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WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Moderate Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have formed a working group on artificial intelligence aimed at tackling the issue of what restrictions, if any, should be put on the technology. The New Democrat Coalition announced the formation of the group on Tuesday, saying it would work with the Biden administration, companies and other lawmakers to develop "sensible, bipartisan policies to address this emerging technology." While artificial intelligence has been used for several years, it surged in popularity earlier this year with the rise of ChatGPT because of generative AI's ability to use data to create human-seeming prose. The group is to be headed by Representative Derek Kilmer, a Democrat from Washington state. In July, the White House announced that AI companies including OpenAI, Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Meta Platforms (META.O) had made voluntary commitments to implement measures such as watermarking AI-generated content to help make the technology safer.

Persons: Biden, Derek Kilmer, Don Beyer of Virginia, Jeff Jackson, Sara Jacobs of, Susie Lee of, Haley Stevens, Chuck Schumer, Diane Bartz, Nick Macfie Organizations: Moderate Democrats, U.S . House, New Democrat Coalition, White House, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, North Carolina, Sara Jacobs of California, Susie Lee of Nevada, Michigan

☆ Latin Americans fall prey to more online scams as cybersecurity lags
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Carolina Pulice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Online scams in Brazil jumped 65% last year to over 200,000, according to data from the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook published last month. And across Latin America, online frauds and cyberattacks are at an "all-time high," says cybersecurity company Tenable, posing an urgent problem for a well-connected region. "Latin America is a priority target because it has a very connected population, which means that they are always exposed," said Claudio Martinelli, managing director for Latin America for Kaspersky. In a ranking of 93 countries on cyberthreat risks compiled by fraud prevention software SEON, nine of the 10 Latin American countries were ranked in the bottom half. Three Latin American countries - Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela - were seen among the 10 countries with the highest risks for cyberthreats.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Gabriella Batalha didn't, Batalha, Kerry, Ann Barrett, Barrett, Claudio Martinelli, SEON, Tenable, Ransomware, Marcos Simplicio, Carolina Pulice, Brendan O'Boyle, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, YouTube, Brazilian Public Security, International Telecommunication Union, Organization of American States, America, Kaspersky, Costa, University of Sao, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Instagram, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, America, Latin America, Caribbean, Peru, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, University of Sao Paulo

[1/2] A customer leaves an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Riverside, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. It is unclear if the FTC will try to stop the transaction or when a decision would be reached. "Kroger and the FTC are focused on ensuring that any divested stores are positioned for success," the company said in a statement. Between them, Kroger and Albertsons operate nearly 5,000 stores with more than 800 in California. FTC staff spoke with the group in April.

Persons: Kroger, Biden, I'm, Rob Bonta, Chris Jones, We're, we're, Jones, Dan Waldvogle, Waldvogle, Sara John, Mayor Diego Plata, Diane Bartz, Chris Sanders, Anna Driver Organizations: Albertsons, REUTERS, Federal Trade Commission, Staff, FTC, Kroger, National Grocers Association, Walmart, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Center for Science, Safeway, Mayor, Thomson Locations: Riverside , California, U.S, Colorado, California, COVID, Colorado's Rocky, Gunnison, Plata

☆ Nicaragua freezes bank accounts of top university led by Jesuits - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - Nicaraguan authorities froze the bank accounts of the country's top private university, a source from the institution told Reuters, marking the latest move against a Catholic-led institution in an ongoing crackdown by the government. The Jesuit-run Central American University (UCA) is the alma mater of many youth leaders who protested the government of President Daniel Ortega in 2018, which were initially triggered by old-age pension cuts. Earlier on Wednesday, digital news outlet Divergentes reported that UCA officials sent an email to staff and students advising that they were not receiving any payments due to reasons beyond their control. In May, authorities also froze bank accounts belonging to Catholic parishes across the country as prosecutors launched what they called a money laundering investigation. The university had already been singled out for budget cuts and its leaders targeted, including UCA rector and Jesuit priest Jose Idiaquez who last year was barred from returning to Nicaragua after traveling to Mexico.

Persons: Daniel Ortega, Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Ortega, Jose Idiaquez, Ismael Lopez, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Michael Perry Organizations: Nicaraguan, Reuters, Catholic, Central American University, UCA, Sandinista, Thomson Locations: Nicaragua, Mexico

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) is set to meet next week with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ahead of a potential long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against the retailer, according to a source familiar with the matter. The FTC began probing Amazon during former President Donald Trump's administration when the government decided to investigate Amazon, Google, Faceboook and Apple for allegedly breaking antitrust law. The company has been criticized for allegedly favoring its own products and disfavoring outside sellers on its platform, among other allegations. Amazon is expected to argue at the meetings with the commissioners that the FTC should not file an antitrust suit against the company, a separate source said. The Justice Department has sued Google twice, once regarding its search business and a second time on advertising technology.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Donald Trump's, Lina Khan, David Shepardson, Diane Bartz, Chris Reese, Mark Potter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Google, Apple, Amazon, Yale, Trump Justice Department, Facebook, Meta's Facebook, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France

☆ This couple are driving around the world in a Land Rover together
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“It all started with a road trip in Belgium,” says 29-year-old Chazee, who was born in Thailand. Shared dreamNicolas Chazee and Mathilde Vougny are driving around the world in a Land Rover Defender named Albatross. Epic adventureVoughny, seen in Finland, says that she and Chazee thought their dream road trip was "unachievable" until they began researching it. “People joke that if you have a Land Rover, you’re also going to end up being a mechanic,” says Chazee. Next Meridian ExpeditionAside from the car problems, the couple say that the extreme weather conditions they’ve experienced have been among their biggest challenges so far.

Persons: Nicolas Chazee, Mathilde Vougny, ”, “, we’ve, ’ ”, they’d, Chazee, Vougny, ” Vougny, who’ve, they’ve, They’ve, you’re, I’ve, I’m, ” Chazee, he’s, they’ll, Next Meridian Expedition They’ve Organizations: CNN, Rover, Meridian Expedition, Rover Defender, Next Meridian, YouTube, Central America, “, Next, Next Meridian Expedition Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Thailand, Europe, France, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Halifax, Canada, Alaska, Wyoming , Colorado , Utah, Arizona, California, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Australia, Chile, “, Central America, USA, Argentina, Antarctica, Asia, Africa

Google (GOOGL.O) had asked for summary judgment on all the government's claims in the case, which is to go to trial next month. Google said Friday it appreciated the court's "careful consideration and decision to dismiss claims regarding the design of Google Search" in the case brought by the state attorneys general. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised the decision to allow the states Google search antitrust suit to proceed to trial. Mehta noted Google LLC operates the largest U.S. internet general search engine whose "brand name has become so ubiquitous that dictionaries recognize it as a verb." He noted Google in 2020 had nearly 90% market share and advertisers spend over $80 billion annually alone to reach general search users.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Judge Amit Mehta, Google's, Mehta, William Tong, Tong, Trump, Judge Mehta, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Mark Porter, Diane Craft Organizations: Google, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Justice Department, Big Tech, Microsoft Corp, Apple, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Verizon, Mozilla, Justice, Department, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, WASHINGTON, U.S, Washington, Connecticut, Virginia

REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Texas won a round in its antitrust lawsuit with Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google on Thursday after a U.S. judicial panel refused to pause its decision to return its lawsuit to federal court in Texas. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation had decided in June to agree to a Texas request to send the lawsuit alleging Google abused its dominance in advertising technology back to the Lone Star state. Texas has argued that a measure which became law in 2022, after the lawsuit was filed, granted state attorneys general the right to choose where an antitrust lawsuit will be litigated. The judicial panel did agree to stay the remand order for seven days to give Google time to appeal to the 2nd U.S. The Texas lawsuit accuses Google of violating the law by dominating the process that advertisers use to put ads online.

Persons: Charles Platiau, Diane Bartz, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Google, Viva Tech, REUTERS, Texas, The U.S, Multidistrict Litigation, Lone Star, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Texas, The, New York, Eastern

☆ Opinion: How Trump’s indictment reverses a 50-year precedent
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Julian Zelizer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst, is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. CNN —Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to charges that he conspired to subvert the 2020 presidential election. As Garrett Graff wrote in a New York Times op-ed, “the precedent Ford set seems to have paralyzed a half-century of prosecutors. But the calculus for the decision to charge Trump shouldn’t rest on the former president’s political fate. Rather, we need to take a long-term view and consider how we can better hold presidents – present and former – accountable.

