2025-12-12 23:30

Venezuela oil exports fall sharply after tanker seizure Nobel winner Machado defies travel ban, vows peaceful transition Trump has been campaigning for ouster of Maduro Dec 12 (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Friday promised political change after slipping out of the country in secret to collect the Nobel Peace Prize, as the shock waves intensified from the Trump administration's seizure of an oil tanker earlier this week. That escalation came on the heels of a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump campaigns to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, pushing relations to their most volatile point in years. Sign up here. The effects could ripple through the region, with Venezuelan oil exports falling sharply and crisis-stricken Cuba, already straining to power its grid, at risk of losing supply. The U.S. seizure of the Skipper tanker off Venezuela's coast on Wednesday marked the first U.S. capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019. The vessel is now heading to Houston, where it will offload its cargo onto smaller ships, Reuters reported. The Trump administration does not recognize Maduro, in power since 2013, as Venezuela's legitimate leader. Washington has signalled more seizures are planned as part of efforts to choke off sanctioned oil flows, and subsequently imposed new sanctions on three nephews of Maduro's wife and six tankers linked to them. The U.S. military presence in the Caribbean has grown as Trump in recent weeks has discussed potential military intervention in Venezuela, based on accusations that the country ships narcotics to the United States. The Venezuelan government has denied the accusations. So far there have been over 20 U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific against suspected drug vessels this year, in which nearly 90 people have been killed, alarming human rights advocates and stirring debate among U.S. lawmakers. While many Republicans have backed the campaign, Democrats have questioned whether the campaign is illegal and urged more transparency, including the release of a full, unedited video , opens new tab of strikes on a suspected drug-trafficking boat. MACHADO DEFIES BAN, URGES TRANSITION Machado defied a decade-long travel ban and a period in hiding to travel to Oslo on Thursday, noting that she would soon bring the Nobel Peace Prize back home to Venezuela. She said Maduro would leave power "whether there is a negotiated changeover or not," vowed she is focused on a peaceful transition, and thanked Trump for his "decisive support." Machado is aligned with U.S. hardliners who accuse Maduro of ties to criminal networks - claims that U.S. intelligence has reportedly questioned. When asked at a press conference in Oslo if she believed U.S. intervention was needed in Venezuela, Machado replied, "We are asking the world to help us." Venezuela condemned the tanker seizure as "blatant theft" and "international piracy," saying it would file complaints with international bodies. At the same time, Venezuelan lawmakers took a step to withdraw the country from the International Criminal Court, which is currently investigating alleged human rights abuses in the South American country. Adding to the friction, the Venezuelan government announced the suspension of a U.S. migrant repatriation flight on Friday. A U.S. official countered that deportation flights would continue. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuela-us-tensions-spike-wake-seized-tanker-nobel-winner-vows-change-2025-12-12/

2025-12-12 23:25

AFGE plans lawsuit against decision New labor framework starts January 11 House votes to restore federal workers' rights WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday terminated the collective bargaining agreement covering 47,000 Transportation Security Administration officers, the department said in a statement. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents the airport screening officers, said it would file a lawsuit to challenge the decision. Sign up here. The Department of Homeland Security said it would implement the new labor framework on January 11 and would no longer be collecting union dues from TSA officers' paychecks. In June, a U.S. judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Noem’s March 7 attempt to end the collective bargaining agreement. On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to restore collective bargaining rights to about 1 million unionized federal employees, including TSA, seeking to repeal an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March. Lawmakers said Trump's action sought to repeal collective bargaining rights of 67% of federal workers. Federal workers face significant limitations in labor rights and are prohibited from bargaining over wages, benefits, or job classifications and are barred from striking. "Secretary Noem’s decision to rip up the union contract for 47,000 TSA officers is an illegal act of retaliatory union-busting that should cause concern for every person who steps foot in an airport," AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. TSA said on Friday the new labor framework "will return the agency back into a security-focused framework that prioritizes workforce readiness, resource allocation and mission focus with an effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars." Trump on January 20 forced out TSA administrator David Pekoske, whom he had named to the job in 2017 and was reappointed by former President Joe Biden. Trump has not yet named a candidate to replace Pekoske. The TSA reached a new seven-year labor deal in May 2024 with AFGE after nearly a year of negotiations. The Biden administration expanded the scope of bargaining permitted in 2022 with TSA workers. Workers got enhanced shift trade options, increased allowance for uniforms and the addition of parental bereavement leave and weather and safety leave as part of the labor deal. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-invalidates-union-contract-covering-47000-tsa-officers-2025-12-12/

2025-12-12 23:12

US has carried out strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean Departure follows other senior military exits under US Defense Secretary Hegseth Trump administration has signaled foreign policy shift toward Western Hemisphere MIAMI, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The admiral in charge of U.S. military forces in Latin America retired two years early on Friday, amid rising tensions with Venezuela that include Wednesday's seizure of an oil tanker and more than 20 deadly strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats. Three U.S. officials and two people familiar with the matter told Reuters that Admiral Alvin Holsey was pushed out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Two officials said Hegseth had grown frustrated with Southern Command as he sought to flex U.S. military operations and planning in the region. Sign up here. One official confirmed that discussion of whether Hegseth would dismiss Holsey surfaced roughly two weeks before the surprise announcement of his departure. Holsey announced on October 16 his intention to step down in December. He has not publicly explained his early retirement. In remarks at his retirement ceremony on Friday morning, he was upbeat as he reflected on his 37-year-long career. Speaking between rows of palm trees at Southern Command headquarters in Miami, he called on the United States to keep standing by fellow democracies that share U.S. values. "We must always be there for like-minded partners, like-minded nations who share our values: democracy, rule of law and human rights," Holsey said. Some officials have privately speculated that he opposed the recent U.S. strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean. However, in a closed-door meeting with senior lawmakers on Tuesday, Holsey insisted that his decision had nothing to do with the operations in his command, according to comments by Republican Representative Mike Rogers published in Politico. Holsey formally handed over command to his deputy, Air Force Lieutenant General Evan Pettus, during a ceremony that extolled his accomplishments in uniform. "You're an extraordinary human who has always led with your heart, your head and gone all in (for) every single day of your service," said General Dan Caine, who became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in April after his predecessor was fired. Pettus will serve as acting head of U.S. Southern Command. One source familiar with the matter said President Donald Trump is expected to nominate Lieutenant General Frank Donovan, vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, as Holsey’s successor, subject to Senate confirmation. The source cautioned that the nomination has not yet been formalized and could change. Holsey's premature retirement is rare but not unprecedented. In 2008, Central Command commander Admiral William Fallon also retired a year into his term overseeing U.S. forces in the Middle East after making comments about Iran and other issues that irked the Bush administration. Holsey is the latest in a series of senior officers to leave their positions since Hegseth took over the Pentagon. Some departures have been abrupt, including those of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, C.Q. Brown, and the top naval officer, Lisa Franchetti, who was the first woman to hold that post. MONROE DOCTRINE REVIVAL? The Trump administration has signalled a major shift in foreign policy over the last few months. A strategy document released this week called for reviving the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Western Hemisphere to be Washington's zone of influence. A major U.S. military buildup of warships in the Caribbean - including the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group - has underscored that policy shift, along with new U.S. training deployments to a revived jungle school in Panama. Trump has also intensified pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a close ally of Russia and China whom Washington accuses of drug trafficking. Maduro denies the allegations and has said the U.S. military buildup aims to topple him and seize Venezuela's oil resources. The U.S. Coast Guard's seizure of an oil tanker on Wednesday was the first interdiction of Venezuelan crude amid U.S. sanctions that have been in force since 2019. Reuters reported on Thursday that the United States is preparing to intercept more ships carrying Venezuelan oil. Trump's military operations against alleged drug smugglers have been under intense scrutiny following a September 2 decision to launch a second strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. The Defense Department's Law of War Manual forbids attacks on combatants who are incapacitated, unconscious or shipwrecked, as long as they abstain from hostilities and do not attempt to escape. The manual cites firing upon shipwreck survivors as an example of a "clearly illegal" order that should be refused. The Trump administration has framed the attacks as a war with drug cartels, calling them armed groups and saying the drugs being carried to the United States kill Americans. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-admiral-leading-us-troops-latin-america-step-down-2025-12-12/

