Aramide Folorunsho, Author at Channels Television

Polls Close In Uganda After Delays, Internet Blackout

Aramide Folorunsho — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:22:30 +0000

Polls closed in Uganda on Thursday after a chaotic day of voting that took place under an internet blackout and with long delays caused by technical breakdowns as President Yoweri Museveni seeks to extend his 40 years in power.

Museveni, an 81-year-old who came to power at the head of a rebel army in 1986, is widely expected to win a seventh term in office thanks to his total control of the state and security apparatus.

Voters queue to cast their ballots at a polling station amid delays in the start of voting in Kampala on January 15, 2026, during Ugandas 2026 general elections. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)

But inside a Kampala stadium in an opposition stronghold, there were loud cheers as a crowd watched the counting of votes and returning officers read out ballots for the main challenger, singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine.

The 43-year-old styles himself the “ghetto president” after the slum areas of the city where he grew up but has faced “brutal repression” of his campaign, according to rights groups.

Official results were due within 48 hours.

Wine accused the government of “massive ballot-stuffing” and arresting some of his party officials under cover of the internet blackout imposed by the government this week.

In many polling stations around the country, voting was delayed by several hours as ballot boxes were slow to arrive and biometric machines—used to verify voters’ identity—were malfunctioning, which some blamed on the internet blockage.

“We are holding elections in the dark,” Wine said after casting his vote.

“This is done in order to facilitate the intended rigging of the regime,” he said. “We would encourage the people of Uganda to resist.”

But voting passed off peacefully. A spokesperson for the Ugandan Red Cross, which deployed across the country ahead of polls, told AFP they had heard “no substantive” reports of violence.

There was a heavy police and army presence throughout the day, with authorities determined to prevent the anti-government protests seen in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania in recent months.

Museveni acknowledged even he had trouble with the voting machines and promised to investigate.

“I put my right… thumbprint. The machine did not accept it. I put my left, and it did not accept it,” he told journalists, adding that the machine finally accepted a scan of his face, allowing him to vote.

‘Peace And Security’

As with Wine’s 2021 campaign, hundreds of his supporters were arrested in the run-up to the vote. He wore a flak jacket at rallies, describing the election as a “war” and Museveni as a “military dictator”.

Human Rights Watch has denounced this week’s suspension of 10 NGOs, including election monitors.

The government said the internet shutdown was needed to prevent the spread of “misinformation” and “incitement to violence”, but the United Nations called it “deeply worrying”.

The other major opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, who ran four times against Museveni, was abducted in Kenya in 2024 and brought back to a military court in Uganda for a treason trial that is ongoing.

Many Ugandans still praise Museveni as the man who ended the country’s post-independence chaos and oversaw rapid economic growth, even if much was lost to a relentless string of massive corruption scandals.

Residents and voters gather to follow the vote-counting process at a public ground used as a polling station in Kampala on January 15, 2026, during Uganda’s 2026 general elections. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)

“Peace and security in the country are very good. The party is well-organised,” said Angee Abraham Lincoln, 42, a Museveni supporter waiting to cast his vote in Kampala.

Western countries have often given Museveni leeway after he swallowed their demands for neoliberal reforms in the 1980s and made himself a useful partner in the US-led “war on terror” in the 2000s, especially through troop contributions to Somalia.

The president said his vote, when it was finally cast, was for anyone “who believes in Uganda… who believes in Africa.”

AFP

The post Polls Close In Uganda After Delays, Internet Blackout appeared first on Channels Television.

Nigeria’s Inflation Eases To 15.15% In December 2025 — NBS

Aramide Folorunsho — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:45:18 +0000

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 15.15 per cent in December 2025, capping a year marked by slowing price pressures and early signs of stabilisation across key sectors of the economy.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) attributed the December figures in part to a review of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) methodology, aimed at better reflecting current economic realities.

Data released by the NBS on Thursday, showed the CPI rose to 131.2 in December from 130.5 in November, indicating a moderation in the pace of price increases across the economy.

On a month-on-month basis, inflation eased to 0.54%, down from 1.22% in November, signalling a reduction in the general price level.

The headline inflation, on a year-on-year basis, dropped from 17.33 per cent in November and was significantly lower than the 34.80 per cent recorded in December 2024, based on the revised base year of November 2009.

The NBS explained that the recent changes in its CPI methodology were technical and aimed at improving accuracy, adding that the adjustments should not be seen as a reflection of worsening economic conditions.

