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US President Donald Trump summoned his top national security officials to the White House on Monday to discuss Venezuela, as tensions rise over potential military action by Washington.The meeting in the Oval Office comes as Trump piles pressure on President Nicolas Maduro with a major naval build-up in the Caribbean and ominous warnings to avoid Venezuelan airspace.”I will confirm that the president will be meeting with his national security team on this subject and on many matters,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing when asked by AFP about reports of the meeting.Leavitt would not say whether Trump would reach a final decision after months of tensions with Caracas, saying she was “definitely not going to detail the specifics of the meeting.”But she declined to rule out the possibility of US troops on the ground on Venezuela, maintaining the White House’s previous ambiguity about possible military action.”There’s options at the president’s disposal that are on the table, and I’ll let him speak on those,” Leavitt said.The United States has moved the world’s largest aircraft carrier and other warships into the region, and designated an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group as tensions mount with Venezuela.Washington says the aim of the military deployment launched in September is to curb drug trafficking in the region, but Caracas insists regime change is the ultimate goal.Trump confirmed Sunday he had recently spoken with Maduro for the first time since returning to office in January, but would not give details.”I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.- ‘Threat to the United States’ -The New York Times reported that Trump and Maduro had discussed a possible meeting, while The Wall Street Journal said that the conversation also included conditions of amnesty if Maduro were to step down.Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” talk show that the United States has offered Maduro the chance to leave his country for Russia or elsewhere. The United States accuses Maduro, the political heir to Venezuela’s late leftist leader Hugo Chavez, of heading the “Cartel of the Suns” and has issued a $50 million reward for his capture.Venezuela and countries that support it insist no such organization even exists. The United States also does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate winner of last year’s presidential election.Trump’s administration meanwhile faces growing controversy over air strikes that have targeted alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 83 people. Trump said Sunday he would “look into” claims the military conducted a “double-tap” strike that killed two survivors clinging to a burning boat in the Caribbean in early September.The White House defended the move, saying that the admiral who leads US Special Operations Command had ordered the follow-up strike, and that he was acting lawfully.Admiral Frank Bradley “worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated,” Leavitt said.

US President Donald Trump has “excellent” cardiovascular health, his doctor said Monday, citing an MRI taken during an unannounced hospital visit that ignited fresh scrutiny over his medical condition.The Republican billionaire, who turns 80 in June, has long faced criticism for limited transparency around his health. His sudden October 10 trip to Walter Reed medical center — outside the usual annual exam — spurred speculation about what prompted the check-up.But in a memo released by the White House, physician Sean Barbabella said the advanced imaging was purely preventive, intended “to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality.””Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health. His abdominal imaging is also perfectly normal. All major organs appear very healthy and well-perfused,” Barbabella said.MRI scans, or magnetic resonance imaging, are commonly used to detect serious conditions such as tumors, strokes and multiple sclerosis, as well as more minor issues like muscle tears and inflammation.Pressed by reporters in recent weeks, Trump — the oldest person ever sworn in as US president — had sidestepped questions about the purpose of the visit, directing inquiries to his medical team.During his second term, he has often appeared with bruising on his right hand, occasionally covered with makeup. The White House has attributed the marks to the aspirin he takes as part of a “standard” cardiovascular health regimen.In the summer, the administration disclosed that Trump had been evaluated for swelling in his legs and diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency — a common condition in which faulty vein valves allow blood to pool, causing swelling, cramping and skin changes. It can be managed with medication or targeted procedures.

