Overview
- An investigation cited by regional outlets says Cardinal Pietro Parolin urged a negotiated exit for Nicolás Maduro on Dec. 24 and relayed a reported Russian asylum offer with security guarantees and access to funds.
- According to the Washington Post account, U.S. forces allegedly detained Maduro and his wife about a week later and transferred him to New York on drug charges, with reported heavy casualties that have not been uniformly corroborated.
- Sudan’s conflict reached day 1,000 with intensified fighting in Kordofan and Darfur, as civil groups pressed for accountability for the Muslim Brotherhood and the UN warned of the world’s largest humanitarian emergency and 15 million displaced.
- U.S. envoy Tom Brack reported meetings in Damascus with President Ahmed al‑Shar and Foreign Minister Asaad al‑Sheibani to urge implementation of 2025 accords integrating the SDF, voicing concern over recent Aleppo developments and offering facilitation.
- The UAE spotlighted soft power with Dubai’s Billion Followers Summit awarding a $1 million AI‑film prize to Tunisian director Zubeir Al‑Jalasi, while Saudi Arabia prepared to host the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah on Sunday.