Politics
Trump administration says more operations against cartels coming
Senior US national security officials said on Wednesday that military operations against cartels would continue, setting the stage for a sustained military campaign in Latin America even as basic questions about a deadly strike against a vessel from Venezuela remained unanswered.
The US military killed 11 people on Tuesday in a strike on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics, in the first known operation since President Donald Trump’s recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean.
Little is known about the strike, including what legal justification was used or what drugs were on board, but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said operations would continue.
“We’ve got assets in the air, assets in the water, assets on ships, because this is a deadly serious mission for us, and it won’t stop with just this strike,” Hegseth said on FOX & Friends.
“Anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco terrorist will face the same fate,” Hegseth said.
He declined to provide details on how the operation was carried out, saying they were classified. It is unknown whether the vessel was destroyed using a drone, torpedo, or by some other means.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Mexico City, said similar strikes will happen again.
“Maybe it’s happening right now, I don’t know, but the point is the president of the United States is going to wage war on narco terrorist organisations,” Rubio said.
Trump said on Tuesday, without providing evidence, that the US military had identified the crew of the vessel as members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which Washington designated a terrorist group in February.
On Wednesday, he told reporters in the Oval Office that “massive amounts of drugs” were found on the boat.
“We have tapes of them speaking,” said Trump. “It was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people. And everybody fully understands that. In fact, you see it, you see the bags of drugs all over the boat,” Trump said.
The Pentagon has not released specifics about the crew nor why it chose to kill those on board.
Presidents of both major US parties have in the past asserted the authority to use the military for limited strikes when there is a threat to the United States, as Trump did in June when he ordered an attack on Iran.
Rubio said that “a boat full of cocaine or fentanyl” was an immediate threat to the United States, adding that Trump had the right to “eliminate (it) under exigent circumstances.”
Mary Ellen O’Connell, an expert on international law and the use of force at the University of Notre Dame, said Tuesday’s operation “violated fundamental principles of international law.”
“The alleged fact that the attack was on the high seas is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the US had no right to intentionally kill these suspects,” she said.
Maduro “should be worried”
The decision to blow up a suspected drug vessel passing through the Caribbean, instead of seizing the vessel and apprehending its crew, is highly unusual and evokes memories of the US fight against militant groups such as al Qaeda.
The United States has deployed warships in the southern Caribbean in recent weeks, to follow through on a pledge by Trump to crack down on drug cartels.
Seven US warships and one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine are either in the region or expected to be there soon, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines. US Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have been carrying out amphibious training and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico.
Asked about Venezuela’s close relationship with China, Hegseth aimed at Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
“The only person that should be worried is Nicolas Maduro, who is … effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state,” Hegseth said.
The Trump administration last month doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups.
Venezuelan officials have said the Caribbean buildup is meant to justify an intervention against them, with Maduro accusing Trump of seeking “regime change.”
In an interview with Fox Noticias on Wednesday, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado supported the US strike, saying the operation was “aimed at saving lives” in Venezuela and the United States.
“We have to be grateful that the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and his administration recognise and act toward Maduro as what he is: the head of a narco-terrorist regime that has been responsible for destroying our country, destabilising the region, and becoming a real threat to the security of the United States,” Machado said. She was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election but is the country’s most popular opposition figure.
Authorities in the South American country, who say Tren de Aragua is no longer active there after being dismantled during a prison raid in 2023, suggested on Tuesday that footage shared by Trump of a speedboat at sea exploding and then burning was created with artificial intelligence.
Reuters conducted initial checks on the video, including a review of its visual elements using a manipulation detection tool that did not show evidence of manipulation. However, thorough verification is an ongoing process, and Reuters will continue to review the footage as more information becomes available.
The strike drew scepticism from some within the Venezuelan opposition.
“How did they know there were 11 people? Did they count them? How did they know they were Venezuelan? Were their ID cards floating on the sea afterwards?” former opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said to Reuters.
Thailand’s Anutin Charnvirakul was elected prime minister on Friday after breezing through a parliamentary vote, trouncing the candidate of the Shinawatra family’s once-dominant ruling party to end a week of chaos and political deadlock.
With decisive opposition backing, Anutin easily passed the threshold of more than half of the lower house votes required to become premier, capping off days of drama and a scramble for power during which he outmanoeuvred the most successful political party in Thailand’s history.
Shrewd dealmaker Anutin has been a mainstay in Thai politics throughout years of turmoil, positioning his Bhumjaithai party strategically between warring elites embroiled in an intractable power struggle and guaranteeing its place in a succession of coalition governments.
His rout of rival contender Chaikasem Nitisiri was a humiliation for the ruling Pheu Thai party, the once unstoppable populist juggernaut of influential billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, who left Thailand late on Thursday for Dubai, where he spent the bulk of his 15 years in self-imposed exile.
Anutin led from the start and won 63% of the votes, with double the tally of Chaikasem.
He was mobbed by a phalanx of media as he left the chamber, his aides fending off a scrum of journalists who jostled and shouted as he edged slowly towards a waiting car.
“I will work my hardest, every day, no holidays, because there is not a lot of time,” Anutin said, his face lit up by bursts of camera flashes.
“We have to ease problems quickly.”
Pheu Thai’s crisis was triggered in June by Anutin’s withdrawal from its alliance, which left the coalition government clinging to power with a razor-thin majority amid protests and plummeting popularity.
The hammer blow was last week’s dismissal by a court of Thaksin’s daughter and protege Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the sixth prime minister from or backed by the Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary.
Anutin’s victory came as a result of a pact with the progressive opposition People’s Party, the largest force in parliament, which he seduced with promises to hold a referendum on amending the constitution and call an election within four months.
