Alert: Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda sign US-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda sign US-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict.
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San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Guyana to crack down on gold smuggled in from Venezuela at the urging of the US government
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana has pledged to crack down on gold smuggled across the border from neighboring Venezuela at the urging of the U.S. government. President Irfaan Ali said late Friday that the government of the South American country is dedicating 'enormous resources' to thwart the smuggling, which has long been a problem. He said authorities have increased border patrols and improved monitoring in mining regions. Local officials have said they suspect that Venezuelan-sanctioned gold is being mixed with gold mined in Guyana and then passed off as local production and sold to markets in the U.S., Canada, the Middle East and elsewhere. In 2021, the Royal Canadian Mint suspended gold purchases from a major export company in Guyana because officials suspected some shipments had been mixed with Venezuelan gold, an allegation the company denied. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Guyana has suspended the visas of several miners suspected of smuggling Venezuelan gold overseas. Gold is Guyana's second most important export after oil, generating nearly $1 billion last year. Some 434,000 ounces of gold were produced last year, up from 432,000 ounces the previous year, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. It noted that up to 50% of local gold production is smuggled out of Guyana. U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot on Friday praised Guyana's cooperation, noting that the countries have worked together to secure Guyana's border with Venezuela. Relations between the two South American neighbors remain tense given a bitter dispute over the Essequibo region, which Venezuela has long claimed as its own. It represents two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also is located close to massive offshore oil deposits, with current production averaging some 650,000 barrels daily.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Guyana to crack down on gold smuggled in from Venezuela at the urging of the US government
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana has pledged to crack down on gold smuggled across the border from neighboring Venezuela at the urging of the U.S. government. President Irfaan Ali said late Friday that the government of the South American country is dedicating 'enormous resources' to thwart the smuggling, which has long been a problem. He said authorities have increased border patrols and improved monitoring in mining regions. Local officials have said they suspect that Venezuelan-sanctioned gold is being mixed with gold mined in Guyana and then passed off as local production and sold to markets in the U.S., Canada, the Middle East and elsewhere. In 2021, the Royal Canadian Mint suspended gold purchases from a major export company in Guyana because officials suspected some shipments had been mixed with Venezuelan gold, an allegation the company denied. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Guyana has suspended the visas of several miners suspected of smuggling Venezuelan gold overseas. Gold is Guyana's second most important export after oil, generating nearly $1 billion last year. Some 434,000 ounces of gold were produced last year, up from 432,000 ounces the previous year, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. It noted that up to 50% of local gold production is smuggled out of Guyana. U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot on Friday praised Guyana's cooperation, noting that the countries have worked together to secure Guyana's border with Venezuela . Relations between the two South American neighbors remain tense given a bitter dispute over the Essequibo region , which Venezuela has long claimed as its own. It represents two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also is located close to massive offshore oil deposits , with current production averaging some 650,000 barrels daily. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Biden, Harris and Walz attend funeral for former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democratic former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman was honored for her legislative accomplishments and her humanity during a funeral Saturday where former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris joined the over 1,000 mourners. Hortman was shot to death in a pair of attacks two weeks earlier by a man posing as a police officer that Minnesota's chief federal prosecutor has called an assassination. The shootings also left her husband, Mark, dead and a state senator and his wife seriously wounded. 'Melissa Hortman will be remembered as the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history. I get to remember her as a close friend, a mentor, and the most talented legislator I have ever known,' Gov. Tim Walz said in his eulogy. 'For seven years, I have had the privilege of signing her agenda into law. I know millions of Minnesotans get to live their lives better because she and Mark chose public service and politics.' Neither Biden nor Harris spoke, but they said in the front row with the governor. Biden also paid his respects Friday as Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever, Gilbert, lay in state in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda in St. Paul. Biden also visited the wounded senator in a hospital. Hortman was the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans to lay in state at the Capitol . It was the first time a couple has been accorded the honor, and the first for a dog. Gilbert was seriously wounded in the attack and had to be euthanized. Hortman, who was first elected in 2004, helped pass an expansive agenda of liberal initiatives like free lunches for public school students during the momentous 2023 session as the chamber's speaker , along with expanded protections for abortion and trans rights. With the House split 67-67 between Democrats and Republicans this year, she yielded the gavel to a Republican under a power-sharing deal, took the title speaker emerita, and helped break a budget impasse that threatened to shut down state government. Walz said Hortman saw her mission as 'to get as much good done for as many people as possible.' And he said her focus on people was what made her so effective. 'She knew how to get her way, no doubt about it,' Walz said. 'But she never made anyone feel like they'd gotten rolled at the negotiating table. That wasn't part of it for her. She didn't need someone else to lose to know she'd won.' 'She certainly knew how to get her way. No doubt about that,' Walz said. 'But she never made anyone feel that they'd gotten rolled at a negotiating table. That wasn't part of it for her, or a part of who she was. She didn't need somebody else to lose to win for her.' The governor said the best way to honor the Hortmans would be by following their example. 'Maybe it is this moment where each of us can examine the way we work together, the way we talk about each other, the way we fight for things we care about,' Walz said. 'A moment when each of us can recommit to engaging in politics and life the way Mark and Melissa did — fiercely, enthusiastically, heartily, but without ever losing sight of our common humanity.' Dozens of state legislators who served with Hortman attended. The Rev. Daniel Griffith, pastor and rector of the Basilica, led the service. Other clergy present included Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese. The man accused of killing the Hortmans at their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park on June 14, and wounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in nearby Champlin, made a brief court appearance Friday. He's due back in court Thursday. Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, surrendered near his home the night of June 15 after what authorities called the largest search in Minnesota history . Boelter has not entered a plea. Prosecutors need to secure a grand jury indictment first. His lawyers have declined to comment on the charges, which could carry the federal death penalty. Friends have described Boelter as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views . But prosecutors have declined so far to speculate on a motive. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
