Oil markets face renewed instability following the United Arab Emirates’ formal exit from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its wider alliance (OPEC+), announced on Tuesday and taking effect on Friday.
The move, which ends decades of membership, comes as the global economy continues to reel from the ongoing war with Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains in place.
Investors are currently weighing the potential for higher future output from the UAE against the immediate and acute risks posed to global supply routes, as well as the increased chances that more countries drop out of OPEC and OPEC+.
Following the announcement, markets reacted swiftly as the potential for oversupply from the UAE was priced in. Oil prices fell by between 2% and 3%, particularly in futures contracts a couple of months ahead.
However, the move was just as quickly offset by the risk premium associated with the Middle East conflict and the current halt to US-Iran negotiations.
At the time of writing, US benchmark crude, WTI, is trading above $105 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, is over $112. Both prices are around 4% higher on Wednesday from the UAE announcement low.
The UAE’s decision follows years of simmering tension between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh over production quotas. The UAE has invested over $150 billion (€128bn) in the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to expand its capacity to five million barrels per day.
However, under OPEC’s restrictive framework, much of this capacity remained underutilised, now prompting the government to prioritise its national interest.
The departure of the group’s third-largest producer is a significant blow to the cohesion of the 60-year-old organisation. Maurizio Carulli, global energy analyst at Quilter Cheviot, noted the limitations this exit places on the remaining members.
“Until tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is safe again, OPEC’s ability to stabilise prices is sharply constrained, while US producers have gained outsized influence,” Carulli explained.
While the UAE has pledged to bring additional production to the market in a “gradual and measured” manner, the sudden lack of coordination within OPEC has introduced a new layer of uncertainty.
For the UAE, the blockade served as a final catalyst for its exit. With its primary export route under threat, Abu Dhabi has sought the diplomatic flexibility to forge independent security and trade partnerships outside the traditional cartel structure.
Despite the geopolitical turmoil, energy equities have remained resilient.
According to Carulli, “integrated majors such as BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, ENI, Chevron and ExxonMobil are benefitting from a price uplift that could add 5-10% to operating cash flow for every $10 increase in oil prices.”
In a separate but related development, the security situation in the Middle East remains precarious despite a fragile ceasefire. Iran has recently offered a ten-point proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In exchange for restoring maritime traffic, Tehran is demanding a full withdrawal of the US naval blockade and an end to the current hostilities.
US President Donald Trump, who recently extended the two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan, described the latest Iranian offer as “much better” than previous iterations but still did not accept the terms.
Shortly after, Trump posted on social media claiming that Iran is in a dire and desperate condition with no leverage to negotiate.
Washington continues to insist on a permanent settlement regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and an “unconditional” reopening of the waterway before sanctions are lifted.
The impact of this blockade on global energy security cannot be overstated.
“The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz has removed roughly 12% of global oil supply from the market, according to the IEA, a bigger disruption than the Yom Kippur war, the Iran‑Iraq conflict, the invasion of Kuwait or even the fallout from Ukraine,” Carulli highlighted.
Brent crude rises more than 2 percent after Washington and Tehran fail to hold second round of talks in Pakistan.
Published On 27 Apr 202627 Apr 2026
Oil prices have climbed higher amid stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran.
Brent crude rose more than 2 percent on Sunday after hopes for a second round of ceasefire negotiations between Washington and Tehran unravelled over the weekend.
list of 4 itemsend of list
After easing slightly, Brent, the primary benchmark for global prices, stood at $106.99 as of 1:30 GMT.
Stock markets in Asia shrugged off the impasse to open higher on Monday, with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s KOSPI gaining 0.9 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, in morning trading.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday cancelled a planned trip to Pakistan by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, after Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi departed Islamabad before any direct engagement could take place between the sides.
Araghchi arrived in Russia’s Saint Petersburg on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials as Tehran seeks a way out of the diplomatic impasse.
Araghchi’s trip, which follows a whistle-stop visit to Oman on Sunday, comes as uncertainty hangs over the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Trump announced an extension to their two-week truce last week, without specifying a deadline for reaching a deal to end the war.
As US and Iranian negotiators struggle to break the deadlock, Tehran’s threats against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have reduced traffic to a trickle, paralysing a large portion of the world’s supply of oil and natural gas.
On Saturday, 19 commercial vessels transited the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies, according to maritime intelligence platform Windward.
Before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, the waterway saw an average of 129 daily transits, according to the United Nations Trade and Development.
President Trump said on Saturday that the US had cancelled plans to send a team to Pakistan for negotiations.
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Israel has violated the so-called Gaza “ceasefire” more than 2,400 times in the more than six months since the agreement was reached. Al Jazeera’s Hala Al Shami gives an overview of the deteriorating situation.
Published On 26 Apr 202626 Apr 2026
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Wrexham inflicted Coventry’s first league defeat of the season when they won an exciting encounter 3-2 at Stok Cae Ras in October.
