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Other headlines of the day began with the fast-moving and uncertain situation in Venezuela. Aides to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she was arrested today as she left an anti-government protest in the capital, Caracas.
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Other headlines of the day began with the fast-moving and uncertain situation in Venezuela. Aides to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she was arrested today as she left an anti-government protest in the capital, Caracas.
Machado had been in hiding for months and had addressed supporters. It was part of a last-ditch effort to stop President Nicolas Maduro from being sworn in for a third, six-year term, scheduled for tomorrow.
After the chaos, Machado was led through a crowd wearing a helmet. Her aides say she was detained at the time, but government officials deny that. A video later emerged in which she says she is safe, although her supporters say the video was filmed. This afternoon, the White House said it condemned any efforts by Maduro’s government to intimidate the opposition.
Now turning to the Middle East, Lebanon’s parliament elected a new president today, after more than two years of vacancy. Lawmakers erupted in applause after army commander Joseph Aoun won a landslide victory after 13 previous attempts to elect a leader.
Aoun was widely seen as the favored choice of the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Experts say Lebanon will need international assistance to rebuild after 14 months of war between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.
Addressing parliament today, Aoun said his victory marked a new stage in Lebanon’s history. My commitment is to invest in the army, control our borders, fight terrorism, uphold the ceasefire with Israel and fulfill my role as commander-in-chief in preventing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory. AMNA:
The next government will be tasked with implementing the ceasefire agreement that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. And it faces an economic crisis that has gripped the nation for the past six years.
In Gaza, health officials said today that the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has now surpassed 46,000. More than half of them are women and children.
But officials did not say how many were fighters and how many were civilians. It comes after Israel carried out several strikes across Gaza, including an overnight assault on the Nusairat refugee camp.
Witnesses said children were among the dead. Israel has continued to blame Hamas, which hides in residential areas, for the civilian deaths.
In Germany, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today announced details of another $500 million in security aid to Ukraine. Austin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the incoming Trump administration to continue supporting Ukraine’s war effort in their final meeting.
Zelenskyy said that a new chapter would begin for Ukraine’s European allies when Trump takes office in less than two weeks. Meanwhile, Austin called on European countries to stand firm in the face of Russian aggression.
If we back down, Putin can be relied upon to push harder and punch harder. Ukraine’s survival is at stake. But so is the security of Europe, the United States, and the world.
If the tyrants learn that aggression comes at a price, we will only invite more aggression, chaos, and war. Amna: The Biden administration still has about $4 billion in funds to provide weapons to Ukraine.
Without further announcements, President-elect Trump will be responsible for continuing to send that aid. But he has signaled a possible shift in American support for Ukraine once he takes office.
The New York Supreme Court has rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s request to stay his sentencing in his impeachment trial. It will be heard tomorrow morning in Manhattan. Trump’s hopes for a last-minute delay now lie with the Supreme Court.
His lawyers filed an emergency motion there yesterday. Prosecutors backed down, saying there was no reason for the court to intervene. It is unclear when the justices will be able to consider it.
Trump was convicted in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Winter storms are battering the southern United States. Even a small amount of snow can disrupt daily life.
More than 80 million Americans spent the day under winter weather advisories from the plains of New Mexico to the Carolinas. This morning, residents in the Dallas-Fort Worth area woke up to a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. Schools were closed for nearly a million students across North Texas and Oklahoma.
And more than 2,000 flights nationwide have been canceled. Forecasters say the snow will continue to pile up through the end of the week. In Antarctica, an international team of scientists said they have chipped away at nearly two miles of rock to reach some of the world’s oldest ice.
Researchers say the core of the ice is at least 1.2 million years old. It contains layers of ash from volcanic eruptions, as well as air bubbles breathed by our human ancestors a million years ago.
They hope that analysis of the ice will show how Earth’s atmosphere changed over time. Still to come on the “News hour,” Republicans lawmakers take early steps to implement Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
And we examine the effectiveness of U.S. Foreign aid meant to promote food security. This is the pbs “News hour” from the David M. Rubenstein studio at weta in Washington, and in the west from the Walter Cronkite school of journalism at Arizona state university.
Frequently Asked Questions?
What led to Maria Corina Machado’s arrest?
Machado was arrested while leaving an anti-government protest, where she attempted to rally support against President Maduro’s upcoming swearing-in.
What is the current political situation in Venezuela?
The political situation is extremely tense, with claims of election fraud and civil unrest as opposition leaders challenge Maduro’s legitimacy.
How has the international community responded?
International leaders have condemned the arrest and called for the release of Machado, recognizing Edmundo González as the legitimate president-elect.
Conclusion :
To keep up with the latest news on Maria Corina Machado and the political situation in Venezuela, consider subscribing to PBS Newsletters or listen to PBS News podcasts. You can also watch daily updates on PBS NewsHour – YouTube.