The US Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday on whether internet service providers should be held liable for the online pirating of copyrighted music by their users.Cox Communications, a major broadband ISP, is asking the court to throw out a jury verdict awarding $1 billion in damages to Sony Music Entertainment and other record labels.Cox was accused in the high-stakes 2019 case of failing to take action against customers accused of illegally downloading copyrighted music.Joshua Rosenkranz, an attorney representing Cox, warned of “cataclysmic” consequences if the court did not limit the company’s copyright liability.The only way for an ISP to avoid liability is to “cut off the internet, not just for the accused infringer, but for anyone else who happens to use the same connection,” Rosenkranz said.”That could be entire towns, universities or hospitals, turning internet providers into internet police,” he said.A majority of the nine justices appeared sympathetic to the argument that many innocent subscribers could be punished for the actions of a few.At the same time, several questioned whether Cox should entirely escape liability.Cox, even when it is aware of copyright infringement by particular users, has apparently been “doing nothing,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor.”Why aren’t you contributing to that infringement?” Sotomayor asked.Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also expressed skepticism of Cox’s position.”What concerns me a bit is you’re encouraging us to adopt a common law rule that would essentially eliminate liability,” Jackson said.Rosenkranz objected to the claims that the company was doing nothing to crack down on habitual copyright offenders.Cox sends out hundreds of warnings to subscribers each day and has suspended tens of thousands of accounts accused of copyright infringement, he said.Paul Clement, representing Sony and the other music labels, said Cox is not doing enough to tackle the problem and cannot escape liability.”Liability for copyright infringement is not limited to direct infringers, but extends to those who induce, cause or materially contribute to the infringement of others,” Clement said.The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in the case before the end of its term in June.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he expected to discuss “key issues” with Donald Trump as the American-led push to end Russia’s war on Ukraine accelerated, with the US president’s envoy heading to Moscow. Ukraine’s negotiator Rustem Umerov said “significant progress” had been achieved in two days of talks with US officials on Trump’s plan to end the war, even though more work was needed on “challenging” issues.The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff was due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, the latest in a flurry of diplomacy to halt the conflict.Zelensky spoke after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris as he sounded out European allies on Washington’s blueprint, which was drafted without input from Kyiv or Europe and has been criticised as too close a reflection of Moscow’s maximalist demands.More than three-and-a-half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, an AFP analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) showed the Russian army last month made its biggest advance in Ukraine since November 2024.The situation for Kyiv has been further complicated by a corruption scandal that has rocked Zelensky’s inner circle and forced the dismissal last week of his top negotiator and chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.”We are expecting a conversation with the president of the United States on key issues that are quite challenging,” said Zelensky.He said Russia had stepped up missile and drone strikes on his country to “break” the will of Ukrainians.”This is serious pressure, not only psychological but also physical pressure on our population,” Zelensky said.Macron said the current moment “could be decisive for the future of peace in Ukraine and security in Europe”.US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called “productive” talks in Florida on Sunday, with Trump declaring on Air Force One “there’s a good chance we can make a deal”.Zelensky insisted Russia should not receive any concession that “it could consider as a reward for this war”.”The aggressor must pay for the aggression,” he said.Witkoff earlier held a new meeting in Florida with Umerov, Ukraine’s security council secretary.”We managed to achieve significant progress, although certain issues require further refinement,” said Umerov.Sources said Zelensky “expects to see Umerov in Ireland” during a visit on Tuesday to hear a detailed report on the Florida talks.Zelensky and Macron spoke by telephone to Witkoff and Umerov in Florida, the Elysee said, while Zelensky’s talks in Paris also included phone conversations with other European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The flurry of communication continued with a call between Macron and Trump later Monday in which they discussed “next steps in the mediation efforts” and the French president “particularly emphasized the central importance of security guarantees necessary for Ukraine”, according to the Elysee.- ‘Highest’ pressure -Washington’s initial 28-point proposal to halt the war would have seen Kyiv withdraw from territory it still controls in its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.After talks in Geneva, the United States updated the original blueprint, but the current contents remain unclear.