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Venezuela's allies back Maduro amid rising tensions with the US
Venezuela's regional partners voiced their support for the Venezuelan government at a summit held?on Sunday. They condemned the Trump administration's seizure last week of an oil tanker. The US captured the Skipper tanker last Wednesday off Venezuela's coastline, marking the first time that Venezuelan oil has been taken by American forces since sanctions were imposed on Venezuela in 2019. Support for President Nicolas Maduro at a virtual televised meeting of the leftist ALBA group of Caribbean and Latin American nations, occurred during an escalation in a U.S. buildup of military forces in the southern Caribbean. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated during the summit that "Latin America today faces threats that have never been seen in the last decades." Daniel Ortega, co-President of Nicaragua, referred to the seizure of the tanker by the United States. Daniel Ortega, co-President of Nicaragua, referred to the seizure by the?U.S. The seizure of the tanker could have a ripple effect throughout the region. Venezuelan oil exports will drop sharply, and Cuba's grid may be at risk. The Trump administration has not recognized Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate president, even though he's been in power since 2013. As the U.S. launched deadly strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean and off the Venezuelan coast, tensions have increased. Maduro has said that Trump wants to remove him. Maduro called on the ALBA bloc at the summit to resist what he called unlawful interference in that region. He said, "The colonizer will not happen." "We will be liberated." (Reporting and editing by Leila Mill; Paul Simao).
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Two dead and two injured after Brown University shooting, police arrest a person of interest
Providence Police have arrested a "person-of-interest" in connection with the Brown University Shooting that resulted in the deaths of?two? students and nine other people at the U.S. ivy 'League School. Kristy DosReis, Providence's Chief Public Safety Information Officer, told reporters that a person-of-interest was being held by police after the shootings at Providence University. In an advisory issued on Sunday, Brown stated that the police had lifted a shelter in place order for their campus in Rhode Island. On Saturday, more than 400 police officers were deployed to search for a suspect that had entered an exam room with a gun. Providence University said that police officers were still present in crime scenes. Brown University, which is home to hundreds of buildings including lecture halls and laboratories, has restricted access on Sunday. On Saturday, the streets?around campus were?filled with emergency vehicles. Security was also heightened in the city as authorities said they were searching for the gunman. Local and state police were working together with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Officials released video footage of a suspect who was dressed in black and may have been in his 30s. Timothy O'Hara, Providence's Deputy Chief of Police said that the suspect may have been wearing a mask but officials were not sure. O'Hara said that although investigators recovered shell casings at the scene, police did not want to reveal any details. Officials said that the gunman fled from a classroom where he shot students. The doors of Brown's Barus & Holley Engineering Building were allegedly left unlocked during exams. At a press conference, Chief Oscar Perez of the police said that detectives were investigating why this location was targeted. Brown President Christina Paxson told reporters all or almost all of the victims are students. She added: "This day is one that you hope never happens and it did". Brown University Health reported that seven of the nine injured were in critical condition late Saturday. (Reporting and editing by Sharon Singleton, Alexander Smith, and Mrinmay dey in Bengaluru)
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India tightens pollution controls as Delhi's air becomes worse
India has tightened its anti-pollution policies in Delhi and the surrounding areas, after the capital's air quality reached the worst of the season. According to an advisory from India's Environment Ministry, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)?used?stage four, which is the highest level of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi & surrounding areas, on Saturday evening. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data revealed that Delhi's air quality on Sunday was "severe", with index readings of over 450 at a number of monitoring stations. This is up from 430 the previous day and represents the highest level so far in this winter. Readings below 50 are considered "good". The curbs prohibit the entry of "older diesel trucks", suspend construction projects, including public ones, and mandate hybrid education. Winters in this area of 30 million people are often plagued by smog, due to the cold, dense air that traps the emissions from construction sites, vehicles and crop burning. This pollution is among the worst in the world, and exposes residents to respiratory problems. Authorities urged residents to remain indoors and consider wearing masks when going outside, particularly children and people with respiratory and cardiac problems. According to the Commission for Air Quality Management, the worsening air quality is due to high humidity and a?shift in wind direction. These conditions prevent dispersion and encourage smog formation. Reporting by Sethuraman N.R.; Editing and proofreading by William Mallard
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Trump's envoy is quoted by state media as saying that the US has lifted sanctions on Belarusian Potash
After two days of discussions in Minsk with?President Alexander Lukashenko, John Coale, the envoy for President Donald Trump was quoted by Belarusian media as saying that the United States will lift sanctions on Belarusian Potash. Belarus did not specify what it would do as a response. Belarus is one of the largest producers of potash - a vital component in fertiliser. Coale was appointed by Trump as his special envoy for Belarus last month. The president has tasked Coale with negotiating the?release of more than 1,000 political prisoner in the former Soviet state, which is close to Russia. Belta, the state news agency, quoted Coale saying that he discussed a range of issues with Lukashenko. He said, "We talked about the war between Ukraine & Russia and about Venezuela." "We had an excellent conversation." We discussed the future. We talked about the future. It's our aim." Coale noted also the close relationship between Lukashenko, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the context the war in Ukraine. "Your president is well acquainted with President Putin, and can advise him." This is a very valuable asset?in the current situation. Coale stated that they are close friends who have the relationship to discuss these issues. "President Putin will accept or reject some of the advice. This is one way to help the process." Reporting by Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan and Peter Graff.
