Venezuelan lawmakers on Thursday began debating plans to throw open the country's lucrative oil sector to private investors, paving the way for the return of US energy majors as pushed by President Donald Trump.
The United States' grab for Venezuela's oil, while shocking, may yet provide a short-term boost for the South American nation's haggard economy.
European leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief Thursday after President Donald Trump's climbdown over Greenland -- but with few illusions about the perilous state of transatlantic ties as they huddled for summit talks in Brussels.
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Sports
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the two-time Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion and the second fastest woman ever in the flat 400m, announced on Thursday that she is expecting a child.
January 22, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Injuries have forced two changes in South Africa’s squad for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.
January 22, 2026
RECENT NEWS
A day after US President Donald Trump and NATO's chief purportedly struck a deal on Greenland, residents expressed anger and frustration that the Danish territory was again being sidelined in talks about its future.
January 22, 2026
Kenya's ex-marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei told AFP on Thursday that she and four other Kenyans will compete for Turkey at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
January 22, 2026
"Sinners" set a new Oscars record with 16 nominations on Thursday, but that was not the only surprise from the Academy's announcement.
January 22, 2026
Boulevard
Germany summoned Russia's ambassador Thursday and ordered the expulsion of a Russian diplomat suspected of being the handler of a woman arrested on espionage charges the previous day.
January 22, 2026
RECENT NEWS
The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday warned Washington that the force had its "finger on the trigger" in the wake of mass protests, as US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic still appeared interested in talks.
Shellshocked European leaders headed to Brussels summit talks Thursday breathing a collective sigh of relief after President Donald Trump's climbdown over Greenland -- but with few illusions about the perilous state of transatlantic ties.
A neighbourhood association is taking the owners of Real Madrid's football stadium to court over noise pollution from concerts, according to a court document seen by AFP on Thursday.
Vampire period horror film "Sinners" smashed the all-time Oscars record with 16 nominations, the Academy announced Thursday.
January 22, 2026
Boulevard
South Africa's iconic Kruger National Park suffered major damage to critical infrastructure in recent flooding, with the cost of repairs estimated to run over 30 million dollars, officials said Thursday.
January 22, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Francesco Molinari powered into a two-shot lead after the first day of the Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday, as four-time champion Rory McIlroy stumbled to an over-par round.
Lens coach Pierre Sage says he is waiting for champions Paris Saint-Germain to turn on the after-burners as the surprise Ligue 1 pace-setters bid for a ninth straight league win to maintain their championship lead.
US officials on Thursday presented their vision for a "New Gaza" that would turn the shattered Palestinian territory into a glitzy resort of skyscrapers by the sea, a project that could start emerging in three years.
A deadly storm this week dumped nearly six months of rain on the Greek capital Athens in less than a day, one of the country's top weather experts told AFP on Thursday.
January 22, 2026
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