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed concern over the planned Putin-Witkoff meeting, saying she feared “all the pressure will be put on the weaker side, because that is the easier way to stop this war when Ukraine surrenders”.Macron emphasised that “there is currently no finalised plan on the territorial issues, strictly speaking. It can only be finalised by President Zelensky”.He also hailed new US sanctions on the Russian energy industry as a “game changer”, saying that in the next weeks he expected pressure on the sector to be “the highest since the beginning of the war”.- Biggest advance in a year -The diplomatic push comes as the war — which has killed tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel and displaced millions of Ukrainians — shows no sign of easing.A Russian missile attack killed four people and wounded nearly two dozen others on Monday in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the regional governor said.During November, Russia captured 701 square kilometres (270 square miles), the second-largest territorial advance of the war after that of November 2024 — not taking into account the initial months of the invasion, when the front line was highly mobile, the AFP analysis of data from the ISW showed.By the end of November, the Russian army controlled, fully or partially, 19.3 percent of Ukrainian territory, according to the analysis of data from the ISW, which works with the Critical Threats Project.burs-sjw/sw/gv

The United States on Monday exempted British pharmaceuticals from import tariffs under a unique deal which sees the UK increase spending on American drugs by 25 percent.The accord aims to “address long-standing imbalances in US-UK pharmaceutical trade,” ending what US trade ambassador Jamieson Greer called an arrangement where “American patients have been forced to subsidise prescription drugs and biologics in other developed countries.”Under the deal struck between the administrations of US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Britain’s publicly-funded National Health Service (NHS) will increase its prices for new US treatments by 25 percent. The agreement means Britain will be exempted from hefty US tariffs imposed on pharma imports that entered force on October 1. It is the only country to reach such a deal.The lofty price of medications has been a major political issue in the United States for years, with a Rand Corporation study showing Americans paid 2.5 times as much for pharmaceuticals as in France.Prior to Monday’s announcement, the Trump administration had announced tariffs of 100 percent on branded pharmaceuticals.At the same time, the White House delayed the tariffs for three years with Pfizer and British group AstraZeneca after both agreed to invest in US manufacturing capacity.British Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the latest deal will “ensure UK patients get the cutting-edge medicines they need sooner,” while also enabling “life sciences companies to continue to invest and innovate right here in the UK.”- Deals elsewhere -The Trump administration said it “is reviewing the pharmaceutical pricing practices of many other US trading partners and hopes that they will follow suit with constructive negotiations”.As it stands, the European Union and Switzerland face pharma tariffs totalling 15 percent.AstraZeneca in July announced plans to invest $50 billion by 2030 on boosting its US manufacturing and research operations.Around the same time, British rival GSK revealed it planned to invest $30 billion in the United States over the next five years.The UK government on Monday said it will “invest around 25 percent more in innovative, safe, and effective treatments — the first major increase in over two decades.” It meant the NHS “will be able to approve medicines that deliver significant health improvements but might have previously  been declined  purely on cost-effectiveness grounds.”AstraZeneca and Merck recently axed plans for sizeable infrastructure investment in Britain, with the US pharma group citing UK drugs prices as a major reason for its U-turn.Critics argue high taxes and a lack of British government subsidies and investment are hindering foreign investment across various sectors.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he would “look into” claims the military conducted a follow-up strike that killed survivors on a boat in the Caribbean, part of Washington’s anti-drug raids that have heightened tensions with Venezuela.The United States is piling pressure on Caracas with a major military buildup in the Caribbean, the terror designation of a presumed drug cartel run by President Nicolas Maduro, and an ominous warning from Trump that Venezuelan airspace is “closed.”In the most recent controversy, The Washington Post reported last week that in an operation in early September, US forces hit a boat after seeing two survivors of an initial strike clinging to the burning vessel.US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered troops to kill everyone on board, The Washington Post and CNN both reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the operation.”The order was to kill everybody,” one of the sources told the Post.Trump defended Hegseth, arguing the reports were false.”I’m going to find out about it, but Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. When asked if he would have wanted a second attempt to kill the survivors, Trump said: “We’ll look into it, but no, I wouldn’t have wanted that — not a second strike. The first strike was very lethal.”Hegseth has dismissed the reports as “fake news.”Washington says the aim of the military deployment that began in September is to curb drug trafficking in the region, but Caracas insists regime change is the ultimate goal.Trump confirmed on Sunday he had recently spoken with Venezuela’s Maduro.”I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,” Trump said.