“It was a massive game and a massive performance here,” Hyam said.
“It was a great game under the lights at the stadium – I think it was one of my first opportunities to play under the lights here.
“We beat them 3-2, which was a great game and a great occasion for this club.
“They’ve got some great, talented players at the top of the pitch but so have we.”
While reaching the play-offs is the main focus for Hyam there is also the prospect of inclusion in Scotland’s World Cup squad.
Hyam won his second senior cap – three years after making his debut – in Scotland’s 1-0 friendly defeat to the Ivory Coast at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in March.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said that continued good performances from the former Reading player would give him every chance of securing a place in Steve Clarke’s squad.
“One step at a time, one game at a time,” said Hyam.
“All I can focus on is my performances and hopefully staying fit and having a good end to the season.”
PITTSBURGH — Daniel Jeremiah traces his rise as an NFL draft analyst to two seemingly unrelated events: a prominent football reporter showing up in his living room to visit a televangelist, and randomly bumping into a college roommate of his brother in a press box.
First, understand that Jeremiah is not just one in a sea of people evaluating pro prospects. He’s highly respected in the industry and, in addition to his radio work as a color analyst for Chargers games, has been the NFL Network’s go-to expert when it comes to breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of players and how they fit with a given franchise.
The former college quarterback is glib, quick on his feet and meticulously organized. Reporters turn to him — his pre-draft conference calls with NFL writers from coast to coast have sometimes lasted more than two hours — and super-secretive team scouts trust “DJ” as a peer, an extra set of eyes.
“I like to joke that I can kind of be a cross-checker for these teams,” said Jeremiah, 48, who lives in El Cajon, where he once set San Diego records for passing yards and touchdowns at Christian High. “So they’ll call and say, ‘Hey, where do you have this guy? What do you think of this player?’”
Jeremiah was once part of that world. He was a college scout with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. But his path from quarterback at Northeastern Louisiana and Appalachian State to where he is now was anything but a straight line. It was a more unpredictable and roundabout route than any offensive coordinator would dare draw.
Roll back the clock 40 years, when his father, David Jeremiah, was the senior pastor at a Baptist church in El Cajon. Every Sunday, he would go from pew to pew greeting parishioners. Young Daniel was at his side and doing the same, perfecting a firm handshake, practicing looking people in the eye.
The elder Jeremiah would go on to launch an international radio and television ministry. His son, who remains devout, would eventually carve out a career preaching the gospel of the NFL to an audience of millions. Daniel’s description of player traits are digestible and entertaining, whether it’s his own phraseology or the language he learned after more than two decades in the business.
Daniel Jeremiah speaks with a reporter ahead of the NFL draft in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
(Ed Rieker / Associated Press)
An unflinching running back might “choose violence,” a team that builds the line before adding skill-position talent is “putting the hardware store before the toy store,” and an edge rusher who passes the “wet paint” test can get around the corner with such lean that “If he played on a field of wet paint, he did not have a drop of paint on him at the end of the game.”
Said Charlie Yook, executive producer of content for NFL Network: “Daniel is hilarious, a funny guy. It’s a different type of humor. He doesn’t swear. He kind of has that schoolish, boyish, sarcastic type of humor, but it’s still something that everyone can relate to.”
Now, for that renown football reporter who showed up in his living room. It was the late Chris Mortensen, who covered the NFL for ESPN and regularly listened on Sunday mornings to the preachings of Dr. David Jeremiah. In 1998, when San Diego played host to the Super Bowl between Denver and Green Bay, Mortensen used the opportunity to meet his favorite radio minister. The elder Jeremiah invited him over to the house for lunch. Daniel was a college freshman home on winter break. He and Mortensen instantly bonded, and the reporter asked if he’d like to attend Super Bowl media day. Later, he invited the young man to join him at the draft in New York, giving him an assignment to work the phones.
Mortensen would give his landline number at the draft to all the team general managers, reporters and other contacts around the league. Jeremiah manned the phone “like a secretary,” took notes and relayed them during commercial breaks. Already showing a knack for organization, Jeremiah kept index cards sorted by division and by tracked receiver and cornerback needs, keeping tabs on which of those players went there.
“That draft was bigger than this draft for me personally,” Jeremiah said, sitting in the stands at an NFL event in Pittsburgh before a cluster of reporters would surround him for final observations on how the first round would unfold.
So a straight line from there to a Mortensen-like role with NFL Network? Hardly. Jeremiah’s next job was with ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football” and a gig that was football-adjacent. He traveled with that crew as a production assistant, but his role was lining up the scenic footage in every city. Say it was a Rams game in St. Louis, he was the one setting up a shoot at a root beer factory so the network had something local to show coming in and out of commercials.
He did that for two years, but eventually his knowledge of the game as a onetime quarterback made him too valuable to waste. The crew put a headset on him and he would be another set of eyes for camera operators and people in the production truck. What cornerback got beat on that play? He knew. Who’s warming up on the sideline? He was watching. How many times has the defense blitzed? He was keeping track. It was a dream job.
