe Toll Plaza in Choma. The President greeting motorists and workers, exchanging handshakes, smiling for phone cameras. A small moment, but politically deliberate. Today, the President was briefly live from his ranch.
Presence as denial. Visibility as response.
Over the last two days, State House aides have been privately dismissing the rumours as “noise,” confirming that Hichilema had been in Choma since December 31 on what they described as a working holiday.
One aide told The People’s Brief, “There was no urgency to rebut speculation formally. Sometimes you let the story exhaust itself, then you appear.”
He is now set to appear again.
On Wednesday, the President is expected to hold a major public engagement in Choma, drawing participants from all 15 districts of Southern Province. Officially, the meeting is framed as a response to requests from citizens seeking direct interaction with the Head of State. Politically, it carries deeper undertones.
Southern Province is not just home territory. It is UPND’s historic base, red since the days of Anderson Mazoka, and part of the wider uncontested red base where the party currently holds every parliamentary seat.
Provincial minister Credo Nanjuwa says the engagement will allow citizens to raise both local and national concerns, with Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7 expected to feature prominently. Behind the scenes, aides describe a broader intent.
“This is about re-anchoring the message,” one senior official said. “Explaining decisions in a familiar space, in a familiar language, and reconnecting emotionally.”
Language matters here. Since UPND’s ascent to power, the Tonga speech community has become more visible in national political discourse, including in Lusaka. Politics amplify dialects. For supporters, this signals inclusion and confidence.
For critics, it feeds long-standing anxieties around identity and power. The President’s choice to begin his renewed public engagement in his birthplace inevitably sharpens those undercurrents.
The timing also aligns with a wider campaign rhythm. Another State House aide described the recent quiet as “strategic silence before movement.” While public attention has been dominated by church–state tensions and opposition mobilisation in Lusaka, the ruling party’s machinery has been active elsewhere, particularly in regions once considered out of reach.
Across the Northern Circuit, Presidential Political Adviser Levy Ngoma has been on the ground for weeks, engaging local leaders and consolidating support in territory historically loyal to the Patriotic Front since the Michael Sata era. Several local government officials who previously identified with PF structures have either crossed over or begun cooperating openly with UPND.
A source familiar with the northern strategy said, “The objective is not instant conversion. It’s to dismantle the idea that the region is permanently locked.”
The stakes are higher because the electoral map has expanded. With 226 parliamentary constituencies now in play, the 2026 election is increasingly about arithmetic rather than rhetoric. Two sources familiar with UPND planning say the party believes it can secure as many as 140 parliamentary seats if opposition fragmentation persists, a target viewed by critics as ambitious but taken seriously within ruling party circles.
This ambition feeds opposition fears, some speculative, that UPND is positioning itself for long-term dominance. Claims that a large parliamentary majority could be used to re-engineer constitutional changes to remove presidential term limits abound, though no formal proposals exist.
What is clear is that UPND is investing heavily in ground organisation, aided by international networks, strong fundraising capacity, and incumbency advantages.
By contrast, the opposition remains divided and reactive. The PF’s internal fractures persist, and its prevailing alignment with sections of Catholic clergy has energised its base while narrowing its political bandwidth. “They are fighting symbolism,” one ruling party strategist observed. “We are counting wards.”
As President Hichilema prepares to address supporters in Choma, the optics are carefully calibrated. Home ground. Large crowds expected. Familiar cultural cues. A listening posture. It is a reminder that incumbency does not always translate into distance, and that campaigns can be relaunched quietly, through presence rather than proclamation.
Whether this strategy resonates beyond the red stronghold remains the central question. But one fact is now clear. The President is no longer absent from the political stage. He is repositioning. And as August 2026 approaches, the contest is shifting, steadily, from noise to numbers.
ZAMBIA CLARIFIES ACCEPTANCE OF MINING TAXES IN CHINESE YUAN
FINANCE and National Planning Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane has clarified that Zambia’s move to accept part of mining tax payments in the Chinese Yuan (RMB) is a strategic measure aimed at reducing costs associated with servicing Zambia’s debt to China.
Addressing the press in Lusaka Tuesday, Dr. Musokotwane has noted that most of the loans contracted from China are denominated in RMB, not US dollars, meaning repayments must be made in the same currency.
The Minister says allowing part of the taxes to be paid directly in RMB helps the government avoid currency conversion costs that arise when changing dollars into yuan, including bank charges, commissions, and fees.
He has stressed that savings made from reduced conversion costs can be redirected to critical public needs such as health, education and social services.
Dr. Musokotwane has added that the arrangement is based on prevailing economic circumstances and may be adjusted in future if conditions change, emphasising that the policy is guided by prudence and efficient management of public resources.
Meanwhile, Bank of Zambia Governor Dr. Denny Kalyalya says the inclusion of the Chinese Renminbi in Zambia’s reserves and tax payments framework is not new, noting that the currency has long formed part of the country’s reserve basket.
He says many countries, not only Zambia, hold RMB as reserves, but these are often reported in US dollar terms.
Dr Kalyalya hss explained that the current arrangement simply increases the proportion of RMB, which last year accounted for about 1.3 percent of Zambia’s reserves, in line with the country’s liabilities to China.
PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT BRIAN MUNDUBILE (BM8) HITS THE GROUND AS CENTRAL, COPPERBELT TEAMS ARE ANNOUNCED.
