Can the US Force Maduro to Step Down? l Inside Story

Venezuela’s economy has been in crisis for years. Hyperinflation is skyrocketing and millions of people have left the country. And the president hasn’t been able to fix it.

Now the US is hitting Nicolas Maduro even harder where it hurts, in a bid to get him out of office. It’s imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company blocking seven billion dollars in assets and is recognising opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president.

Washington’s called on the military, which is so far standing by Maduro, to accept a peaceful transfer of power… and warned otherwise there could be consequences. How far will Washington go to change the government in Caracas?

Presenter: Richelle Carey | Guests: Jairo A Lugo-Ocando, Director of Executive Education and Graduate Studies at Northwestern University in Qatar; Charles Shapiro, Former US Ambassador to Venezuela; Diego Moya-Ocampos, principal analyst for Country Risk at IHS Markit in the Americas team.

Power-Mad Tony Blair Defends Billionaire Festival

Mike Pompeo Begs United Nations To Support Venezuelan Coup

Mike Pompeo made his way to the U.N. Security Council to urge them to support their guy in Venezuela. Sam Seder and the Majority Report crew discuss this.

Bolton: We're Taking Venezuela's Oil

Yesterday, Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton made the US position clear in a FoxNews interview: Washington will overthrow the Venezuelan government and take its oil for the benefit of US companies. This is "regime change" on steroids!

Top US News & World Headlines — January 29, 2019

What Can Investigation into Khashoggi's Murder Achieve? l Inside Story

Jamal Khashoggi was a critic of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The journalist was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul almost four months ago. But his body or remains have never been recovered, and the murder case remains unresolved.

Turkey's not satisfied by the Saudis own investigations and wants a full international inquiry. What it’s got is an independent investigation led by the UN’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions. Agnes Callamard and her team are in Turkey for a week-long mission.

She also wants to visit Saudi Arabia. But will this independent international inquiry make any difference anyway? Can Saudi Arabia be held to account?

Presenter: Richelle Carey | Guests: Sultan Barakat, Director For Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute; Carl Buckley, Barrister at Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers

Is Support for Trump Fading?

West Virginia: in 2016, it was one of the most pro-Trump states. Now that the Government has opened again, how do his supporters feel he handled the shutdown? And at more than 1,000 miles from the US-Mexico border, do the community still want Trump to build the wall?

Historian: Venezuela Is “Staging Ground” for US to Re-assert Control over Latin America

While Mexico and Uruguay are calling for dialogue to address the crisis in Venezuela, much of Latin America has sided with the Trump administration by recognizing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s new leader. We look at what this mean for the broader region with professors Alejandro Velasco and Steve Ellner.

Why Latinos Are Converting to Islam

Latinos are one of the fastest growing groups within Islam in America. VICE's Lee Adams travels to Houston Texas, the home of America's first Islam in Spanish center, to investigate what’s behind this phenomenon and how America’s current political climate might be related.

As a former gang leader, Jaime "Mujahid" Fletcher claims that Islam saved his life, inspiring him to found the Islam in Spanish center. He dedicated himself to translating Muslim texts for a Spanish-speaking audience.

We spoke to Jaime and other recent Latino Muslim converts to find out why two of America’s most discriminated groups are coming together.

How to Solve the Political Crisis in Venezuela? | Inside Story

After years of turmoil, Venezuela's political crisis has escalated dramatically over the past few days.

The head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly declared himself the interim President after the biggest protests against Nicolás Maduro in two years. The US, Canada and much of Latin America quickly threw their support behind Juan Guaidó.

But Maduro says he's not going anywhere, and has ordered US diplomats to leave the country by Sunday. So what will this mean for Venezuela's deep economic and political crisis?

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Paul Dobson - Journalist for www.venezuelanalysis.com; Leopoldo Martinez - Former Venezuelan Congressman and President of The Center for Democracy and Development in the Americas; Christopher Sabatini - Executive Director of the Think Tank Global Americans and Editor of the news and opinion website www.latinamericagoesglobal.org/

A Coup in Progress? Trump Moves to Oust Maduro & Install Pro-US Leader in Oil-Rich Venezuela

The Venezuelan government is accusing the United States of staging a coup, after President Trump announced that the U.S. would recognize opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s new leader. Trump made the announcement shortly after Guaidó, the new head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself president during a large opposition protest. The European Union and the Lima Group have joined the U.S. in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as president. Mexico is the one dissenting nation in the Lima Group to still recognize Maduro. We speak with Miguel Tinker Salas, professor at Pomona College, who says, “This is unprecedented not only in Venezuelan history, but in Latin America.” He is the author of “The Enduring Legacy: Oil, Culture, and Society in Venezuela” and “Venezuela: What Everyone Needs to Know.”

Top US News & World Headlines — January 24, 2019

Global Billionaires Are Terrified Of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Billionaires, CEOs, and other people who have devoted their lives to money are gathered in Davos, Switzerland, and they all seem to have one thing on their mind right now: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The billionaires at the summit are freaking out over her idea to raise marginal tax rates on income over $10 million to 70%, which is actually not as high as it had been in the past. Her policies are popular, and that’s what scares these billionaires, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains.

Top US News & World Headlines — January 23, 2019

Venezuela: Trump Recognises Opposition Leader as President

THE GUARDIAN: Juan Guaidó, 35, seeks to oust ‘usurper’ Nicolás Maduro / Move is dramatic escalation of crisis in South American country

Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaidó has declared himself interim president, in a dramatic escalation of efforts to force out President Nicolás Maduro who has overseen the country’s slide into authoritarianism and economic ruin.

The move was immediately welcomed by the US, Canadian and a dozen Latin American governments. Donald Trump said he would use the “full weight” of US economic and diplomatic power to push for the restoration of Venezuela’s democracy.

Thousands of protesters clogged the streets of the capital, Caracas, as Guaidó, the head of the opposition-run national assembly, raised his right hand and said: “I swear to assume all the powers of the presidency to secure an end to the usurpation”. » | Joe Parkin Daniels in Bogotá and Mariana Zúñiga in Caracas | Wednesday, January 23, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: Venezuela: who is Juan Guaidó, the man who declared himself president? »

Egypt TV Host Mohamed al-Ghiety Jailed for Interviewing Gay Man

BBC: An Egyptian TV presenter has been sentenced to one year of hard labour for interviewing a gay man last year.

A court in Giza also fined Mohamed al-Ghiety 3,000 Egyptian pounds ($167; £130) for "promoting homosexuality" on his privately owned LTC TV channel.

The gay man, whose identity was hidden, had talked about life as a sex worker.

Homosexuality is not explicitly criminalised in Egypt, however, the authorities have been increasingly cracking down on the LGBT community.

They routinely arrest people suspected of engaging in consensual homosexual conduct on charges of "debauchery", immorality or blasphemy. » | BBC | Monday, January 21, 2019

Ministers Agree to Consider Lib Dem Plans for New Referendum

THE OBSERVER: Vince Cable says move follows cross-party talks on Brexit deadlock options

Cabinet ministers involved in cross-party talks on how to break the Brexit deadlock have given the first indication that they are prepared to examine plans for a potential second referendum on the UK’s departure from the EU, according to the Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Vince Cable.

The offer to examine a possible timetable for a second vote drawn up by the Lib Dems was made during discussions between senior Liberal Democratsand two cabinet ministers involved in the talks, Michael Gove and David Lidington, in the Cabinet Office on Thursday morning.

While Theresa May’s government remains strongly opposed to the idea of returning the issue of Brexit to the electorate, the revelation by Cable shows that ministers are determined to look at a wide range of ideas being put forward by opposition parties. » | Toby Helm, Political Editor | Saturday, January 19, 2019

President Pence? That Vision Should Terrify Women

THE GUARDIAN: The news that Karen Pence is returning to work at an anti-gay Christian school should remind us of the vice-president’s dangerous bigotry

President Pence would turn America into The Handmaid’s Tale

Karen Pence is not just the wife of the US vice-president, she’s an empowered career woman in her own right. While her husband works tirelessly alongside Trump to make America white again, Karen Pence, it was announced this week, is returning to her old job teaching kids art.

Or rather, she’s going to teach heterosexual kids art, and they shouldn’t expect to draw any rainbows.

The Christian school in northern Virginia where Pence will be working requires its teachers to agree that they won’t engage in or condone “homosexual or lesbian sexual activity” and “transgender identity”. The school also reserves the right to expel or refuse to admit students if they or their parents participate in, support, or condone, homosexual or bisexual activity. A policy that seems to chime perfectly with the vice president’s own bigoted worldview – Pence has a long history of homophobia and transphobia. » | Arwa Mahdawi | Saturday, January 19, 2019

Interview: Rahaf Mohammed On Escaping Saudi Arabia to Canada

In her own words, Saudi teen Rahaf Mohammed talks to Susan Ormiston about fleeing her family, how she finally ended up in Canada and what she plans to do next.

John Brennan Agrees: President Donald Trump Is Clear and Present Danger to US | All In | MSNBC

Former CIA director John Brennan concurs with former senior Justice Department official David Laufman’s conclusion that the president is a clear and present danger to the national security of this country.