TRANSCRIPT
- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife plead not guilty to charges in a U-S court.
- China demands the U-S immediately release captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
- Local hope Alexei Popyrin defeated by France's Quentin Halys at the Brisbane International.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has pleaded not guilty to U-S charges of narco-terrorism after President Donald Trump ordered his dramatic capture, a move that rattled global leaders and left officials in Caracas scrambling.
The 63-year-old entered his plea in a New York federal court to four counts, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Maduro says he is innocent, a decent man and remains the president of Venezuela.
Mr Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, was also charged and also pleaded not guilty.
The next court hearing is scheduled for 17 March.
Prosecutors allege Maduro oversaw a cocaine-trafficking network linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.
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China's foreign ministry has demanded the United States immediately release the captured Venezuelan president and his wife.
The Chinese government says they are closely following the security situation but remain gravely concerned after the U-S military attacked Venezuela's capital, Caracas, and captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Saturday.
China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, says the U-S operation in the country is illegal and unacceptable.
"The actions by the US constitute a clear violation of international law and the basic norms of international relations, contravening the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. China calls upon the United States to ensure the personal safety of President Maduro and his wife, to release them immediately, to cease subverting the Venezuelan government, and to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation."
Mr Lin says China has maintained positive communication and cooperation with the Venezuelan government following the assault.
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Police in the Northern Territory say an Aboriginal mother-of-five who died in police custody suffered a medical incident, despite a post-mortem report listing the cause of death as undetermined.
44-year-old Kumanjayi Dempsey was found unresponsive in her cell at the Tennant Creek Watch House on December 27th after being charged with aggravated assault on Christmas Day.
A post-mortem report listed the cause of death as undetermined, with a pathologist to conduct toxicology tests before a formal cause can be revealed.
At watch houses in Darwin, Katherine, Palmerston and Alice Springs a custody nurse checks detainees' medical records and conducts health checks, but there is no nurse at the Tennant Creek watch house.
Ms Dempsey's death followed the recent refusal by the N-T government to allow the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to inspect NT detention centres, including watch houses.
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Politicians are returning to Canberra before January 26th to pass urgent laws responding to the nation’s worst mass shooting in decades.
The Federal government is recalling Parliament within the next two weeks to address legislative gaps exposed by the December terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
Coalition leader Sussan Ley is demanding the Prime Minister make bold legislative changes.
"Every day that the parliament has not come back has been a day coming back late. The prime minister has missed the moment and missed the mark to lead the country through the aftermath of this awful terrorist event."
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In tennis, Alexei Popyrin has stumbled at the first hurdle for the second straight year after he was defeated by French qualifier Quentin Halys at the Brisbane International.
The local hope battled to make inroads on the Halys first serve, losing 5-7 6-3 6-4 in just less than two hours at Pat Rafter Arena.
His loss followed fellow Australians James Duckworth and Dane Sweeny's first-round defeats at the lead-up event to the Australian Open.
Popyrin was also ousted in the first round in 2025 before losing his opening clash at the Open in a year when his world ranking fell from the mid-20s to now its current mark of 50.