Lusaka – Tuesday, 6 January 2026 (Smart Eagles)
Presidential Aspirant Hon. Brian Mundubile (BM8)’s campaign teams for Central and Copperbelt provinces have been unveiled.
Addressing the media today, BM8 Campaign Team Member Hon Davies Chisopa announced that Amon Chisenga will lead the main campaign body on the Copperbelt, with the Women’s League being led by Dorothy Mukupo while the Youth Wing will be headed by Don Mungulube.
He said each provincial team will comprise 72 members, a structure aimed at strengthening coordination and grassroots mobilization.
For Central Province, Hon Chisopa stated that the main campaign will be headed by Billy Sichamba, the Women’s League by Dorothy Ng’ambi and the Youth Wing by Elias Silumba.
He added that campaign teams for the remaining provinces will be announced in due course.
Hon Chisopa has since warned against the intimidation of campaign members stating that the Patriotic Front Constitution does not prohibit members from supporting a candidate of their choice.
He said that internal democracy must be respected as the party prepares for its elective conference.
“Do not allow yourself to be intimidated. Last year in October, the PF Central Committee resolved that the party would proceed to a conference in November. This was later rescheduled to take place this year. In the meantime, we have continued to mobilize and have extended our campaigns to the grassroots,” he said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the United Nations to stand firm and force the United States to respect international law, warning that no country is above the UN Charter.
Speaking at the 31st annual Joe Slovo commemoration in Soweto, Ramaphosa said the UN must defend the core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination that bind all member states. He reminded the global body that the Charter explicitly forbids the use of force or threats against another nation’s independence or borders, branding such actions as outright aggression.
His remarks follow explosive claims that US President Donald Trump recently ordered the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores in Caracas, accusing them of narco-terrorism and acting against US interests.
Ramaphosa suggested the move exposed Washington’s true agenda: imperial dominance driven by oil. Venezuela holds the world’s largest oil reserves.
He demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, warning that global peace depends on respect for international law.
MEXICO SLAMS U.S. STRIKE ON VENEZUELA WHILE QUIETLY ASKING, “ARE WE NEXT?”
Mexico’s government just condemned the U.S. military operation that reportedly removed Maduro, calling it a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.
But behind closed doors? There’s growing anxiety that the same playbook could eventually land on their doorstep.
According to a new analysis, Mexico is nervous.
With ongoing friction with the U.S. over cartels, migration, and fentanyl, there’s a sense that Washington’s tolerance for “difficult neighbors” might be shrinking fast.
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is trying to strike a careful balance: distancing itself from Venezuela’s collapse without attracting too much attention from a White House that just greenlit a bold cross-border power move.
It’s clear that the Venezuela strike sent a clear regional message… and Mexico’s reading it very carefully.
When diplomacy is optional and “behavior change” comes via drone, every country in the neighborhood starts wondering where they stand on the list.
Osimhen speaks out after controversy: “The Weight Is on Me”
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen finally addressed the backlash over his behavior during Nigeria’s recent Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Speaking candidly, the forward reflected on the pressure of leading the Super Eagles.
“When we did not qualify for the World Cup, everyone called just me out. They forgot about other players. That’s when I understood the weight is on me,” Osimhen said. He added that, despite Nigeria scoring three goals in recent matches, players must remain vigilant. “Yes, we scored three goals already, but in football, five goals can be scored in three minutes. That’s why we did not have to relax. The whole country is counting on us, and if we fail, they’ll drag us everywhere—especially me.”
Osimhen also defended teammate Ademola Lookman, emphasizing their strong bond. “I love Lookman, he is my brother and he understands that was just football. Everyone wants Nigeria to win the AFCON and it doesn’t come easy. We must do our best.”
The striker’s statement underlines both the immense expectations on Nigeria’s stars and his personal commitment to carrying the team through the tournament. #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 #AFCON2025 #Osimhen
WEZI KAUNDA’s ASSASSINATION DURING THE MMD REGIME-Police arrests two suspects. However, Mulenga claims that his co-accused, Banda, is innocent.
The 47-year-old son of Kenneth Kaunda (KK), then former president of Zambia, was fatally shot on 4th November , 1999 on Wednesday, at night in the driveway of his home in Lusaka.
Wezi Kaunda, a successful businessman and retired army major who was a rising figure in his father’s opposition United National Independence Party (UNIP), had been the target of death threats; but chose to remain in the country his father led to independence from Britain in 1964, the party spokesman said.
Wezi, who was the chairman of the opposition party’s key Lusaka provincial district branch; expected to assume a top post in the opposition party the following month, was returning home with his wife and had pulled into their driveway when he was accosted by four gunmen, Muhabi Lungu, said in a telephone interview (The New York Times, Nov. 5, 1999/ The Guardian, Sunday 14 Nov, 1999).
According to Didre (Wezi’s wife), Wezi told the gang: ‘I am Major Wezi Kaunda. Please take my car, take whatever you want. I am not resisting. Spare my life and my wife. Just take the car.’
But the gang replied: ‘We know who you are. Do you think we don’t know? Shoot him.’ The men ordered Kaunda out of the car and shot him in the stomach, back and shoulder. He was rushed to hospital, where he died a few hours later. The car was found abandoned, but nothing had been stolen (The Guardian, Sunday 14 Nov, 1999).
KK’s head of security, Mr Moyce Kaulung’ombe, said the motive for the shooting was political.
“Major Wezi was trailed by the people who killed him. They knew what they were looking for. He was murdered for political reasons. This is clearly an assassination,” he said.
