Normal view
Venezuelan Acting President Reviews Progress on U.S. Oil Agreements
Venezuela’s Acting President, Delcy Rodríguez, inspected progress Friday on a package of 17 oil agreements signed with the United States, as the state of Zulia reported record output of 115,000 barrels per day.
The inspection covered joint projects aimed at extracting crude from national reserves. Eight of the 17 agreements involve the development of so-called green fields, new areas set aside for exploration and exploitation.
“We want to show the country the progress, to make clear that we do not leave things unfinished, that we go further: to action and to production. Once again, Zulia state broke its production record, reaching 115,000 barrels per day today,” Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said.
RELATED: U.S. Removes Venezuela From List of Countries Subject to Investment Restrictions
Rodriguez added that projections call for closing December at 120,000 barrels. The Acting President framed the tour as proof that the partnership has moved beyond paperwork into concrete output.
The cooperation framework was signed in August through North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP). The 17 strategic agreements target the extraction of 65 million barrels of crude from Venezuela’s reserves.
On maritime infrastructure and logistics, Rodriguez said activity in Zulia will jump from 100 to 900 vessels, an increase of 800% in mobilized capacity. The figure signals a major expansion of port and transport operations tied to the oil sector.
#Noticia || Presidenta Delcy Rodríguez lidera inspección a proyectos petroleros Venezuela- EEUU
— Prensa Presidencial (@presidencialve1) October 23, 2026
Leer más: https://t.co/kgbFGi9IHf pic.twitter.com/3ZyDRpdggY
The Acting President also outlined a plan for the progressive creation of jobs driven by industrial activity. Employment will begin in the food sector, continue in ironworks and industrial areas, and later extend to public accounts with the goal of raising working-class incomes.
Rodríguez said the central objective of the alliance is to develop the hydrocarbon industry and consolidate the country’s sovereign position. She stressed that Venezuela seeks to affirm itself as the nation with the largest oil reserves on the planet and to rank among the world’s leading producers and exporters. “We want to show the country the progress of these agreements,” she said.
Benefits For People
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez insisted that rising production must translate directly into the welfare of the population. Following this, she pointed to concrete areas where the gains should appear: “In the daily life of Venezuelan men and women: in pay for workers, in health, public hospitals, schools, food, roads, water and public services. That is where Venezuela’s development goes,” she said.
The comments link oil revenue to social spending at a time when the government has promised greater transparency over hydrocarbon and mining income. The Acting President’s emphasis on hospitals, schools and food echoes longstanding official messaging that resource wealth should fund public services.
The Zulia figures mark a significant benchmark for the country’s oil industry, which has sought to recover output after years of decline. The jump from 100 to 900 vessels suggests broader commercial activity around the crude operations, beyond the wells themselves.
Eight green-field projects form part of the package, indicating that the partnership extends into undeveloped territory rather than relying solely on existing infrastructure. Rodríguez described the agreements as a path toward consolidating Venezuela’s position in global energy markets.
The inspection tour took place as the government pushes to showcase tangible results from the August accords. The Acting President’s visit to the field operations was intended to demonstrate that the agreements are generating activity on the ground, not only on paper.
The production target of 120,000 barrels by December would extend the record reported Friday. If achieved, it would reinforce the government’s narrative of recovery built around the US partnership and the state of Zulia’s role as the engine of national output.
Rodríguez closed her remarks by linking the oil gains to broader national development, arguing that the industry’s expansion must reach Venezuelans through wages and public services rather than remaining confined to export statistics.
Why Legal Experts See the Justice Dept.’s Alaska Election Challenge as Dubious

© Kerry Tasker for The New York Times
Judge Denies Medical Release for N.Y.C. Man Shot by ICE

© Dakota Santiago for The New York Times
Cuba a Trump: tenemos «playas hermosas», pero «también diente de perro»
- The Times of Israel
- Iranian officials: Tehran has detailed plans to hit Gulf undersea cables if war resumes
Iranian officials: Tehran has detailed plans to hit Gulf undersea cables if war resumes

- El Mundo
- Anne Hathaway acaricia el Oscar por La odisea: "Al principio de tu carrera solo te preguntas: '¿Conseguiré algún día un trabajo?'"
Anne Hathaway acaricia el Oscar por La odisea: "Al principio de tu carrera solo te preguntas: '¿Conseguiré algún día un trabajo?'"

