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Pyongyang accelerates conventional military modernisation amid nuclear lull, M23 withdraws from Uvira, and the Trump administration approves a $10bn arms package for Taiwan.

Our lead story examines Washington’s claim over Venezuela’s oil, assessing the gulf between U.S. rhetoric and international law.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇸🇩 🇪🇬 Egypt mulls Sudan intervention: Egypt has warned that any attempt to undermine Sudan’s state institutions or territorial unity constitutes a “red line,” signalling it could act under a joint defence agreement as RSF atrocities escalate. Following talks between President Sisi and Sudan’s leader Burhan, Cairo framed Sudan’s stability as integral to Egypt’s national security and rejected parallel authorities, territorial division, or interference in Sudan’s resources.

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Major Story

🇻🇪 🇺🇸 WASHINGTON’S RHETORIC VERSUS INTERNATIONAL LAW ON VENEZUELA’S OIL

Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller has reignited controversy by suggesting that Venezuela’s oil “belongs” to the United States, echoing President Donald Trump’s declaration of a blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments. The remarks come amid an expanded U.S. military posture in the Caribbean and a series of lethal maritime strikes Washington claims target drug trafficking—assertions Caracas and critics say mask an effort to exert pressure for regime change and resource control.

Why the Claim Is Being Made

Miller argues that U.S. capital and expertise built Venezuela’s oil industry and that subsequent nationalisation amounted to an unlawful seizure of American property. Historically, U.S. firms did play a central role in developing Venezuela’s oil sector in the early twentieth century, particularly after major discoveries around Lake Maracaibo. But that era ended decisively in 1976, when Venezuela nationalised its oil industry and established the state-owned company PDVSA, a move consistent with global norms at the time and followed by many resource-producing states.

What the Law Actually Says

Under international law, Washington has no claim to Venezuela’s oil. The principle of Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources, enshrined in a 1962 UN General Assembly resolution, affirms that states have exclusive rights over the resources within their territory. Nationalisation, even when it disadvantages foreign firms, is legal provided compensation mechanisms exist. Whatever the political grievances between Washington and Caracas, resource ownership is not in dispute in legal terms: Venezuela owns its oil.

Sanctions, Leverage, and Reality

U.S. sanctions, first imposed in the mid-2000s and expanded sharply after 2017, have crippled Venezuela’s oil exports and forced Caracas to redirect sales toward China and a handful of other buyers. Today, Chevron remains the only U.S. firm operating in Venezuela, under tightly controlled joint ventures and special licences. Trump’s rhetoric signals a more openly transactional approach to diplomacy, but turning political pressure into sovereign ownership would mark a clear breach of international law, and a dangerous precedent well beyond Venezuela.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇰🇵 🇰🇷 Pyongyang accelerates conventional military buildup amid nuclear pause: North Korea has sharply intensified modernisation of its conventional forces, unveiling new warships, upgraded tanks, AI-enabled drones, artillery, and air defence systems. Backed by Russian funding, technology, and battlefield experience from the Ukraine war, Pyongyang is narrowing gaps in its conventional capabilities, reinforcing deterrence against South Korea without immediate nuclear escalation. 

2️⃣ 🇨🇩 🇷🇼 M23 withdraws from Uvira: The Rwanda-backed M23 militia has begun pulling its forces out of the strategic town of Uvira in eastern DRC, saying the move follows a request from U.S. mediators seeking to salvage a fragile peace process. The withdrawal comes days after M23’s capture of the town threatened to derail a U.S.-brokered agreement between Kinshasa and Kigali.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇹🇼 Trump administration approves $10bn arms package for Taiwan: The Trump administration has authorised more than $10bn in arms sales to Taiwan, including missiles, artillery systems, drones, and advanced military software, prompting a sharp backlash from Beijing. Washington says the package is intended to bolster Taiwan’s defensive deterrence and regional stability, while China condemned the move as a violation of bilateral understandings.

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