A police spokesman, Mr Richard Mwanza, said one suspect had been arrested. Three others were still on the run.
Wezi Kaunda, was at the same time chief aide to his father, the main rival to then President Frederick Chiluba and was KK’s third son and the most politically active.
Unlike his father, Wezi Kaunda did not have a bodyguard.
A spokesman at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka said that Wezi was able to talk for a while after being admitted at around 9 p.m. that Wednesday night.
Mr Basil Kabwe, administrative secretary of KK’s UNIP, said: “It is well known that Wezi was a thorn in the flesh of this government (MMD), and his death must be put at their doorstep. The rabid hatred for Kenneth Kaunda and his son has tragically ended in the ghastly death of Wezi,” he said (The Irish Times, 5 November, 1999).
But, KK said that his son’s enemies included both people within President Frederick Chiluba’s government, and “rebels” within the UNIP.
Though, Police said they believed car hijacking was the motive for the murder.
Otherwise, the first suspect, Moses Mulenga, appeared in court and was charged with murder and aggravated robbery while KK’s daughter, Catherine; fearing for her safety if she were to return to Zambia, was granted asylum in South Africa (BBC, 8 November, 1999).
Additionally, KK was said to be out of the country when his son (Wezi) was killed and was en route back to Zambia the very night.
According to The Guardian, Sun 14 Nov 1999 three senior Scotland Yard detectives were sent to Zambia to assist in solving the case, highlighting its international profile and the attention it received back in Britain.
Interestingly, when the suspect appeared in court, he was not satisfied with the charge, “My Lord, I do understand that I am charged with aggravated robbery and murder but the actual thing which transpired was assassination,” Mr Mulenga (one of the two suspects) said, according to a court report in the Times of Zambia.
Mr Mulenga, a bus driver before his arrest, gave no indication of who had ordered the assassination. But he said that one suspect who was still at large, and another who was shot dead by the police, were also involved.
However, Mr Mulenga said that his co-accused, Amon Banda, was innocent.
”I have so far explained details of our plot to the necessary authorities but no appropriate action has been taken,” Mr Mulenga told the court (BBC- 8 May, 2000).
Before Wezi’s assassination, KK’s car was attacked in March 1999 in a similar incident. A gunman opened fire on his car as he stopped to enter the grounds of his residence. Although the Lusaka police, as well as its rapid deployment unit, inspected the scene, the police did not publish an official report of the incident ( Human Rights Watch, November 4, 1999).
🇿🇲 VIEWPOINT | Kambwili, the Hilux, & the Politics of Perpetual Outrage
Chishimba Kambwili’s comments on the Drug Enforcement Commission’s summoning of Archbishop Alick Banda are explosive, emotive, and deliberately absolutist. “Nobody in their normal senses would support what has happened,” he declares, framing the DEC action as an attack not just on an individual cleric but on the entire Catholic Church.
It is a familiar Kambwili register. High voltage. Moral certainty. No space for nuance.
But facts matter. The DEC did not summon the Catholic Church. It summoned Archbishop Alick Banda as an individual named in records relating to a Toyota Hilux previously linked to the Zambia Revenue Authority and already forfeited to the state. The Commission has repeatedly stated that the process was routine, investigative, and not a charge. That distinction is not cosmetic. It is foundational in a constitutional system where individuals, regardless of office or faith, may be asked to account for possession of public property.
Kambwili’s argument rests on two claims. First, that the matter should have been handled “behind closed doors.” Second, that gifts to clergy and traditional leaders are normal and therefore beyond scrutiny. Both claims collapse under closer inspection.
Investigations are not negotiated on the basis of optics, and “normality” is not a legal defence. If anything, Zambia’s recent history of asset stripping, disguised as generosity, is precisely why investigators now follow trails that were once ignored.
The statement “touch one priest, you touch all of us” is politically potent but legally hollow. It deliberately collapses institutional accountability into collective identity. This framing turns due process into persecution and invites confrontation where none is legally required. It is also inconsistent. Clergy across the world, Catholic and otherwise, have been questioned, arrested, and even convicted without those actions being interpreted as wars against faith itself.
Zambia is not inventing a new standard.
There is also an unmistakable political undertone. Kambwili has been largely absent from meaningful national influence since the PF’s electoral defeat. His voice now rises mainly in moments of outrage, not policy. In a PF that is deeply fractured, with competing centres of authority and shrinking organisational coherence, outrage has become a currency for relevance. The louder the statement, the more it travels. But travel is not traction
Public sentiment reflects this shift. Online reaction to Kambwili’s remarks has been divided, with a visible portion of citizens rejecting the idea that religious status confers immunity from questioning. Many Zambians, shaped by years of elite impunity under PF rule, are wary of arguments that sound like a return to “some people must not be asked.” That skepticism is not anti-church. It is anti-exception.
The broader irony is hard to miss. The PF, which presided over years of blurred lines between state assets and private beneficiaries, now frames investigation as oppression. The same political culture that normalised gifts from public institutions is outraged when those gifts are examined. This contradiction weakens the moral force of the protest. Kambwili is not wrong to argue for respect, dignity, and restraint. Those principles matter.
But they do not cancel accountability. In trying to turn an administrative inquiry into a civilisational clash, he risks confirming what many already suspect: that this is less about protecting faith and more about reviving a political voice that has lost its centrality
Zambia’s democracy does not require silence from law enforcement, nor does it require hysteria from politicians. It requires clarity. On that score, Kambwili’s intervention generates more heat than light.
