$25M reward offered by the US for the arrest of Maduro

The US has announced an increased $25 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The announcement was made on the day Maduro 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.

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

A new reward of up to $15-million 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.

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.

The bloc also sanctioned 15 Venezuelan officials.

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

Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha responds to President Elect Trump

Panama has insisted that its sovereignty over the Panama Canal is non-negotiable after US President-elect Donald Trump expressed interest in seizing it.

Trump made the remark during a news conference on Tuesday at which he also falsely stated that the Panama Canal was being operated by Chinese soldiers.

Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha responded by saying that the only hands operating the canal are Panamanian and that is how it is going to stay.

The Panama Canal was managed by the US for decades before being handed over to the Panamanians on December 31, 1999 under a treaty signed by the late US President Jimmy Carter.

In his news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump described President Carter’s decision to hand the canal back as a big mistake.

He also expressed renewed interest in buying the Arctic island of Greenland – which is a self-governing territory of Denmark.

Panama’s foreign minister denies his country had received any kind of offer from Trump.

US records its first death from bird flu.

The USA has recorded its first human death from bird flu.

The person is said to have had underlying medical problems and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.

The deceased is an elderly resident of Louisiana who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms.

State health officials announced the death on Monday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it was the nation’s first death due to bird flu.

They said a genetic analysis had suggested the bird flu virus had mutated inside the patient, which could have led to the more severe illness.

According to reporting from the Associated Press, 66 confirmed bird flu infections have been reported in the US since March.

It says previous illnesses have been mild and most have been detected among farm workers exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows.

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS

Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as party leader after serving in the post for nearly a decade. Mr Trudeau announced at a news conference today that he will stay on as PM until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen.