International
Bodies of two men murdered in Brazilian Amazon returned to families
AFP
The bodies of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were handed over to their families Thursday, nearly two and half weeks after they were killed in Brazil’s Amazon.
Phillips, 57, and Pereira, 41, were shot while returning from an expedition in the Javari Valley, a remote region of the rainforest.
Pereira’s funeral is scheduled for Friday in Recife, while Phillips’s family will hold a wake and cremation on Sunday in Niteroi, near Rio de Janeiro.
Alessandra Sampaio, Phillips’s widow, released a photograph of herself holding his wedding ring, which police had found next to his body.
Also on Thursday, a fourth suspect turned himself in at a police station in Sao Paulo, telling officers he drove the boat that chased the two men, according to excerpts of his statement published by several Brazilian news outlets.
Gabriel Dantas, 26, said that he was asked by the first suspect arrested, Amarildo Oliveira, to drive a boat without knowing where they were going or the reason for the trip.
When they reached the boat carrying Phillips and Pereira, Oliveira “shot them with a 16-gauge rifle,” Dantas said.
After witnessing the two men’s murder, he then allegedly helped transport their bodies to the place where they were buried, with the help of other men.
On Monday, Federal Police said they had identified five other people who took part in hiding the bodies, while three suspects were arrested.
Phillips, the author of dozens of articles on the Amazon and a long-time contributor to The Guardian newspaper and other major news organizations, was traveling to the Javari Valley as part of research for an upcoming book.
Pereira was serving as his guide, and had previously traveled with him in 2018 to the area, which is plagued by drug trafficking, and illegal gold mining and fishing.
International
Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
U.S. citizens have revived a lawsuit in Miami against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following his capture, as well as against Vice President and now acting leader Delcy Rodríguez and other senior Chavista officials, whom they accuse of kidnapping, torture, and terrorism.
The plaintiffs — including U.S. citizens who were kidnapped in Venezuela and two minors — filed a motion over the weekend before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida asking the court to declare the defendants in default for failing to respond to the lawsuit initially filed on August 14, 2025, according to court documents made public on Monday.
The case, assigned to Judge Darrin P. Gayles, accuses the Venezuelan leaders of violating the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Florida Anti-Terrorism Act, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
In addition to Maduro and Rodríguez, the lawsuit names Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López; Attorney General Tarek William Saab; Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello; former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno; and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.
The complaint also lists the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and former Electricity Minister Néstor Reverol as defendants.
According to the filing, Maduro “committed flagrant acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens,” citing the criminal case in New York in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in court for the first time on Monday following their arrest on Saturday.
The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs “were held captive by Maduro” with “illegal material support” from the other defendants, whom it identifies as members of the Cartel of the Suns, a group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization last year.
International
U.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
The flu continues to take a heavy toll across the United States, with all but four states reporting high or very high levels of activity as a new viral strain known as subclade K continues to spread.
According to another key indicator — doctor visits for fever accompanied by cough or sore throat, common flu symptoms — the U.S. is experiencing its highest level of respiratory illness since at least the 1997–98 flu season, based on data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“This is definitely a standout year,” said Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It’s the worst we’ve seen in at least 20 years. Most of the country is experiencing very high levels of activity, and we are still near the peak.”
Rivers noted that it is unusual to see such a severe flu season following another poor season the previous year, as intense seasons typically do not occur back to back.
Nationwide, approximately 8.2% of doctor visits during the final week of the year were for flu-like symptoms. At the same point last season — which was also severe — that figure stood at 6.7%.
In Massachusetts, where flu activity is reported as very high, health officials urged residents to get vaccinated.
“This is a moment for clarity, urgency, and action,” said Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Commissioner of Public Health, in a press release. “These viruses are serious, dangerous, and potentially deadly. We are seeing critically ill children, families grieving devastating losses, and hospitals under strain due to capacity.”
International
U.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is set to meet this week with executives from the American oil industry to discuss how to revive Venezuela’s crude oil sector, according to multiple media reports.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of an energy conference organized by investment banking group Goldman Sachs in Miami.
Senior executives from major U.S. oil companies, including Chevron and ConocoPhillips, are expected to attend the symposium.
Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 300 to 303 billion barrels, representing roughly one-fifth of known global reserves.
Following the controversial operation carried out on Saturday to detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump has placed renewed emphasis on control over and exploitation of Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
U.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
U.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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