- Aid from OPEC? – The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump and Maduro had discussed a possible meeting, while The Wall Street Journal said Saturday that the conversation also included conditions of amnesty if Maduro were to step down.Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” talk show that the United States has offered Maduro the chance to leave his country for Russia or elsewhere.Washington accuses Maduro, the political heir to Venezuela’s late leftist leader Hugo Chavez, of heading the “Cartel of the Suns” and has issued a $50 million reward for his capture.But Venezuela and its supporters insist no such organization even exists.The United States also does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate winner of last year’s presidential election.Though Trump has not publicly threatened to use force against Maduro, he said in recent days that efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” would begin “very soon.”Venezuela says it has requested assistance from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which it is a member, to help “stop this (American) aggression, which is being readied with more and more force.”The request came in a letter from Maduro to the group, read by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who is also Venezuela’s oil minister, during a virtual meeting of OPEC ministers.Washington “is trying to seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the biggest in the world, by using military force,” Maduro wrote in the letter.- ‘Extrajudicial executions’ -Since September, US air strikes have targeted alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 83 people. Trump’s administration has offered no concrete evidence to back up the allegations of drug trafficking behind the campaign, and numerous experts have questioned the legality of the operations.The head of Venezuela’s legislature, Jorge Rodriguez, said he met Sunday with relatives of Venezuelans killed in the strikes.When asked about the report about Hegseth’s order, he said: “If a war had been declared and led to such killings, we would be talking about war crimes.””Given that no war has been declared, what happened… can only be characterized as murder or extrajudicial executions.”The steady US military buildup has seen the world’s largest aircraft carrier deployed to Caribbean waters, while American fighter jets and bombers have repeatedly flown off the Venezuelan coast in recent days.Six airlines have canceled services to Venezuela, but on Sunday, the airport in Caracas was functioning as usual.

A conservative candidate backed by US President Donald Trump led Sunday’s presidential election in Honduras, according to partial results from the electoral commission.Nasry Asfura had 40.5 percent of the vote, a one-and-a-half-point lead over fellow right-wing candidate Salvador Nasralla, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE).Both candidates were well ahead of Rixi Moncada, 60, of ruling leftist Libre party, who was trailing heavily with around 20 percent, signalling another Latin American nation poised to swing rightward.The campaign was dominated by Trump’s threat to cut aid if his favored candidate, 67-year-old Asfura, who is nicknamed “grandad,” were to lose.Many Hondurans have fled grinding poverty and violence to the United States, including minors fearing forced recruitment by gangs, although this escape route is no longer a viable option under Trump.In the final days of the race, the US leader threw his weight behind former Tegucigalpa mayor Asfura, whose campaign slogan was “Grandad, at your service!”That intervention upended a contest that is still too close to call, in a country plagued by drug trafficking and gang activity.Eight hours after the polls closed, 42.65 percent of the ballots had been counted, the election board said.Lawmakers and hundreds of mayors will also be elected in the fiercely polarized nation, which is also one of the most violent in Latin America.”If he (Asfura) doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad,” Trump wrote Friday on his Truth Social platform.- ‘Not because of Trump’ -Trump’s comments marked another brazen intervention in another country’s politics, echoing threats he made in support of Argentine President Javier Milei’s party in recent midterms.Before Sunday’s vote, Trump also made the shock announcement that he would pardon former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, of Asfura’s National Party.Hernandez is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for cocaine trafficking and other charges.Some Hondurans have welcomed Trump’s intervention, saying they hope it might mean Honduran migrants will be allowed to remain in the United States.But others have rejected his meddling in the vote.”I vote for whomever I please, not because of what Trump has said, because the truth is I live off my work, not off politicians,” Esmeralda Rodriguez, a 56-year-old fruit seller, told AFP.Nearly 30,000 Honduran migrants have been deported from the United States since Trump returned to office in January.The clampdown has dealt a severe blow to the country of 11 million people, where remittances accounted for 27 percent of GDP last year.After voting in the capital Tegucigalpa, Asfura denied that the planned pardon would benefit him, saying: “This issue has been circulating for months, and it has nothing to do with the elections.”