Urban inflation declined sharply to 14.85 per cent year-on-year from 37.29 per cent in December 2024, while the month-on-month rate rose slightly to 0.99 per cent. The corresponding twelve-month average was 23.46 per cent. In rural areas, inflation dropped to 14.56 per cent year-on-year from 32.47 per cent a year earlier, with a month-on-month decline of 0.55 per cent. The twelve-month average rural inflation rate stood at 21.93 per cent.

Food inflation also moderated significantly, falling to 10.84 per cent year-on-year from 39.84 per cent in December 2024. On a month-on-month basis, food prices declined by 0.36 per cent, driven by lower prices of items such as tomatoes, garri, eggs, potatoes, vegetables, plantain, beans and onions. The average annual food inflation rate for the twelve months ending December 2025 stood at 22.00 per cent.

Core inflation, which excludes farm produce and energy, dropped to 18.63 per cent year-on-year from 29.28 per cent in December 2024. On a month-on-month basis, it eased to 0.58 per cent from 1.28 per cent in November. The twelve-month average core inflation rate was 23.49 per cent.

State-level data showed that on a year-on-year basis, Abia, Ogun and Katsina recorded the highest all-items inflation rates, while Sokoto, Plateau and Kaduna posted the lowest. On a month-on-month basis, the highest increases were recorded in Cross River, Abia and Delta, whereas Ondo, Gombe and Jigawa recorded declines.

For food inflation, Yobe, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory recorded the highest year-on-year rates, while Akwa Ibom, Sokoto and Plateau recorded the lowest. Month-on-month food inflation was highest in Imo, Nasarawa and Yobe, while Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara recorded declines.

The statistics office noted that the revised CPI methodology was designed to better capture changes in consumption patterns and reflect current economic conditions across the country.

The post Nigeria’s Inflation Eases To 15.15% In December 2025 — NBS appeared first on Channels Television.

100,000 Visas Revoked Since Trump’s Return, US Says

Aramide Folorunsho — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:11:38 +0000

The United States has revoked more than 100,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office on an anti-migrant platform, a record for a single year, the State Department said Monday.

“The Trump administration has no higher priority than protecting American citizens and upholding American sovereignty,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

The figure since Trump’s second inauguration on January 20, 2025, is two and a half times the number revoked in 2024, when Joe Biden was president.

The State Department said that “thousands” of the visas were revoked over crimes, which can include assault and also drunk driving.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has proudly highlighted his revocation of visas from students who protested against Israel.

Rubio used a McCarthy-era law that allows the United States to block entry to foreigners seen as going against US foreign policy, although some of his high-profile targets successfully challenged deportation orders in court.

The State Department said 8,000 of the revoked visas were for students.

The Trump administration has also tightened vetting for visas, including moving to screen social media postings of visitors.

The visa revocations are part of a wider campaign of mass deportations, carried out aggressively through a surge of federal agents.

The Department of Homeland Security last month said that the Trump administration has deported more than 605,000 people and that 2.5 million others left on their own.

AFP

The post 100,000 Visas Revoked Since Trump’s Return, US Says appeared first on Channels Television.

Tinubu Hails NGX On ₦100trn Milestone, Urges Nigerians To Invest More Locally

Aramide Folorunsho — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:26:10 +0000

Nigeria’s capital market outlook has shown positive signs, with the benchmark index edging up by 0.13 per cent, pushing total market capitalisation to ₦102.82 trillion and lifting the All-Share Index (ASI) to 160,806.56 points.

The latest gains consolidate the market’s recent rally and firmly sustain its position above the psychologically significant ₦100 trillion threshold—a level widely viewed by analysts as a marker of renewed confidence and depth in Nigeria’s equities market.

The uptick was driven by selective buying interest in heavyweight stocks, particularly in the banking, telecommunications, and industrial sectors, amid improving investor sentiment.

President Bola Tinubu is excited over the Nigerian capital market surpassing the N100 trillion benchmark.

Tinubu, in a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, described this achievement as a historic milestone and a strong signal of renewed investor confidence in the economy.

“With the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) crossing the historic N100 trillion market capitalisation mark, the country is witnessing the birth of a new economic reality and rejuvenation,” the statement partly read.

51.19% Return

The NGX All-Share Index closed 2025 with a 51.19 per cent return, eclipsing the 37.65 per cent recorded in 2024 and outperforming major global indices, including the S&P 500 and FTSE 100.

Tinubu said the performance places Nigeria among the world’s best-performing equity markets, adding that the country is no longer a frontier market to be ignored but a destination where value is being unlocked.

