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☆ Factbox: Who was freed in Nicaragua's surprise political prisoners release?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Cristiana Chamorro and Pedro Joaquin ChamorroCristiana Chamorro was placed under house arrest in 2021, just as she was leading Ortega in polls to unseat him as president at elections. Her brother Pedro Joaquin Chamorro was also arrested and jailed the same month, according to newspaper La Prensa. Arturo CruzAn academic who was Nicaragua's ambassador to the United States between 2007 and 2009, Cruz was arrested in 2021 after returning to Managua from Washington. Like Mairena, he was arrested in 2021 over accusations of crimes during the 2018 protests. On Thursday, he declined to board the plane to Washington, preferring to stay home instead, one of only two prisoners to do so.

☆ Biotech stocks that could surge more than 35% include one name targeting treatments for schizophrenia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Still, the outlook for biotech stocks could improve now , with innovation in new drugs and more merger and acquisition activity driving investor interest. Recently, Wall Street has been zoning in on developments in treatments for Alzheimer's diseases, drugs for weight loss and treatments using gene editing. CNBC Pro screened for biotech stocks that are part of the iShares Biotechnology ETF , searching for names with huge upside from current prices. In January, Piper Sandler initiated research coverage of Karuna with an overweight rating, saying it's "blazing a new trail in Schizophrenia" treatments. The stock was named another top 2023 pick by Piper Sandler, which said Legend has a "best-in-class" treatment for adults with relapsed multiple myeloma, a segment "with demand far outpacing supply."

☆ Mexico opposes restart of U.S. 'Remain in Mexico' immigration policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kylie Madry | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The Mexican government said on Monday it is opposed to a possible restart of the U.S. immigration policy known as "Remain in Mexico" which required asylum seekers to wait for U.S. hearings in Mexico. President Joe Biden has sought to end the program, which had been introduced by the Trump administration and is currently suspended. Activists argue the policy, officially called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), leaves migrants in dangerous border cities where they face threats of kidnapping and extortion. Some 74,000 migrants went through Mexico under the program when former President Donald Trump was in power, the foreign ministry said. Marsha Espinosa, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement to Reuters on Monday that the Biden Administration will keep trying to terminate MPP through the courts.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy says stop 'rumours' as defence minister remains
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Tuesday for an end to the spread of "rumours or any other pseudo-information" that could undermine unity in the war against Russia. David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker and ally of the president, said on Sunday Reznikov would be replaced after a corruption scandal at the ministry. "We are taking personnel and institutional steps at various levels in the defence and security sector that can strengthen Ukraine's position," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app, citing his speech to parliament. Zelenskiy offered thanks to all who help preserve the unity of Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia nearly 12 months ago. The questions over Reznikov were the first public sign of serious disarray in Ukraine's wartime leadership.

☆ Costa Rica says China apologizes for balloon 'incident' over its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAN JOSE, Feb 6 (Reuters) - China apologized to Costa Rica for a balloon that flew over its territory, the Central American country's government said on Monday, after a separate suspected Chinese spy balloon traveling over the United States sparked a major political and diplomatic spat. According to a brief statement from Costa Rica's foreign ministry, the Chinese government recognized that one of its balloons flew over Costa Rica, and China's embassy in San Jose "apologized for the incident," while insisting the balloon was focused on scientific research, mainly weather studies. Costa Rican officials were told by Chinese officials the balloon flight path deviated from its original plan and it had a limited ability to correct the error, according to the statement. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman told reporters at a news conference in Beijing on Monday that the balloon spotted in Latin America was used for civilian purposes. Planes were notified at the time, but no further action was taken, according to the civil aviation director.

