AnObserver
@watchingeurasia.bsky.social
Geopolitics, Finance/Markets, Some Tech & Environmental News Too
‘Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said his government is weighing possible responses after accusing Cambodian forces of firing mortar rounds in Thai territory and breaching a recent ceasefire.’ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Thailand Says Cambodia Breached Ceasefire, Weighs Next Steps
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said his government is weighing possible responses after accusing Cambodian forces of firing mortar rounds in Thai territory and breaching a recent ceasef...
www.bloomberg.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:30 AM
‘Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said his government is weighing possible responses after accusing Cambodian forces of firing mortar rounds in Thai territory and breaching a recent ceasefire.’ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘“We are not occupying a country, this was a law enforcement operation,” US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told an emergency meeting of the Security Council called to discuss the situation in Venezuela.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Does Not Want to Occupy Venezuela, US Tells UN Meeting
The Trump administration does not want to occupy Venezuela, Washington’s envoy to the United Nations said on Monday, as the US faced intense criticism at a meeting to discuss the stunning special forc...
www.bloomberg.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:55 PM
‘“We are not occupying a country, this was a law enforcement operation,” US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told an emergency meeting of the Security Council called to discuss the situation in Venezuela.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that if Donald Trump were to attack the Danish island of Greenland that would mean the end of the NATO alliance.’ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Denmark Says US Attack on Greenland Would Mean End of NATO
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that if Donald Trump were to attack the Danish island of Greenland that would mean the end of the NATO alliance.
www.bloomberg.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:35 PM
‘Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that if Donald Trump were to attack the Danish island of Greenland that would mean the end of the NATO alliance.’ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘Removing a vile, brutal, and corrupt president without a clear transition plan, and relying on his former regime to deliver if for you, is not supporting democracy. It is a prescription for chaos.’ Chris Sabatini on Trump & Venezuela. 1/5
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/04/v...
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/04/v...
Trump Has no Real Plan for Venezuela
The U.S. president is snubbing the democratic opposition.
foreignpolicy.com
January 4, 2026 at 11:30 PM
‘Removing a vile, brutal, and corrupt president without a clear transition plan, and relying on his former regime to deliver if for you, is not supporting democracy. It is a prescription for chaos.’ Chris Sabatini on Trump & Venezuela. 1/5
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/04/v...
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/04/v...
‘…if there is one thing we have learned over the past quarter-century, it is much easier to topple tyrants than to build stable and secure societies afterward.’ Max Boot on the aftermath of Trump’s operation in Venezuela. 1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Trump claims the U.S. will ‘run’ Venezuela. What’s the plan?
The raid to nab Maduro was brilliantly executed. The aftermath could get extremely messy.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:35 PM
‘…if there is one thing we have learned over the past quarter-century, it is much easier to topple tyrants than to build stable and secure societies afterward.’ Max Boot on the aftermath of Trump’s operation in Venezuela. 1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
450 million tons of plastics were produced in 2025. ‘If all of those plastics eventually turn into tiny microplastics, the planet will be facing one of the most prolific forms of pollution ever — and one that we know very little about.’ www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
What we learned about microplastics in 2025
The year has been full of scary details about the tiny particles. Here’s what we know now.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:25 PM
450 million tons of plastics were produced in 2025. ‘If all of those plastics eventually turn into tiny microplastics, the planet will be facing one of the most prolific forms of pollution ever — and one that we know very little about.’ www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
‘The Ukraine war is the ultimate test case because it is not merely a border dispute. It is a referendum on whether conquest is back — openly, unapologetically — in 21st-century geopolitics.’ 1/3
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Ukraine’s fate in 2026 will define the international order
A flimsy peace would legitimize conquest. A durable one could still salvage deterrence.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:15 PM
‘The Ukraine war is the ultimate test case because it is not merely a border dispute. It is a referendum on whether conquest is back — openly, unapologetically — in 21st-century geopolitics.’ 1/3
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
‘…if Beijing has been watching closely, perhaps that’s because Trump’s tactics — blockading a hostile country, decapitating its leadership — could ultimately be useful against Taiwan.’ This is possibly the biggest threat the world faces today. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
A US Venezuela Victory May Help China Gain an Edge
The daring raid that snagged Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was an awesome display of the capabilities that make the US military the world’s best by far. It serves as proof that President Donald ...
www.bloomberg.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:40 AM
‘…if Beijing has been watching closely, perhaps that’s because Trump’s tactics — blockading a hostile country, decapitating its leadership — could ultimately be useful against Taiwan.’ This is possibly the biggest threat the world faces today. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
On US interventions in Latin America: ‘In other remarks Saturday, the president also suggested that he could soon move militarily against Mexico and Colombia—telling reporters that Colombian President Gustavo Petro has to “watch his ass.”’ 1/8 foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/03/t...