The ex-Lagos State governor said several companies across key sectors have recorded strong performances.

He cited industrial firms that have localised supply chains and a resilient banking sector driven by technological innovation.

According to him, the pipeline of new listings on the NGX is robust, with indigenous energy companies, technology firms, telecom operators and infrastructure-related businesses seeking to access the capital market to fund
expansion.

On the broader economy, Tinubu said inflation has continued to decelerate following initial challenges from reforms, dropping from a 24-month high of 34.8 per cent in December 2024 to 14.45 per cent by November 2025, with projections of 12 per cent in 2026 and a possible drop below 10 per cent before the end of the year.

He added that monetary tightening and the removal of “ways and means” financing have helped stabilise the naira, while investments in agriculture have contributed to easing inflationary pressures.

Tax-Driven Economy

President Tinubu pledged to continue pursuing policies aimed at building a transparent, inclusive, and high-growth economy, driven by tax and fiscal reforms that took full effect from January 1, describing the ₦100 trillion market capitalisation as a strong signal of Nigeria’s economic resilience and productivity.

Increased participation by local institutional investors has also helped sustain momentum, cushioning the market against short-term volatility.

Beyond headline numbers, the expanding market capitalisation is seen as a positive signal for capital formation, wealth creation, and broader economic growth.

A deeper and more liquid capital market enhances the ability of companies to raise long-term funding, supports infrastructure financing, and provides diversified investment opportunities for pension funds and retail investors.

However, while caution remains around inflation, interest rates, and global market headwinds, the latest performance suggests a cautiously optimistic outlook.

For policymakers and investors alike, the crossing of the ₦100 trillion mark is not just symbolic—it represents a statement of intent that Nigeria’s capital market is repositioning itself as a stronger pillar of the economy.

The post Tinubu Hails NGX On ₦100trn Milestone, Urges Nigerians To Invest More Locally appeared first on Channels Television.

Macron Accuses US Of ‘Breaking Free From International Rules’

Aramide Folorunsho — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:59:54 +0000

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the United States was “breaking free from international rules” and “gradually turning away” from some of its allies.

Macron delivered his annual speech to French ambassadors at the Elysee Palace as European powers are scrambling to come up with a coordinated response to assertive US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere following Washington’s capture of Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland.

“The United States is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently,” Macron told ambassadors at the Elysee Palace.

“Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less effectively,” Macron added.

“We are living in a world of great powers with a real temptation to divide up the world.”

Macron spoke after US special forces snatched Maduro and his wife from Venezuela on Saturday in a lightning raid and whisked them to New York, sparking condemnation that the United States was undermining international law.

In the wake of his military intervention in Venezuela, President Trump set off alarm bells in Europe by repeating his insistence that he wants to take control of Greenland.

Trump has repeatedly refused to rule out using force to seize the strategic Arctic island, prompting shock and anger from the controlling power, Denmark, and other longstanding European allies.

Copenhagen has warned that any attack would spell the end of the NATO alliance.

‘Reinvest Fully In The UN’

The French leader said “global governance” was key in a time when “everyday people wonder whether Greenland is going to be invaded” as well as whether “Canada will face the threat of becoming the 51st state”.

He said it was the right moment to “reinvest fully in the United Nations, as we note its largest shareholder no longer believes in it.”

The White House on Wednesday flagged the US exit from 66 global organisations and treaties — roughly half affiliated with the United Nations — it identified as “contrary to the interests of the United States”.

Macron said Europe must protect its interests and urged the “consolidation” of European regulation of the tech sector.

He stressed the importance of safeguarding academic independence and hailed “the possibility of having a controlled information space where opinions can be exchanged completely freely, but where choices are not made by the algorithms of a few.”

Brussels has adopted a powerful legal arsenal aimed at reining in tech giants — namely through its Digital Markets Act (DMA), which covers competition, and the Digital Services Act (DSA) on content moderation.

Washington has denounced the tech rules as an attempt to “coerce” American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose.

“The DSA and DMA are two regulations that must be defended,” Macron said.

AFP

The post Macron Accuses US Of ‘Breaking Free From International Rules’ appeared first on Channels Television.

Iran Executes Man On Israel Spying Charges

Aramide Folorunsho — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:59:29 +0000

Iran on Wednesday hanged a man convicted of spying for its arch enemy Israel, the judiciary said, the latest such execution on espionage charges in a trend that has troubled rights groups.

