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US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela’s Maduro

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The US has announced an increased $25m (£20.4m) reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.

The inauguration ceremony was overshadowed by recrimination from the international community and Venezuelan opposition leaders.

Rewards have also been offered for information leading to the arrest and or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. A new reward of up to $15m for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has also been offered.

The UK also issued sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges, members of the security forces and military officials.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said those sanctioned were responsible for “undermining democracy, the rule of law, and human rights violations”.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy went on to describe Maduro’s regime as “fraudulent”.

Also on Friday, the EU said it was extending “restrictive measures” against Venezuela because of “the lack of progress… leading to the restoration of democracy and the rule of law”. The bloc also sanctioned a further 15 Venezuelan officials.

Canada also imposed fresh sanctions in what Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called Maduro’s “shameless actions”.

Joly said Canada “will not tolerate the erosion of the democratic process or the repression of citizens seeking to express their rights”.

Maduro and his government have repeatedly denounced many of the allegations made by Western countries and opposition leaders.

The reward from the US cites narcotics and corruption charges dating back to 2020.

In 2020, the US changed Maduro and other senior officials  in the country with “narco-terrorism”.

It accused them of flooding the US with cocaine and using drugs as a weapon to undermine the health of Americans.

Maduro has rejected the accusations. The US also re-imposed oil sanctions last year, after temporarily easing them in the hope Maduro could be incentivised to hold free and fair elections.

The Venezuelan president has blamed an economic collapse in his country on US-led sanctions he calls illegitimate and imperial. His critics blame corruption and economic mismanagement.

On Friday, President Maduro took the oath of office, vowing his third six-year term in office would be a “period of peace”.

“This new presidential term will be the period of peace, prosperity, equality, and the new democracy,” he said.

“I swear by history, I swear by my life, and I will fulfil it,” he added.

The 28 July election results were widely rejected by the international community, including by Brazil and Colombia, some of Venezuela’s left-wing neighbours.

(BBC)



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Cabinet appoints ministerial committee to submit report on sanctions imposed on 04 Sri Lankans by the United Kingdom

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Attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals recently, and have decided to appoint a committee comprised of three ministers  to submit a report with recommendations on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain the service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.

The committee will comprise of :

– Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

– Attorney – at – Law  Harshana Nanayakkara Minister of Justice and National Integrity

– Aruna Jayasekara Deputy Minister of Defence

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Cabinet nod to establish a regional office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Jaffna

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The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to establish a regional office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration within the Jaffna District Secretariat premises this month.

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US attacks kill 4 in Yemen as second aircraft carrier sent to Middle East

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[file pic] The USS Carl Vinson anchored at Tien Sa Port in Danang, Vietnam, in 2018 [Al jazeera]

Four people have been reported killed in attacks by the United States on Yemen’s Hodeidah region,  the latest deadly strikes against Houthi forces as the US announced the deployment of a second aircraft carrier and more warplanes to the Middle East.

Anees Alasbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi health minister, said three people were confirmed killed in the US attack on Tuesday night but that the death toll was preliminary.

“The American attack, which targeted the water management building in the district of al-Mansouriyah in the governorate of Hodeidah with several strikes on Tuesday resulted in three deaths and two injuries, mostly employees,” Alasbahi said.

The Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV later reported that the death toll had risen to four. Local media reported that the Hajjah region in the northwest and Saada in the north had also been attacked.

The US has not confirmed that it carried out the attacks, which came after Al Masirah TV reported multiple US attacks hitting the Saada and Sanaa regions. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the Monday night attacks.

More than 60 people have been killed in Yemen since Washington launched a military offensive on March 15 against Houthi forces. The Yemeni armed group had threatened to renew attacking Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire in Gaza.

[Aljazeera]

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