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In the news today: U.S. President Donald Trump confirms the CIA is conducting covert operations inside Venezuela; a new wave of "Gen Z" protests is unfolding across the world; and faulty engineering led to the implosion of the Titan submersible, the final report finds. Also, inside the popular video series capturing fans with funny and surprising love stories. |
President Donald Trump addresses a dinner for donors who have contributed to build the new ballroom at the White House, Wednesday, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
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Trump confirms the CIA is conducting covert operations inside Venezuela
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President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and said he was weighing carrying out land operations on the country. Read more. |
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- The acknowledgement of covert action in Venezuela by the U.S. spy agency comes after the U.S. military in recent weeks has carried out a series of deadly strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. U.S. forces have destroyed at least five boats since early September, killing 27 people. Four of the vessels originated from Venezuela.
Asked during an Oval Office event Wednesday why he authorized the CIA to take action in Venezuela, Trump affirmed he had made the move. "I authorized for two reasons, really," Trump replied. "No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. And the other thing, the drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea."
- Trump declined to say whether the CIA has authority to take action against Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan president on Wednesday lashed out at the agency's record in various world conflicts without directly addressing Trump's comments about authorizing the covert operations in Venezuela. "How long will the CIA continue to carry on with its coups? Latin America doesn't want them, doesn't need them and repudiates them," Maduro said.
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'Gen Z' protesters lead global wave of generational discontent
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From the Andes to the Himalayas, a new wave of protests is unfolding across the world, driven by generational discontent against governments and anger among young people. Read more. |
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This week, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina was forced out of power and out of the country after a military mutiny, the culmination of weeks of demonstrations led by young protesters referring to themselves as "Gen Z Madagascar."
The rage against the political establishment in the Indian Ocean island country mirrors other recent protests in Nepal, the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru and Morocco.
- Though their specific demands differ, most of the protests have been sparked by government overreach or neglect and long-simmering issues such as widening inequality, economic uncertainty, corruption and nepotism by leaders. Some also have confronted harsh treatment and repression by security forces.
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Faulty engineering led to implosion of Titan submersible headed to Titanic wreckage, NTSB finds
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Faulty engineering led to the implosion of an experimental submersible that killed five people on the way to the wreck of the Titanic, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in a report issued Wednesday. The NTSB made the statement in its final report on the Titan submersible's hull failure and implosion in June 2023. Read more. |
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The NTSB report states the faulty engineering of the Titan "resulted in the construction of a carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that contained multiple anomalies and failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements." It also stated OceanGate, the Titan's owner, failed to adequately test the submersible and was unaware of its true durability.
The report also said Titan's wreckage likely would have been found sooner had OceanGate followed standard guidance for emergency response, which would have saved "time and resources even though a rescue was not possible in this case."
- OceanGate suspended operations in July 2023. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment Wednesday.
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Zebras are rounded up at Maputo National Park in Mozambique on Oct. 1 to be relocated to Banhine National Park. (Denisio Mulima/Peace Parks Foundation via AP)
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Reviving this African game reserve meant catching and transporting hundreds of wild animals
Fifty years ago, Banhine National Park in Mozambique was a wildlife haven. Then it was stripped nearly bare by decades of civil war and unchecked poaching. But a project is underway to restore Banhine to its former glory. Fences have been rebuilt and roads fixed, but the trickiest part is bringing back the wildlife. Private conservationists working with Mozambique's government have used trucks to transport nearly 400 animals including zebras, wildebeest and several species of antelope. |
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