Trump Sets a Devastating Precedent in Venezuela
Will Russia and China now assume they can do the same in Europe and Asia?
foreignpolicy.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:35 PM
On US interventions in Latin America: ‘In other remarks Saturday, the president also suggested that he could soon move militarily against Mexico and Colombia—telling reporters that Colombian President Gustavo Petro has to “watch his ass.”’ 1/8 foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/03/t...
‘RAF Typhoons joined French aircraft in a joint strike on Saturday evening on an underground facility in Syria which had been occupied by ISIS, most likely to store weapons and explosives, the Ministry of Defence said.’ www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
UK and France carry out strikes against ISIS target in Syria
The strike was on an underground facility in Syria which had been occupied by ISIS
www.independent.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 11:15 PM
‘RAF Typhoons joined French aircraft in a joint strike on Saturday evening on an underground facility in Syria which had been occupied by ISIS, most likely to store weapons and explosives, the Ministry of Defence said.’ www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
‘Venezuelans around the US celebrated the downfall of Nicolás Maduro, expressing hope for the future of their country even as uncertainty swirls after the longtime leader’s forced removal and arrest by US forces.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Venezuelans in US Rejoice at Maduro Exit Even as Doubts Remain
Venezuelans around the US celebrated the downfall of Nicolás Maduro, expressing hope for the future of their country even as uncertainty swirls after the longtime leader’s forced removal and arrest by...
www.bloomberg.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:45 PM
‘Venezuelans around the US celebrated the downfall of Nicolás Maduro, expressing hope for the future of their country even as uncertainty swirls after the longtime leader’s forced removal and arrest by US forces.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump is about to speak to Americans and the world following his decapitation of Venezuela’s Maduro regime. www.youtube.com/live/ezYNnFE...
LIVE: Trump speaks after US strikes Venezuela and captures Maduro
YouTube video by Associated Press
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Trump is about to speak to Americans and the world following his decapitation of Venezuela’s Maduro regime. www.youtube.com/live/ezYNnFE...
On this day 6 years ago: ‘On 3 January 2020, Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian major general, was killed by an American drone strike ordered by U.S. president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, while travelling to meet Iraqi prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.’
January 3, 2026 at 3:10 PM
On this day 6 years ago: ‘On 3 January 2020, Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian major general, was killed by an American drone strike ordered by U.S. president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, while travelling to meet Iraqi prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.’
‘Mr. Miller told officials that if the United States and Venezuela were at war, the Trump administration could again invoke the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law, to expedite deportations of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans the administration stripped of temporary protected status.’ 1/2
January 3, 2026 at 2:50 PM
‘Mr. Miller told officials that if the United States and Venezuela were at war, the Trump administration could again invoke the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law, to expedite deportations of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans the administration stripped of temporary protected status.’ 1/2
More insider trading detected. This account was created in December. They just made a killing betting on this Venezuela operation.
January 3, 2026 at 10:25 AM
More insider trading detected. This account was created in December. They just made a killing betting on this Venezuela operation.
Live coverage on the US intervention in Venezuela via @dwnews. www.youtube.com/live/LuKwFaj...
DW News livestream | Headline news from around the world
YouTube video by DW News
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Live coverage on the US intervention in Venezuela via @dwnews. www.youtube.com/live/LuKwFaj...
Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of Venezuela. Let’s hope this new era is a brighter one. abcnews.go.com/Internationa...
Live updates: Trump says US carried out strikes on Venezuela; Maduro and his wife 'captured'
Several explosions were heard around 2 a.m. local time Saturday in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas, witnesses said.
abcnews.go.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:45 AM
Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of Venezuela. Let’s hope this new era is a brighter one. abcnews.go.com/Internationa...
‘There were numerous near-simultaneous reports of explosions in several places in Caracas, including military installations.’
Has the intervention begun?
www.bbc.com/news/live/c5...
Has the intervention begun?
www.bbc.com/news/live/c5...
Venezuela latest: Explosions heard as smoke rises in Caracas
Footage appears to show smoke rising in multiple locations in the Venezuelan capital.
www.bbc.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:30 AM
‘There were numerous near-simultaneous reports of explosions in several places in Caracas, including military installations.’
Has the intervention begun?
www.bbc.com/news/live/c5...
Has the intervention begun?
www.bbc.com/news/live/c5...
‘The US State Department said China’s military drills around Taiwan had “unnecessarily” raised tensions and urged Beijing to cease military pressure against the self-ruled island, after President Donald Trump initially shrugged off concerns.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
US Says China’s Taiwan Drills ‘Unnecessarily’ Raised Tensions
The US State Department said China’s military drills around Taiwan had “unnecessarily” raised tensions and urged Beijing to cease military pressure against the self-ruled island, after President Donal...
www.bloomberg.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:45 AM
‘The US State Department said China’s military drills around Taiwan had “unnecessarily” raised tensions and urged Beijing to cease military pressure against the self-ruled island, after President Donald Trump initially shrugged off concerns.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
On Iran’s biggest protests since 2022: ‘Though the protests started as demonstrations against deteriorating living conditions, they have widened to express grievances at the way Iran is being governed.’ 1/2 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
‘We want the mullahs gone’: economic crisis sparks biggest protests in Iran since 2022
Demonstrations against deteriorating living conditions have widened to include criticism of how Iran is governed
www.theguardian.com
January 1, 2026 at 12:15 AM
On Iran’s biggest protests since 2022: ‘Though the protests started as demonstrations against deteriorating living conditions, they have widened to express grievances at the way Iran is being governed.’ 1/2 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
‘CME Group will raise margins on precious-metal futures for the second time in the space of a week following a volatile period of trading that saw prices spike then retreat.’ Silver is down 5.5%. Last time they did this in 2011 silver tanked 30%. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
CME Hikes Precious-Metal Margins Again After Wild Price Swings
CME Group will raise margins on precious-metal futures for the second time in the space of a week following a volatile period of trading that saw prices spike then retreat.
www.bloomberg.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:05 AM
‘CME Group will raise margins on precious-metal futures for the second time in the space of a week following a volatile period of trading that saw prices spike then retreat.’ Silver is down 5.5%. Last time they did this in 2011 silver tanked 30%. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘Saudi Arabia told the United Arab Emirates to withdraw its forces from Yemen and halt support for armed groups there, escalating tensions between the oil-rich allies over the conflict in the divided nation.’ Within 24 hours! www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Saudi-Led Coalition Hits Weapons in Yemen Coming From UAE Port
Saudi Arabia told the United Arab Emirates to withdraw its forces from Yemen and halt support for armed groups there, escalating tensions between the oil-rich allies over the conflict in the divided n...
www.bloomberg.com
December 30, 2025 at 2:20 PM
‘Saudi Arabia told the United Arab Emirates to withdraw its forces from Yemen and halt support for armed groups there, escalating tensions between the oil-rich allies over the conflict in the divided nation.’ Within 24 hours! www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘China said it would hold military maneuvers around Taiwan that would include live-fire drills, a move that comes after the US announced one of its biggest arms packages ever for the self-run democracy.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
China to Hold Military Drills Around Taiwan After US Arms Deal
China said it would hold military maneuvers around Taiwan that would include live-fire drills, a move that comes after the US announced one of its biggest arms packages ever for the self-run democracy...
www.bloomberg.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:55 AM
‘China said it would hold military maneuvers around Taiwan that would include live-fire drills, a move that comes after the US announced one of its biggest arms packages ever for the self-run democracy.’ 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
‘Russian submarines are secretly being deployed alongside Moscow’s best-known spy ship to map critical undersea infrastructure around Britain, raising fears of potential sabotage.’ This isn’t the only time this has happened… 1/8 www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...
Russian submarine followed spy ship into British waters
A newly declassified image of the encounter has been released to The Sunday Times
www.thetimes.com
December 28, 2025 at 1:45 AM
‘Russian submarines are secretly being deployed alongside Moscow’s best-known spy ship to map critical undersea infrastructure around Britain, raising fears of potential sabotage.’ This isn’t the only time this has happened… 1/8 www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...