 "Venezuela's captured President Nicolas Maduro was first presented in a New York court in January. File image/Reuters")
What’s in store for the day? There’s a lot expected to happen — Nicolas Maduro, the former Venezuelan president who was captured by US forces will appear in US court.
There’s also speculation that Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, would be travelling to Pakistan amid the war to hold talks with the Iranian side. However, US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was quoted as saying that it was a “fluid situation” and that “speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced” by the White House. “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the US will not negotiate through the press,” Leavitt added.
Apart from this, Nepal’s new Prime Minister Balen Shah will be sworn in today. Also, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will meet Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Madrid.
Maduro to appear in US court
Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro will be presented in a New York court today. This appearance comes after the former Venezuelan leader had appeared in court on January 5 where he pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
During that appearance, Maduro repeatedly said: “I’m innocent. I am not guilty of anything.”
Maduro, 63, is charged in a federal indictment with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. He has previously denied the allegations.
Nepal to administer oath to newly elected lawmakers
Nepal’s newly elected members of the House of Representatives will be administered the oath today. Parliament Secretary-General Padma Prasad Pandey said the oath-taking ceremony will be formally scheduled after the Election Commission submits its final report.
In accordance with parliamentary procedure, the oath will be administered by the senior-most member of parliament.
The ceremony will take place in a hall prepared inside the under-construction federal parliament building in Singha Durbar. Although the building is not yet complete, a section has been made ready for temporary use.
Quick Reads
View AllG7 foreign ministers’ meeting
The G7 foreign ministers’ meeting will be held today at Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay, France. The meet is intended to strengthen international cooperation on global economic and security challenges.
The foreign ministers will discuss continued support for Ukraine, the situation in West Asia, the Indo-Pacific and other regional issues, including Haiti and Sudan. The G7 foreign ministers will also work toward greater coordination with partners on global governance, reconstruction and crosscutting threats.
Canada’s Foreign Minister said that the meeting will have detailed discussions on diplomatic efforts related to the war in Iran.
Chile students march to protest far-right president
Thousands of students are set to march in Chile to protest against the freshly-inaugurated president, the far-right politician José Antonio Kast. Earlier, Kast has announced a budget cut of three per cent across all ministries.
Earlier, on Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets of Santiago to protest President José Antonio Kast’s environmental rollbacks since taking office earlier this month. Kast’s government halted over 40 environmental protections that had been drafted during the previous administration of leftist Gabriel Boric.
With inputs from agencies