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Venezuela Opposition Beset by Mounting Legal Challenges after Disputed Election

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters next to First Lady Cilia Flores during a rally in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (Photo by Pedro Rances Mattey / AFP)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters next to First Lady Cilia Flores during a rally in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (Photo by Pedro Rances Mattey / AFP)
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Venezuela Opposition Beset by Mounting Legal Challenges after Disputed Election

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters next to First Lady Cilia Flores during a rally in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (Photo by Pedro Rances Mattey / AFP)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters next to First Lady Cilia Flores during a rally in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (Photo by Pedro Rances Mattey / AFP)

Venezuela's legal system mounted more challenges against the country's political opposition on Wednesday, as the candidate the alliance says won the July 28 election was ruled in contempt of court and now faces imprisonment.
The head of Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled Edmundo Gonzalez, who says he beat President Nicolas Maduro in the vote, was in contempt of court after refusing to answer a summons to attend what it said was a certification of the results, Reuters said.
Gonzalez, a 74-year-old former diplomat, could face up to 30 days in jail for contempt, lawyers said. Numerous Venezuelan opposition leaders have faced arrest and imprisonment or fled into exile in recent years.
"If I go to the electoral chamber (of the Supreme Court) in these conditions I will be totally vulnerable due to powerlessness and violation of due process and I will put at risk not only my freedom but, more importantly, the will of the Venezuelan people as they expressed on July 28," Gonzalez said in a letter posted on X on Wednesday.
Venezuela's electoral authority - which the opposition accuses of being biased towards Maduro - declared Maduro the winner of the election early on July 29 with around 51% of the vote. But it has yet to produce the voting tallies.
The opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado and Gonzalez, says it has copies of the voting tallies that show it won the election with more than 7 million votes, compared to Maduro's 3.3 million votes. That result is broadly similar to that predicted by independent exit polls.
While Russia and China, among others, have congratulated the socialist Maduro on his win, many Western countries have expressed skepticism and asked the electoral authority to publish a full vote tally.
Chile's leftist President Gabriel Boric rejected Maduro's victory on Wednesday, saying he had "no doubt" Venezuela's government had committed fraud to hold on to power.
That prompted an angry rebuttal from Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil, who added that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had spoken to Maduro and that Istanbul had congratulated the Venezuelan people on the election.
In a post on X, the Turkish presidency said Türkiye "will continue to support the dialogue process in Venezuela."
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In another legal challenge to the opposition, top prosecutor Tarek Saab said he would open a criminal investigation into the publishers of a website showing election tallies collected by the opposition which suggest Gonzalez won by a landslide.
"It was decided to launch a criminal investigation against those responsible for the publication and maintenance of the website," Saab said in a statement, citing forgery of public documents, computer crimes and conspiracy.
A United States official has said he believes it would be nearly impossible for the opposition to have falsified these tallies, which were rapidly uploaded online.
The disputed election led to a wave of anti-Maduro protests across Venezuela and advocacy groups have raised alarms over security forces rounding up suspected protesters. Authorities say police are targeting people accused of committing violent crimes during the demonstrations.
Late on Tuesday, Maria Oropeza, a coordinator for Machado's Vente Venezuela political movement, broadcast a raid on her home in Guanare, in Portuguesa state, live on Instagram.
The video appears to show security officers attempting to break down a metal grid at her home entrance and asking her to accompany them. Before the video cut to black, Oropeza could be heard asking to see a warrant.
Oropeza's current whereabouts are unknown.
Attorney General Saab has already launched a criminal probe against Machado and Gonzalez for inciting security forces to break the law, after they published a joint letter calling for police and military to stand with Venezuela's people.

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World

Iran War as a New Catalyst...China Secretly Enters Nuclear Arms Race

China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).
China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).
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Iran War as a New Catalyst...China Secretly Enters Nuclear Arms Race

China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).
China asserts that it follows a defensive strategy and is committed to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons (file-Reuters).

When three villagers from China’s Sichuan Province wrote to local officials in 2022 questioning why the government was confiscating their land and evicting them from their homes, they received a brief response: "It is a state secret."

An investigation by CNN revealed that this secret centers on China's plans to significantly expand its nuclear capabilities. More than three years after the citizen evacuations, satellite imagery shows their village has been leveled, replaced by new buildings designed to support some of China’s most critical nuclear weapons production facilities.

CNN reported that the expansion of these sites in Sichuan, observed through satellite imagery and a review of dozens of Chinese government documents, confirms recent allegations by President Donald Trump’s administration that Beijing is conducting its largest nuclear modernization campaign in decades.

President Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing on a historic trip next month, where he is expected to seek a dialogue on an agreement to curb Chinese President Xi Jinping’s nuclear ambitions.

Most Significant New Facilities in Sichuan Province

Among the most prominent of these facilities is a massive, fortified dome built on the banks of the Tongjiang River in less than five years. It appears to still be undergoing outfitting, suggesting it may not yet be operational.