SUNDAY CHANDA WILL LOSE HIS SEAT FOR BETRAYING ELECTORATES – MUMBI
FORMER PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri says Kanchibiya PF MP Sunday Chanda should say goodbye to his parliamentary seat because he has betrayed his constituents by aligning himself with the UPND.
Meanwhile, Mpika PF MP Francis Kapyanga says individuals like Chanda are politicians who always want to align themselves with the government of the day because they are in politics to serve their own interests.
On Sunday, Chanda said all credible political indicators point to President Hakainde Hichilema retaining office in this year’s general elections.
In an interview, Monday, Phiri said Chanda’s political career will also come to an end just like other politicians who had been moving from one party to another.
“Even those in our time, when I became a member of parliament for the first time in 2006, those who went to the NCC, the indicators according to them were pointing that Rupiah Banda was going to win the elections, did he win? No! Did those members of parliament who were adopted by UPND win the elections? That was [the] end of [their] political career. They are there, Faustina Sinyangwe, Elizabeth Chitika, Reverend Sampa Bredt, that time, Luapula province remained with one MP who was loyal to the party, where are they, even today, they are nowhere to be seen,” said Phiri
“So, Sunday Chanda, let him comfort himself but me as an old politician, and a very stable one who has never been a political prostitute, I can tell him he should say goodbye to his seat in Kanchibiya because he has betrayed the people who took him to Parliament and Zambians don’t like that. He should even look at people like [Robbie] Chizyuka, he went against his party which was UPND [and] Mr Chizyuka is history so he’ll be part of the Chizyukas very soon. His not the first one, there have been there before. If you look at Sunday Chanda’s political life, has he been stable? He moves where there’s bread. He was MMD, when they lost, he came to PF, that’s how he survives, moving where he’s able to eat, [and] that’s his survival”.
https://youtu.be/Oo0DueB4M14?si=SFbfcG0aV2SzO9jj
Meanwhile, Kapyanga highlighted that Chanda’s statement was meant to appease the UPND because he may want to defect.
“In politics, that’s where you’ll find all sorts of people, including those that are just there for themselves, people that are just there to represent their interest and usually, these ones, they always want to align themselves with the ruling party at that particular time. Even if you check the records of some of the people from PF that are supporting President Hakainde Hichilema today, you’ll realise that these are just what they call in Bemba, the kandiles, they just want to be where the food is and in so doing, they start issuing statements that appease those in power. So that they can find a position on where they can land after an election or even before the election so soon, you’ll see them defecting. What they are doing now is that they are trying to level the ground on which they’ll land when they defect from PF to where the food is currently,” he noted.
“Most of their statements will not even be objective statements; they’ll just be soothing words for those in power to receive them. Such statements, I’m sure, they are not new and you can also check the records of the people making such statements, you’ll realise that they have always wanted to align themselves with the ruling party; they’ve never been in opposition. They insulted Michael Chilufya Sata on behalf of MMD, when Sata formed government; they jumped ship and joined PF. They insulted President Hakainde Hichilema on behalf of PF, when President Hakainde Hichilema formed government, they went a little bit mute and later resurfaced with what they called politics of objectivity and all that and later they started calling President Hakainde Hichilema nice names such as hardworking, no, CDF is working, just for them to cut their path which they’ll use to get to UPND”.
He stressed that citizens were eager to change government.
“So, these statements are not the reflection of what is happening on the ground, that statement is just a reflection of their interest. The true picture on the ground is that the people are eager, in fact, they can’t even wait for the election, they want to change the government and they are happy that they are in 2026 and they are positioning themselves to change the government.
You don’t need an opposition, a bigger or small opposition for the people to change the government, the people themselves just need to, in unison, decide to change the government, which the Zambian people right now have done. In unison, they are saying they are going to change the government and the choice is theirs now to look, oh, which one amongst the opposition, we have more than 20 opposition leaders positioning themselves, the people will get one and make that person president,” said Kapyanga.
“What the UPND enjoyed in 2021 is not political popularity, they only enjoyed a protest vote, people protested against PF, people did not want PF whatsoever, they never wanted PF and they looked around and said oh, this same guy, and they picked on the UPND, that is what they are going to do even this year. They are going to look around and see which one, oh, this one and that’s what they are saying.
To suggest that all indicators point to the fact that they’ll win, if they’ll win, why are they themselves panicking, they don’t want the opposition to gather, they don’t want new opposition political parties to be registered. They’ve strangled PF and they’ve even gone [to] an extent of pouncing on UNIP, you can imagine the panic and the fear of losing. That indicates that even the UPND themselves know that winning the 2026 general elections is an uphill battle”.
Nobody in their right senses would support DEC for summoning Alick Banda – Kambwili
ACID-mouthed PF member Chishimba Kambwili says nobody in their right senses would support the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for summoning Lusaka Archdiocese Archbishop Alick Banda.
In an interview, Kambwili said Archbishop Banda’s case had been blown out of proportion by the commission.
He said the summoning of the clergyman should have been handled behind closed doors, without unnecessary drama.
Yesterday, the Archbishop was summoned by the Commission over a Toyota Hilux he received as a gift from his PF comrades back in 2021 which was reportedly acquired dubiously.
Kambwili accused the UPND of interfering in church affairs and attempting to intimidate individuals with opposing views.