☆ Goldman employees sometimes helped CEO David Solomon manage his DJ schedule, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Goldman employees have "sometimes" helped CEO David Solomon manage his DJ schedule in the past, NYT reported. A Goldman spokesperson said that "there are no conflicts of interest" tied to Solomon's DJing. A spokesperson for Goldman told the Times that there is "no economic component" to Solomon's relationship with Mestel. But a Goldman spokesperson told Insider that "there are no conflicts of interest." At the time, a Goldman spokesperson said the trip was was considered to be both a business and a personal expense.

☆ At least 15 dead from Peru landslide, president pledges to speed help
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows people watching near a landslide caused by a heavy rains, in Arequipa, Peru February 6, 2023. Another 20 people were injured after the landslide struck on Sunday near the riverside town of Secocha, about 125 miles (200 km) northwest of the city of Arequipia. Along with local officials, Boluarte posed for pictures in front of piles of supplies set for distribution. The deadly landslide follows two months of intense political upheaval in the country marked by often violent anti-government protests aimed at Boluarte's caretaker government. The unrest is largely centered in nearby areas in Peru's Andean south and was triggered by the early December ouster of former President Pedro Castillo.

☆ Biden to deliver State of the Union address amid high inflation and divided Congress that threaten to derail economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"Put simply, I would argue the Biden economic plan is working. The White House is already seeing challenges under House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the new Republican majority. House Republicans have been in a fraught standoff with the White House over raising the debt ceiling, a topic the White House has said is not up for negotiation. The White House on Friday announced that National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, Biden's top economic aide, is departing. Jeff Zients, former White House Covid-19 response coordinator under Biden and an economic advisor to former President Barack Obama, will replace Ron Klain as White House chief of staff.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Kyiv says it must use every day to ramp up defenses at the front, ahead of Russian offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the area of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine continues to be a hot spot in the war, with the country now preparing for a Russian offensive aimed at seizing the entire eastern Donbas region. "There are already many reports that the occupiers want to do something symbolic in February. "We see this increased pressure in various areas of the front line, as well as pressure in the information field," the president added. In other news, a top Ukrainian lawmaker said Sunday that Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov was going to be replaced with the chief of Ukraine's military spy agency, Kyrylo Budanov. The government has not yet officially confirmed the move, however, and the official — David Arakhamia, head of President Zelenskyy's parliamentary bloc — said Monday that the changes would not take place this week.

A day after announcing that Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced, a top ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeared to row back for now, saying no personnel changes in the defence sector would be made this week. Two senior lawmakers on Monday noted that rules require Ukraine's defence minister to be a civilian, which would appear to put an obstacle in the way of the immediate appointment of Budanov, a 37-year-old military officer. 'WAR DICTATES CHANGES'Arakhamia said Ukraine's armed forces should not be overseen by politicians during wartime, but by people with a background in defence or security. As a wartime defence minister, Reznikov, 56, fostered ties with Western defence officials and helped oversee the receipt of billions of dollars of military aid to help Kyiv fend off the Russian invasion. During his tenure as defence minister, he spoke out strongly about wartime corruption, which he said was akin to "marauding".

Zelenskiy says he needs to show that Ukraine was a safe steward of billions of dollars of Western military and other aid. Ukrainian aircraft have launched nine strikes on areas of concentration of Russian forces and two anti-aircraft positions, it said. Arakhamia had said the 37-year-old head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, would replace Reznikov, who would become minister of strategic industries. One obstacle to replacing Reznikov with Budanov, a fast-rising officer decorated for operations that remain secret, is a rule requiring the defence minister to be a civilian. Ukraine said on Monday evening that Russian forces had trained tank, mortar and artillery fire there in the past 24 hours.

☆ Ukraine to replace defence minister in wartime reshuffle
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine is set to replace Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov with the chief of its military spy agency, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, in a reshuffle at the forefront of Ukraine's war campaign. He said that Ukraine's "force" agencies - like the defence ministry - should not be headed by politicians, but by career defence or security officials. Reznikov, 56, became defence minister in Nov. 2021, just a few months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. As a wartime defence minister, Reznikov singled out Ukraine's "de facto" integration into the NATO military alliance as a top priority, even if joining the bloc was not immediately possible de jure. During his tenure as defence minister, he spoke out strongly about wartime corruption, which he said was akin to "marauding".