“I was a pig in slop,” Jeremiah said.
But it was but one slop stop in his budding career. While walking through a press box at a game, he bumped into his brother’s old college roommate, T.J. McCreight, who was scouting for the Ravens.
“He goes, ‘Hey, do you think you’d ever have any interest in scouting,’” Jeremiah recalled. “I said, ‘I’ve never … I mean, I love the draft and all that stuff. But I’ve never even thought about scouting, but yeah, absolutely I’d have interest in that.’”
Daniel Jeremiah speaks during a news conference at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 25.
(Gregory Payan / Associated Press)
Soon enough, he was meeting with Ravens executives who gave him a volunteer assignment at the combine, very high-level stuff.
“I filled the candy jar every day,” he said. “I helped get the players into the interview rooms and all that.”
But he was on his way to eventually spending four years with Baltimore, then following player-personnel director Phil Savage to his GM job with Cleveland, scouting the entire country out of Southern California. When the Browns went 4-12 in 2008, Savage and his hires, Jeremiah among them, were shown the door.
Jeremiah spent two more years with Philadelphia as a West Coast scout before taking an analyst job with NFL Network. He could do the same type of player evaluation without the zig-zagging travel, much better for a father of four.
“I left scouting,” he said. “Scouting didn’t leave me.”
The draft is his Super Bowl, and he’s aware that it’s usually the biggest day in the lives of NFL hopefuls. He keeps that in mind, especially when he’s delivering an honest critique of a player.
“I’m very cognizant of that,” he said. “I don’t know that there’s a right way to do this job or a wrong way. I just know the way that I’ve approached it, and I feel like you could really eviscerate someone on what’s literally the best day of his life. Yeah, I will never do that.”
It’s a delicate balance, though, because he wants to remain true to his scouting beliefs.
“I might not necessarily have a player going to a team,” he said. “But I can try to explain to you why I think that team did what they did. That keeps me from saying a bunch of negative things about a player. I’m not trying to kill the kid, right?”
Said Yook: “There are 200-something guys getting drafted over these three days. You don’t suck if you get drafted in the NFL. Doesn’t matter if you’re pick No. 1 or the last pick. He understands that there’s a very small percentage of people who actually get to touch grass in the National Football League.”
What’s more, people can follow all sorts of twisting paths to success. Jeremiah needs no reminder. Preaching to the choir.
IT’S fair to say that there is a sense of nervousness when it comes to a holiday abroad this year.
What with warnings of summer holiday cancellations and airlines cancelling thousands of flights – it’s no wonder Brits are booking more staycations than ever.
But there is still a way to have a foreign holiday without hopping on a flight, thanks to a number of cruises, ferries, trains and car tunnels going from the UK.
Brittany Ferries, who operate a number of sailings across the UK, said that maritime fuels are not being affected, and prices won’t be going up either.
Brittany Ferries boss Christophe Mathieu said: “If you have booked with us, or are considering doing so, we will get you to a beautiful and safe holiday destination this year. Period.
“We will play no part in profiteering or seeking to recover losses from a gamble gone wrong, as some appear to be doing.
“The cost of our holidays rose by inflation earlier this year, and by inflation alone. There will be no further rises in the weeks or months ahead.”
So we’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up some of the best places to go from the UK where you can avoid the having to go to the airport entirely.
You don’t have to hop on a plane to explore Spain and Lisbon.
Royal Caribbean have week-long sailings from Southampton which stop at Bilbao, Lisbon and Vigo, before returning to Southampton.
Prices start from £743pp.
Why not have a two city break with Eurostar, stopping at both of their French cities.
The closest city to the UK by train is Lille, taking less than two hours to get to.
You could then hope on a train the next day to explore Paris, just one stop over.
Prices from £39pp.
In a similar vein of Paris and Lille, Eurostar also have direct trains to Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
They take slightly longer – Rotterdam is around 3hr15 while Amsterdam is just over four hours – but can easily make for a long weekend break.
Prices from £39pp.
The Eurotunnel in Folkestone opens up all of Europe as long as you’re happy to travel by car.
Entering via Calais, why not explore some of France‘s best seaside towns such as Boulogne-sur-Mer and picturesque Wimereux?
Prices from £59pp.
If you have the time, you could explore the Caribbean for a month without having to get on a flight.
P&O will take you to St Kitts, Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, while sailing from Southampton – it even includes all your food and tips.
Prices from £2,999pp.
Also sailing from Southampton, the Celebrity Cruises trip lets you go around some of the beautiful fjords.
Stops include Haugesund, Ålesund, Nordfjordeid and Zeebrugge.
Prices start from £1,156pp – book here.
You can even get to the the city of Brussels in Belgium by train as well, thanks to direct Eurostar routes.
It makes for a great summer holiday destination – or you can book in your Christmas Market trip now.
Prices from £39pp.
Sail from Southampton with Fred Olsen and you could explore the Riviera in Italy, with stops in Portofino and La Spezia.
It even includes a stop in Monterosso for the annual Lemon Festival.
From £4,199pp – book here.
Gasoline and diesel fuel prices are displayed on a screen inside a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, 19 April 2026. The average gasoline price in the country rose 0.42 won (0.0003 US dollar) from a day earlier to 2,001.93 won per liter on the same day, according to data from Korea National Oil Corp. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
April 18 (Asia Today) — Average gasoline and diesel prices at South Korean gas stations rose for a third straight week, putting both fuels on the verge of topping 2,000 won per liter.
The average nationwide gasoline price for April 12-18 stood at 1,996.3 won per liter, or about $1.36 a liter and $5.15 a gallon. That was up 28.7 won from 1,967.6 won a week earlier. Diesel averaged 1,990.2 won per liter, or about $1.36 a liter and $5.13 a gallon, up 31.1 won from the previous week.
With both fuels nearing the 2,000 won threshold, the government is set to announce its fourth maximum-price notice on Thursday. The current system partially reflects changes in global oil prices while slowing the pace of retail price increases.
By brand, SK Energy had the highest gasoline price at 2,001.8 won per liter, or about $5.16 a gallon, while self-service budget stations were the cheapest at 1,974.7 won. For diesel, SK Energy was also the highest at 1,995.2 won per liter, while budget stations posted the lowest average at 1,966.1 won.
By region, Jeju had the country’s highest average gasoline price this week at 2,029 won per liter, or about $5.23 a gallon. Seoul followed at 2,026.7 won, or about $5.23 a gallon.
International oil prices have recently eased on expectations that the conflict involving the United States and Iran could wind down. Dubai crude, the benchmark for South Korea’s imported oil, stood at $101.8 a barrel on Wednesday, down $4.7 from $106.5 on Sunday. Changes in global oil prices usually reach domestic pump prices with a two- to three-week lag.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260418010005586
An AI-generated image illustrating banking sector risk. Generated by Asia Today
April 17 (Asia Today) — Corporate loan delinquency rates in South Korea are rising three times faster than household debt, increasing pressure on banks as lending expands, financial data showed Thursday.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the delinquency rate on corporate loans at domestic banks reached 0.76% at the end of February, up 0.09 percentage points from a month earlier and 0.08 points from a year earlier.
By comparison, the household loan delinquency rate rose 0.03 percentage points from the previous month to 0.45%, highlighting a much steeper increase in corporate defaults.
The corporate delinquency rate marked its highest level in nine months. Small and medium-sized enterprises recorded a rate of 0.92%, with small corporations at 1.02% and sole proprietors at 0.78%, indicating rising stress across the sector.
Delinquency rates among large corporations also increased, reaching 0.19% – the highest level in 28 months – suggesting that financial strain is spreading beyond smaller firms.
The trend comes as banks expand corporate lending under policies aimed at boosting “productive financing.” Outstanding corporate loans at the country’s five major commercial banks totaled about 859.8 trillion won ($573 billion) as of the end of March, up roughly 15.0 trillion won ($10 billion) in three months.
Loans to small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for about 79% of the total, while large corporate loans made up about 21%.
Regulators said rising delinquencies are most pronounced among smaller firms but warned that broader economic uncertainty could push default risks higher across the corporate sector.
Banks are responding by tightening risk management while maintaining lending growth. Major lenders are strengthening oversight from initial loan screening to post-loan monitoring, using systems such as early warning tools and AI-based credit assessments to identify high-risk borrowers.
Industry officials said the combination of expanding corporate lending and rising delinquency rates is rapidly increasing the burden on banks to maintain asset quality.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260417010005508
SACRAMENTO — Before it all came crashing down, Eric Swalwell appeared on the cusp of rising to the top of the Democratic field in the California governor’s race.
Swalwell had just announced a statewide tour and aired his first ad. The former prosecutor and Dublin city councilman launched his campaign on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in November, a comfortable setting for a politician who’d built a national reputation by appearing on cable news shows to attack President Trump.
Influential forces in Sacramento had begun coalescing behind the then-Bay Area congressman, including some consultants and advisors close to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom hasn’t endorsed, but his associates’ involvement lent credibility to Swalwell.
Swalwell’s campaign quickly collapsed with the explosive allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and had acted inappropriately with other women who were just beginning political careers. Swalwell denies the allegations but dropped out of the race for governor and resigned his seat in the House.
The whiplash over Swalwell’s rapid rise and fall has Democratic leaders facing questions about whether they had a blind spot about his alleged behavior.
His onetime allies in Congress are being asked whether they knew about his conduct, which has been described as an open secret on Capitol Hill. Unions who backed Swalwell have fled, and political consultants are returning donations.
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, speaks to Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare workers at the Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center in San Diego on Jan. 26.
(K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
California Federation of Labor Unions President Lorena Gonzalez, whose group endorsed Swalwell and three others in the race, said she confronted Swalwell more than a month ago after hearing rumors about womanizing and illicit photos.
“He’s a liar,” Gonzalez said. “He’s just a very skillful politician who did not tell the truth even when asked directly.”
Though he was little known in much of California, Swalwell, 45, was a youthful and fresh face in a field of candidates, many of them veteran politicians, when he entered the contest.
A little more than a week ago, his campaign was on an upward trajectory. His first statewide ad emphasized his hometown roots and concerns faced by Californians, including rising costs at his favorite doughnut shop in his hometown of Dublin. He rolled out new endorsements from state and federal elected officials almost daily.
Former and current advisors close to Newsom were also helping Swalwell’s campaign, multiple sources told The Times. Others associated with the governor are also helping rival candidates.
“He’s a liar. He’s just a very skillful politician who did not tell the truth, even when asked directly.”
— California Labor Federation president Lorena Gonzalez
Other Democrats in the race said the warnings about Swalwell should have been investigated more thoroughly by the powerful California politicians and interest groups that backed him.
Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, called him a “flash in the pan” — someone who lacked substance.
“People thought just because he was popular on TV that maybe he had been vetted,” Villaraigosa said. “He had not been vetted.”
Gubernatorial candidates Katie Porter and Antonio Villaraigosa share a moment while participating in a candidate forum in Los Angeles on Jan. 10.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Swalwell’s entrance into the race last fall came at a time when elected officials and leaders of powerful interest groups in Sacramento were unimpressed by the field, particularly after big-name Democrats including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Alex Padilla and state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta had passed on running.
Steven Maviglio, a Sacramento-based Democratic consultant, said there was pressure to find the “perfect candidate” for the state’s most powerful office.
“Democrats are looking for a fighter against Trump, and he fit the bill,” Maviglio said. “That was enough for most people.”
As with most members of California’s congressional delegation, Swalwell was an unfamiliar figure to many Californians living outside his Alameda County district, even though he had a lighthearted, robust presence on social media.
He’d never held statewide office when he was elected to Congress after a career that included serving on the Dublin City Council and working as a criminal prosecutor for Alameda County.
But he appeared to be close to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who selected him to be an impeachment manager for the case against President Trump in 2021.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) addresses the crowd at the California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
At a forum in Washington this week, Rep. Pelosi rejected suggestions that Democrats looked past the accusations.
“None whatsoever,” she said, when asked what allegations she’d heard about.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who previously worked alongside Swalwell on the House Judiciary Committee and endorsed him, said on MS NOW that he felt betrayed and “sickened” by the allegations.
“My paramount feeling is that I’m grateful these women came forward,” Schiff said. “I’m grateful that they did so when they did — it prevented our state from making a potentially terrible mistake.”
Sara Azari, an attorney for Swalwell, said in a statement that he denies all of the allegations of sexual misconduct and assault and will pursue “every legal remedy” against those making the claims.
“These accusations are false, fabricated and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service,” Azari said.
Attorney Lisa Bloom reaches toward a photo at a news conference where Lonna Drewes, left, is seen with former Rep. Eric Swalwell, at a news briefing in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Drewes detailed a 2018 encounter in which she claimed Swalwell drugged and sexually assaulted her after offering professional mentorship.
(Myung J Chun/Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday, Lonna Drewes accused Swalwell of drugging and raping her in 2018 while she worked as a model, an allegation now being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Azari, in an interview on NewsNation, said of Drewes’ allegation: “Two adults consenting, which is our position is, is not against the law.”
California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks declined to answer questions this week about whether the scandal hurts the party’s credibility, saying only that the allegations are “clear for voters: [Swalwell] is not a suitable choice.”
In an interview with The Times, Hicks said the party relies on delegates to vet candidates before endorsement votes at the party convention. While no gubernatorial candidate reached the necessary level of support to earn the endorsement at the February gathering, Swalwell had the largest share with 24%.
Gonzalez, of the labor federation, said she called Swalwell in the first week of March after being contacted by several people about his sexually inappropriate behavior.
She described the awkward conversation — and his immediate denials. None of it was true, he said. If there was anything sordid to find in his past, it would have been dug up by Trump and conservatives who went after him when he was helping to try and impeach the president, he said.
At the union group’s endorsement meeting, members grilled Swalwell about several issues, including his claimed residency in Livermore, his involvement with a nonunion film production, and his ability to manage his own finances.
The issue of inappropriate sexual behavior never came up at the endorsement, Gonzalez said.
“We were in a position, like so many, of trying to figure out who this guy was with all these red flags, but being told by a lot of surrogates that they were his choice — whether it’s people in Congress or folks who knew him from home,” Gonzalez said.
Other institutional players also threw in their support. The California Medical Assn. endorsed Swalwell early in February. The group represents more than 50,000 physicians in the state and spends heavily in elections.
