MercoPress https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[Offers of aid pour in for Venezuela from across the Americas and beyond after its earthquake]]> Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his “concern and dismay” and instructed his Foreign Ministry and the embassy in Caracas to assess assistance measures Governments from across the Americas and other regions of the world expressed solidarity with Venezuela and offered assistance after the twin earthquake of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that struck the north-central part of the country on Wednesday and that, according to the first official toll, left at least 32 dead and more than 700 injured. Several countries announced the dispatch of rescue teams, while acting President Delcy Rodríguez thanked them for the shows of support.

]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2026 06:41:00 GMT <![CDATA[Venezuela's earthquake tests US assistance to the interim government it helped install]]> Donald Trump offered help in a message on his social network in which he said his country stands “ready, willing, and able,” and instructed “all agencies” of the government to act quickly The twin earthquake that struck north-central Venezuela has become the first major test of US assistance to the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez, installed after the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation in January. Washington mobilized rescue teams and supplies for a country with which, until half a year ago, it maintained no cooperative relations.

]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:59:00 GMT <![CDATA[“Evidence” on Iranian nuclear weapons is about as reliable as Trump himself]]> Tulsi Gabbard, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence told Congress just two months ago that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded Iran was not building nuclear weapons. By Gwynne Dyer - Tulsi Gabbard, the recently resigned, retired or fired U.S. Director of National Intelligence told Congress just two months ago that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded Iran was not building nuclear weapons. Indeed, she said, experts also determined Iran had not resumed its suspended 2003 nuclear weapons program.

]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:36:00 GMT <![CDATA[Alan Greenspan, Fed chairman who served with four presidents and faced several recessions has died at 100]]> Alan Greenspan, El Maestro and author of “The Age of Turbulence”, was Fed chair under Reagan, Bush Sr., Bill Clinton and George Bush Jr. One of the most influential economic policymakers in the last four decades and chairman of the Federal Reserve for almost twenty years, under four different United States presidents from different parties, Alan Greenspan died this week at the age of 100.

]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:43:00 GMT <![CDATA[Trump opens a new rift with Meloni by claiming she 'begged' him for a G7 photo]]> Meloni responded immediately with a recorded video message. “Donald Trump's statements are completely fabricated. Frankly, I'm stunned,” she said US President Donald Trump opened a new rift with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by claiming that she "begged" him for a photo during the G7 summit and that he obliged out of "pity." Meloni called the account fabricated, and in response Italy's foreign minister canceled a planned trip to the United States this weekend.

]]> Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:34:00 GMT <![CDATA[US-backed opposition figure Figuera returns to Venezuela to negotiate a 'credible' electoral body]]> Opposition figure Dinorah Figuera, president of the National Assembly elected in 2015 and exiled in Spain for nearly eight years, returned to Venezuela on Thursday at the invitation of the US State Department to negotiate a "credible" electoral authority with Delcy Rodríguez's interim government. The return is part of Washington's plan for a democratic transition in the country.

]]> Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:49:00 GMT <![CDATA[Fed keeps rates unchanged; new chairman Warsh anticipates FOMC summaries will be shorter…and to facts]]> Warsh acknowledged the changes to the committee’s statement. “It’s a bit shorter, a bit simpler and it dispenses with some older language,” he said. The Federal Open Market Committee from the US Federal Reserve voted unanimously to keep its benchmark overnight borrowing rate anchored in a range of 3.5%-3.75%. It was the first meeting of the Fed with the newly appointed chairman, Kevin Warsh.

]]> Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:54:00 GMT <![CDATA[US-Iran memorandum sets Hormuz reopening, $300 billion reconstruction and sanctions relief]]> The memorandum establishes an oversight mechanism for its implementation and provides for the definitive agreement to be ratified by a binding UN Security Council resolution The United States government on Wednesday released the official text of the agreement reached with Iran to end the war, a 14-point document called the "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding" that provides for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a reconstruction plan of at least $300 billion and the lifting of sanctions. The text, read by a senior official of Donald Trump's administration, will be signed on Friday in Switzerland and will open a 60-day period to negotiate the definitive agreement.

]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2026 19:21:00 GMT <![CDATA[With a historic Messi, Argentina begin their title defense by thrashing Algeria]]> With his three goals, Messi reached 16 in World Cups, tying Germany's Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time top scorer Argentina began their defense of the World Cup title won in Qatar 2022 on Tuesday with a 3-0 thrashing of Algeria, in the Group J opener of the 2026 World Cup, played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Captain Lionel Messi guided Lionel Scaloni's side with a hat-trick that left him atop the tournament's all-time scoring history.

]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:19:00 GMT <![CDATA[Some Iranian Americans wave protest flags, others cheer as Iran open the World Cup]]> Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran Iran began their World Cup campaign in Los Angeles on Monday with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, before a crowd that mixed fans cheering the team and Iranian Americans waving symbols of protest against the government in Tehran. The match was played barely 24 hours after the announcement of a preliminary agreement to end the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran in February.

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