Hello and welcome back,

US President Donald Trump has issued fresh threats toward Colombia, commented on Cuba’s stability, and warned Mexico over drug trafficking, underscoring a more confrontational tone from Washington.

Elsewhere, North Korea has overseen new hypersonic missile tests, South Korea is seeking to reset ties with China, deadly violence has hit northern Nigeria, and a suspected extremist attack has knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes in Berlin.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇩🇰🇺🇸🇬🇱 Danish PM urges Trump to stop Greenland threats: Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the United States has no right to annex Greenland and urged Washington to stop what she described as threats against a close ally. Her remarks followed renewed US rhetoric and symbolism about Greenland, which is self-governing under Denmark and covered by NATO security guarantees.

2️⃣ 🇰🇵🚀 Kim oversees hypersonic missile tests citing geopolitical crisis: North Korean state media said Kim Jong Un oversaw hypersonic missile test launches and stressed the need to strengthen the country’s nuclear deterrent amid what he called a recent geopolitical crisis and complex international circumstances. KCNA said the missiles struck targets about 1,000km away, while a South Korean analyst described the test as an apparent response to recent US strikes on Venezuela, a link not confirmed by Pyongyang.

3️⃣ 🇰🇷🇨🇳 South Korea’s Lee to meet Xi amid bid to reset ties: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing as he seeks to repair strained relations with Seoul’s largest trading partner. The talks are expected to cover regional security, economic ties, cultural restrictions, Taiwan and North Korea.

4️⃣ 🇾🇪 Yemen government says it retook Hadramout: Yemen’s internationally recognised government said it regained control of Hadramout, with Governor Salem al-Khanbashi resuming duties from Seiyun after government-aligned Homeland Shield forces entered Mukalla, al-Rayyan airport and other areas. Officials said resistance pockets were eliminated and some STC-linked forces surrendered or withdrew, claims that could not be independently verified.

5️⃣ 📈🌍 Markets mixed after US capture of Maduro: Global markets showed a mixed reaction after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with oil prices edging higher and precious metals rising as investors reacted to geopolitical uncertainty. Asian equities mostly advanced, US futures were mixed, and analysts said Venezuela’s oil sector would require significant time and investment to substantially increase output.

Major Story

🇺🇸🇨🇴🇨🇺 Trump threatens Colombia’s Petro, comments on Cuba’s stability:

US President Donald Trump said he believed Colombia was “very sick,” criticised President Gustavo Petro, and said a US military operation against Colombia “sounds good” to him, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. He also said a military intervention in Cuba was unlikely, claiming the country “looks like it’s ready to fall” due to the loss of income previously received from Venezuela. 

Trump’s remarks followed the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, whom he said would face drug-related charges in New York, and he insisted the US was “in charge” of Venezuela despite the appointment of an interim leader there. He additionally warned Mexico to “get their act together” over drug trafficking, saying he had repeatedly offered to send US troops while also describing Mexico’s president positively.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇪🇸🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇲🇽🇺🇾 Spain and Latin American states reject US action in Venezuela: Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay issued a joint statement rejecting the US military operation that removed Nicolás Maduro, saying it violated international law and set a dangerous precedent. The countries also warned against any external control or exploitation of Venezuela’s natural resources following US comments about running the country on an interim basis.

2️⃣ 🇳🇬 Gunmen kill dozens in northern Nigeria village raid: Nigerian police said gunmen attacked Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger state, killing at least 30 people, abducting others and burning a market and homes. Residents and church officials reported higher death tolls and said some victims remained missing, contradicting police statements on security deployments.

3️⃣ 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Ukrainian drones target Moscow, Russia says: Russia’s Defence Ministry said air defences intercepted 132 Ukrainian drones overnight, including several headed for Moscow, triggering temporary flight restrictions at Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports. The claims, which could not be independently verified, said drones were also downed across multiple Russian regions and that no casualties or damage were reported.

4️⃣ 🇩🇪 Berlin power outage after suspected extremist attack: German authorities said a suspected arson attack damaged high-voltage power lines near the Teltow Canal in southwest Berlin, cutting electricity, heating and internet to around 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses, and described it as politically motivated by left-wing extremists. While some power has been restored, officials said tens of thousands could remain without electricity until Thursday, and police are investigating an unverified letter in which an anarchist group claimed responsibility.

Weekly Updates?

Want weekly updates as well as daily?

Subscribe to our sister publication Geopolitics Weekly here ⤵️

Our Shop

^{Support us:}

Patreon

^Products:

Ukraine Phone Wallpaper Pack

^{Books we recommend:}

Prisoners of Geography

The Revenge of Geography

The World: A Brief Introduction

The Shock Doctrine

Sea Power

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics