NEWS

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Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said Sunday she has had “enough” of Washington’s orders, as she works to unite the country after the US capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro.

Rodríguez has been walking a tightrope since being backed by the US to lead the country in the interim, balancing the need to keep Maduro loyalists on board at home while trying to satisfy the White House. Now, almost a month into her new role, she has pushed back on the US amid ongoing pressure, including a series of demands for Venezuela to resume oil production.

“Enough already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela,” she told a group of oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, in an event broadcast by state-run channel Venezolana de Televisión.

“Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts. This Republic has paid a very high price for having to confront the consequences of fascism and extremism in our country.”

The White House has maintained steady pressure on Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized in a raid in early January and taken to the US, where the former leader faces charges.

Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy, has insisted in recent weeks that the US does not govern Venezuela but has also avoided direct confrontation with Washington.

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Millions of Americans from New Mexico to the Carolinas are bracing for a potentially catastrophic ice storm that could crush trees and power lines and knock out power for days, while Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see enough snow to make travel very difficult or nearly impossible, forecasters say.

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Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, a high-ranking fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, has been arrested in Mexico and flown to the United States to face extensive drug trafficking and murder charges.

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TikTok has finalised a $14bn deal to establish a US subsidiary, averting a nationwide ban on the popular video-sharing platform.

The new ownership structure includes US private equity firm Silver Lake, Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company MGX and Oracle, the technology giant co-founded by Larry Ellison, an ally of US President Donald Trump.

Each of the three firms will hold a 15 per cent stake in the US joint venture. TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, will retain a stake of just under 20 per cent, while the Dell Family Office, the investment arm of Dell Technologies chairman and CEO Michael Dell, is also participating.

The agreement follows legislation passed by Congress in April 2024 requiring TikTok to be sold to US owners by January 19, 2025, or face a ban, citing national security concerns over the app’s ties to China. President Trump delayed enforcement of the ban several times while negotiations were ongoing and signed an executive order in September approving the framework of the deal, granting the parties additional time to finalise terms.

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Dozens of immigrant families protested Saturday behind the fences of a Texas detention facility where a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father were sent this week after being detained in Minnesota.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking at least $5 billion in damages against JPMorgan Chase and its chief executive, Jamie Dimon, accusing the bank of cutting off his financial services for political reasons following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

The lawsuit was filed in Florida and alleges that the country's largest bank terminated Trump's personal and business accounts, as well as those of the Trump Organization and family members, without warning or any opportunity for appeal. Trump claims the decision amounted to "debanking" motivated by political and social considerations rather than legitimate financial risk.

According to the filing, Trump's legal team argues that JPMorgan placed him and related entities on an internal blacklist, effectively discouraging other banks from doing business with him. The lawsuit states that the decision was "final and unequivocal" and left the plaintiffs scrambling to find alternative banking arrangements, resulting in reputational and financial harm.

Trump has publicly claimed that JPMorgan and other major lenders, including Bank of America, rejected his deposits after the Capitol riot. Both banks have previously denied closing accounts for political reasons.

JPMorgan strongly rejected the allegations, saying the lawsuit lacks merit. In a statement, the bank said it does not close accounts based on political or religious beliefs, but rather due to legal, regulatory, or risk-related concerns. "We respect the President's right to sue us and our right to defend ourselves," the statement said.

The bank added that regulatory expectations can sometimes require it to end relationships that pose potential compliance risks, even when such decisions are difficult. JPMorgan shares moved slightly following reports of the lawsuit, trading modestly higher later in the day.

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Two students of Ohio college were found deam@d inside a vehicle on campus Monday, Jan. 19, just months after the couple celebrated their first anniversary. Franciscan University of Steubenville juniors Luke Reimer, 20, and Mary Mich, 20, di£d of carbon monoxide poisoning just after noon Monday, according to the Intelligencer, citing the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.

“This news brings profound sorrow to our entire Franciscan University community. We grieve the loss of two young lives, and our hearts ache for their families, friends, classmates, professors, and all who knew and loved them,” the school’s president, the Rev. Dave Pivonka, wrote Monday. “Please know that we are holding Luke and Mary, and all who mourn them, close in prayer, asking the Lord for comfort, mercy, and peace.” Reimer, from Indian Shores, Flaorida, and Mich of Downington, Pennsylvania, were found de@d outside St. Agnes Residence Hall — a women’s dormitory — on the campus that sits on the Ohio River on the border of West Virginia and 20 miles west of Pennsylvania. The accident is being blamed on a potential vehicle exhaust or engine malfunction, Pivonka said, citing initial reports from the Steubenville police. Officials have ruled out foul play. “In moments such as this, it is especially important that we care for one another,” Pivonka said. “I strongly encourage anyone who is struggling, grieving, or in need of support to make use of these resources and to reach out to a trusted friend, faculty member, or staff member.” Luke Reimer was a men’s lacrosse player. He and Mary had been dating for over a year