US kills 4 in latest Pacific Ocean attack as Venezuela tension spirals
New attack brings death toll to nearly 100 from US strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean. The United States military said it killed four people in its latest attack on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, announcing the “lethal” strike after resolutions seeking to rein in President Donald Trump’s aggression towards Venezuela were voted down by US lawmakers. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is leading the burgeoning “Southern Spear” military operation in the Latin America region, said the attack on Wednesday targeted “four male narco-terrorists” without providing any evidence that the destroyed vessel was involved in drug trafficking. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “The vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on social media alongside a video showing a speedboat being destroyed. Ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the attack brings to almost 100 the number of people killed in US strikes on 26 vessels – that Washington has acknowledged – in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean since September. While legal experts have accused the US of carrying out a campaign of extrajudicial killings in international waters, Trump has justified the attacks as necessary to halt the flow of drugs into the US from drug cartels, particularly those based in Venezuela. On Wednesday, the Republican-majority House of Representatives voted 213 to 211 against a resolution directing the president to remove US forces from hostilities with or against Venezuela without congressional authorisation. Advertisement The House also voted 216 to 210 against a resolution that would remove US forces from hostilities with “any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere” unless authorised by Congress. The defeat of the resolutions comes as a huge US military deployment is under way in Latin America, involving thousands of troops, Washington’s largest aircraft carrier, and a nuclear-powered submarine, as Trump threatens military action to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government. On Tuesday, Trump ordered a naval blockade of all oil tankers, which are under US sanctions, entering and leaving Venezuelan ports, a move that Maduro’s government called a “grotesque threat” that was aimed at “stealing the riches that belong to our homeland”. Last week, US soldiers boarded and seized the Skipper oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and were reported to have brought the vessel to the US state of Texas to unload its oil cargo. The New York Times reports that Venezuela’s navy has started to escort ships carrying petroleum products from ports following Trump’s announcement of the sea blockade. Several ships left the country’s east coast with a naval escort on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, the Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. Latin American leaders and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have also expressed concerns as the prospect of war looms larger as tensions mount between Washington and Caracas. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the UN to act to prevent violence in Venezuela. “It has not been present. It must assume its role to prevent any bloodshed,” she said on Wednesday, reiterating Mexico’s position of being against intervention and foreign interference in Venezuela. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he was “concerned about President Trump’s attitudes towards Latin America, about the threats”. Lula also said that he had urged dialogue between Caracas and Washington in a call with Trump earlier this month. “The power of the word can outweigh the power of the gun … I said to Trump: ‘If you are interested in talking to Venezuela properly, we can contribute. Now, you have to be willing to talk, you have to be patient,’” Lula said. In Venezuela, Maduro held a phone call with UN chief Guterres and denounced the US naval blockade, according to reports. Maduro “denounced … the recent escalation of colonial threats against Venezuela”, the Agencia Venezuela news site reported. Advertisement The Venezuelan leader also described as “barbaric diplomacy” comments by US administration officials that “Venezuela’s natural resources belong to it”. Adblock test (Why?)
Delhi Pollution Crisis: Environmental Minister makes BIG announcement, directs strict enforcement of…, says, ‘collective…’
The Delhi government will begin strict enforcement of the “No PUC, No Fuel” rule from December 18 as part of an intensified multi-pronged drive to curb worsening air pollution in the national capital.
Good news for Delhi-NCR residents: Namo Bharat Train to connect THESE two major cities through IFFCO Chowk; Check details here
The Namo Bharat Train project is progressing, with work underway for the IFFCO Chowk interchange station connecting Gurugram, Faridabad and Greater Noida. Utility relocation, including major water and sewer lines, will start in January 2026, ensuring seamless construction.
BIG trouble for TMC! MLA Kirti Azad caught ‘vaping’ in Lok Sabha, BJP releases video, says, ‘Imagine audacity…’, WATCH
Bharatiya Janata Party has finally broken the ‘suspense’ over a Trinamool Congress’ MLA ‘vaping’ in the parliament. The party has released a video on social media, where TMC MLA Kirti Azad can be allegedly seen smoking in the House during proceedings.
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Air quality crosses 370-mark, thick smog blankets national capital as air quality remains in ‘very poor’ zone, check area-wise pollution levels
Dense toxic smog covered large parts of Delhi, pushing AQI levels into the ‘very poor’ category in areas like RK Puram and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. CAQM enforced GRAP Stage-IV measures as inspections revealed dust, waste accumulation, and burning across several DDA road stretches.
Delhi-NCR anti-pollution measures start today: Ban on Non-BS-VI vehicles, work-from-home policy and more; Here’s what’s allowed and what’s not amid ‘very poor’ AQI
Delhi introduces stricter anti-pollution measures as the AQI hits the ‘severe’ category. The new curbs include a hybrid work model for offices, a ban on BS-VI vehicles, and mandatory PUC certificates for refuelling. These actions aim to tackle the city’s pollution crisis.
NY Gov. Hochul to sign bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide: ‘Who am I to deny you?’