‘We will return’
A political veteran and son of a former cabinet minister who once ran his family’s construction firm, 58-year-old Anutin is a former deputy premier, interior minister and health minister who served as Thailand’s COVID-19 tsar.
As a staunch royalist, Anutin is considered a conservative, although he made a name for himself by leading a successful campaign to decriminalise cannabis in Thailand, which led to an explosion of thousands of marijuana retailers.
Anutin will lead a minority government, which the People’s Party will not join, and take the helm of a country with an economy struggling from weak consumption, tight lending and soaring levels of household debt.
His expedited rise to the premiership was tied to the political reckoning of powerbroker Thaksin and decline of Pheu Thai, which won five of the past six elections but has haemorrhaged support among the working classes once wooed by its raft of populist giveaways.
Despite the heavy defeat, Pheu Thai vowed to come back to power and deliver on its agenda.
“We will return to finish the job for all the Thai people,” it said.
Thaksin’s unannounced departure from Thailand on his private jet came after his party failed in desperate bids to dissolve the house and undermine Anutin’s bloc. A court ruling that could see Thaksin jailed is set for next week.
The tycoon made a vaunted homecoming from Dubai in 2023 to serve an eight-year sentence for abuse of power and conflicts of interest, but on his first night in prison he was transferred to the VIP wing of a hospital on medical grounds.
His sentence was commuted to a year by the king and he was released on parole after six months in detention. The Supreme Court will decide on Tuesday if Thaksin’s hospital stint counts as time served. If not, it could send him back to jail.
In a post on X, Thaksin said he was in Dubai for a medical checkup and to see old friends.
“I will be back in Thailand by September 8 to personally attend court,” he said.
US President Donald Trump on Friday said India and Russia seem to have been “lost” to China after their leaders met with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, highlighting his split from New Delhi and Moscow as Beijing pushes a new world order.
“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Trump wrote in a social media post accompanying a photo of the three other world leaders together at Xi’s summit in China.
Asked about Trump’s post, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters in New Delhi that he had no comment.
Representatives for Beijing and Moscow could not be immediately reached for comment on Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform.
Xi hosted more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Putin and Modi were see holding hands at the summit as they walked toward Xi before all three men stood side by side.
Modi’s warming ties with China comes as Trump has chilled US-India ties amid trade tensions and other disputes. Trump earlier this week said he was “very disappointed” in Putin but not worried about growing Russia-China ties.
Six Flags Qiddiya City is set to be Saudi Arabia’s first Six Flags amusement park and a hallmark attraction within the broader Qiddiya City entertainment mega-development outside Riyadh. Qiddiya City is an integral part of Saudi Vision 2030, a bold initiative aimed at diversifying the economy and establishing the kingdom as a global leader in tourism.
Developed by the Qiddiya Investment Company in partnership with Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park is scheduled to open in late 2025. This park is designed to become a centre for entertainment, sports, and the arts. Six Flags runs theme parks across the US and in Canada, Mexico, and China. The original park was founded in Texas in 1961 and themed on the six flags that once flew over the state.
The ambitious project represents a multibillion-dollar investment to drive economic growth, create job opportunities, and attract millions of visitors annually. As a testament to Qiddiya’s commitments, both parks are set to create thousands of jobs, nurturing local talent and enhancing the attractions industry within the kingdom.
Key features at a glance
Record-breaking rides
The park will feature 28 rides and attractions across six themed lands, including five world-record rides:
Falcon’s flight: The star of the show — poised to be the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster. Height: approximately 195 metres (639 feet)
- Top speed: up to 250 km/h (155 mph)
- Track length: around 4.2km
Other record-setting attractions include:
Sirocco Tower: Tallest free-standing shot tower ride
- Gyrospin: Tallest pendulum ride
- Spitfire: Tallest triple-launch coaster (in “Valley of Fortune”)
- Iron Rattler: Tallest tilted coaster
Six immersive themed lands
The Citadel: The central hub beneath a Bedouin-style canopy; houses eateries, shops, and entertainment zones
City of Thrills: High-adrenaline attractions including Falcon’s Flight and Sirocco Tower
Discovery Springs: A lush, water-themed oasis with waterfalls and rainforest-style relief
Valley of Fortune: Adventure amid ancient Arabian ruins, featuring Spitfire, Skywatch, Treasure Trail, and Canyon Charters
Grand Exposition: A celebrated showcase inspired by World Expos, featuring Gyrospin, the wooden-steel hybrid coaster Colossus, Arabian Carousel, Expo Flyer, and bumper rides.
Steam Town and Twilight Gardens are also featured, though details are less public; Steam Town likely focuses on mechanical-themed thrills while Twilight Gardens offers family-friendly wonder.
Family and amenities
Offers a mix of thrilling rides and 18 family-friendly attractions.
Amenities include 27 international F&B outlets, 24 retail shops, a baby care center, and day-long entertainment shows.
Sustainability and economic impact
Over 80% of operational waste will be recycled.
Part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the park aims to drive tourism, diversify the economy, and create thousands of jobs.
Integrated with Aquarabia Water Park
Aquarabia Water Theme Park will make a splash with 22 state-of-the-art water rides and attractions, including the world’s tallest water coaster and the world’s tallest double-loop water slide. The water park will welcome guests to eight themed areas, including Surftopia, featuring Saudi Arabia’s first surf pool. Together, these attractions will set a new standard for family-friendly entertainment in the region.
Both parks are designed as a walkable, interconnected entertainment district.
Operator partnership: Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the official operator, bringing its global expertise to manage both the theme park and Aquarabia. Brian Machamer leads the operations of both parks.
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