The United States said it will oversee sales of Venezuelan oil and keep the proceeds in US Treasury accounts. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington will first sell stored crude and then handle future output. “We’re going to market the crude coming out of Venezuela,” he said. President Donald Trump added that Caracas would hand over up to 50 million barrels for sale. The White House said revenue will be held in accounts in Venezuela’s name. Officials also said sanctions are being eased to allow US firms to help rebuild oil facilities, while talks continue with state firm PDVSA over sales arrangements. (PC: NDTV)

Poland has voiced support for India as Washington threatens steep tariffs over New Delhi’s Russian oil imports. Speaking in Paris, Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski said he was “satisfied that India has reduced Russian oil imports,” adding that such trade “is fuelling Putin’s war machine.” He made the remarks after India joined the Weimar Triangle talks with France and Germany. The comments come as the US weighs penalties that could reach 500 per cent on countries buying Russian energy. President Donald Trump has already imposed duties of up to 50 per cent on some Indian goods and warned of further action. (PC: X )

Actor and politician Divya Spandana, known as Ramya, reacted on social media to a remark made by the Supreme Court during a hearing on stray dog attacks. The court said it is hard to judge “what mood a dog is in the morning” and that this creates a risk of attacks. Referring to the comment, Ramya wrote, “Put all men in jail?” to question how fear should be applied in public policy. Her post was widely shared online. The hearing is part of a case on how states handle rising cases of stray dog bites and the safety of people in public places, especially children and the elderly. (PC: HT)

Protests broke out in Minneapolis after a US immigration agent shot dead 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday morning. Videos show ICE officers approaching her car in the middle of a street. As the vehicle moved, at least two shots were fired. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good had blocked officers and tried to use her car as a weapon. The Minneapolis City Council said she was helping neighbours when she was killed. Hundreds of ICE agents are now in the city under a federal immigration drive. Mayor Jacob Frey urged the agents to leave. The FBI is investigating the shooting. 

US President Donald Trump has backed a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could raise tariffs on countries buying Russian oil, including India. Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump “greenlit” the measure and a vote may come next week. The bill allows the president to penalise nations seen as aiding Russia or blocking peace in Ukraine. It includes visa bans, asset blocks and tariffs of at least 500 percent on some imports. India already faces a 50 percent US tariff after two hikes in 2025 linked to its Russian oil purchases. Trump has said tariffs could rise further if such trade continues. (PC: HT)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited two locations linked to poll firm I-PAC on Thursday as the ED carried out raids in a money laundering case. She first reached the home of I-PAC head Prateek Jain in central Kolkata, then went to the group’s office in Salt Lake. TV images showed her leaving both places with files, including a green folder. Banerjee said the action was ordered to access Trinamool Congress election plans and called it politically motivated. Sources said the ED is probing links between I-PAC and alleged proceeds from the Bengal coal scam. The agency has not yet issued a statement. (PC: India Today)

A male hippopotamus at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata has stayed in its water enclosure for the past 14 days during a cold wave. Zoo officials said the young hippo stopped leaving the pool around Christmas and is eating very little. Vets have tried to draw it out with food, but it returns to the water after feeding. The animal usually comes out before dusk. The hippo arrived from Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoo in September 2024 with a mate, which died days later. Officials are checking if illness or stress after the loss is causing the behaviour. The enclosure is now closed to visitors. (PC: BBC)

A 37-year-old woman, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by a US immigration agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. Federal officials said she tried to run over officers with her car. City leaders said the agent acted recklessly. Videos online show agents approaching her SUV parked on a residential street. As the vehicle moved, at least two shots were fired and the car crashed into another vehicle. The FBI is leading the investigation. The injured agent was treated and released from hospital. Protests followed across the city, and schools cancelled classes for the week due to safety concerns. ICE operations in Minneapolis will continue.

Two Indian nationals, Gurpreet Singh (25) and Jasveer Singh (30), were arrested in Indiana's Putnam County for trafficking 309 pounds of cocaine concealed in their semi-truck's sleeper berth. The US Department of Homeland Security stated this quantity could kill over 113,000 Americans, with cocaine's lethal dose being 1.2 grams. Both held California Commercial Drivers' Licenses. Gurpreet illegally entered the US in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona, and was released under the Biden administration. Jasveer entered in March 2017 near Otay Mesa, California. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged detainers on January 4. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom's sanctuary policies for endangering American lives. (PC: DHS)

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed Pakistan won't need IMF loans within six months due to surging fighter jet orders following the May 2025 India-Pakistan mini-war. However, experts dismiss this as unrealistic. Political scientist Ayesha Siddiqa noted Pakistan only manufactures 35% of JF-17's airframe, sharing revenues with China. Pakistan's total debt exceeds $280-300 billion, with debt servicing consuming over half of federal revenues. Economist Qaiser Bengali stated Pakistan has "already defaulted," surviving only by taking new loans to repay old ones. Pakistan recently sold its national airline PIA for Rs 4,300 crore under IMF pressure, contradicting Asif's optimistic claims about economic independence through jet sales.