He further said the Catholic Church would rise in support of its leader, adding that many men of God and traditional leaders had received gifts in the past without being questioned.
“There is nobody in their normal senses who would support what has happened. The Catholic Church works as one, touch one priest, touch one bishop, and you touch all of us. Whoever touches the anointed ones touches everybody,” he said.
“We shall not allow politics to interfere with the running of the church. What has happened to the bishop is unfortunate. These are issues that should be handled away from the cameras, devoid of drama, but the government has decided to play politics over a matter in which a man was gifted. How many men of God have received gifts in this country? How many chiefs have done so?”
A YOUNG and vibrant legal mind, Simon Mwila, has frowned upon the dirty politics being practised by Copperstone University alumnus Chishimba Kambwili.
Mwila, said Kambwili’s latest verbal explosions were not only irresponsible but politically destructive, especially coming barely months after his release from prison over his undisciplined mouth.
Mwila was unimpressed with Kambwili publicly attacking his PF presidential rival Brian Mundubile with unverified allegations of corruption, theft and issuing invoices for roads allegedly not done, while theatrically predicting his arrest and boasting of having dirt on him.
The outspoken said such conduct had nothing to do with genuine politics or accountability, but amounted to political cannibalism, where opposition leaders feast on each other instead of offering solutions to the suffering Zambian people.
He advised Mundubile to immediately report Kambwili to the police for criminal libel and further take him to court for defamation of character, arguing that public threats and should not be tolerated under the guise of politics.
“As we approach 2026, one must ask a serious question. Is this the level to which the opposition has reduced itself?” Mwila wondered.
He said the bitterness, jealousy and open hostility among opposition leaders is no longer a secret and explains their failure to unite and their embarrassing performances even in simple by-elections.
“Young people are not interested in personal vendettas, secret files or political blackmail,” Mwila said.
He further noted that at present, the opposition has no coherent message to the Zambian people, with its loudest voice being accusation and insults instead of solutions.
KANCHIBIYA MP, SUNDAY CHANDA, PROPOSES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STRUCTURE FOR CHURCH/STATE DIALOGUE
MEDIA STATEMENT For Immediate Release
ON STRENGTHENING STATE–CHURCH CO-EXISTENCE FOR NATIONAL UNITY
Kanchibiya, 6th January 2026-
Zambia’s identity as a Christian Nation is not merely constitutional language; it is the moral foundation upon which our national unity, peace, and democratic stability have been built.
From our earliest democratic transitions to moments of national tension, the Church has stood as a custodian of conscience, while the State has stood as the custodian of order. These two institutions have historically worked not in competition, but in complementarity, each strengthening the other for the common good.
It is therefore important that, as a nation, we deliberately guard and strengthen this co-existence.
The Church must be free to offer moral guidance and constructive critique without fear or intimidation. Equally, the State must be respected as the legitimate authority mandated to govern, protect, and develop the Republic. Where differences in perspective arise, they must be handled through dialogue, not hostility; through engagement, not escalation.
However, our current engagements between Government and faith leadership are often reactive, crisis-driven, and episodic. This creates an environment where misunderstandings can harden into unnecessary public confrontations.
In this regard, I respectfully propose the establishment of a Presidential Faith and Social Cohesion Roundtable, meeting on a quarterly basis, composed of:
1. The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB),
2. The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ),
3. The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ),
4. Other Faith-based organizations, and
5. Key social ministries of Government.
Such a structured forum would institutionalize dialogue, transform engagement from confrontation to consultation, and provide a consistent platform for moral, social, and national cohesion discourse.
Zambia does not benefit from a polarized moral space. When public institutions and faith leadership drift into open confrontation, the greatest casualty is public trust.
I therefore call upon all stakeholders to recommit themselves to mutual respect, structured dialogue, and collaborative social action. Our people are best served when law walks with conscience, and authority listens to truth.
Zambia needs neither a silent Church nor an intolerant State. Zambia needs partnership, not polarization.
May we continue to choose unity over division, dialogue over discord, and national interest over institutional rivalry.
FODEP WARNS AGAINST PLANS TO DESTABILIZE CHAWAMA AND KASAMA BY-ELECTIONS
The Foundation for Democratic Process –FODEP- has expressed concern over allegations that some political parties are planning to disrupt peaceful campaigns in the upcoming Chawama parliamentary and Kasama mayoral by-elections.
According to the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ-, there are plans by certain parties to deploy hostile cadres to disrupt campaigns in the two areas.
And in an interview with phoenix news, FODEP Executive Director Elijah Rubvuta is appealing to political parties to respect the country’s democracy and peace.
Mr. Rubvuta has stressed that political party leaders must ensure their members preach peace and focus on issue-based campaigns in both Chawama and Kasama, stating that elections are a critical pillar of democracy and should not be disrupted by any individual or group.
He has also urged the ECZ and the Zambia Police to ensure all stakeholders strictly observe the electoral code of conduct.
KAOMA HUBBY BEATS WIFE TO DEATH AFTER SHE DENIED HIM CONJUGAL RIGHTS
A WOMAN of Kaoma District in Western Province has díed after she was allegedly beaten by her husband on New Year’s Day, in a case police say was initially disguised as su!c!de but later confirmed as múrder.
Western Province police commanding officer Rae Hamoonga identified the victim as Kashiba Kahinda, who was allegedly assaulted by her husband, Michael Kahyata, 44, after she declined his demands for conjugal rights.