“It definitely was a nod that that’s where the establishment should head,” Maviglio said.
California Medical Assn. spokesperson Erin Mellon said the group met with candidates and backed Swalwell “based on the information available to us” at the time.
Behind the scenes, Swalwell was courting attention. He began hanging out at the Grange, a favorite hotel bar in Sacramento for state lawmakers and lobbyists, trying to make connections, according to a source who ran into him there.
Months earlier, he sent a text to a California political consultant with questions about who should help his campaign. He asked about the well-known firm of Bearstar Strategies, according to the text exchange, which was viewed by The Times.
Swalwell texted, “would you recommend having our IE go to them?” to the consultant, a reference to an “independent expenditure,” which is an outside committee that raises money in support of candidates but is barred from coordinating with their campaigns.
Bearstar Strategies ultimately launched an independent committee to support Swalwell, which in recent weeks raised more than $7 million from political action committees for the California Medical Assn., DaVita and other medical industry groups, as well as Uber.
Antonio Villaraigosa, left, shakes hands with Tom Steyer during a gubernatorial candidate forum in Sacramento on April 14, 2026.
(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
Bearstar Strategies, whose members have long advised Newsom, also provides media consultants for a committee running attack advertisements against environmentalist Tom Steyer, another candidate in the race. Swalwell would have benefited from the committee’s spending.
Jim DeBoo, a consultant and Newsom’s former chief of staff, is helping on the anti-Steyer committee, according to multiple sources, which has raised $14 million from real estate agents’ and utility industry groups. DeBoo didn’t respond to a request for comment, and a representative for Bearstar declined a request for an interview.
No one has claimed that any of those consultants or individuals knew about Swalwell’s alleged behavior. Bearstar Strategies said in a statement last week that it had suspended all activity on Swalwell’s independent expenditure.
Jamie Court, president of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, said institutional groups backed Swalwell because they thought he could win and they wanted to maintain the status quo in Sacramento.
“They picked the wrong guy,” Court said.
Earnings Call Insights: Alcoa Corporation (AA) Q1 2026
“We had a strong start to 2026, driven by execution, and we are well positioned to deliver a strong second quarter and full year 2026 performance,” said William Oplinger (President, CEO & Director), while also pointing to continuity
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South Korean stocks rose nearly 3 percent Tuesday to inch toward the 6,000-point mark on hopes for renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The local currency sharply gained against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 159.13 points, or 2.74 percent, to close at 5,967.75, after reaching as high as 6,026,52.
The index swerved over and under the 6,000-point mark, marking the first such move since March 3, when the index traded at 6,180.45, the first trading day after the United States and Israel carried out air strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
Trading volume was moderate at 881.9 billion shares worth 26.7 trillion won (US$18 billion), with gainers beating losers 669 to 197.
Foreigners and institutions scooped up a net 830 billion won and 1.25 trillion won, respectively, while individuals sold a net 2.4 trillion won.
The U.S. military began a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after a breakdown of weekend talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, between Washington and Tehran.
However, Donald Trump said Iran wants to reach a deal with the U.S., raising hopes that the two sides could return to negotiations.
“Investors anticipate a second round of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran after Trump’s comments,” said Kang Jin-hyuk, an analyst at Kyobo Securities. “The Wall Street Journal also reported that the two sides have exchanged detailed terms on uranium enrichment, raising further hopes for a deal.”
Tech and financial shares led the rally.
Tech giant Samsung Electronics rose 2.74 percent to 206,500 won and SK hynix jumped 6.06 percent to 1.1 million won ahead of its first-quarter earnings report next week.
Major banking group Hana Financial Group increased 0.67 percent to 120,800 won and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance added 3.82 percent to 489,500 won.
Top carmaker Hyundai Motor advanced 2.72 percent to 491,500 won and major gamemaker NC climbed 3.97 percent to 248,500 won.
Leading mobile carrier SK Telecom gained 3.24 percent to 95,500 won and retail giant Shinsegae rose 1.02 percent to 346,500 won.
However, defense shares went south as industry leader Hanwha Aerospace fell 0.46 percent to 1.52 million won and LIG D&A, formerly LIG Nex1, declined 0.53 percent to 934,000 won.
The local currency was quoted at 1,481.2 won against the greenback as of 3:30 p.m., up 8.1 won from the previous session.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 4.3 basis points to 3.339 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds dropped 3.5 basis points to 3.519 percent.
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Shipping costs have increased by more than 10 percent in the past month due to the US-Israel war on Iran.
Published On 13 Apr 202613 Apr 2026
Shipping and oil costs have continued to surge a month after United States President Donald Trump issued a waiver for the Jones Act, a maritime law that bars foreign-flagged vessels from transporting goods between US ports.
The 60-day waiver came into effect on March 18, as the movement of energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that carries roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supply, was choked off on account of the US-Israel war on Iran.
