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Maduro's fall raises Venezuelans' hopes for economic bounty
CARACAS (AFP) -- After the US raid that deposed Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's leader, citizens hope the ensuing talks on selling its oil to the United States may improve their dire economic fortunes. US forces shocked many when they bombed Caracas in the night and seized Maduro -- but analysts agree that the raid has radically changed the country's outlook and economic expectations. Maduro's successor, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, has insisted Venezuela is not "subordinate" to Washington afte
Jan. 12, 2026 -
Trump says he might keep Exxon out of Venezuela
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he might block ExxonMobil from investing in Venezuela after the oil major's CEO called the country "uninvestable" during a White House meeting last week. Exxon CEO Darren Woods told Trump that Venezuela would need to change its laws before it could be an attractive investment opportunity, during the high-profile meeting on Friday with at least 17 other oil executives. Trump had urged the group to spend $100 billion to revitalize Venezuela's oil industry
Jan. 12, 2026 -
Google teams up with Walmart to enable shopping within Gemini
NEW YORK (AP) — Google said Sunday that it is expanding the shopping features in its AI chatbot by teaming up with Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair and other big retailers to turn the Gemini app into a virtual merchant as well as an assistant. An instant checkout function will allow customers to make purchases from some businesses and through a range of payment providers without leaving the Gemini chat they used to find products, according to Walmart and Google. The news was announced on the first day
Jan. 12, 2026 -
US job growth stuck at stall speed in December
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- US employment growth slowed more than expected in December amid job losses in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors, but a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.4 percent suggested the labor market was not rapidly deteriorating. The Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday also showed solid wage growth last month, bolstering economists' expectations the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged at its Jan. 27-28 meeting. Econo
Jan. 11, 2026 -
US may lift more Venezuela sanctions soon, Bessent says
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told Reuters that additional US sanctions on Venezuela could be lifted as soon as this week to facilitate oil sales, and that he will also meet this week with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on their re-engagement with Venezuela. Bessent said in an interview late Friday that almost $5 billion worth of Venezuela's currently frozen IMF Special Drawing Rights monetary assets could be deployed to help rebuild the country's economy.
Jan. 11, 2026 -
Caracas, Washington in talks to export Venezuelan oil to US, sources say
Government officials in Caracas and Washington were discussing exporting Venezuelan crude to refiners in the US, five government, industry and shipping sources told Reuters Tuesday, a deal that could divert supplies away from China while helping state company PDVSA avoid deeper output cuts. The talks are the first sign that the Venezuelan government is responding to US President Donald Trump's demand that they open up to US oil companies or risk more military intervention. Trump has said he want
Jan. 7, 2026 -
With Trump's tariffs on the line, Supreme Court plans rulings for Friday
The US Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings Friday as it weighs cases with major implications both nationally and around the world including the legality of President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs. The court indicated on its website Tuesday that it could release decisions in argued cases when the justices take the bench during a scheduled sitting Friday. The court does not announce ahead of time which rulings it intends to issue. The challenge to Trump's tariffs is among the most
Jan. 7, 2026 -
Venezuelan oil would boost US refiners, hurt Canadian producers
HOUSTON (Reuters) -- A full-scale resumption of Venezuelan oil exports would benefit refiners in the United States and lower their fuel production costs, with the refineries capable of absorbing most of the roughly 1 million barrels per day of crude if US sanctions on the South American country are removed. The US and Venezuela have been discussing exporting crude from the South American country to the United States, Reuters reported Tuesday. US oil executives are expected to visit the White Ho
Jan. 7, 2026 -
US bars imports of new models of DJI, all other foreign drones
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The US Federal Communications Commission said Monday it is barring imports of all new models of foreign-made drones and critical components including from China's DJI and Autel, saying they pose unacceptable risks to US national security. The addition to the FCC's "Covered List" means that DJI, Autel and other foreign drone companies will not be able to obtain the necessary FCC approval to sell new models of drones or critical components in the US. In December 2024 Congr
Dec. 24, 2025 -
Nvidia ships AI chips to China by February
Nvidia has told Chinese clients it aims to start shipping its second-most powerful AI chips to China before the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The US chipmaker plans to fulfil initial orders from existing stock, with shipments expected to total 5,000 to 10,000 chip modules -- equivalent to about 40,000 to 80,000 H200 AI chips, the first and second sources said. Nvidia has also told Chinese clients that it plans to add new production c
Dec. 23, 2025 -
Warner Bros rejects Paramount bid, sticks with Netflix
NEW YORK (AFP) -- Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday rejected a hostile takeover bid by Paramount launched to trump plans by streaming giant Netflix to acquire the Hollywood giant and owner of CNN. In a statement, Warner Bros said the terms of the Netflix merger were better, while the Paramount offer "once again fails to address key concerns that we have consistently communicated ... throughout our extensive engagement and review of their six previous proposals." "We are confident that our merg
Dec. 18, 2025 -
VW stops production at German site for first time
FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) -- The last car rolled off the production line at a Volkswagen site in Dresden on Tuesday, marking the first time in company history that it has stopped production at a German factory as cost cuts bite. A red electric ID.3 GTX signed by workers would be the last car made at the plant, Volkswagen Saxony said, making the glass-walled "Transparent Factory" the first domestic site in the company's 88-year history to have production completely shut down. "The decision to end
Dec. 17, 2025 -
US job growth snaps back; shutdown distorts unemployment rate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- US job growth rebounded more than expected in November after government-related spending cuts triggered the biggest drop in nonfarm payrolls in nearly five years in October, suggesting no material deterioration in labor market conditions as businesses navigate economic uncertainty wrought by President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policy. While the Labor Department's closely watched employment report Tuesday showed the unemployment rate at more than a four-year high of
Dec. 17, 2025 -
New York City getting its first 3 Las Vegas-style casinos
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets’ ballpark in Queens. A Bronx golf course once operated by President Donald Trump ’s company. A slot parlor on a horse racing track near John F. Kennedy International Airport. The three disparate sites, located far from the tourist hub of Manhattan, will become the future homes of New York City’s first Las Vegas-style resort casinos. The state Gaming Commission on Monday awarded the three projects licenses to operate in the lucrative metropolitan-area market duri
Dec. 16, 2025 -
Nasdaq to extend trading hours, as Wall Street gears up for 24/7 move
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Nasdaq, one of the world's largest exchanges that is home to tech companies Nvidia, Apple and Amazon, is planning to submit paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday to roll out round-the-clock trading of stocks, as it looks to capitalize on a global demand for US equities. Investor demand for nonstop trading in US stocks has surged in recent years, prompting regulators to introduce new rules and green-light proposals from major exchanges to enable
Dec. 16, 2025