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Odesa, Ukraine suffers major blackouts following Russian attack
Odesa, Ukraine's southernmost port city, and the surrounding area suffered major blackouts on Saturday following a massive overnight?Russian assault?on power grid which left more than one million households without electricity. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, said that Russia attacked Ukraine using more than 450 drones as well as 30 missiles. Zelenskiy, a Telegram user, wrote that the attack had a major impact on our energy system in the south, and particularly on Odesa. He added that thousands of families across Ukraine were without electricity. Yulia Svyrydenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, said that it was a major attack on Odesa where water and electricity supplies were cut off. She added that non-drinking drinking water was being delivered to certain areas in the city. Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine's Interior Minister said that more than one million Ukrainian households were left without electricity and five people were injured as a result. Ukraine's power grid operator said a "significant number" of households ?were without power in the southern regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv, and that the ?Ukrainian-controlled part of the frontline Kherson region ?was totally without power. Since its invasion in 2022, Moscow has been regularly bombarding Ukraine's power system. This has caused blackouts across the country for hours each day. The Russian defence ministry announced on Saturday that it had carried out strikes against Ukrainian energy and military industrial facilities. Max Hunder, Peter Graff, Alexander Smith and Max Hunder (Reporting)
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Charley Hull and Lexi Thompson help their teams score 55s at Grant Thornton
Two teams of LPGA stars, Lexi Thompson and Wyndham, and Englishwoman Charley Hull, and Michael Brennan, posted a 17-under par 55 on Friday at the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Fla. The three-day event at Tiburon golf club?begins in a scramble style, and not only the leading duos?took full advantage. Lauren Coughlin is only two strokes behind Andrew Novak after their 15-under 57. Three other pairs shot 14-under-58: Nelly Corda and Denny McCarthy; Jennifer Kupcho & Chris Gotterup, and Rose Zhang & Michael Kim. Hull and Brennan both eagled the par-5 6th and 14th holes. Thompson and Clark eagled the No. They also eagled No. 6 when Clark hit his tee-shot just off the green, and Thompson holed their putt. Clark admitted that she felt like they played similar games. "She hits the ball really far off the TEE, and if we are in play, then we're a lot?past the competition," Clark said. She is a fantastic putter. "Yeah, I thought our games complemented each other perfectly. I also didn't see any flaws with her game." Thompson added, "Grant Thornton is a great asset to this event." "Bringing the PGA Tour together with the?LPGA is what we wanted to end our year, a nicer, more relaxed event." Hull had been working on her swing before she came to the tournament, where she would be playing with Brennan, a newcomer to the PGA Tour. Hull said, "It is funny, because I changed my swing last Tuesday, but when I came on Tuesday, I couldn't even keep the ball in the air." "I was pretty nervous today." "Actually, everything went well." Coughlin & Novak have made nine birdies straight at Nos. It's not bad at all for a pair that has only met this week for the first. Novak said, "I like team golf." Novak and Ben Griffin won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans together in April. "It's a different way of playing golf, I think. This year I was lucky enough to have two great partners, and it has been a good vibe during the tournament. We're having fun and making birdies, but not taking ourselves too seriously. Just doing our jobs. Kupcho, Gotterup and McCarthy birdied their first 10 holes. Korda and McCarthy also posted eagles on the par-5 1st and 17th holes. The format will not be the same the rest of the time. On Saturday, the teams will play alternate shot foursomes and on Sunday a modified fourball. The event is in its third year. The defending champions Jake Knapp of Australia and Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit, both at 13-under-59, are tied for seventh. Jason Day from Australia and Lydia Ko from New Zealand tied for eighth place, one shot behind. Field Level Media
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Stocks fall as AI fears linger; US yields rise