The reinforced dome covers an area of 3,344 square meters (equivalent to 13 tennis courts). It is encased in a concrete and steel structure equipped with radiation monitoring devices and blast-proof doors, with a network of pipes extending from the facility to a building featuring a high ventilation chimney.

According to several experts, these features, along with advanced air-handling equipment, are designed to contain highly radioactive materials, such as uranium and plutonium, within the dome, indicating an expansion of the Chinese nuclear program's production capacity. The facility is also surrounded by three layers of security fencing.

No Sign of Retreat

This development comes at a time of rising international tensions, particularly following the expiration of the latest nuclear arms limitation treaty between the United States and Russia (known as "New START") earlier this year. Trump is seeking to broker a new and improved agreement with Moscow that would also include China.

However, the radical changes witnessed in Sichuan indicate that the Chinese military's nuclear weapons development shows no sign of slowing down, according to the CNN report.

In contrast, China denies the accusations; military spokesperson Jiang Bin emphasized that his country "follows a defensive strategy and is committed to no-first-use of nuclear weapons."

However, experts believe the significant changes on the ground reflect a fundamental shift in the nuclear program. Analyst Decker Eveleth said that this extensive modernization suggests a fundamental restructuring of the technology underpinning the entire system.

Renny Babiarz, Vice President of Analysis and Operations at AllSource Analysis, who reviewed the satellite imagery for CNN, also pointed to the potential development of "new processes and different types of equipment" within these facilities. He said it was clear that there are many changes happening on the ground."

This expansion coincides with directives issued by the Chinese President to accelerate the building of strategic deterrence capabilities amid escalating regional tensions, particularly regarding Taiwan.

Observers believe these moves could lead to a new nuclear arms race more complex than the Cold War era, with China emerging as a major third party. There are also concerns that the United States might overestimate China's capabilities, thereby exacerbating nuclear proliferation.

Jeffrey Lewis, a distinguished scholar in global security at the Middlebury Institute, said some in the US will argue that we need to radically expand our nuclear weapons production capacity to match China..."but we won't be matching what they are doing; we will be matching what we think they are doing. We will be matching our own nightmare. And that is extremely dangerous."

Impact of the Iran War on China’s Nuclear Program

Experts say that the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran may have strengthened China's resolve to expand its nuclear program.

"If you were Chinese and looked at what is happening, you wouldn't see that disarmament or weakening yourself makes any sense," Lewis said. He added: "One outcome of what the Trump administration is doing in Iran will not be to intimidate or subdue China, but rather to push it to build more nuclear weapons."

Lewis noted that, given these factors, the chances of reaching arms control agreements appear limited, pointing out that China may engage in "formal" dialogues to de-escalate tensions without offering substantial concessions.

World

India Says Defense Exports Hit 'All-time High' of $4 bn

India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
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India Says Defense Exports Hit 'All-time High' of $4 bn

India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
India said it exported more than $4 billion of defense equipment including missiles, boats and artillery. Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP

India's defense exports "skyrocketed" to an all-time high of more than $4 billion in the last fiscal year, as it looks to boost its arms manufacturing sector, the government said Thursday.

The figures mark a rise of more than 60 percent from 2024, the defense ministry said, and provide a shot in the arm for the South Asian country, which is determined to recast itself as a major producer and exporter of weapons, AFP said.

"India is marching ahead towards becoming a global defense manufacturing hub," the ministry quoted Defense Minister Rajnath Singh as saying.

"This big jump... in defense exports reflects the growing global trust in India's indigenous capabilities and advanced manufacturing strength," Singh said, adding that it had hit an "all-time high" in the fiscal year 2025-26 of 38,424 billion rupees ($4.15 billion).

Government defense companies produced nearly 55 percent of the exports, with the rest made by private companies.

"This milestone showcases the power of a collaborative and self-reliant defense ecosystem," Singh said.

India exports defense equipment to more than 100 countries, with the United States, France and Armenia among the top customers, according to the defense ministry.

Shipments range from missiles, boats and artillery to radar systems, rocket launchers and electronic components.

However, the country is still primarily a buyer, not a seller, and remains globally a minor player in exports.

New Delhi earlier this year announced a record $85 billion boost for its defense sector.

But India's arms purchases still make up around eight percent of all imports globally, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

 

World

Russia Repels Drone Attack on Gas Pipeline to Türkiye, Says Gazprom

File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
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Russia Repels Drone Attack on Gas Pipeline to Türkiye, Says Gazprom

File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
File photo: Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)

Russian forces repelled a drone attack early Thursday on part of the TurkStream gas pipeline connecting Russia and Türkiye, the pipeline's operator Gazprom said in a statement.

"The Russkaya compressor station, which ensures the reliable export of gas via the TurkStream pipeline, came under attack from three aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles," Gazprom said. "The attack was repelled and no damage was caused to the Gazprom facility."

The Russkaya compressor station is the starting point of the TurkStream pipeline. Russia has accused Ukraine of targeting it multiple times.