Kahyata is now in police custody facing a murdèr charge.
Mr Hamoonga said the incident occurred around 17:00 hours in Folkland Township, Kaoma, after Kahinda had returned home from a crossover church service with her children.
“Preliminary investigations and statements from the children indicate that the deceased was múrdered and later hanged,” he said.
According to police, Kahyata was displeased that his wife had spent the night away from home and demanded intimacy, which she refused.
Later in the day, he allegedly assaulted her inside their house. The children attempted to intervene but were threatened.
Mr Hamoonga said the suspect later staged the death to appear as su!c!de, instructing the children to enter the bedroom, where they found their mother hanging.
He then cut the cloth used with scissors, causing the body to fall onto the bed, before informing neighbours that his wife had taken her own life.
Suspicious members of the public attempted to restrain him, but he escaped.
He was apprehended on January 2 in Folkland area by a relative of the deceased and handed over to police.
Venezuela was a “gangster state” and it was “morally right” for the US to send troops and seize its then president Nicolás Maduro, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said earlier.
“President Trump rightly pointed out how destabilising Venezuela is for the region, drug running, human trafficking, harbouring terrorists,” she told the Today programme.
“We can’t just sit back and say there is nothing we can do all the time.”
However, when asked it about Greenland, she said “it is not for sale” and that “we should be even presenting any kind of ambiguity”.
“I think Venezuela is different. I wish there had been another way but I cannot… say anything except I’m glad Maduro is gone,” Badenoch said.
US Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright will meet with oil executives this week to discuss US companies once again standing up drilling for oil in Venezuela, a spokesperson for the Energy Department said.
Wright will meet with the executives at the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech & Utilities Conference in Miami, the spokesperson said. Bloomberg News first reported on Wright’s planned meetings.
The meetings come as much of the industry has been blindsided by President Donald Trump’s decision to capture Nicolás Maduro and his subsequent insistence that private companies would pour billions of dollars into rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, an industry source told CNN.
As of Monday, major companies and trade associations were still waiting to hear from the White House, the industry source said, and had little clarity on what comes next.
These meetings are expected to be the first of many, two energy industry sources said, as Wright faces the difficult task of persuading major oil companies to invest billions of dollars to return to a market where many suffered significant financial losses. One source characterized the effort as nearly impossible.
“With both the geopolitical issues facing the country and with migration out of the country, a lot of the expertise has left the country,” said one oil and gas industry source who has spoken to Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about Venezuela. “One of the objectives the United States is going to face here is just providing basic infrastructure and keeping the lights and water on.”
In other words, standing up a US presence in Venezuela’s oilfields won’t happen overnight, or even in a year, the source said.
“This is probably going to take at least a decade,” the source added.
Company safety is going to be “absolutely paramount and a necessary condition for a necessary level of investment to unfold,” another industry source said.
Former two-time heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was present on Monday at Hendon Cemetery and Crematorium in North London as his close friend and strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami, was laid to rest.
The burial followed an emotional joint Janaza prayer earlier held at the London Central Mosque for Ghami and Joshua’s longtime personal trainer, Abdul Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Both men tragically lost their lives in a fatal car crash in Nigeria, a development that sent shockwaves through the boxing community and among fans of the British-Nigerian boxing star.
Anthony Joshua, visibly somber, arrived quietly at the cemetery to pay his final respects, standing with family, friends, and associates to honour the men who played key roles in his professional journey.
American rapper Cardi B has reacted angrily to a viral claim alleging that her father is a convicted sex offender.
The allegation, which spread rapidly online, claimed that her father was arrested, convicted of attempted rape in the early 1990s, and served jail time in the United States.
Cardi B swiftly shut down the claim, describing it as false and malicious. She stated clearly that her father has never been arrested in the U.S. and stressed that he is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who would have been deported immediately if he had committed such a crime.
The rapper expressed frustration over what she described as deliberate misinformation and accused people of spreading lies just to stir outrage online. She warned against dragging her family into false narratives and said she would not hesitate to respond with real evidence and documented cases of actual offenders if the attacks continue.
The only son of captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro called on his countrymen to take to the streets to protest his father’s arrest, warning that those who betrayed his family will be found.
Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, 35, who was also indicted by the US alongside his father and mother in 2020, remained defiant on Sunday, Jan. 4, as he claimed that he will do whatever possible to free his parents and oppose US-backed rule in Venezuela.
“You will see us in the streets. You will see a united people. You will see us wave the flags of dignity,” Maduro Guerra said in a fiery message, according to El Pais.
“They want to see us weak, but they won’t see us that way,” he added. “…I swear on my life , I swear on my dad, I swear on Cilia, that we’re going to get out of this mess.”
The son of the captured dictator also issued a stark warning to anyone who betrayed his family and leaked the location of his father, saying that it was only a matter of time until the traitors are revealed.
Maduro Guerra, who serves in Venezuela’s National Assembly, is one of several officials still in the country who face US charges over their alleged connections to international drug trafficking operations and money laundering.
Other prominent leaders include Venezuela’s minister of defense, interior minister, and its former chief justice and vice president for the economy.
Maduro Guerra, who is known as “The Prince,” was appointed by his father to serve as “Head of the Corps of Special Inspectors of the Presidency” shortly after the elder Maduro came into power in 2013.
Maduro Guerra has been charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to possess machine guns, according to court documents unsealed on Saturday.