2025-12-12 22:58

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Oilfield services provider ProPetro Holding Corp (PUMP.N) , opens new tab announced on Friday that its energy unit, PROPWR, signed a deal with a unit of Coterra Energy (CTRA.N) , opens new tab to supply power for building and installing microgrids in New Mexico's Permian Basin. Big U.S. firms are increasingly turning to on-site power generation and microgrids , opens new tab to cut fuel costs and improve reliability, as grid constraints and rising electricity demand strains local infrastructure. Sign up here. Deployment and operations for the project at the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. oilfield, are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026. PROPWR said it now has over 220 megawatts committed under contract and has placed orders for an additional 190 megawatts of equipment. ProPetro now expects 2026 capital spending of $250 million to $275 million, higher than its earlier estimate of $200 million to $250 million, on the back of the additional orders. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/propetro-enters-power-supply-agreement-with-coterras-unit-2025-12-12/

2025-12-12 21:40

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged the European Commission not to weaken the bloc's 2035 ban on new CO2-emitting cars, a letter seen by Reuters showed, as Brussels readies proposals to potentially roll back the policy. A leading German EU lawmaker on Friday the Commission will move next week to water down the policy, which would effectively ban new combustion engine cars from 2035 by requiring all cars sold after that date to have zero CO2 emissions. Governments, including Germany and Italy, have pressured the EU to weaken the 2035 ban, arguing this would protect automakers struggling with tough competition from China. Sign up here. In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, dated Thursday, Sanchez said weakening the policy would risk jobs and factory closures by undermining Europe's attempts to transform its car industry into a powerhouse for manufacturing electric vehicles. "Any additional relaxation (of the policy) would risk triggering a significant delay in modernization investments, linked to a temporary slowdown in electric vehicle demand," the letter said. "We therefore reject that combustion vehicles or other technologies without proven viability could continue to be marketed beyond 2035," it said. Sanchez also called for a "green steel label" to reward auto manufacturers for using low-carbon materials, and a mandatory minimum share of EU-manufactured content in cars. The Commission is due to make an announcement on the policy on Tuesday. Manfred Weber, president of the largest lawmaker group in the European Parliament, the EPP, suggested this week the Commission would propose weakening the target to a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions for automakers' fleet targets for 2035. The planned ban is a key part of the EU's strategy to drive the continent's decarbonisation and boost the development of electric vehicles. Automakers, including Mercedes-Benz and BMW, have urged the EU to weaken the policy, amid slower-than-expected electric car sales. Sweden's Volvo Cars and others say they have already heavily invested in the transition to electric, and any reversal on the ban would be a betrayal. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/spain-urges-eu-not-weaken-2035-combustion-engine-ban-letter-shows-2025-12-12/

2025-12-12 21:07

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly said on Friday in a LinkedIn posting that she favored cutting interest rates at this week's monetary policy meeting. "This week’s (Federal Open Market Committee) decision was not an easy choice," Daly wrote , opens new tab, with the Fed facing conflicts between its job and inflation goals. Inflation is too high and the job market is getting softer, she said, adding "we cannot let the labor market falter." Sign up here. Daly wrote the Fed's quarter-percentage-point rate cut on Wednesday "puts us in a good place" to both lower inflation and to support the job market. https://www.reuters.com/business/feds-daly-says-this-weeks-rate-cut-was-right-move-fed-2025-12-12/