Persons: Julian Zelizer, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Gerald Ford, preemptively, Richard Nixon, Nixon, Ford, —, ” Ford, ”, –, Ronald Reagan’s, George W, Bush, Garrett Graff, Jack Smith Organizations: CNN, Princeton University, New York Times, America, Twitter, Trump, Department of Justice, Congressional, Justice Department, Republican, GOP, Ford Locations: New York, Iran, Nicaragua, United States

☆ The Sea Captain Who Ran From Abraham Lincoln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Dorothy Wickenden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

SHIPWRECKED: A True Civil War Story of Mutinies, Jailbreaks, Blockade-Running, and the Slave Trade, by Jonathan W. WhiteWho was Appleton Oaksmith? One contemporary described him as a “good seaman, & a bold & daring officer.” His enemies, President Abraham Lincoln among them, judged him a scoundrel and a traitor. As a young seafaring adventurer in the 1850s, Oaksmith armed mercenaries in Nicaragua and joined the liberation movement in Cuba. After Lincoln took office, in 1861, Oaksmith became a shipping agent, outfitting old whaling ships. Whaling was in decline, so, it was assumed, the people who bought and fitted whalers were likely slavers.

Persons: Jonathan W, White, Appleton, ”, Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln, Oaksmith Organizations: Slave, Tammany Hall Democrat, Whaling Locations: Jailbreaks, Nicaragua, Cuba, North

☆ Iran's drones could reach a new South American market as Bolivia expresses interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what's ahead for defense stocks "Latin American countries are of special significance in Iran's foreign and defense policy based on the importance of [the] very sensitive South American region," Iran's Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was quoted as saying. Iran's drones have made "considerable impact on any battlefield they have appeared in," according to Farzin Nadimi, an arms expert at The Washington Institute said. The U.S.' concerns center on Iran's deepening foreign alliances and dissemination of its lethal drones, analysts say. It added that a former Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, "boasted in October 2022 that 22 countries — including Algeria, Armenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Venezuela — had submitted formal requests for Iranian drones." Iran has previously provided drones to African countries including Sudan and Ethiopia, which the latter used against Tigrayan rebels.

Persons: Oleksii Samsonov, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Edmundo Novillo, Novillo, Farzin, Nadimi, Novillo's, John Kirby, Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Kirby, Annika Ganzeveld, Asad, Khomeini, Majid Asgaripour, Venezuela —, Raisi, ISW Organizations: Kyiv, Getty, Iran's, Bolivian, Bolivia's, CNBC, U.S . Defense Intelligence Agency, The Washington Institute, U.S . Institute for Peace, The U.S, U.S . National Security Council, Sepah, Anadolu Agency, American Enterprise Institute, Associated Press, U.S, Missiles, WANA, REUTERS, for, Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Iran, Washington, South America, Tehran, Fars, Bolivia, The, U.S, Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia, America, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, U.S Ayn, REUTERS Washington, Algeria, Armenia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Iranian, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Ethiopia

☆ How a US government program advocated using nuclear explosions for construction, farming radioactive crops, and blasting holes in the moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Most focused on the potential for nuclear explosions to quickly excavate areas for construction projects at lower costs than conventional explosives. (Hamblin is the author of the book "The Wretched Atom: America's Global Gamble with Peaceful Nuclear Technology.") Fly the radioactive skiesUS officials also hoped nuclear energy could be used for transportation. Nicknamed the "pan-atomic canal," nuclear explosions would have carved a sea-level waterway through Nicaragua, Panama, or Colombia, per Forbes. Corbis via Getty ImagesFor Hamblin, the concept of "peaceful nuclear explosions" fell out of favor in the mid-70s.

Persons: Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Jacob Hamblin, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Alex Wellerstein, Hamblin, you've, Dr Leonard Reiffel, Alaska's Cape Thompson, Edward Teller, detonations, Rio, Iran —, —, Corbis, Wellerstein, Marshall, we're Organizations: Service, White, Nevada . U.S . Department of Energy Office, Scientific, Atomic Energy, UN, United Nations, IAEA Imagebank, United, US Atomic Energy Commission, Technology, Institute of Radiation, Google, NASA, Sputnik, Air Force, U.S . Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, AEC, of Energy, Popular Mechanics, New York Times, Carryall, US Department of Energy, Forbes, Atomic Energy Commission, Getty, IAEA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Suez, Nevada ., United Nations, New York, Hitachiomiya, Japan, Soviet Union, Nevada, Alaska's Cape, inconveniently, Israel, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, Pacific, Farmington , New Mexico, Rulison , Colorado, Rio Blanco, , Colorado, Iran, Mercury , Nevada, USA, Cuba, Vietnam, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada —, Marshall

The update of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which first became law in 2000, would raise the age of children protected by the measure from 12 and under to 16 and under. The AM radio bill and the ticket-pricing bill both had strong bipartisan support and both have companion measures in the House of Representatives. Fees on ticket prices have become an increasing issue. They can comprise 21% to 58% of ticket prices for some events, according to studies from the New York Attorney General's office and Government Accountability Office. The AM radio bill would direct the Transportation Department to issue regulations mandating AM radio in new vehicles without additional charge.

Persons: Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Taylor Swift, that’s, David Shepardson, Diane Bartz, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, Senate, Ticketmaster, New York Attorney, Transportation Department, BMW, Volkswagen, Ford, Lawmakers, National Association of Broadcasters, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - U.S. senators, alarmed by the malevolent potential of artificial intelligence, will summon developers, executives and experts for hearings later this year on possible legislative safeguards, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer, the chamber's leading Democrat, said the Senate would convene what he called "the first-ever AI Insight Forums" to hear what experts had to say. Democratic and Republican senators voiced alarm this week about artificial intelligence's potential use to create a biological weapon. Schumer said senators were briefed on AI on Wednesday by experts at the U.S. Energy Department, the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which had laid the groundwork for the internet. Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Diane Bartz, Howard Goller Organizations: Democratic, U.S . Energy Department, National Science Foundation, Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Senate Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Thomson

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) listens during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2023. In addition to creating the regulatory commission, the proposed law would tighten antitrust law to forbid the companies from preferencing their own products over those of rivals. "This bipartisan bill would create a new tech regulator and makes clear that reining in Big Tech platforms is a top priority on both sides of the aisle," said Warren in a statement. Graham said the creation of the regulatory commission was "the first step in a long journey to protect American consumers from the massive power these companies currently wield." Amazon declined comment while Facebook and Google did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Lindsey Graham, Warren, Graham, Diane Bartz, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democrat, Republican, Facebook, Google, Big Tech, Federal Trade Commission, Digital Consumer Protection, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Big Tech, Washington

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - Top AI companies including OpenAI, Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Meta Platforms (META.O) have made voluntary commitments to the White House to implement measures such as watermarking AI-generated content to help make the technology safer, the Biden administration said. Congress is considering a bill that would require political ads to disclose whether AI was used to create imagery or other content. President Joe Biden, who is hosting executives from the seven companies at the White House on Friday, is also working on developing an executive order and bipartisan legislation on AI technology. Other commitments include developing AI solutions to scientific problems like medical research and mitigating climate change. Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Krystal Hu in New York Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Biden, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, Diane Bartz, Krystal Hu, Matthew Lewis Organizations: WASHINGTON, Microsoft, White, Thomson Locations: cybersecurity, U.S, Washington, New York

☆ Opinion: In tough times, Russia turns to a Cold War comrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Opinion Jeremi Suri | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —After decades of somewhat distant relations, Russia and Cuba are working closely together again — this time, as part of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, meet in Havana on April 20, in a show of deepening ties between the countries. In addition to deepened connections with Russia, Cuba has allowed China to build a secret espionage facility on the island. Washington will respond to Russian military escalation in Cuba with its own escalating force, as it already has done with the recent deployment of a nuclear submarine. Military escalation around Cuba is a dangerous temptation for Russia and a difficult trap for the US.