- NYT - Top Stories
- Trump Officials Seek Block on Alaska Senate Race Results if the Republican Dan Sullivan Loses
Trump Officials Seek Block on Alaska Senate Race Results if the Republican Dan Sullivan Loses

© Doug Mills/The New York Times
Mark Cuban says the best defense against malicious AI agents is more AI

Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images
- Mark Cuban compared swarms of AI agents to cockroaches finding ways into systems.
- Cuban said agents can launch brute-force attacks at scale without inventing new hacks.
- Cuban said defenders can also "spray" their systems with AI, which makes defenses more accessible.
Mark Cuban has pest-control tips for the AI age.
Speaking at a Reuters NEXT Newsmaker event on Friday, the entrepreneur and billionaire investor compared the threat posed by swarms of AI agents to cockroaches finding their way into a freshly treated house.
"When I go talk to cybersecurity experts, I ask them all the time. I'm like, when we hear about these hacks and breakthroughs and, you know, different problems, do these AIs invent something new?" Cuban said.
"No, they didn't invent something new," Cuban added. "But they're able to do something in mass volume that it's all brute force hacks."
Cuban compared the challenge to keeping cockroaches out of a house.
"It's like the cockroach theory, where if somebody can create enough agents, it'll find a way to get in, and then it just exploits that. But the good news is you can spray your systems with just as much AI, and I think there's gonna be more effort from the good guys trying to stop the bad guys," Cuban said. "I'm not a doomer at all."
The AI industry is already creating its own team of exterminators to contain risks.
OpenAI safety roles on LinkedIn jumped by 91% over the past year, spanning work such as system testing, technical research, and governance.
The risks have also surfaced during testing. Anthropic said that three Claude models accessed organizations’ live systems without permission after a third-party testing environment was misconfigured. The company subsequently introduced real-time classifiers to detect and block attempts to escape testing environments.
Cuban said AI could make malicious activity more accessible, but the same techniques could also strengthen defenses.
"There will be scenarios where bad stuff happens, but we've always had hacks," said Cuban. "And if it's brute force on that side with the bad guys, you can also use brute force with the good guys."
DOJ Moves to Preemptively Block Certification of Alaska Senate Race
The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to preemptively block certification of the Alaska U.S. Senate contest should the state certify "electoral results tainted by the inclusion" of liberal activist Daniel J. Sullivan, who is being propped up by left-wing Democrats due to sharing the same name as incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
The post DOJ Moves to Preemptively Block Certification of Alaska Senate Race appeared first on Breitbart.
At Least Seven Killed in Church Shooting in Southern Jordan
The interior ministry of Jordan said on Friday that a group of “extremists” attacked St. George’s Greek Orthodox church in the southern al-Karak governorate, killing at least seven people and wounding 34 others.
The post At Least Seven Killed in Church Shooting in Southern Jordan appeared first on Breitbart.
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Chappell Roan Enlists PinkPantheress to Close Out Super Graphic Spectacular Fundraising Shows
Chappell Roan Enlists PinkPantheress to Close Out Super Graphic Spectacular Fundraising Shows
China Uses Djibouti Outpost to Assert Itself on Houthi Attacks
China and Djibouti released a joint communique on Thursday supporting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which are currently under threat from the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen.
The post China Uses Djibouti Outpost to Assert Itself on Houthi Attacks appeared first on Breitbart.
- Breitbart News
- Mark Carney Insists Bringing Canada Closer to Islamist, Anti-LGBTQA2+ Turkey Fits 'Values-Based Realism'
Mark Carney Insists Bringing Canada Closer to Islamist, Anti-LGBTQA2+ Turkey Fits 'Values-Based Realism'
Leftist Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said doing business with Turkey does not legitimize President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The post Mark Carney Insists Bringing Canada Closer to Islamist, Anti-LGBTQA2+ Turkey Fits ‘Values-Based Realism’ appeared first on Breitbart.
- El Mundo
- Josema Giménez y su nueva sonrisa en A Coruña: "Un fármaco me ayuda con la estabilidad emocional"
Josema Giménez y su nueva sonrisa en A Coruña: "Un fármaco me ayuda con la estabilidad emocional"

