International
Bolivian President travels to Brazil for the Mercosur Summit
December 5 |
Bolivian President Luis Arce arrived in Brazil to participate in the Summit of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and appointed the President of the Senate, Andrónico Rodríguez, as interim head of the Plurinational State.
“Brother Andrónico, in the Year of Youth, we hand over the Presidency to a young Bolivian leader to take charge of our State”, he expressed at the moment of handing over the symbol of command to Rodríguez, in a ceremony at the Presidential Air Group, in the city of El Alto.
It should be recalled that President Arce leaves decision-making in the hands of Rodríguez while he represents Bolivia at the Mercosur meeting because Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca is in Rome, Italy, participating in the Inauguration of the International Year of Camelids at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
This would be the second time that Rodríguez assumes the interim presidency of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The first time he did it in September 2022 when Arce traveled to New York to participate in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly and the vice president, David Choquehuanca, fulfilled an agenda of activities in Europe.
Arce will participate from Tuesday in the preparatory meetings of Mercosur, whose main meeting will be held in Rio de Janeiro on December 7.
The Bolivian presence is taking place shortly after the consolidation of its full adhesion to the southern economic bloc. The Brazilian Senate approved the Protocol of Accession of Bolivia to the bloc and sent it to the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for its promulgation.
On that occasion, Arce thanked the “efforts of brother President Lula and the Brazilian people for this historic milestone in Latin American integration”.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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