The major stock indexes dropped on Friday as investors remained cautious about artificial intelligence bets. Meanwhile, the dollar edged up and U.S. Treasury Yields increased. Investors weighed comments from Federal Reserve officials, who had voted against a rate cut by the U.S. central bank this week. They said that they were concerned about inflation and feared lower borrowing costs. Stocks were also weighed down by rising yields. As tech-related concerns lingered, technology fell the most among the major S&P sectors. Oracle, a cloud computing company, warned earlier this week of massive spending and poor forecasts. Broadcom's warning on margins late Thursday added to concerns. Broadcom's shares closed 11.4% lower. Oracle shares fell by 4.5%, adding to the almost 11% drop on Thursday. Nvidia, which is a leader in AI technology was down by 3.3%. Bruce Zaro, managing Director at Granite Wealth Management, Plymouth, Massachusetts, stated that "continued frustration and uncertainty regarding the AI trade and technological trade" pushed the market. He said: "I thought that this choppiness had ended by now." He added, "We are in a really great?seasonal time. Santa Claus rally is usually held from mid-December to the end of the trading year. Investors are optimistic about future U.S. rate cuts after the Fed reduced interest rates on Wednesday by 25 basis points, in a decision that was 9-3. Policymakers have indicated they will pause further reductions for now. The Fed has expressed concern about the cooling of the labor market and a high inflation rate. U.S. unemployment claims data on Thursday showed that the number of Americans claiming unemployment benefits increased to the highest level in almost 4-1/2 years. Next Thursday, the Bank of England will likely cut interest rates. The European Central Bank will likely keep rates?steady', but traders now speculate that it may hike rates in the year 2026. After Governor Kazuo ueda's strong signals, the Bank of Japan will likely raise rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 245.96 points or 0.51% to 48,458.05, while the S&P 500 slid 73.59 or 1.07% to 6,827.41, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 398.69 or 1.69% to 23,195.17. The MSCI index of global stocks fell 6.39 points or 0.63% to 1,008.88. The pan-European STOXX 600 ended 0.53% down. The yields on the 10-year Treasury note in the United States rose after two consecutive sessions of declines. The yield of the benchmark U.S. Treasury 10-year note increased 5.1 basis point to 4.192%, and was up over 5 basis points for the week. This is the second consecutive weekly increase. Investors have already begun to price in rate increases for the euro zone. The divergence is due to traders' expectations that U.S. interest rates will fall over the long-term, despite the recent jump in yields. Germany's 30-year bond yield, which is more sensitive to fiscal concerns over the long term, has risen to a new 14-year-high of 3.498%. This represents a 3.5-basis-point increase. DOLLAR GAINS; POUND FALLS SLIIGHTLY ON UK-DATA The U.S. Dollar drifted higher in relation to major currencies after also falling recently, but it was still on track for its third consecutive weekly drop amid the prospects of interest rate reductions by the Fed next. The pound eased following data showing that the UK economy shrank unexpectedly in the three-month period ending October. The pound fell 0.2% against the dollar, to $1.3375. This is not far off from its seven-week high reached on Thursday. The dollar gained 0.2% against the yen to reach 155.93yen in advance of the BoJ meeting next week, when a rate increase is expected. The BoJ is expected to maintain its pledge to raise interest rates next week, but the rate of increase will depend on the economy's reaction to each hike. The euro was unchanged at $1.1735, after reaching a two-month high Thursday. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which compares the U.S. dollar to six other currencies, increased 0.1% to reach 98.44. COAL DROPS FROM RECORD HIGH Copper fell more than 3% after reaching a record high earlier in session. Fears of the AI bubble burst prompted a sell-off of riskier assets. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange dropped as much as 3.5 % to $11,451.50, and was trading at $11,537.50 down by 2.8% as of 1700 GMT. The oil prices fell and recorded a weekly drop of 4% as fears over the U.S. seizure and subsequent impact on the Venezuelan oil tanker outweighed the supply glut. U.S. crude dropped 16 cents and settled at $57.44 per barrel, while Brent also fell 16 cents.