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Under the Jones Act, goods shipped between US ports must be carried on vessels that are US-built, US-flagged and mostly US-owned, limiting the number of tankers available for domestic shipments.
The Trump administration argued that the temporary waiver of the law would lower energy costs. As the waiver approaches the 30-day mark, it has had little impact on oil prices.
“It is estimated that it’s going to be about 3 cents on the East Coast and it might go up on the Gulf Coast, but these changes are so small that they’re overshadowed by the spikes in oil prices, and the oil prices keep going up,” Usha Haley, a professor of management at the Wichita State University, told Al Jazeera.
“It is minuscule, a drop in the bucket compared to the rise in oil prices.”
Oil prices have continued to rise amid the ongoing conflict, which is disrupting transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures rose 4 percent on the day amid a US blockade of Iranian ports, reaching $98.91 after hitting $101.03 earlier in the day. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $2.53, or 2.6 percent, to $99.10.
The US Navy imposed a blockade of Iranian ports on Monday to prevent the movement of oil to and from Iran after talks between US and Iranian negotiators failed to reach an agreement.
The strain is also hitting consumers at the petrol pump in the US. The American Automobile Association reports that the average price of gas is $4.125 per gallon (3.78 litres), compared with $3.63 at this time last month.
Meanwhile, shippers have adapted their routes, with more than 34,000 ships diverting from the strait over the past month.
The Containerized Freight Index, the benchmark for shipping container costs, jumped more than 10 percent over the last month, and is up more than 35 percent from this time last year, amid pressure on the market to find alternative shipping strategies.
In March, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd suspended vessel routes through the strait, a waterway connecting the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf.
Also in March, within days of the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, several major vessel insurers cancelled war risk coverage for ships travelling through the waterway, including Norwegian insurers Gard and Skuld, as well as the United Kingdom’s NorthStandard, dissuading ship owners from going through the Gulf.
Since then, even though maritime insurance has become available – at 10 times the price as before the war on Iran – fuel prices are expected to normalise only once traffic through the strait goes back to pre-war levels, experts have said.
Beckham Borquez of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame suffered a spill during the running of the 110 high hurdles on Saturday night at the Arcadia Invitational.
Initially, he was more upset at himself for falling over one of the last hurdles and landing on the track. You could see skin on his shoulder was exposed after scrapping the track, but the real pain came from his hip.
He gathered himself, feeling frustrated, then rested on the infield turf waiting for an athletic trainer to arrive to offer assistance. Track coach Joe McNab was first to arrive to check on him. McNab quipped about being pre-med in college. Soon Borquez was seen walking off to get his shoulder bandaged.
I snapped a photo of him on the ground only to keep it as a reminder when he’s back winning races because that’s what he’s going to do, like getting back on a horse that you fall from, learning and succeeding next time.
He’s run 13.91 in the event, should be favorite to win the Mission League title on April 30, then take aim at a Southern Section title. High school athletes are tough and resilient, and that’s what he showed in his moment of misery.
“I’m pretty bruised,” he said Sunday morning. “I’m coming back.”
He got his shoulder taped and was sent home. He’s going through rehabilitation this week so he could be back for a dual meet and the Mt. SAC Invitational on Saturday.
“That’s the first time I’ve fallen in the 110,” he said. “It was tricky. I was moving fast, clipped the eighth hurdler and lost my balance. That’s never happened to me before.”
Have no fear, for Beckham has learned.
“These next two weeks, I’ll be on my redemption,” he said.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
“The Cowleys were different as after years of bargain basement managers we actually went out and did the research and found them,” said Whiley.
“The excitement was there and I remember the event where they first met the fans they were cheered into the room.
“We can look at this season and see promotion to the Championship as the best thing the club has done, but those three seasons, two promotions, FA Cup quarter-final, winning a trophy at Wembley. That changed it all.
“They brought a buzz back that we hadn’t seen since Keith, and they were like Keith in that they would find players on the way up, scour non-league and find the future stars.
“The fact is, that even after the Cowleys left to join Huddersfield, the energy stayed.
“It sticks with me that Danny said to me he didn’t want to see kids in Lincoln wearing the shirts of Premier League clubs, he wanted to see them kicking a ball in the park wearing a Lincoln City shirt.
“The success, the work that was done means that is a reality. I see it all the time when I go round the city, people wear their colours with pride.”
While Mark, Leigh and myself have covered parts of Lincoln’s recent history, one man who has been the stalwart has been BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Michael Hortin.
His first game was in 1999, and he was there in the commentary box as Lincoln gained promotion to the Championship.
“This promotion is the culmination of a long-term plan,” said Hortin. “This is about a chairman and board who have been thoughtful with their investment.
“Lincoln’s FA Cup run earned them a lot of money and they did not spend it on players, they spent it on a whole new training set-up.
“The Cowleys were the start of a transition from the old way of doing things, to a set-up that is very much part of the modern game.