Ali Ardestani had been convicted of sharing information with Israel’s spy agency Mossad and receiving money in the form of cryptocurrency in exchange, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency said.

The Islamic republic has stepped up executions on these charges after its 12-day war in June with Israel. It resulted in significant damage to nuclear and ballistic facilities and the killing of several key top military and security officials in targeted strikes based on intelligence.

The death sentence against Ardestani, “like many other executions in Iran, was issued without a fair trial and based on forced confessions, and therefore lacks any legal legitimacy,” said the director of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group (IHR), Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam.

He said that 12 people had now been executed on charges of spying for Israel since the June war broke out.

But this is the first such execution on charges of spying for Mossad since a wave of protests sparked by anger over the rising cost of living started in Iran on December 28.

“The Islamic Republic’s aim in carrying out executions on charges such as espionage, particularly amid ongoing protests, is solely to instill fear among the population,” said Amiry Moghaddam.

Iran is the world’s most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups. Last year it hanged at least 1,500 people, according to IHR’s figures.

Since the war, Iran has promised swift trials for those arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.

Iran, which does not recognise Israel, has long accused it of conducting sabotage operations against its nuclear facilities and assassinating its scientists.

Mizan said Ardestani had provided Mossad with images and photos of specific locations as well as information on targets.

However, rights groups have long expressed concern that innocent people are executed on such charges while the Israeli agents carrying out the fieldwork remain undetected.

Mossad, through its Persian language X account, earlier this week in a statement quoted by Israeli army radio, issued a direct call urging Iranians to press on with protests, saying it was supporting them “on the ground”.

AFP

The post Iran Executes Man On Israel Spying Charges appeared first on Channels Television.

Iran Army Chief Threatens Response To Trump And Netanyahu’s ‘Threats’

Aramide Folorunsho — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 08:59:58 +0000

Iran’s military chief warned on Wednesday that Iran will not stand by and allow itself to be threatened by outside powers, after the United States and Israel backed anti-government protests.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation a threat and will not tolerate its continuation without responding,” General Amir Hatami said, according to the Fars news agency.Hatami, commander of the Iranian army but not Iran’s most senior officer, warned that “if the enemy makes a mistake,” Iran’s response would be more robust than during last June’s 12-day war with Israel.In recent days, US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if demonstrators are killed, while Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for the protests.On December 28 merchants in Tehran staged a protest against soaring prices and the collapse of the rial, triggering a wave of similar actions in several cities, some of them deadly.

The demonstrations have yet to reach the scale of the 2022 to 2023 movement, let alone that of the mass 2009 street protests that followed disputed elections.

But the economic protests have attracted international attention, including from the leaders of the Islamic republic’s international foes.

“We’re watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, told Israel’s cabinet, “We stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people and with their aspirations for freedom, liberty, and justice.”

On Monday, the Iranian foreign ministry accused Trump and Netanyahu of inciting violence and trying to undermine Iran’s national unity.

The war in June began with an unprecedented Israeli attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.

The United States briefly took part in the strikes, hitting three major Iranian nuclear sites.

AFP

The post Iran Army Chief Threatens Response To Trump And Netanyahu’s ‘Threats’ appeared first on Channels Television.

Venezuelan Parliament Swears In Interim President After Maduro’s Ouster

Aramide Folorunsho — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:08:39 +0000

Venezuela’s parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on Monday, two days after US forces seized her predecessor Nicolas Maduro to face trial in New York.

Rodriguez, who has indicated she will cooperate with Washington, took the oath of office during a ceremony in the National Assembly, telling lawmakers she was doing so “in the name of all Venezuelans”.

She said she was “in pain over the kidnapping of our heroes, the hostages in the United States,” referring to Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who face drug charges in New York with other Venezuelan officials.

Parliament denounced the capture of leftist leader Maduro while vowing support for his stand-in Rodriguez after the US military attack that shocked Caracas and the world.

Outside the legislature, thousands of Venezuelans gathered to demand the release of their leader, chanting, “Maduro, hold on: Venezuela is rising!”

“Regardless of whether Nicolás Maduro has something to answer for in court, this was not the way to do it,” protestor Flur Alberto, 32, told AFP.

Inside, meanwhile, members of the National Assembly offered their full backing to Rodriguez — who had been Maduro’s vice president — and reelected her brother Jorge Rodriguez as parliament speaker.

As Monday’s session opened, lawmakers chanted, “Let’s go Nico!” — a slogan of Maduro’s presidential campaign ahead of the 2024 elections that were widely denounced by the opposition and dozens of global capitals, including Washington, as fraudulent.