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Spain asks EU to not weaken the 2035 combustion engines ban, as shown in a letter
A letter obtained by revealed that Spain's Pedro Sanchez had urged the European Commission to not weaken the bloc’s ban on 2035 for?new CO2-emitting vehicles, while?Brussels is preparing proposals to possibly rollback the policy. According to a leading?German? EU lawmaker, the Commission is planning to take action next week to reduce the policy. This would ban all combustion engine cars after 2035 and require that cars sold thereafter have zero CO2 emission. Germany and Italy have urged the EU to weaken its 2035 ban. They argue that this will protect automakers who are struggling with the tough competition coming from China. In a letter dated Thursday to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen Sanchez stated that weakening this policy would put jobs at risk and lead to factory closures, by undermining Europe’s efforts to transform its car industry into a manufacturing powerhouse for electric vehicles. The letter stated that "any additional relaxation" (of the policy) could lead to a significant delay in modernization investment, due to a temporary drop in demand for electric vehicles. It said: "We reject the idea that combustion vehicles and other technologies, which have not been proven to work, could be sold beyond 2035." Sanchez called for an "eco-steel label" that would reward automakers for using low carbon?materials and for a minimum percentage of EU-made content in automobiles. The Commission will announce its policy Tuesday. Manfred Weber, President of the EPP (the largest group of legislators in the European Parliament), suggested that the Commission might propose lowering the CO2 emission targets for the automakers fleets to 90% by 2035. The EU has a strategy that includes a ban on electric cars. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other automakers have asked the EU to relax the policy due to slower than expected sales of electric cars. Volvo Cars, among others, say that they have invested heavily in the electric transition and that any reversal of the ban will be a betrayal. (Reporting and editing by Rod Nickel.)
Chile elects Jose Antonio Kast; regional shift towards law and order politics deepens
Jose Antonio Kast
The right-wing party, which benefited from voter concerns about crime and migration, won the Chilean presidential election on sunday. This was the sharpest shift to the right since 1990.
Kast won 59.16% in the run-off against Jeannette Jara (40.84%) of the leftist party, after more than 57% of votes were counted. Jara conceded.
Kast's political career spans decades. He has always been a hardliner. He has proposed the construction of border walls, the deployment of the military in high-crime zones, and the deportation of all illegal migrants.
His victory marks the latest triumph for a resurgent Right Wing in Latin America. His victory joins those of Daniel Noboa from Ecuador, Nayib Bukele from El Salvador, and Javier Milei, a politician in Argentina. The election of Rodrigo Paz, a centrist, in October ended nearly two decades of socialist rule.
Kast was making his third attempt at the presidency, and second runoff after losing in 2021 to President Gabriel Boric. He was once considered by many Chileans to be too extreme. However, his popularity has increased as voters are more concerned about crime and immigration.
While 'Chile is one of the safest countries in Latin America, violent crimes have increased in recent years. Organized crime groups are taking root and capitalizing on the porous borders of the northern desert with coca-producing neighboring Peru and Bolivia. They also take advantage of major international ports and the surge of migrants vulnerable to human and sexual trafficking.
Government data indicates that the vast majority of illegal migrants who have entered Chile in recent years are Venezuelans.
Kast's proposal?includes creating a police unit inspired by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement in order to quickly detain and expulse migrants who are illegally present in the country.
He also urged massive cuts to public spending.
Kast's radicaler proposals will likely be met with resistance from a divided Congress. Right-wing parties gained seats in both legislative chambers during a general election held in November, but the majority of these gains were from traditional parties. In the Senate, the left- and right-wing parties are evenly divided. The swing vote in lower house is held by the populist People's Party.
Chile is the largest copper and lithium producer in the world. Expectations of less regulation and more market-friendly policies have already boosted the local peso, stock market and equity benchmark.
Kast is known to be against abortion, and has been vocal about the morning-after pills. However, changing the abortion laws in the United States would require the approval of a majority of 4/7 members. (Reporting from Alexander Villegas in Santiago, Lucinda Elliot and TV; Additional reporting and editing by Rosalba o'Brien Bill Berkrot Paul Simao
(source: Reuters)