International
Majority anti-chavista alliance ratifies González Urrutia as a presidential candidate in Venezuela
The Democratic United Platform (PUD) – Venezuela’s main opposition coalition – ratifies Edmundo González Urrutia as its candidate for the presidential elections on July 28.
González Urrutia replaces María Corina Machado, who is disqualified from holding popularly elected positions.
“Venezuela and the democrats of the world, I want to give very good news to the people of Venezuela, the Democratic Unitary Platform unanimously has just approved the candidacy of Ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia as the candidate of unity, supported by all factors,” said the executive secretary of the PUD, Omar Barboza, in statements to the media.
González Urrutia was nominated by the PUD as a provisional candidate, after not being able to register Corina Yoris, who was appointed as a substitute for Machado.
Faced with this decision of the PUD, Barboza announced that the governor of the state of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, will decline his candidacy for the Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party to support González Urrutia.
“We want to give a recognition to Governor Rosales, a man who keeps his word, who after hearing the presentation of all the members of the Platform decided to decline his candidacy to join that of Edmundo González Urrutia,” he said.
UNT stressed, through the social network X, that it is “a historical gesture of great political greatness” on the part of Rosales – who, “fulfilled his word with the country, being a determining factor in achieving unity,” with the aim of “achieving the political change that the country demands.”
Rosales, who registered on the sidelines of the PUD when the deadline for the nominations was about to end, assured that his candidacy only sought to keep the opposition with options for the presidential elections, since the vast majority of those registered do not enjoy the support of traditional anti-chavism, considering that they receive favors from the ruling party in exchange for dividing the vote.
On March 26, the PUD registered González Urrutia as its provisional candidate in the face of the “clear impossibility” of nominating Corina Yoris elected because María Corina Machado could not compete because she was disabled.
The coalition explained that it made this decision in order to stay “within the electoral route” and “continue fighting.”
This way you can “guarantee the registration” of the “candidate chosen by democratic factors.”
With González Urrutia, there are 13 candidates registered for the elections.
In addition to Manuel Rosales, Luis Brito, Luis Ratti, Enrique Márquez, Benjamín Rausseo, Luis Eduardo Martínez, Daniel Ceballos, Antonio Ecarri, Juan Carlos Alvarado, Javier Bertucci, Claudio Fermín and the president, Nicolás Maduro.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
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