- ‘Escape poverty’ -Presidential hopeful Moncada, who represents outgoing leader Xiomara Castro’s ruling Libre party, had portrayed the election as a choice between her and a “coup-plotting oligarchy”.That is a reference to the right’s backing of the 2009 military ouster of leftist Manuel Zelaya, Castro’s husband.Preemptive accusations of election fraud, made both by the ruling party and opposition, have sown mistrust in the vote and sparked fears of post-election unrest.A delay in the release of Sunday’s results did little to calm nerves.The president of the National Electoral Council, Ana Paola Hall, warned all parties “not to fan the flames of confrontation or violence” at the start of the single-round election.Long a transit point for cocaine exported from Colombia to the United States, Honduras is now also a producer of the drug.But the candidates barely addressed the fears of Hondurans about drug trafficking, poverty and violence during the campaign.”I hope the new government will have good lines of communication with Trump, and that he will also support us,” said Maria Velasquez, 58.”I just want to escape poverty.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, seeking to shore up European support as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism of a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called “productive” talks in Florida on Sunday on a plan Washington wants to form the basis of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.  The diplomatic flurry after nearly four years of conflict comes as Kyiv battles military pressure and reels from a domestic corruption scandal that forced Zelensky to remove his close aide and top negotiator.The Ukrainian leader has been a regular visitor to Paris since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 — this latest visit due to get under way at 10:00 am (0900 GMT). French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in comments to the La Tribune Dimanche newspaper on Sunday that the meeting aimed “to move the negotiations forward”.”Peace is within reach, if (Russian President) Vladimir Putin abandons his delusional hope of reconstituting the Soviet empire by first subjugating Ukraine,” he added.Washington put forward an initial 28-point proposal to halt the war, drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies and regarded as too close a reflection of Moscow’s maximalist demands on Ukrainian territory.It would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.After talks in Geneva just over a week ago, the United States updated the original blueprint following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear.- ‘Ukraine’s sovereignty’ – Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is due in Moscow for follow-up talks and is expected to discuss Ukraine with Putin on Tuesday.The Florida talks were described by both Ukrainian and American negotiators as “productive” but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more work was required and a source in Kyiv’s delegation called the talks “not easy”.Trump was optimistic, however, telling reporters aboard Air Force One: “I think that there’s a good chance we can make a deal.”He also referred to political turbulence in Kyiv which saw Zelensky last week remove Andriy Yermak, his chief of staff and top negotiator throughout the conflict, after a corruption scandal in the energy sector that has troubled Western allies.”Ukraine’s got some difficult little problems,” Trump said.Ukraine’s security council secretary Rustem Umerov instead led Kyiv’s delegation at the Florida talks.He wrote on Facebook that he had briefed Zelensky on the “substantial progress” made.”It is important that the talks have a constructive dynamic and that all issues were discussed openly and with a clear focus on ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests,” Zelensky wrote on X after the talks.Rubio told reporters the Florida talks were “very productive” but “there’s more work to be done”.”There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there’s another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation, and that will continue later this week when Mr Witkoff travels to Moscow,” he said.- ‘Important days’ – Ahead of his meeting with Macron, Zelensky said on social media he had briefed Finland’s President Alexander Stubb — seen as an influential player due to his warm relationship with Trump — on “the signals we have received from the American side”.He also spoke separately to EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte, saying “these are important days, and much can change”.The diplomatic push comes as the war — which has killed tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel and displaced millions of Ukrainians — shows no sign of easing.Russia’s forces targeted Ukraine’s capital and the region with deadly air strikes two nights in a row over the weekend.A Ukrainian security source, meanwhile, said Kyiv was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea that it believed were covertly transporting sanctioned Russian oil.One of Russia’s largest oil terminals halted operations on Saturday following a drone attack.The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a group that includes US oil majors Chevron and ExxonMobil and which owns the terminal, called the strike a “terrorist attack”.Ukraine, which did not comment on the incident, regularly targets Russian energy facilities in a bid to sap the country’s war chest.burs-sjw-kjm/tc

