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Brazil to send national guard near border with Venezuela

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A child rides a bike in front of a mural depicting independence hero Simon Bolivar at the border between Venezuela and Brazil in Pacaraima, Roraima on January 5, 2026 [Aljazeera]

Brazil plans to send national guard troops to northern Roraima state, which borders Venezuela and has a strong presence of illegal armed groups who traffic drugs and mine illegally on both sides of the international boundary, according to a government decree.

In an official decree published on Thursday, the government authorised an unspecified number of National Public Security Force (FNSP) troops to be sent to Pacaraima, as well as Roraima’s capital, Boa Vista, about 213km (132 miles) from the border.

The move comes after the US on Saturday bombed Venezuela and abducted its president, Nicolas Maduro. On Sunday, Brazil temporarily closed its border with Venezuela near Pacaraima.

The decree said the FNSP will support the state’s public security agencies and operate in ways “essential to the preservation of public order and the safety of people and property”.

Brazilian media reported on Wednesday that Venezuela was reinforcing its military presence on the border, and multiple armed groups, including Venezuelan colectivos and Brazilian gangs like the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command (CV), operate in the area.

Gimena Sanchez, Andes director for the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), told Al Jazeera that Brazil’s deployment of guard troops to the border is an “appropriate move”. She said that violence caused by Colombian rebel groups active in Venezuela is pushing the population further south towards Brazil.

She added it “makes sense for Brazil to reinforce the border”, but noted there still has notbeen a mass displacement of Venezuelans.

Brazil has been a fierce critic of the US attacks. On the social media platform X, its president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said the US had crossed an “unacceptable line”.

Asked whether President Lula’s comments could provoke Washington, Sanchez said that the US is more concerned with Cuba, Mexico and Colombia at the moment. “Given that context and also that some European countries as well condemned it, I don’t think Brazil is at risk of being the focus of ire of the Trump administration,” she concluded.

[Aljazeera]



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USA allrounder Isani Vaghela suspended from bowling

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Isani Vaghela won't be bowling in international cricket until she submits a re-assessment of her action (Cricinfo)

USA allrounder Isani Vaghela has been suspended from bowling in international cricket after the ICC found her action to be illegal.

The ICC made the decision after match officials reported her bowling in USA Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier match against Ireland.

The ICC’s Event Panel reviewed footage of Vaghela’s bowling in USA’s next game, a win against Papua New Guinea, and concluded that her action was illegal.

Her suspension will remain until she corrects her bowling action and appears for a reassessment.

Vaghela, a 20-year old medium pacer, had made her T20I debut in 2021 and played her first ODI in 2024. She has played 39 T20Is and taken 31 wickets, and has four wickets in six ODIs so far.

USA finished the Super Six stage of the qualifying tournament with one win, and failed to make the cut, with Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands qualifying for the women’s T20 World Cup in June-July in England and Wales.

(Cricinfo)

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Iran’s supreme leader warns of regional war if US attacks

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Iran is due to hold live fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz (BBC)

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack on his country would spark a regional conflict, as the US continues to build up its forces nearby.

“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Donald Trump earlier said Iran was in “serious discussions” and he hoped they would lead to something “acceptable”, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN he was “confident that we can achieve a deal” on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran over its nuclear ambitions and after its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

(BBC)

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India qualify for Under-19 World Cup semi-finals, Pakistan knocked out

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Ayush Mhatre took three wickets for India Under-19 (Cricinfo)

Pakistan Under 19 neither succeeded in qualifying for the semi-under 1final nor managed a win against India Under 19 in the  last Super Sixes match of the Under 19 World Cup. Two absolute points and significant net-run-rate points behind India, Pakistan needed to chase down the target of 253 in 33.3 overs, but they never quite went for that outrageous chase on a difficult surface with variable bounce. However, as the game got deeper, the pitch got more and more difficult to bat on, scuttling even the regulation chase, which looked good till 33.3 overs.

India needed a win to end as their group leaders and thus get Afghanistan in the semi-final in Harare while a defeat after 33.3 overs would have pitted them against Australia on the same tired square in the semi-final in Bulawayo. In the end, the depth in India’s line-up trumped Pakistan, who had looked dominant in the early goings in both the innings.

Pakistan had India down at 47 for 3 and 200 for 7, but just couldn’t restrict them to a manageable chase. Vedant Trivedi  shored India up with 68 off 98, and then the lower order all contributed: No. 8 Kanishk Chouhan scored 35, No. 7  RS Ambrish hung around for 29, and even No. 9 Khilan Patel  hit 21 off 15. It didn’t help that Pakistan were slow in the field, and had to bowl the last four overs with an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle: 39 runs came off these overs even though India didn’t have wickets in hand.

With the bat, Pakistan got off to a sprightly start, but the dip in quality of batting was quite steep after No. 4. That’s possibly why they didn’t go all out for the qualification. India, on the other hand, had plenty of defensive spin options, which proved to be valuable on a pitch that offered them a lot of turn in the afternoon.

India will look back at a game in which they were tactically superior even though the opposition dominated the early goings. They read the conditions better, deciding to bat first, but it never came to pass as Pakistan won the toss and decided to chase anyway. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi went after the new ball during his 30 off 22, but when they lost three wickets for the score of 47, Trivedi and Vihaan Malhotra dug in, knowing any score over 200 would make it extremely difficult for any outrageous chase. Even with the ball, they bowled defensively to first make sure they qualified and just burst through the narrow opening provided when Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf was caught at long-on to make it 151 for 3 in 29.4 overs.

The collapse after that was spectacular – 8 for 43 – with the ball turning square and India using their part-time spinners against a left-hand dominated batting order. While Chouhan, who started early, ended with figures of 10-1-30-1, captain Ayush Mhatre picked up three wickets to go with one for Malhotra. Khilan, whose hitting pushed India past 250 earlier, took three bonus wickets.

Pakistan will rue their indiscipline with the ball and in the field, and indecision with the bat. The intent against the new ball wasn’t absolute. One Henil Patel got Sameer Minhas out early, they understandably needed to be a little circumspect, but you would have expected them to turn this into a T20. At 13.3 overs, they needed 174 in 20 overs with nine wickets in hand if they were to qualify, but they never put India under pressure. They took only what was on offer, and Chouhan didn’t offer much.

However, during the 63-run third-wicket stand between Usman Khan and Yousaf, Pakistan looked like they were the favourites for a regulation win. Yousaf picked a slower ball from Ambrish, tried to hit his third six, but couldn’t clear long-on. That is when India started to tighten the noose, and choked Pakistan out of the game.

Brief scores:

India Under-19 252 in 49.5 overs (Vedant Trivedi 68, Kanishk Chouhan 35; Abdul Subhan 3-33) beat Pakistan Under-19 194 in 46.2 overs  (Usman Khan  66, Hamza Zahoor 42; Ayush Mhatre 3-21, Khilan Patel  3-35)by 58 runs

(Cricinfo)

 

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