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BBC News with Neil Nunes.
Venezuela's parliament has passed legislation opening its oil industry up to private investors. The United States demanded the move following the Trump administration's toppling of the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, who backs the measure, described it as a "historic leap." Here's our South America correspondent Ione Wells. The reforms that Venezuelan lawmakers have voted to make to the country's hydrocarbons law will roll back decades of tight state control over foreign investment in the oil sector. Donald Trump has been pushing U.S. oil companies to invest in Venezuela's vast oil reserves despite decades of mismanagement and underinvestment in the industry's infrastructure. But one barrier has been the state oil company's majority control over operating oil projects. These reforms, among other things, would give companies in joint ventures with the state firm more control over projects and more direct access to proceeds from oil sales. President Zelenskyy of Ukraine has said he hoped the United States could halt Russian strikes on his country's energy infrastructure. It follows comments from President Trump saying he had asked Vladimir Putin to stop firing on Kyiv and other cities for a week because of the extreme cold. Sarah Rainsford reports from Kyiv. Donald Trump has described getting Vladimir Putin to stop firing missiles at Ukraine's civilian power stations as very nice. For Ukraine, it's the promise of a halt to attacks that have deliberately plunged millions of people into the dark and the freezing cold in their own homes. Attacks that have prompted warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe here. Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Donald Trump's intervention as an effort to protect lives and said he expected Russia's promise to be implemented. The head of the military government in Niger has thanked his country's Russian allies for foiling an assault on the international airport early on Thursday. General Abdourahamane Tchiani accused France, Ivory Coast and Benin of backing those who launched the attack without giving any evidence. Details from Chris Walker. The attack lasted about two hours. Niger's defense ministry said 20 attackers were killed and 11 others were arrested but added that four Nigerian soldiers were also wounded. State television said a French national was among the dead attackers. Islamist militants have carried out numerous attacks since General Tchiani seized power in 2023. The general cut ties with France, brokering a new alliance with Russia. But they've so far been unable to defeat the Islamists. The Nigerian military says suspected Islamist militants have attacked a base in the northern Borno state, inflicting casualties before being beaten back. Armed drones were used in support of the offensive against the Sabon Gari base, destroying several vehicles. Eleven soldiers and militiamen were killed. BBC News. U.S. media are reporting that, according to Democratic sources in the Senate, a deal has been reached to avert a partial government shutdown. It's not been confirmed by Senate Republicans or the White House. The Democrats, backed by some Republican senators, had blocked a financial package due to provisions for funding the Department of Homeland Security. President Trump has signed an executive order to coordinate government action on countering drug addiction and substance abuse. The program, dubbed the Great American Recovery Initiative, will advise federal agencies and supporting addiction recovery and on how to integrate programs on drug prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery. European Union foreign ministers have agreed to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization in response to violent suppression of protests. The EU has also imposed sanctions on Iranian officials, including the interior minister and prosecutor general. Kaja Kallas is Europe's foreign policy chief. "Today, ministers agreed to designate Iran Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. This will put them on the same footing with Daesh, Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda. Those who operate through terror must be treated as terrorists." Iran's foreign ministry condemned the EU's move, calling it an "illegal and unjustified" designation. A man's been arrested in New York suspected of impersonating an FBI agent to try to spring from jail a man accused of a high-profile murder of an American insurance executive. A source in law enforcement said the inmate was Luigi Mangione, who's awaiting trial, accused of shooting dead the chief executive of United Healthcare, Brian Thompson, more than a year ago. That's the latest BBC World News. |