Persons: Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown, America’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Jeremi Suri Korey Howell, Nikolai Patrushev, Igor Sechin, Rosneft, Sergey Lavrov, —, Manuel Marrero Cruz, Putin, Alvaro Lopéz Miera, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, ” Shoigu, ”, Gerardo Peñalver, Bruno Rodriguez, Ramon Espinosa, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Obama, White, Nikita Khrushchev, John F, Kennedy, Khrushchev, Biden, — Khrushchev Organizations: Leadership, Global Affairs, University of Texas, History Department, LBJ School, Democracy, CNN, Russian Security Council, Cuban, Russian, Cuba's, Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign, Getty Images, year’s, Russian Navy, Caribbean Military, Trump, Biden, Soviets, Pentagon, US, USS, Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Navy, West, Washington, Hulton, Getty, White, Republican, Russia, Ukraine, Twitter, Cuban Missile Locations: Austin, Russia, Cuba, Ukraine, Russian, Havana ., — Venezuela, Nicaragua, Moscow, Caribbean, Washington, Havana, Getty Images Cuba, America, China, Lourdes, USS Pasadena, Guantanamo, American, Soviet, West Berlin, Europe, Putin, Florida, Afghanistan, Turkey

The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have mounted an unprecedented number of legal challenges to mergers since Biden came to office in 2021. The Justice Department lost a merger in the insurance industry but won an effort to stop a book publisher merger. Deal advisers said companies had already braced for a tough antitrust regime under Biden and some had been emboldened by the regulators' recent court losses. "The (regulators' guidelines) do provide more transparency but that transparency also reveals some concerns that they are quite hostile to consolidation. The new antitrust guidelines also reflect the White House's focus on labor issues.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Joe Biden's, Biden, Department's, Kenneth Schwartz, Flom, Fiona Schaeffer, Milbank, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Diane Bartz, Richard Chang, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard Inc, FTC, Meta, Justice Department, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines Inc, Amazon.com, Amazon, Flom LLP, Global, LSEG, Intelligence, Democrat, Congress, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, WASHINGTON, Skadden, Slate

☆ Magnitude 6.5 quake felt in Central America, no damage reported
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAN SALVADOR, July 18 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck off El Salvador's Pacific coast at a depth of nearly 70 km (43 miles) on Tuesday evening, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said, with reports indicating it was felt in several nations in Central America. There were no immediate reports of damage and the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami warning for El Salvador, El Salvador's environment ministry said. Salvadoran lawmaker Salvador Chacon said on Twitter that checks were being carried out in the coastal city of La Libertad, near the capital San Salvador, although there were no reports of damage from the municipality. The quake was also felt in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, according to local media and Reuters witnesses. Reporting by Nelson Renteria in San Salvador; Writing by Kylie Madry and Isabel Woodford; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: El, Salvador Chacon, Nelson Renteria, Kylie Madry, Isabel Woodford, Anthony Esposito, Tom Hogue Organizations: SALVADOR, United States Geological Survey, Twitter, Thomson Locations: El, Central America, El Salvador, La Libertad, San Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize

☆ US adds Central American ex-presidents, judges, lawmakers to corruption list
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Raul Cortes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Two former Salvadoran presidents - Mauricio Funes, who served from 2009 to 2014, and his successor Salvador Sanchez, whom Washington links to corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of public funds - were added to the list. Guatemala's government meanwhile rejected the accusations on Wednesday, labeling the report "used by the United States to impose its jurisdiction on people abroad, as despicable." It includes ex-officials from the government of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was extradited to the United States over drug trafficking links. Politicians from Honduras' opposition Liberal Party also appear, including Liberal leader Yani Rosenthal, previously convicted of money laundering in the United States. The Nicaraguan section includes all of the country's parliamentary leaders, barring its president, who Washington has already sanctioned, and several judges and directors of Nicaragua's money laundering watchdog.