Four people including three children were killed and 11 more were wounded in a shooting at a birthday party in California, authorities said Sunday, calling it a targeted attack that may have involved multiple gunmen.The shooting took place Saturday evening inside a banquet hall in Stockton, a city northeast of San Francisco, where between 100 and 150 people had gathered for the celebration.The four victims were aged eight, nine, 14 and 21, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow told reporters on Sunday. At least one of the 11 wounded was in critical condition, he said, adding he did not have more information about the others.”We believe, from what we’ve gathered so far, that it appears to be multiple shooters,” Withrow said.He called on the public to remain cautious as the investigation unfolds.Earlier, his spokeswoman Heather Brent said it appeared to have been a “targeted” shooting.The sheriff’s office urged anyone with information or video footage to come forward. So far, no one has been taken into custody.”These animals walked in and shot children at a children’s birthday party, and none of us should stand for that,” Withrow said. “And so if you know anything about this, you have to come forward and tell us what you know.”- $25,000 reward -Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi said a $25,000 reward would be given to anyone providing information that led to the arrest of the assailants.While the sheriff said he could not yet confirm if the incident was gang-related, Fugazi did not hold back about who she believed to be responsible.”Let us call this what it is. Gang violence exists in cities across the country, but this act was a pure act of terrorism,” she said in a post on Facebook.Withrow said firearms were found on the roof of the building where the shooting occurred, but it was not clear if they were related to the crime. California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the shooting, his office said on social media.There have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far this year including the Stockton incident, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot.burs-nr-rfo/sst/jgc

US President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday he had recently spoken with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro amid soaring tensions between the two countries, while Caracas slammed what it called US preparations for an attack.The United States is piling the pressure on Venezuela, with a major military buildup in the Caribbean, the designation of an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group, and an ominous warning from Trump that Venezuelan airspace is “closed.”Washington says the aim of the military deployment launched in September is to curb drug trafficking in the region, but Caracas insists regime change is the ultimate goal.”I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,” Trump told reporters Sunday aboard Air Force One.The New York Times reported Friday that Trump and Maduro had discussed a possible meeting, while The Wall Street Journal said Saturday that the conversation also included conditions of amnesty if Maduro were to step down.Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” talk show that the United States has offered Maduro the chance to leave his country for Russia or elsewhere. The United States accuses Maduro, the political heir to Venezuela’s late leftist leader Hugo Chavez, of heading the “Cartel of the Suns” and has issued a $50 million reward for his capture.But Venezuela and countries that support it insist no such organization even exists. Several Venezuela experts say what Washington calls the Cartel of the Suns refers to the corruption of senior officials by criminal gangs.The United States also does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate winner of last year’s presidential election.Though Trump has not publicly threatened to use force against Maduro, he said in recent days that efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” would begin “very soon.”- Aid from OPEC? – Venezuela says it has requested assistance from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which it is a member, to help “stop this (American) aggression, which is being readied with more and more force.”The request came in a letter from Maduro to the group, read by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who is also Venezuela’s oil minister, during a virtual meeting of OPEC ministers.Washington “is trying to seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the biggest in the world, by using military force,” Maduro wrote in the letter.Since September, US air strikes have targeted alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 83 people. Trump’s administration has offered no concrete evidence to back up the allegations behind its campaign, and numerous experts have questioned the legality of the operations.US media reported Friday that in one strike in September, the US military conducted a follow-up strike that killed survivors of an initial attack. The Washington Post and CNN said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had issued a directive to “kill everybody,” but Trump said Sunday that Hegseth had denied giving such an order.”We’ll look into it, but no, I wouldn’t have wanted that — not a second strike,” Trump told reporters. “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men.”- ‘Extrajudicial executions’ -The head of Venezuela’s legislature, Jorge Rodriguez, said he met Sunday with relatives of Venezuelans killed in the strikes. He would not comment on a possible Trump-Maduro call.But when asked about the report about the Hegseth order, he said: “If a war had been declared and led to such killings, we would be talking about war crimes.””Given that no war has been declared, what happened…can only be characterized as murder or extrajudicial executions,” he added.The steady US military buildup has seen the world’s largest aircraft carrier deployed to Caribbean waters, while American fighter jets and bombers have repeatedly flown off the Venezuelan coast in recent days.Six airlines have canceled services to Venezuela, but on Sunday, the airport in Caracas was functioning as usual.