☆ Colombian military spots balloon-like object in its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - A day before a U.S. military jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, Colombia's military confirmed a sighting over its territory of an airborne object similar to a balloon. U.S. military officials on Friday said a Chinese balloon was spotted somewhere over Latin America but did not specify its location. The Colombian statement did not mention China or any other country as the balloon's origin. The statement added that the object exhibited "characteristics similar to those of a balloon," and that the air force monitored it until it left Colombian airspace. The saga of the Chinese balloon, downed off of the U.S. Atlantic coast on Saturday, captivated public attention for days, and was widely seen as worsening U.S.-China relations.

☆ At least 24 dead in Chile as wildfires expand; foreign help on the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Fabian Cambero | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

International help was set to arrive on Sunday from a handful of countries that have pledged resources, including planes and expert firefighting teams, as the most intense wildfires torched forests and farmland clustered around three regions near the middle of the South American country's long Pacific coastline. The government of President Gabriel Boric has issued emergency declarations for the largely rural southern regions of Biobio, Nuble and Araucania in an effort to speed relief. The fires have consumed some 270,000 hectares, officials said on Sunday, or an area roughly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Some 260 fires are active across the parched region, interior ministry officials said on Sunday, with 28 of them considered especially dangerous. Chilean officials have sought international assistance to battle the fires, with new ones sparking to life each day.

☆ Colombia confirms possible balloon in its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - A day before a U.S. military jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the country's Atlantic Coast on Saturday, Colombia's military confirmed a sighting of an airborne object similar to a balloon flying over its territory. Colombia's air force issued a statement on Saturday providing limited details concerning a possible balloon its air defense system had located Friday morning. U.S. military officials on Friday said another Chinese balloon was spotted somewhere over Latin America but did not specify its location. The statement added that the object exhibited "characteristics similar to those of a balloon," and that the air force monitored it until if left the country's airspace. The saga of the downed Chinese spy balloon off the U.S. coast captivated public attention for days, and was widely seen as worsening U.S.-Chinese relations.

☆ Argentina likely to see inflation tick up this year -analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bank's latest REM survey compares to a December forecast of a 98.4% inflation rate by the end of this year. The government of embattled President Alberto Fernandez sees creeping annual inflation for 2023 significantly lower, at just 60%, according to a budget projection. The survey's inflation forecast sees some relief by 2024, however, with prices rising by 79.6%, but up from its previous estimate of 75%. The analysts surveyed expect January's inflation rate to come in at 5.6%. The monthly rise in prices last December stood at 5.1%, according to the official IPC price index.

In a statement that did not name Kolomoiskiy, the SBU published the same photographs, but with the person's face blurred out. If someone is not ready for change, then the state itself will come and help them change," Arakhamia wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The head of the State Bureau of Investigation said the law enforcement action was "only the beginning". The oligarchs took control of swathes of industry during the post-Soviet privatisations of the 1990s and wield influence to this day. Reporting by Olena Harmash; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Timothy Heritage and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] Demonstrators take part in a protest to demand Peru's President Dina Boluarte to step down, in Lima, Peru, January 31, 2023. The protests began after Congress removed President Pedro Castillo on Dec. 7. His ouster fired up anger against the elite, especially in poor rural Andean regions in Peru's south, which had propelled Castillo, a leftist former teacher and political novice, to the presidency in 2021. Castillo's vice president, Dina Boluarte, took over as Peru's sixth president in five years following his ouster. Establishing a timeline for new elections could calm the protests, but even that may not solve Peru's political woes in the longer run.