The Department of Justice also alleges that the younger Maduro partnered with narcotics traffickers and narco-terrorist groups that dispatched cocaine shipments to the US, which President Trump claimed k!lled 300,000 people a year.
In 2017 alone, Maduro Guerra allegedly shipped hundreds of pounds of cocaine from Venezuela to Miami, Florida, by shipping containers.
A member of Anthony Joshua’s family has claimed the former heavyweight champion is set to retire from boxing.
Joshua was involved in a fatal crash in Nigeria last Monday when his vehicle crashed into a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun
The 36-year-old escaped with only minor injuries, but his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele d!ed at the scene.
Their funerals took place at a London mosque on Sunday, January 4, with Joshua present to pay his final respects.
Joshua fought just 10 days before last week’s fatal crash, knocking out Jake Paul in Miami on 19 December.
He is yet to speak out on his future in boxing with his promoter, Eddie Hearn, and Matchroom Boxing providing no further comment on their fighter since an initial statement released the night of the accident.
But Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, has now claimed the Briton is ready to walk away from the sport.
‘The major thing there is that he has retired from boxing. That is one thing that makes us glad because each time he’s fighting in the ring, we are always carried away emotionally,’ Adedamola told The Punch.
‘Each time he’s knocked down, it is just like the heart is coming out of our chest. All these emotional feelings whenever he’s fighting, it’s too much trauma for us, also.
‘Now that he has said that he’s leaving while the ovation is highest, we are happy.’
Asked by the publication if Joshua has communicated that decision to the family, Adedamola responded: ‘Yes’.
Prior to the incident, the Briton had beaten Jake Paul in Miami, Florida. There had also been rumours of a seismic, all-British showdown with Tyson Fury that would take place in 2026.
Joshua has won 28 of his 33 fights, suffering defeats on just four occasions.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump amid attacks against alleged drug trafficking in Latin America.
“Come get me,” Petro said. “I’m waiting for you here. Don’t threaten me, I’ll wait for you right here if you want to.”
He continued, “I don’t accept invasions, missiles, or assassinations, only intel. Come speak here with intelligence, and we’ll receive you and talk face-to-face with facts, not lies. Stop getting lied to by Colombian political mafias who condemned us to 700,00 de@ths and made us the world’s most unequal country.”
It comes after Trump appeared to hint at a possible military operation in Colombia, with a brutal two-word comment about the country’s “sick” leader who allegedly peddles cocaine to Americans.
The statement was made just one day after the U.S. executed a special forces raid in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of both Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, over alleged drug trafficking charges.
Following Maduro and Flores’ arrest and extradition to New York City, Trump issued threats of military intervention to other South American countries, including Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico, unless changes were made to address drug trafficking crime.
Trump has since suggested that the U.S. would “takeover” Venezuela amid transition, controlling its lucrative oil industry following Maduro’s arrest.
VENEZUELA DEFENSE MINISTER CONFIRMS A DOZEN OF MADUROS COMMANDOS KILLED CUBANS AMONG THEM DURING US RAID ON CARACAS.
A large portion of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s security detail was killed during a U.S. raid that led to his capture on Saturday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino said in a televised address on Sunday.
Padrino did not provide an exact number of casualties but confirmed that the armed forces had been activated nationwide “to guarantee sovereignty.” He also endorsed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s assumption of the role of interim president.
Also, Cuba said on Monday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the U.S. operation. In a statement posted on Facebook, Cuba’s presidential office said those killed were members of the Cuban Armed Forces and Interior Ministry who had been deployed in Venezuela on official missions.
“Faithful to their responsibilities with security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after ferocious resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombing of facilities,” the statement said.
Havana condemned the U.S. action as a “criminal act of aggression and state terrorism” and said the government would pay tribute to the dead. The raid on Saturday saw U.S. forces arrest and extract Maduro to New York. Venezuelan officials said a significant number of his security personnel were killed during the operation.
The U.S. action followed weeks of increased military deployments in the region and repeated threats by President Donald Trump against Maduro. Speaking after the raid, Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would use leverage gained from its oil blockade and regional military buildup to achieve its policy objectives.
“We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction,” Rubio said.
In a separate statement, Rubio described U.S. restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports as a “quarantine.”
“That means their economy will not be able to move forward until conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met,” he said.
In recent months, the U.S. has seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela and deployed warships and aircraft to the Caribbean.
US President Donald Trump has stated that American oil companies could have an expanded presence in Venezuela within 18 months and might even be “up and running” sooner.
“I think we can do it in less time than that, but it’ll be a lot of money,” Trump told NBC News. “A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”
The comments came shortly after a US military operation Saturday that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump said Americans would have a presence in the country “as it pertains to oil,” but noted that companies would first need to rebuild Venezuela’s crumbling infrastructure before tapping its rich oil reserves.
Currently, Chevron is the only major US oil company operating in Venezuela. ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil left nearly 20 years ago after their assets were nationalized under Hugo Chávez.
“It’ll be a very substantial amount of money,” Trump said of the investments needed. “But they’ll do very well. And the country will do well.” He added that expanded drilling in Venezuela could help reduce oil prices.
Trump also acknowledged that American oil companies were aware the administration had been considering a military operation but said they were not informed in advance.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is scheduled to meet with executives from Exxon and ConocoPhillips later this week to discuss Venezuelan oil, NBC News reported. Wright is leading the administration’s efforts to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
The Trump administration has made a “major mistake” by not working with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado after capturing President Nicolás Maduro, a former US national security adviser told CNN.