On President Donald Trump’s orders, US military forces early Saturday launched strikes on the Venezuelan capital and seized Maduro and his wife, flying them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.

“The president of the United States, Mr Trump, claims to be the prosecutor, the judge, and the policeman of the world,” senior lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas said in an address to colleagues.

“We say: you will not succeed. And we will ultimately deploy all our solidarity so that our legitimate president, Nicolas Maduro, returns victorious to Miraflores,” the presidential palace, he added.

‘In Good Hands’

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Saturday ordered Delcy Rodriguez to assume the presidency “in an acting capacity”, and on Sunday the military also threw its support behind her.

With Jorge Rodriguez’s reelection, the influential siblings are in control of Venezuela’s executive and legislative branches.

Jorge Rodriguez vowed in front of his lawmaker colleagues Monday to pursue “all procedures, all platforms, and all avenues to bring back Nicolas Maduro Moros, my brother, my president.”

Maduro’s lawmaker son Nicolas Maduro Guerra also offered his support for the acting president.

“Count on me, count on my family,” Maduro Guerra, known as “Nicolasito”, told Rodriguez during an address to parliament, adding the country was “in good hands” until his parents’ “return”.

New members of Venezuela’s single-chamber parliament were chosen last May in elections boycotted by much of the opposition, leaving 256 of the 286 seats in the hands of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies.

Maduro Guerra said Monday Venezuela “asks for neither privileges nor concessions; it demands respect… We want international relations with everyone, based on equality, mutual respect, and cooperation, without threats and without interference.”

He stepped outside to address the protesters, telling them he was in “indirect” contact with his father.

“We have a strong team over there that’s supporting us,” he said.

Delcy Rodriguez, who on Saturday insisted Maduro remains the country’s “only” president, later extended an offer of cooperation to Washington, which has said it would work with Venezuela’s leaders if they do what it wants.

Trump, meanwhile, warned Rodriguez could face a fate worse than Maduro if she failed to heed US demands on policy reforms and oil access.

AFP

The post Venezuelan Parliament Swears In Interim President After Maduro’s Ouster appeared first on Channels Television.

Deposed Venezuelan Leader Pleads Not Guilty In US Court

Aramide Folorunsho — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 18:08:24 +0000

Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism in a New York court on Monday, two days after being snatched by US forces in a stunning raid on his home in Caracas.

Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela and said, “I’m innocent; I’m not guilty,” US media reported.

“I’m still the president of my country,” he was quoted as saying.

Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise pleaded not guilty.

The pair was snatched by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday in an assault backed by warplanes and a heavy naval deployment.

In a series of shock announcements over the weekend, President Donald Trump declared that the United States is now running Venezuela with an eye to rebuilding and controlling its huge but decrepit oil industry.

Amid international alarm, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an emergency UN Security Council meeting that there should be “respect for the principles of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity.”

There was sharp criticism Monday from Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum said the Americas “do not belong” to anyone.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a fiery statement saying that as a former guerrilla fighter, he was ready to “take up arms” against Trump.

Maduro became president in 2013, taking over from his equally hardline socialist predecessor, Hugo Chavez.

The United States and the European Union say he stayed in power by rigging elections and imprisoning opponents while overseeing rampant corruption.

The end to a quarter century of leftist rule leaves Venezuela’s approximately 30 million people facing uncertainty.

Some 2,000 Maduro supporters, including rifle-wielding men on motorcycles, rallied Sunday in Caracas, waving Venezuelan flags.

On Monday, deputies in the Venezuelan parliament shouted “Let’s go, Nico!” in support of the ousted leader.

For now, though, the Trump administration is indicating it wants continuity with the remainder of Maduro’s entourage—provided they submit to US demands.

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s vice president, dropped an initially defiant posture on Sunday, saying she was ready for “cooperation”.

Trump has made clear there is no appetite for helping opposition candidates previously seen as the rightful winners of rigged elections to take power.

‘Need Access To Oil’

When asked what he needs from interim leader Rodriguez, Trump said, “We need total access. We need access to the oil and other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves. However, the oil is difficult and expensive to produce, and after years of international sanctions and mismanagement, the infrastructure is in poor shape.

Shares in US oil majors Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips surged on Wall Street early Monday.

Trump, who has shocked many Americans with his unprecedented moves to accumulate domestic power, also now appears increasingly emboldened in foreign policy.