Persons: Mauricio Funes, Salvador Sanchez, Funes, Sanchez, Daniel Ortega, Brian Nichols, Fredy Orellana, Bernardo Arevalo, Engel, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Yani Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Washington, Raul Cortes, Sofia Menchu, Gustavo Palencia, Nelson Renteria, Sarah Morland, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . State Department, Salvadoran, Western Hemisphere, Liberal Party, Liberal, Thomson Locations: El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Washington, United States, Mexico City, Sofia, Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, Nelson, San Salvador

☆ EU seeks to revive Latin America, Caribbean ties as it turns away from China, Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Regardless of the outcome, officials said the meeting itself marked a step towards stronger ties. "The most important issue of the meeting is the meeting itself," Argentine Undersecretary for Latin American and Caribbean affairs Gustavo Martinez Pandiani told a small group of reporters in Brussels. The EU has said it wants a joint declaration condemning Russia, but knows this will be difficult to achieve. The EU and Argentina will sign a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation before the summit starts. The EU may also offer details on plans to invest 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion) in CELAC infrastructure projects, part of its Global Gateway initiative.

Persons: Gustavo Martinez Pandiani, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Philip Blenkinsop, Barbara Lewis Organizations: European Union, UN, European, EU, Mercosur, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, America, Caribbean, EU, Ukraine, China, Caribbean States, Brussels, Argentine, Russia, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Beijing, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

☆ Mexico intercepts over 500 migrants in two days
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Brendan O'Boyle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

INM/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, July 16 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities on Sunday said they intercepted over 500 migrants in two days in the eastern state of Veracruz as authorities crack down on the transportation of migrants toward the United States in unsafe conditions. The town's mayor Roberto Montiel wrote on Facebook that "over 180" migrants were found, including women and children, with some of the migrants presenting signs of dehydration. Earlier on Sunday, the INM reported in a statement that authorities had intercepted 303 migrants in two operations on Friday morning in Veracruz. Also on Friday, authorities found 196 migrants, including 19 unaccompanied minors, packed into an improperly parked tractor-trailer detected on a road close to the city of Fortin de las Flores. Five of the migrants were adults from Guatemala and another five adults from India, the INM statement said, without providing further details on the other migrants' nationalities.

Persons: Fortin de las, Roberto Montiel, Fortin de las Flores, Brendan O'Boyle, Diane Craft Organizations: National Institute of Migration, REUTERS, REUTERS MEXICO CITY, National Migration Institute, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Fortin de, Fortin de las Flores, Veracruz, Mexico, Handout, REUTERS MEXICO, United States, Puente Nacional, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Fortin, India, Mexico's, Chiapas, Texas

☆ Drag queens compete for top prize in Nicaragua pageant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Mix Imperial Central American Tropical Drag Royale provided a stage for drag performers in a region where LGBT people often face discrimination and economic hardship. "It's a form of catharsis," said Alexa Evangelista, a drag queen from El Salvador and one of the night's performers, who lip-synched and danced for the adoring crowd. Drag queen Peppe Pig said the pageant gave her the opportunity to travel outside her home country of Guatemala, and that drag has helped her meet new friends and her current partner. Nicaraguan drag queen Akeyra Davenport took home the night's crown in her first competition after 11 years as a drag artist. Reporting by Maynor Valenzuela in Managua Writing by Brendan O'Boyle Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maynor Valenzuela, Alexa Evangelista, Evangelista, Peppe Pig, Akeyra Davenport, Brendan O'Boyle, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Imperial, REUTERS, Maynor, Central, Thomson Locations: Guatemala, Managua, Nicaragua, Maynor Valenzuela MANAGUA, El Salvador, Central America, Nicaraguan

The San Francisco federal court had ruled in favor of Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the FTC had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. "The FTC asks this Court to enjoin the merger at issue pending resolution of the FTC’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The FTC had said it was seeking a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the deal until an internal FTC judge could assess it. It is rare for a merger fight to go to an appeals court. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We're, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Kanishka Singh, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao, Jamie Freed Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, San, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Nintendo, Britain's, Markets Authority, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain, California

Still, any outstanding regulatory hurdle makes it more likely that the agreement between Microsoft and Activision will expire on July 18 without the deal having been completed. The FTC's court filing about the appeal gave no details, which will go before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast. The FTC may request a stay from the appeals court stopping the deal from closing. When U.S. antitrust agencies lose merger challenges in court, appeals are rare. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We’re, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, Microsoft's, Ninth Circuit, FTC, Biden, Markets Authority, Japan's Nintendo, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: West Coast, San Francisco

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