John Bolton said Washington’s threw Machado “under the bus.”
“The Venezuelan people, who voted overwhelmingly for the surrogate candidate that was put in for Machado (Edmundo González Urrutia), are wondering: ‘Does the United States not trust or not trust the opposition?’,” he said In an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
Working with the remnants of the Maduro regime, rather than using the opposition to try and take over the government, is “a major turning point and a major mistake,” he said.
“Why are we apparently prepared to engage with somebody we’ve sanctioned before to give an illegitimate regime legitimacy?” he asked, referring to acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
Responding to the Trump administration’s claims that installing Machado as president would be chaotic, as she doesn’t have enough support, Bolton said that the US should have been working with the opposition before its attack on Venezuela.
“They didn’t have to tell them the raid was coming, but they should have been working with the opposition as the Trump administration did in 2018 and 2019, with Juan Guaido, to try and fragment Maduro’s regime, to try and find people inside who would be prepared to defect to the opposition, including military leaders, so that people could have been granted amnesty,” Bolton said.
More about Bolton: Following his term as national security adviser between 2018 and 2019, Bolton has become a prominent critic of Trump. He is currently facing a raft of charges over the transmission and retention of defense information.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she hasn’t spoken to President Donald Trump since October, and vowed to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible.”
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Machado again thanked Trump for “the historical actions he has taken against the narco-terrorist regime.” She said January 3, when the US captured President Nicolás Maduro, “will go down in history as the day justice defeated tyranny.”
In the wake of the capture, Trump said Machado “doesn’t have the support within or the respect” to lead Venezuela and has repeatedly said that the US is in charge of the country.
Senior White House aide Stephen Miller has also dismissed calls for the US to install Machado as president.
“It would be absurd and preposterous for us to suddenly fly her into the country and to put her in charge,” he said Monday, arguing that Venezuela’s military would not view her as legitimate.
The US has instead been working with Maduro-ally and acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has vowed to cooperate.
Machado, who is under a decade-long travel ban, had been in hiding for more than a year but traveled to Oslo, Norway in December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. She left Oslo last month.
Machado defended her decision to dedicate her Peace Prize to Trump on Fox and said she wished she could share her gratitude to him for Maduro’s arrest personally, noting she last spoke with Trump on October 10, when her Nobel win was announced.
The United States has expanded its visa bond policy, pulling seven more countries into a system that requires some travelers to lodge thousands of dollars before they can even apply to enter the country.
Under the latest update from the Trump administration, passport holders from Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan may now be asked to post bonds of up to $15,000 as part of the visa process. Five of the newly added countries are in Africa, deepening concerns about the financial barriers facing applicants from the continent.
With these additions, the total number of affected nations has climbed to 13, all but two of them African. For many prospective travelers, the cost alone places a U.S. visa well beyond reach.
The changes were introduced quietly last week, according to a notice published on the travel.state.gov website. The State Department confirmed that the new designations came into force on Jan. 1.
The bond requirement forms part of a broader push by the Trump administration to further restrict entry into the United States. Other measures already in place include mandatory in-person visa interviews for applicants from all visa-required countries, along with demands for extensive social media histories and detailed records of personal and family travel and residency.
U.S. officials argue that the bonds, which range from $5,000 to $15,000, are intended to deter visa overstays and ensure compliance with immigration rules.
However, posting a bond does not guarantee approval. Applicants who are denied a visa are entitled to a refund, as are successful travelers who later prove they have followed the terms of their stay.
The newly listed countries now join Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, which were added to the bond program in August and October of last year.
A 28-year-old woman from Louisiana, Kristin Bass, is facing a first-degree murd£r charge.
Police say she fatally shot her 1-year-old daughter, Acelynn Moss, inside their home on January 1, 2026.
The child’s father, Bradley Moss, said Bass told him she k!lled the victim because she wanted to “send” their daughter to God.
Police responded to a report of a shooting at a residence on Quelqueshue Street in Sulphur on Thursday, Jan. 1, at about 8:21 p.m. local time, according to a Sulphur Police Department news release.
Upon arriving, authorities discovered that a child had been sh0t and k!lled.
Kristin Bass is being held on a bond of $10 million.
Mother accused of f@tally shooting 1-year-old child to send her to God
The child’s father, Bradley Moss, told Fox 8 that he heard a loud boom the evening of the incident and said he then ran into the room to find Acelynn shot and Bass allegedly holding a gun. He stated that their other child, a 2-year-old girl, was in the room crying for help.
Moss further claimed that Bass told him she shot Acelynn in order to “send her to God,” and that she implied she was planning to shoot their other child as well.
“I almost lost two babies,” he told Fox 8. “I lost one because her mama wanted to send her to God. [My older daughter] said, ‘Help me, Daddy.’ And Kristin said, ‘I just sent our baby to God.’ ”
“She said, ‘Now I gotta get her,’ ” he added, referring to the second child.
A look at Bass’ Facebook account shows that her last post was on Dec. 17, 2025, two weeks before the incident.
In the post, she wrote about her religion and asked for prayers.
She wrote: “I feel like I’ve been living my life in ways opposing my religion. And I hope I haven’t been spreading a false idea of what Christianity is. Don’t be fooled if I’ve been foolish.
“Pray for me. Pray for the people who have seen my imperfect practices.
“Pray for my forgiveness and pray for their clarity. Power in the name of Jesus Christ.”
