South America News Feeds

The US president wants American energy firms to start extracting the crude but they are reluctant.

Investigators have obtained a DNA sample from a discarded glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home that appears to match gloves worn by a masked prowler seen on video before her abduction two weeks ago, the FBI said Sunday. The preliminary results await quality control and confirmation before further analysis.

Canada plans to unveil a new strategy that will shift its current reliance on American companies to Canadian military suppliers.

The United States intercepted a new oil tanker in the Indian Ocean that had fled the blockade ordered by US President Donald Trump against sanctioned ships leaving or heading to Venezuela, the Pentagon announced on Sunday.

One of Rio de Janeiro’s top samba schools kicked off this year’s Carnival with a lavish ode to Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, tracing his rise from rural poverty to superhero status among the working classes, symbolised by a colossal metal figurine of the president. But in an election year that sees Lula seeking a fourth term, the tribute has sparked a political debate.

Cuba has announced the cancellation of its iconic cigar festival due to a major energy crisis on the island triggered by a US blockade of oil shipments, which has worsened a severe fuel shortage and caused widespread blackouts. The United States cut off oil deliveries from key ally Venezuela after the ouster of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro in early January, and President Donald Trump has signed an executive order allowing tariffs on countries that sell oil to Havana, moves that have led to halted oil imports and further strained Cuba’s energy supply. Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL Institute of the Americas, in Havana, Cuba, Emily Morris joins us for more.

The world’s biggest street party has taken over the heart of Rio de Janeiro, as millions of people flood the city ahead of its iconic carnival celebrations. Rio City Hall expects around six million revelers to join the festivities, with Caitlin Brown giving us a sneak peek.

A Brazilian skier secured South America’s maiden medal at a Winter Games the day after a Kazakh figure skater won his nation’s first winter gold in 32 years.

Former US president Barack Obama on Saturday addressed a racist video posted on President Donald Trump’s social media account, telling a podcast that the “decorum” that once guided public officials has been lost. Obama also lamented the “rogue behaviour” of federal agents involved in a deadly immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and praised local communities for pushing back.

Two people were arrested after a woman was spotted by a drone grabbing a phone from an attendee.

The annual aficionados’ bonanza has been postponed until further notice as shortages affect international travel.

The mass shooting in the remote British Columbia mining town has shocked and saddened the nation.

More people in a still largely conservative and religious nation are rejecting monogamy as they seek new definitions of romance, and of family.

A prolonged impasse between US lawmakers over immigration enforcement ensnared the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a partial government shutdown on Saturday, with Democrats in Congress vowing to withhold funding until major changes are enacted in the wake of two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

Friday evening marked the opening of the annual carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, with an estimated six million revelers expected to flood the city’s exuberant street parties, where troupes of musicians, percussionists, and stilt performers attract vast crowds of glitter-covered, often scantily clad partygoers, as this year’s festivities also pay tribute to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, honored with a towering 22-meter metal figure, symbolizing the three-time leader’s enduring presence over both Brazil’s political life and the streets of Rio. Gabrielle Nadler reports.

Since the United States took control of Venezuela’s oil, the country’s longtime ally Cuba has been grappling with worsening fuel shortages, a situation intensified after Donald Trump pledged to cut off oil supplies to the communist-led island, while a recent fire at a refinery in a port area of the capital Havana briefly added to the strain before being brought under control. Morgan Ayre reports.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that a change in power in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen” as he confirmed the deployment of a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East. The US president is hoping to strike a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear programme, but has warned of severe consequences if one does not come through.

A federal prosecutor said last month that ICE had made a “mistake” in deporting Any Lucia López Belloza, a college freshman in Massachusetts, to Honduras.

The South American country has natural gas that could be extracted and exported quickly, but U.S. sanctions, which are now being eased, have stymied development.

The measures were installed last month by the Trump administration after the U.S. captured Nicolás Maduro and seized control of Venezuela’s oil industry.

A number of social media users are claiming that late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is actually still alive and well. Their supposed proof? Some have shared images they claim show Epstein walking in Tel Aviv, while others have claimed that he’s been playing Fortnite. Turns out the images were doctored, and the Fortnite account belongs to another user entirely. We take a look.

US President Donald Trump on Friday upped the stakes in Washington’s already tense relationship with Iran, saying that a second American aircraft will be “leaving very shortly” for the Middle East. Trump is hoping to strike a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear programme, but has warned of severe consequences if one does not come through.

The CIA released a Chinese-language recruitment video targeting disaffected Chinese military officers, showing a fictional officer deciding to contact the agency to expose leadership lies. The clip encourages leaks on China’s leaders and military. Beijing reacted angrily, warning it will take all necessary measures to counter foreign espionage.