Nicaragua: Ortega and wife to assume absolute power after changes approved

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Loyalist lawmakers give green light to constitutional amendment as authoritarian president, 79, tightens grip

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and his wife are set to assume absolute power after loyalist lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment elevating her to the position of “co-president” and boosting the pair’s joint control over the state.

Under sanctions for human rights abuses, Ortega himself had proposed the change, which also increases the president’s control over the media and extends the presidential term from five to six years.

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More than 100 suspected gang members have been killed as vigilantism grows in Haiti – Miami Herald

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  1. More than 100 suspected gang members have been killed as vigilantism grows in Haiti  Miami Herald
  2. Boys forced into gangs, girls face sexual abuse as Haiti violence robs childhoods  PBS NewsHour
  3. Haiti’s children ‘dragged into hell’ as gang violence rages  Al Jazeera English
  4. Haiti: ‘It’s Not Back to Where We Started — It’s Worse’  The New York Times
  5. As violent gangs extend control in Haiti, UN commits to staying the course  UN News
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4,000-year-old canals used for fishing by Maya predecessors discovered in Belize

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New research revealed canals used for about 1,000 years to channel and catch freshwater fish on the Yucatán peninsula

Long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatán peninsula.

Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The findings were published on Friday in the journal Science Advances.

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Putin says Russia will use new missile again in ‘combat conditions’ – BBC.com

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  1. Putin says Russia will use new missile again in 'combat conditions'  BBC.com
  2. Retired major general reacts to Russia’s use of new weapon in Ukraine  CNN
  3. Russia sparks nuclear fears following missile test  Fox News
  4. As Ukraine Fires U.S. Missiles, Putin Sends a Chilling Message  The New York Times
  5. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 21, 2024  Institute for the Study of War
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Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy urges ‘firm and decisive’ international response to ‘latest act of Russian madness’ – as it happened

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This live blog is now closed. For the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, read our full report:

Russia’s use of an experimental hypersonic missile to hit Ukraine was a “terrible escalation” in the war, German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said on Friday.

The deployment of the new weapon showed “how dangerous this war is”, Scholz said in a speech, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). He added:

That (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has now also used a medium-range missile to strike Ukrainian territory is a terrible escalation.”

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LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman warns against Elon Musk’s ‘conflict of interest’ in setting AI policies – TechCrunch

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  1. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman warns against Elon Musk’s ‘conflict of interest’ in setting AI policies  TechCrunch
  2. US gathers allies to talk AI safety as Trump's vow to undo Biden's AI policy overshadows their work  The Associated Press
  3. FACT SHEET: U.S. Department of Commerce & U.S. Department of State Launch the International Network of AI Safety Institutes at Inaugural Convening in San Francisco  NIST
  4. With Musk in tow, Trump eyes changes to government policies on AI and its dangers  CNN
  5. Why the U.S. Launched an International Network of AI Safety Institutes  TIME
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Donald Trump announces picks for labor and treasury departments, CDC and surgeon general in flurry of nominations – as it happened

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In a new interview on Friday, Matt Gaetz revealed that he will not be returning to Congress next year.

Speaking to conservative talk show host Charlie Kirk, Gaetz, who withdrew his attorney general nomination yesterday, said:

“I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” CNN reports.

“There are a number of fantastic Floridians who’ve stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service. And I’m actually excited to see northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation… I’m going to be fighting for President Trump. I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”

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Jury convicts two for smuggling Indian family who froze to death crossing US-Canada border

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Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand were part of operation bringing increasing numbers of Indians into US

A jury has convicted two men of human smuggling charges after an Indian family froze to death attempting to cross the Canada-US border.

After a brief deliberation on Friday, a jury in Fergus Falls, Minnesota delivered the verdict in the case against Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national who used the alias “Dirty Harry”, and Steve Shand, 50, an American from Florida. Prosecutors say the pair were part of a broader criminal enterprise that helped migrants cross from Canada into the United States.

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Trump hush-money case sentencing postponed indefinitely

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President-elect spokesperson hails ‘decisive win’ as Judge Juan Merchan declines to provide new sentencing date

The sentencing in Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal hush-money case has been postponed indefinitely while attorneys on both sides argue over its future given his recent election victory.

Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing Trump’s case, did not provide a new sentencing date in his one-page scheduling order on Friday.

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From a call with Putin to an experimental strike, a dramatic week transforms the war in Ukraine – CNN

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  1. From a call with Putin to an experimental strike, a dramatic week transforms the war in Ukraine  CNN
  2. A Relationship Surviving 1,000 Days of War  NPR
  3. Russia grinds deeper into Ukraine after 1,000 days of grueling war  The Associated Press
  4. Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,001  Al Jazeera English
  5. Russian Losses Approach Three Grim Milestones After 1000 Days of War  Newsweek
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