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she plans to sign a measure to legalize medically assisted suicide for terminally ill patients under a deal reached with state legislative leaders. The governor intends to sign the bill next year after working to add a series of “guardrails,” she wrote in an op-ed in the Albany Times Union announcing her plans. The measure, approved by state lawmakers during their regulation session earlier this year, will go into effect six months after it is signed. Hochul, who is Catholic, said she listened to New Yorkers in the “throes of pain and suffering,” as well as their children, while also hearing out “individuals of many faiths who believe that deliberately shortening one’s life violates the sanctity of life.” “I was taught that God is merciful and compassionate, and so must we be,” she wrote. “This includes permitting a merciful option to those facing the unimaginable and searching for comfort in their final months in this life.” NEW JERSEY’S MEDICALLY-ASSISTED SUICIDE LAW ONLY COVERS STATE RESIDENTS, APPEALS COURT RULES New York will join a dozen other states and Washington, D.C., in adopting laws allowing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, including Delaware and Illinois, which each approved legislation this year that will go into effect in 2026. Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia and Colombia, have also legalized so-called death with dignity. New York’s bill, dubbed the Medical Aid in Dying Act, requires a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six months to make a written request for life-ending drugs. Two witnesses must sign the request to ensure the patient is not being coerced, and the request would need to be approved by the patient’s attending physician and a consulting physician. The bill’s sponsors and legislative leaders have agreed to add provisions to mandate that a medical doctor affirms that the person “truly had less than six months to live,” along with confirmation from a psychologist or psychiatrist that the patient is capable of making the decision without being under duress. “The Medical Aid in Dying Act will afford terminally ill New Yorkers the right to spend their final days not under sterile hospital lights but with sunlight streaming through their bedroom window,” Hochul wrote. “The right to spend their final days not hearing the droning hum of hospital machines but instead the laughter of their grandkids echoing in the next room. The right to tell their family they love them and be able to hear those precious words in return,” she added. Hochul said the bill will include a mandatory five-day waiting period in addition to a written and recorded oral request to “confirm free will is present.” Outpatient facilities linked to religious hospitals may choose not to offer medically-assisted suicide. The governor also said she wants the bill to only apply to New York residents. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled that a similar law in New Jersey only covers state residents and that people from other jurisdictions cannot seek medical aid-in dying in the Garden State. “Death brings good things to an end, but rarely neatly,” U.S. Circuit Court Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote in the opinion. “Many terminally ill patients face a grim reality: imminent, painful death. Some may want to avert that suffering by enlisting a doctor’s help to end their own lives. New Jersey lets its residents make that choice—but only its residents.” Hochul said on Wednesday that supporting the New York bill was one of the toughest decisions she has made as governor. DELAWARE’S ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL SIGNED INTO LAW, MAKING IT THE 11TH STATE WITH SUCH A STATUTE “Who am I to deny you or your loved one what they’re begging for at the end of their life?” she said. “I couldn’t do that any longer.” The legislation was first introduced in 2016 but failed to receive approval for years as religious groups such as the New York State Catholic Conference sought to block the measure, arguing that it would devalue human life and undermine the physician’s role as a healer. Cardinal Timothy Dolan and New York’s bishops said in a statement after Hochul’s announcement that her support for the bill “signals our government’s abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders.” But supporters of the legislation contended that it would reduce suffering for terminally ill people and allow them to die on their own terms. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump drops receipts on US savings since Biden’s Oval Office exit
President Donald Trump rattled off how his economic policies have pulled America from “the brink of ruin” following former President Joe Biden’s tenure during his primetime address to the nation on Wednesday. “Here at home, we’re bringing our economy back from the brink of ruin,” Trump said Thursday. “The last administration and their allies in Congress looted our Treasury for trillions of dollars, driving up prices and everything at levels never seen before. I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast.” Trump said that under the Biden administration, car prices rose by at least 22%, gasoline rose 30% to 50%, hotel rates by 37% and airfares by 31%, and mortgage prices up $15,000 under “Democrat rule.” “Now, under our leadership, they are all coming down and coming down fast,’” Trump continued. “Democrat politicians also sent the cost of groceries soaring, but we are solving that too.” TRUMP SET TO ADDRESS THE NATION IN PRIMETIME WHITE HOUSE SPEECH AS AMERICANS REPORT ECONOMIC SQUEEZE The president announced his primetime address Tuesday as his administration zeroes in on its economic messaging following Democrats latching onto a winning campaign strategy of “affordability” while slamming Trump and Republicans for allegedly rolling out policies that have caused the housing crisis to worsen and costs at the checkout lines to rise. Following a handful of high-profile elections in November handing wins to Democrats who campaigned on the platform, Trump has turned up the heat that Biden administration policies continue to haunt the current economy. “11 months ago, I inherited a mess. And I’m fixing it. When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years. And some would say in the history of our country, which caused prices to be higher than ever before, making life unaffordable for millions and millions of Americans. This happened during a Democrat administration, and it’s when we first began hearing the word affordability,” Trump said at the start of his speech. TRUMP TO TOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE TAKING OFFICE IN PRIMETIME ADDRESS While costs rose under Biden, Trump touted the savings Americans are seeing under his leadership. “The price of a Thanksgiving turkey was down 33% compared to the Biden last year,” Trump said. “The price of eggs is down 82% since March, and everything else is falling rapidly. And it’s not done yet. But boy, are we making progress. Nobody can believe what’s going on.” “Under Biden, real wages plummeted by $3,000. Under Trump, the typical factory worker, we’re seeing a wage increase of $1,300. For construction workers, it’s $1,800. For miners, e’re bringing back clean, beautiful coal, is $3,300. And for the first time in years, wages are rising much faster than inflation,” he continued. GAS PRICES ARE FALLING — SO WHY ISN’T TRUMP REFILLING THE OIL RESERVE FASTER? WH BLAMES BIDEN-ERA ‘DAMAGE’ Trump’s address included announcing the rollout of “Warrior Dividends” to all U.S. military members in honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.’ founding in 1776. “We are sending every soldier $1,776. Think of that,” he said. “And the checks are already on the way.”