On Sunday, he said communist Cuba was “ready to fall”, and he repeated that Greenland, which is part of US ally Denmark, should be controlled by the United States.

He has lashed out at Colombia’s Petro, saying he should “watch his ass”.

Although there are no known US troops in Venezuela now, the Trump administration says it retains powerful economic leverage through an oil blockade. Trump has also threatened additional military attacks.

A huge US naval presence, including an aircraft carrier, is deployed in the Caribbean.

Details of the US operation in Caracas were still emerging Monday, with Havana saying 32 Cubans were killed in the attack. No US service members were killed, but some were wounded, according to US officials.

Protesting outside the New York court, leftist activist Sydney Loving, 31, said she stood “with the people of Venezuela”.

“We say no to US wars. We say no to US intervention. It’s not in our benefit. It does not make the US safer; it makes the people on Wall Street richer,” she told AFP.

However, Angel Montero, who moved to the United States from Venezuela, described the downfall of Maduro as “the best gift I ever received.”

“I’m going to thank Donald Trump,” Montero, 36, said.

AFP

The post Deposed Venezuelan Leader Pleads Not Guilty In US Court appeared first on Channels Television.

Brazil’s Jailed Ex-President Bolsonaro Undergoes ‘Successful’ Surgery

Aramide Folorunsho — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 19:56:43 +0000

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup, underwent a “successful” surgery on Thursday for an inguinal hernia, his wife said.

The 70-year-old former president left prison on Wednesday for the first time since late November to undergo the procedure at the DF Star hospital in Brasilia.

The Federal Police convoy carrying former Brazil’s president (2019-2023) Jair Bolsonaro heads to the DF Star Hospital, where he will undergo hernia surgery in Brasília on December 24, 2025. (Photo by Evaristo Sa / AFP)

“Successful surgery completed, without complications. Now we wait for him to wake up from anaesthesia,” his wife, Michelle, announced in an Instagram post.

Bolsonaro has grappled with health issues since being stabbed in the stomach during the 2018 presidential campaign, undergoing multiple surgeries related to his wounds. He was also recently diagnosed with skin cancer.

Doctors for the far-right former leader, who served from 2019 to 2022, anticipated that his hospitalisation would last between five and seven more days.

The surgery was to repair an inguinal hernia—a protrusion in the groin area due to a tear in the abdominal muscles.

“It is a complex surgery,” Dr Claudio Birolini said Wednesday. “But it is a standardised… scheduled surgery, so we expect the procedure to be carried out without major complications.”

After the operation, doctors are to assess whether Bolsonaro can undergo an additional procedure: blockage of the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm, for recurrent hiccups, Birolini said.

Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to prison in September after he was found guilty of having led a scheme to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office and to retain power.

Bolsonaro has maintained his innocence, declaring he was a victim of political persecution.

He has been confined to a small room with a minibar, air conditioning, and a television at a Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia.

Earlier, he had been under preventive house arrest between August and November but was sent to prison a few days ahead of schedule because he tried to damage his electronic ankle bracelet.

A court order said at least two police officers would guard the door to the former president’s room during his hospitalisation.

Bolsonaro’s release from prison for the medical procedure was authorised by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the case in which the former president was convicted.

The former president’s wife is accompanying him during his stay at the hospital.

Succession

The son of former Brazils president (2029-2023) Jair Bolsonaro, Carlos Bolsonaro, speaks with the press outside of the DF Star Hospital where his father will undergo hernia surgery, in Brasília, on December 24, 2025. (Photo by Evaristo Sa / AFP)

His eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, has recently announced a 2026 presidential run, saying his father chose him as his successor.

Ahead of the surgery, Flavio read a handwritten letter signed by the ex-president.

“Faced with this scenario of injustice, and with a commitment to not allow the will of the people to be silenced, I have decided to nominate Flavio Bolsonaro as a pre-candidate for the presidency of the republic,” the senator told a press conference outside the hospital, quoting his father’s letter.

It was the first public message in several months from the usually outspoken Jair Bolsonaro, who is prohibited from expressing himself online or in the media without prior judicial authorisation.

According to Flavio Bolsonaro, the letter sought to clarify any “doubt” about his father’s support for his presidential bid.

“Many people say they had not heard it from his own mouth or had not seen a letter signed by him. I believe this clears up any shadow of doubt,” the senator said after reading the text.

AFP

The post Brazil’s Jailed Ex-President Bolsonaro Undergoes ‘Successful’ Surgery appeared first on Channels Television.