TOP NEWS

US attack on Venezuela  New regime
Venezuela: Retains control over our oil despite the agreement

Venezuela will continue to have control over its oil resources. This is what the Venezuelan government claims, a day after the US president announced that the countries had entered into an agreement that gives the US "majority control" over at least 65 billion barrels of oil.

- One thing must be absolutely clear: Venezuela retains ownership and sovereignty over its resources, says Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez in a televised speech.

Uncertainties about what the agreement actually means have led many Venezuelans, including those who support the government, to question the agreement, writes AFP.

- We don't know who this will benefit, Venezuela or the United States. I have my doubts, but we will have to wait and see, says 68-year-old security guard Jesus Salazar, whom the news agency has spoken to.

Tariff crisis Trump's tariff policy
Canada responds to Trump with giant sign: "He's playing old hits - a little sad"

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who doesn't shy away from taking on Donald Trump, has unveiled a huge sign on Lake Ontario. The AP reports.

"Lake Ontario - now and forever," it says, in response to the US president renaming the lake Lake America during the ongoing trade war.

Wab Kinew, premier of the neighboring province of Manitoba, likens Trump to a retired rock star.

- You know when a rock band is really on the rise and you see them playing 50-year-old songs in a casino. That's where we are now in Donald Trump's presidency, he says and continues:

- He thought he had a real hit with Gulf of America, and now he's trying to play old hits for his voter base, but everyone thinks it's a little sad and not his best work.

Russian invasion  Negotiations
Sources: Proposed meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky

During his trip to Moscow earlier this week, CIA Director John Ratcliffe proposed a three-way meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, according to information provided to Axios.

It is not clear from the information how his Russian counterpart, FSB Director Aleksandr Bortnikov, received the proposal. However, it appears that during the meeting Ratcliffe got the impression that Bortnikov is a constructive party who could be helpful in future attempts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine.

Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in February under the leadership of the United States. Russia claims that they want to find a diplomatic solution, but has presented a totalitarian list of demands that in principle means that Putin will get everything he wants in exchange for a ceasefire.

Kyiv is, according to Axios, very skeptical of the Kremlin's intentions at the negotiating table and believes that Russia is planning an escalation of the war.