South America

BRASILIA, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Brazil expressed concern on Friday after Venezuela complained about the deployment of a British warship off the Guyana coast, raising tensions in a border dispute over the oil-rich Esequibo region of the former British colony.

"The Brazilian government believes that military demonstrations of support for any party must be avoided, so that the ongoing dialogue process can produce results," the Brazilian foreign ministry said in a statement. It urged all parties to "contain themselves" and resume talks.

BUENOS AIRES, December 29. /TASS/: The new Argentinian authorities led by President Javier Milei have made it clear that they don’t plan to review agreements with Moscow, Russian Ambassador to Buenos Aires Dmitry Feoktistov said.

CARACAS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday ordered a "joint military action" by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) in eastern Venezuela amid what he described as a "threat" from Britain.

The stationing of a British military ship in the waters of neighboring Guyana represents a breaking of the recent agreement Venezuela reached with the Guyanese government during the dialogue on Dec. 14, said Maduro during a New Year's greeting speech to military personnel.

CARACAS/WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Some of the Americans who were freed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in a U.S. prisoner swap have landed at a U.S. military base in San Antonio, Texas, a Reuters witness said.

The individuals were freed on Wednesday in exchange for the U.S. release of an ally of Maduro, Colombian businessman Alex Saab, who was granted clemency by U.S. President Joe Biden and returned to Venezuela on Wednesday. Maduro also agreed to release at least 20 opposition-linked prisoners from prison.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — President Javier Milei announced sweeping initiatives Wednesday to transform Argentina’s struggling economy, including easing government regulation and allowing privatization of state-run industries as a way to boost exports and investment.

The right-wing libertarian announced the moves for South America’s second biggest economy just hours after thousands of Argentines took to the streets of the capital to protest against austerity and deregulation actions taken last week by Milei.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s lower house has approved a major reform of the nation’s notoriously complicated tax system in a major victory for leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who threw his weight behind the proposal.

The long-awaited tax reform aims to simplify the system, widely considered overly burdensome for both individuals and businesses, and boost economic growth that has drifted between downturns and doldrums for the last decade.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness to its highest reported level as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said Friday.

About 653,000 people were homeless, the most since the country began using the yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. The total in the January count represents an increase of about 70,650 from a year earlier.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury awarded $148 million in damages on Friday to two former Georgia election workers who sued Rudy Giuliani for defamation over lies he spread about them in 2020 that upended their lives with racist threats and harassment.

The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who tearfully described becoming the target of a false conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans as they tried to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — President Javier Milei on Friday raffled off the last salary he received as an Argentine lawmaker before being sworn in earlier this month as leader of the economically troubled nation.

During a live video broadcast on Instagram, Milei showed off his office and boasted his attributes as president. The broadcast also featured the last raffle of Milei’s monthly salary as a national deputy — 2.1 million Argentine pesos, or about $2,500.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The leaders of Guyana and Venezuela headed for a tense meeting Thursday as regional nations sought to defuse a long-standing territorial dispute that has escalated with Venezuelans voting in a referendum to claim two-thirds of their smaller neighbor.

Pushed by regional partners, Guyanan President Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro agreed to meet at the Argyle International airport on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent. The prime ministers of Barbados, Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago said they also would attend.