☆ Tucker Carlson bizarrely suggested that the US should send an armed force to 'liberate' Canada from Justin Trudeau
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tucker Carlson called for the US to send an armed force to "liberate" Canada from Justin Trudeau. He compared Trudeau to Fidel Castro and said he was "completely in favor of a Bay of Pigs operation." We're spending all this money to liberate Ukraine from the Russians, why are we not sending an armed force to liberate Canada from Trudeau? Carlson has previously said he was rooting for Russia in the conflict in Ukraine, which he later claimed was a joke following widespread condemnation. He has also previously suggested military action against another of the United States' neighbors when in 2019, he advocated for the US to "strike back" at Mexico.

☆ Nestle unveils $100 million Colombia investment to grow capacity
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Global food giant Nestle (NESN.S) is set to invest $100 million over the next three years in its Colombian operations, President Gustavo Petro said on Friday, part of his push to boost industrialization. The Colombian leader outlined the announcement in a post on Twitter late Friday. "Industrializing Colombia is essential if we want to get out of poverty," Petro wrote on Twitter. Nestle did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta and Carolina Pulice; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least 7 people are dead and nearly a dozen were injured after a shooting at a Jerusalem synagogue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A shooting at a Jerusalem synagogue Friday has left at least seven dead and almost a dozen injured. The attack marks another day of violence in the region after a deadly Israeli raid Thursday. The country's Magen David Adom emergency services said police killed the gunman at the crime scene, according to Reuters, Associated Press, and CNN. The shooting occurred during worship services on International Holocaust Remembrance Day and comes a day after Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians and injured others in Jenin, according to reporting from CNN. The surge in violence gripped the region before a planned trip by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the end of this month.

☆ Mexico's Mejia says central bank should consider decoupling from U.S. Fed -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Mexico's central bank should consider decoupling from the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy, Deputy Governor Omar Mejia said in a Bloomberg Linea story published on Wednesday, calling for discussion of the issue at the bank's next policy meeting. We have the decision coming soon and these are elements we are going to have to incorporate," Mejia said after a meeting with local bank association ABM. Video accompanying the story quoted Mejia as saying the central bank, known as Banxico, will discuss decoupling from the U.S. monetary authority. Mexico's central bank is considering raising its benchmark interest rate at its next policy meeting, scheduled for Feb. 9, according to minutes from its December session. Banxico's current benchmark interest rate is at 10.50%.

☆ Organization of American States backs Peru's president as protests mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro heads a session at the OAS 52nd General Assembly, in Lima, Peru October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Angela Ponce/File PhotoJan 25 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States' permanent council expressed its "full support" for Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Wednesday, following weeks of anti-government protests that have left dozens dead. Attending virtually, Boluarte told the council meeting in Washington that she had asked Peru's Congress to approve early elections "as soon as possible". The Congress is set to hold a second and final vote to ratify early elections, moving them from 2026 to April 2024. However, there is mounting pressure to move the elections forward even earlier, as the death toll from weeks of social unrest ticks up.

Haley also tapped Betsy Ankney, a former political director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to run the PAC, according to Axios. Longtime Haley advisor Jon Lerner, will likely have leadership roles within a Haley presidential campaign, two of the people said. Haley has publicly hinted in two recent interviews with Fox News that she could be ready to run for president. Kevin Lemarque | ReutersTrump, who lost his reelection bid to Biden in 2020, is the only candidate so far to jump into the 2024 presidential race. She even said in 2021 that she wouldn't run for president in 2024 if Trump was on the ballot.

Separately, a newspaper investigation published on Saturday accused the Defence Ministry of overpaying suppliers for food for its soldiers. If the humane approach doesn't work, we'll do it in line with martial law," he said. Before last year's invasion, fighting corruption was the principal theme for Zelenskiy, a political novice swept into power in a landslide in 2019 on a promise to clean up Ukraine's notoriously crooked institutions. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said measures would be announced this week. Several Ukrainian media outlets have reported that a number of cabinet ministers and senior officials could be sacked imminently as Zelenskiy tries to make the government more effective and streamlined.

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