Trump touts bringing country back from ‘brink of ruin’
President Donald Trump touted the work his administration has done since January in an address to the nation on Wednesday night as he labeled the U.S. the “hottest country in the world.” Trump blamed his predecessor Joe Biden and reiterated claims that his administration inherited a “mess” as he praised the work done since taking office to improve the economy, curb the influx of drugs into the U.S., and support the U.S. military. “Here at home, we’re bringing our economy back from the brink of ruin,” Trump said. “The last administration and their allies in Congress looted our treasury for trillions of dollars, driving up prices and everything at levels never seen before. I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast.” Trump also said that Americans would start to see the benefits of his massive tax and domestic policy bill that was signed into law in July. The bill included key provisions that permanently established individual and business tax breaks included in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporated new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay. TRUMP SAYS ECONOMY WILL ‘ROCKET’ AFTER SIGNING ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’: ‘IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT’ “Next year, you will also see the results of the largest tax cuts in American history that were really accomplished through our great, big, beautiful bill, perhaps the most sweeping legislation ever passed in Congress,” Trump said. Trump also touted the strength of the U.S. military under his administration, citing strong recruitment numbers across the services. As a result, Trump said that military service members will receive a new so-called “Warrior Dividend” before Christmas to send troops $1,776 in honor of America’s founding in 1776. “We are sending every soldier $1,776. Think of that,” Trump said. “And the checks are already on the way.” TRUMP SET TO ADDRESS THE NATION IN PRIMETIME WHITE HOUSE SPEECH AS AMERICANS REPORT ECONOMIC SQUEEZE Trump signed off his address claiming that the U.S. is respected once again, and is the “envy of the entire globe” as he wished Americans a “Merry Christmas.” “Our nation is strong. America is respected and our country is back stronger than ever before,” Trump said. “We’re poised for an economic boom, the likes of which the world has never seen. Soon we will host the World Cup and the Olympics, both of which I got. But most importantly, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.” The speech comes as Trump has launched a new effort focusing on his economic policies, amid criticism surrounding how his administration has handled messaging on economic issues. Scrutiny intensified following the November elections that delivered Democrats wins in several key elections – including the New York mayoral race, and the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races – where Democrats focused on “affordability.” While Trump told Politico in December that he would grade his economy an “A+++++,” voters don’t share the same optimism. For example, 76% of voters reported that they view the economy negatively, an increase from 67% who reported the same in July and the 70% who said so following former President Joe Biden’s term, a November Fox News national survey found. Trump has previously held several White House addresses, including in November after two members of the National Guard were shot in Washington, and another in June after the U.S. military launched strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Trump gives service members special Christmas gift: ‘Warrior dividend’
President Donald Trump said during his address to the nation Wednesday night before Christmas that nearly 1.5 million military service members will be receiving a Christmas bonus. While touting his administration’s agenda from the White House, Trump said the nation’s more than 1,450,000 military service members will receive a “warrior dividend” in honor of our nation’s founding roughly 250 years ago. “And the checks are already on the way,” Trump said. “Nobody deserves it more than our military. And I say congratulations to everybody.” TRUMP GETS FRESH DIGS IN AT BIDEN, OBAMA WITH NEW PLAQUES ADDED TO WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENTIAL WALK OF FAME Trump also touted “record enlistment” in the military under his leadership, adding that last year, under Joe Biden, the military saw some of “the worst” annual recruitment numbers “in our military’s history.” “What a difference a year makes,” Trump quipped. Trump’s address from the White House Wednesday night was a tour de force of the president’s accomplishments since retaking the White House. DEFENSE BILL BANS MALES FROM WOMEN’S SPORTS AT MILITARY ACADEMIES In addition to economic achievements, Trump also zeroed in on victories with immigration, crime, women’s rights, healthcare costs, slimming down the federal bureaucracy and more. “After just one year, we have achieved more than anyone could have imagined,” Trump said during his address. “We just needed a new president.”