International
Board of Brazil’s Petrobras elects Lula ally as new president
January 26 | By AFP |
The board of directors of Petrobras on Thursday appointed Jean Paul Prates, an ally of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as head of the state oil company.
Prates, a 54-year-old lawyer and economist, was previously a senator in northeastern Rio Grande do Norte state and a member of Lula’s Workers’ Party.
Lula described Prates as a specialist in the energy sector when nominating him for the job on Twitter last month.
In a statement confirming the appointment, the Petrobras board said Prates had been chosen unanimously.
Prates has 30 years experience in the oil, natural gas, biofuels and renewable energy sectors.
“I have been given the mission of managing Petrobras in the coming years,” Prates said.
He added that he was “honored to lead a company that is the heritage of all Brazilians.”
Petrobras is the flagship of Brazilian industry. It is the largest company in the South American country but was at the center of the wide-ranging “Operation Car Wash” corruption scandal.
As part of the graft investigation, Lula was himself convicted of accepting a bribe and spent 18 months in jail before a judge annulled his conviction.
Petrobras went through some turbulent years during the presidency of Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
The company went through four different CEOs during that period due major disagreements over Petrobras’s oil pricing policies.
Bolsonaro even went so far as to accuse Petrobras of theft over its price hikes.
The company sets prices based on the standard international rate for a barrel of oil.
The position of Petrobras chief executive is one that comes with great exposure to political pressure.
In its 68 years of existence, the company has had 39 CEOs, meaning they have lasted on average less than two years.
The markets have expressed fears that Prates could change the company’s pricing policies and that under Lula’s socialist government there will be greater interference in the running of state companies.
The Brazilian state owns 50.26 percent of Petrobras’s capital and Lula has ruled out privatizing the company.
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoMissile attack hits Kharkiv homes, leaving 13 wounded
-
International1 day agoU.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
-
Central America1 day agoEl Salvador reports safest year in its history, security cabinet says
-
International5 days agoCanada’s prime minister Mark Carney to join Ukraine peace talks in Paris
-
International4 days agoTrump signals possible expansion of U.S. regional policy beyond Venezuela
-
International4 days agoWorld leaders react to U.S. attacks on Venezuela, sparking global divide
-
International1 day agoDelcy Rodríguez, key figure in U.S.-Venezuela transition, remains under EU sanctions
-
International2 days agoMarco Rubio warns Cuba could be Trump administration’s next target
-
International1 day agoMaduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
-
International5 days agoSheinbaum evacuates National Palace after 6.5-magnitude earthquake hits Southern Mexico
-
International1 day ago
China urges immediate release of Maduro, seeks emergency UN security council meeting
-
International1 day agoFlorida’s ‘Tidal Wave’ operation detains 10,400 migrants in largest ICE joint effort
-
International1 day agoU.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
-
International1 day agoColombia to maintain anti-drug cooperation with U.S. after Trump remarks
-
International1 day agoColombia says border with Venezuela remains calm after U.S. arrest of Maduro