Author: Justin M. Larson
The amounts of money, time and political uncertainty trouble executives at large Western oil companies, who plan to meet with President Trump on Friday. Source link
Image editing on X’s Grok AI tool has been limited to paid subscribers, according to a message displayed by the chatbot.Users were able to upload a picture and ask Grok to alter the image, but the AI system now replies to requests with this message: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers.” If the change has been limited to X subscribers, it would mean the company would have the name and payment details of those using the function on file.It comes after the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) warned criminals used Grok to create child sexual abuse imagery.…
President Gustavo Petro said that the new tone between the leaders was “friendly,” but he also resurfaced his deep disagreements with President Trump. Source link
The Venezuelan government has started releasing detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups, in what officials described as a goodwill gesture.Spain’s foreign ministry said five of its nationals had been released. Among them is prominent Venezuelan-Spanish rights activist, Rocío San Miguel, her family confirmed to US media.The move comes after the US seized Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro in a lightning raid on the capital, Caracas, on Saturday, to face drug trafficking charges in New York.The release of political prisoners in Venezuela has been a long-held US demand, especially during moments of heightened repression around elections or protests.Jorge Rodríguez, the…
Ione WellsBBC South America Correspondent, in Bogotá Watch: BBC speaks to Columbian President Gustavo PetroColombia’s President Gustavo Petro has told the BBC that he believes there is now a “real threat” of US military action against Colombia. Petro said the United States is treating other nations as part of a US “empire”. It comes after Trump threatened Colombia with military action. He said that the US risks transforming from “dominating the world” to becoming “isolated from the world.” He also accused US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of acting like “Nazi brigades”. Trump has significantly expanded ICE operations as…
The world’s longest robot: Autohaul, Rio Tinto’s autonomous heavy-haul trainRio TintoRio Tinto and Glencore have confirmed they are back in talks about a possible $260 billion megadeal that could form the world’s largest mining firm.”Rio Tinto and Glencore have been engaging in preliminary discussions about a possible combination of some or all of their businesses, which could include an all-share merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore,” Rio Tinto, the larger of the two companies, said in a statement early Friday morning. “The parties’ current expectation is that any merger transaction would be effected through the acquisition of Glencore by Rio…
Myanmar’s junta created a capital to withstand an invasion. Now, the military struggles to project an image of control over a crumbling nation. Source link
For all Venezuelans, the nighttime raid opened a period of deep uncertainty. For the families of those killed, it meant the grim task of burying their relatives. Source link
After 9/11, Gander took in thousands of people whose flights were diverted. History repeated on a smaller scale this week. Source link
HAIKOU, CHINA – JANUARY 01: Customers shop at CDF Haikou International Duty Free City on January 1, 2026 in Haikou, Hainan Province of China. Luo Yunfei | China News Service | Getty ImagesChina’s consumer inflation accelerated in December to the fastest pace in nearly three years, while factory-gate deflation remained entrenched, signaling that underlying demand in the economy stayed weak. Consumer prices rose 0.8% from a year earlier, their highest level since February 2023, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday. The improvement followed a 0.7% climb in November and matched the economists’ expectations in a…
The revival of Venezuela’s oil industry presents investors with a major opportunity in the country’s defaulted debt, according to a firm that generated a 30% gain after the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, was captured by U.S. forces on Saturday. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet with oil companies Chevron , ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil , along with other domestic producers, on Friday “to discuss making significant investments in Venezuela’s oil sector.” Speaking to CNBC on Thursday, Lee Robinson, founder and chief investment officer of Monaco- and London-based distressed debt investor Altana Wealth,…
As protests swelled around the country, Iran’s internet was shut down, and the heads of its judiciary and its security services warned of a harsh response amid calls for “freedom, freedom.” Source link
A fund manager at Invesco has said she sees value in German bunds over U.S. Treasurys, as investors look to diversify their assets to protect their portfolios. Speaking with CNBC’s ‘Europe Early Edition’, Alexandra Ivanova, a manager for IFI Europe at Invesco, highlighted a major ongoing secular trend away from U.S. assets and Treasurys among global investors, and pinpointed German government debt as an attractive alternative. “Given that we need some kind of safety assets outside of Treasurys, and given the size and liquidity of Treasurys, it’s difficult to find an asset class to replace that,” Ivanova explained. DE10Y 1M…
19 November 2025, China, Shanghai: Boats sail past downtown Shanghai on the Huangpu River. The tallest building on the skyline is the Shanghai Tower (rear). Bernd von Jutrczenka | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were set to trade higher Friday as investors keep an eye on China’s inflation data coming out later in the day.China’s consumer price inflation for December is expected to come in at 0.8% year on year, according to economists polled by Reuters, compared to 0.7% in November.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was set for a higher open, with its futures contract in Chicago trading at…
Ms. San Miguel’s arrest in 2024 raised fears that Venezuela had entered a new era of repression. Source link
A mass departure by sanctioned tankers, some switching to Russian flags, has triggered a fresh effort by the United States to pursue Venezuelan oil shipments at sea. Source link
Clashes resumed on Tuesday between General Security Forces of the transition Government and the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), following a brief pause after the ceasefire announced in late December 2025.Initial fighting near the Alleramoon roundabout – on the historic city’s western outskirts – spread to the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods of Ash-Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, with shelling also affecting surrounding government-controlled areas.Significant damage has been reported to homes and public infrastructure, including healthcare. At least three major hospitals have ceased operations, while flights in and out of Aleppo International Airport have also been suspended since Tuesday.Protect civilians, de-escalate nowThe…
A network of websites known as “Portal Kombat” is spreading messages about U.S. military hardware, according to tracking firms. Source link
Adedeji Ebo, Officer-in-Charge of the UN’s Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA), welcomed a commitment by the new authorities to cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).He delivered the latest monthly briefing on engagement between Syria and the UN partner which began more than a decade ago following a Sarin nerve gas attack in the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, that killed hundreds.In response, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2118 (2013) which called for the speedy implementation of procedures drawn up by the OPCW “for the expeditious destruction” of Syria’s verified chemical weapons programme.Seeking clarification, ensuring compliance Mr. Ebo recalled that since 2014, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has not been able to confirm that the declaration submitted by the previous government was accurate and…
The president has repeatedly tied Venezuela to drug overdose deaths, claimed the Maduro regime sent an influx of criminal migrants and accused the country of stealing American oil. Source link
Macron tells ambassadors that the world has become ‘unhinged.’ Source link
On topic after topic, President Trump made clear that he would be the arbiter of any limits to his authorities, not international law or treaties. Source link
A handful of Republicans joined Democrats to allow the measure to move forward, reflecting concerns in both parties about the administration’s strategy. Source link
Representative Thomas Massie, a rare Republican critic of President Trump’s military intervention, explained his concerns in an interview with The New York Times. Source link