Venezuela Opens Process to Choose New Supreme Court Judges
Venezuela’s National Assembly installed a Judicial Nominations Committee on Friday to evaluate and select new Supreme Court justices, a step lawmakers described as central to consolidating institutional stability.
The committee was formally established on October 23, at the Federal Legislative Palace in Caracas, one day after being sworn in during a legislative session.
Giuseppe Alessandrello, who presides over the body, announced that its immediate task is to draw up a work schedule under the Law of the Supreme Court of Justice.
RELATED: Venezuela’s Acting Pres. Delcy Rodríguez Meets 2015 Assembly Delegations
Alessandrello said the law opened the selection process to ordinary citizens. Writing on social media, he stated that the legislation brought people into the work of “evaluating and selecting the leadership, in this case of the Supreme Court of Justice, to seek plurality.”
#23Oct || Desde el Palacio Federal Legislativo se realiza la Instalación del Comité de Postulaciones Judiciales. pic.twitter.com/MczZA2GxJ7
— Asamblea Nacional 🇻🇪 (@Asamblea_Ven) October 23, 2026
Text reads: “From the Federal Legislative Palace is carried out the installation of the Judicial Applications Committee.”
The committee operates within a broader national dialogue that authorities describe as “building a new Venezuela.” Officials have repeatedly framed the judiciary as the institution responsible for guaranteeing what they call true and just peace among citizens. “The judicial branch is the institution that will guarantee peace among us,” Alessandrello said.
The work schedule will set specific periods for the call for nominations, the evaluation of candidates, and the handling of challenges and responses.
The final goal is to present a definitive list of eligible candidates to the National Assembly.
Alessandrello stressed the weight of the assigned tasks, linking them directly to institutional stability. The committee’s operational work and the eventual delivery of the list will follow the terms and periods established by current law.
The process is governed by the Organic Law of the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. It covers the selection of both principal and alternate justices of the Supreme Court of Justice.
Subrayó el rol clave de la ciudadanía:
— Asamblea Nacional 🇻🇪 (@Asamblea_Ven) October 23, 2026
"La ley incorporó a los ciudadanos y ciudadanas de la sociedad en este trabajo de evaluar y seleccionar a las directivas, en este caso del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia, para buscar la pluralidad". pic.twitter.com/LhNVkaK6ov
Text reads: “The President of the committee, Giuseppe Alessandrello, highlighted the group’s harmony: “Everything we produce is decided unanimously and the auspices with the work of the committee are positive.” He also emphasized the importance of plurality in this process. He stressed the key role of citizenship: “The law incorporated citizens of society in this work of evaluating and selecting directives, in this case from the Supreme Court of Justice, to seek plurality.”
Selecting Court Leadership
The mandate extends beyond the high court itself. It also includes related judicial positions, among them the directorship of the National School of Magistrates.
The committee emerged from a process announced earlier this month. The National Assembly opened the nomination period between October 2 and October 9, allowing interested citizens and institutions to take part in the selection of the court’s leadership.
Once the schedule is finalized, the committee will move through successive phases, receiving nominations, reviewing candidates, and addressing any challenges filed against applicants. Each challenge will carry its own opportunity for a formal response before the list reaches the legislature.
The final list of selected candidates will be delivered to the National Assembly for consideration. The body’s work therefore functions as a preliminary filter within a process whose ultimate decisions rest with the legislature.
Tres petroleros con diésel ruso ya navegan hacia el Atlántico
Moscú, 23 oct (Prensa Latina) Los tres primeros petroleros cargados con diésel ruso ya se dirigen hacia la costa este del océano Atlántico, informó hoy el vice primer ministro de la nación eslava, Alexandr Nóvak.
The post Tres petroleros con diésel ruso ya navegan hacia el Atlántico first appeared on Noticias Prensa Latina.
Militares rusos liberados del cautiverio ucraniano llegan a Moscú
Moscú, 23 oct (Prensa Latina) Dos aviones con militares rusos que fueron liberados del cautiverio en territorio controlado por el régimen de Kiev aterrizaron en uno de los aeropuertos de la provincia de Moscú, informó hoy el Ministerio de Defensa.
The post Militares rusos liberados del cautiverio ucraniano llegan a Moscú first appeared on Noticias Prensa Latina.
- Euromaidan Press
- 40,000 tons of Russian diesel are bound for New York—due four days after Americans vote
40,000 tons of Russian diesel are bound for New York—due four days after Americans vote
![]()
A Malta-flagged tanker carrying Russian diesel is heading for New York after the fuel deal between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported in an exclusive on 23 October, citing LSEG shipping data. Two weeks earlier, the US Treasury temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel.
The tanker is due in the US on 7 November, four days after Americans vote in the midterms. So the first US-bound cargo cannot reach American pumps before the election. Energy analysts also doubt the deal will lower diesel prices meaningfully. US fuel prices rose mainly because the war with Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump, however, has blamed Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries.
Loaded on the day Moscow promised
The medium-sized tanker Agioi Fanendes took on 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulfur diesel at the Baltic port of Primorsk on 22 October, shipping data showed. In March, Ukraine’s General Staff said its drones hit the Transneft oil terminal at that same port.
A day before the loading, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced that the first tanker would sail for the US on 22 October. He pledged more shipments and said Russia would meet US needs within its capabilities.
Russia resumes diesel exports to Türkiye, Brazil, after Trump lifts sanctions on fuel supplies, boosting Moscow’s war revenue – Reuters
From a pledge to a partial lift
On 9 October, Trump wrote that Russia would immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel “to the American and Global Marketplace.” Another 500,000 tons would follow in November, then 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.”
Moscow had banned diesel exports on 8 July, after Ukrainian drone strikes shut down refineries and caused fuel shortages inside Russia. The Russian government stated on 10 October that it had partially lifted the ban, clearing 500,000 tons for the world market at this stage. Russian diesel shipments to Türkiye and Brazil have since resumed, boosting Moscow’s war revenue.
Trump has made other moves to cut diesel prices before the vote, Reuters reported. He waived parts of a new sanctions law against Russia. He also threatened Europe with a US diesel export ban unless countries released more fuel from their emergency reserves.
Read Also
-
Putin claims Russia is ready for new talks with Ukraine, calls occupied land historical Russia
-
Russian plant supplying components for Iskander missiles reportedly struck by Ukrainian Storm Shadow missiles
-
A modem from a Russian drone led reporters to its Chinese maker—which invoiced 500 for Russia’s drone plant