“Under them a sporting director was brought in to support recruitment and player development and now we really do have a true ‘head coach’ in Michael Skubala.
“It is about finding those raw players, developing them, selling them, and it is paying off as it has allowed them to secure players on better deals.”
Lincoln have, as Hortin describes, recruited ‘experience’ to the squad. Their head coach, though, is a man who had limited time in the professional game, but Hortin said Skubala’s ability to learn and adapt has been impressive.
“I remember the first game Skubala took was against Stevenage, and it was a bit of a shock, but he was quite cool and his reaction was more ‘huh, this is what it is about’, and he learned,” said Hortin.
“The way the team has adapted and what Skubala has done is create a team that is hard to beat.”
A team that is hard to beat. A club that has been learning, developing, recruiting, all building up to where Lincoln are now. But what next?
Hortin is confident that the club will remain realistic. “The first goal will be survival, but the thing is they had a plan to become an established League One club, and now they will be working on another plan for what comes next.
“The one thing is that new owner Ron Fowler will likely go about it the same as Clive Nates. It will be done in a quiet, steady, thoughtful way. That has become the Lincoln way.”
12:11, 06 Apr 2026Updated 12:11, 06 Apr 2026
Applying for a new passport a certain way is £13.50 cheaper than another option(Image: Getty)
Brits in need of a new passport are being reminded that applying via a specific method will save them £13.50 as fees are set to increase this week. Using the Government website to obtain your essential travel document is less expensive than submitting a postal application.
A passport is necessary for travelling overseas. In the UK, they remain valid for 10 years for adults, or five years for those aged under 16. When your passport is approaching its expiry date, it is crucial to apply for a replacement well in advance, to avoid the risk of having to cancel a holiday. However, you may be unaware that the method by which you apply for a new passport can have an impact on the cost.
At present, applying for a standard adult passport online costs £94.50. However, obtaining the same passport via a postal application is priced at £107 – a difference of £12.50.
This gap is set to widen further with the introduction of revised fees from April 8. The update means that a standard adult passport will cost £102 to order online and £115.50 through the post – a difference of £13.50.
The full list of passport fee changes:
READ MORE: Five key passport checks for Easter holidaymakers to avoid missing flightREAD MORE: UK travel company shuts down as all booked holidays are cancelled
To apply online, visit GOV.UK. You will need a digital photo, a credit or debit card for payment, and your old passport if renewing. You’ll also need to provide information about your identity and citizenship.
You can also get help with your online application at a Post Office. Staff can:
However, this service costs extra.
You can pick up a paper passport application form from your local Post Office and apply by post. It takes longer to apply by post than online.
You’ll need to send off a fully completed application form, supporting documents, two photos, and your fee. If you need help, Post Office staff can check you’ve filled in the form correctly.
However you will need to provide your own photos – and this service costs extra. You can pay by cash, or debit or credit card.
According to GOV.UK, it typically takes three weeks for a new passport to be processed and delivered. However, it can take longer if the passport office needs more information. If this is cutting it too close with your holiday, there are two ways to apply for an urgent passport.
GOV.UK says: “You can pay to get a passport urgently if you think the standard service will take too long.” For both of these options you will need to go to a passport office for an appointment:
If your passport has been lost or stolen, you must cancel it before applying for a replacement. And if your passport is damaged, you must replace it.
GOV.UK says: “You may not be able to travel with it.” HM Passport Office will consider your passport damaged if:
Before travelling, you should check the entry requirements for the country you are visiting. If you are visiting an EU country, for example, your passport should be valid for at least three months after the date you intend to leave the EU and it must have been issued within the last 10 years.
For full details and to renew online visit GOV.UK here.
Prosecutor Park Sang-yong submits a written explanation for refusing to take the witness oath during a parliamentary inquiry at the National Assembly in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
April 5 (Asia Today) — A senior South Korean prosecutor refused to take an oath before a parliamentary inquiry, escalating tensions between the prosecution and lawmakers and raising the possibility of coordinated action within the prosecution.
Park Sang-yong, a deputy chief prosecutor leading an investigation into alleged illegal financial transfers to North Korea, declined to be sworn in as a witness during a National Assembly inquiry into allegations of politically motivated prosecutions under the previous administration.
Under South Korean law, witnesses may refuse to take an oath if their testimony could expose them to criminal liability.
Park submitted a seven-page written explanation to the committee chair and left the hearing after about 38 minutes. He later said the inquiry itself was unconstitutional and illegal, arguing that participating would amount to cooperating with an improper process.
“The law allows a refusal to take the oath if justified, yet I was prevented from following that procedure,” Park said after leaving the session.
Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho criticized the move as “highly inappropriate,” saying it undermined accountability. The acting prosecutor general also expressed regret, calling the incident unacceptable.
The dispute stems from an investigation into alleged payments to North Korea involving a South Korean company. Park has also faced separate allegations of misconduct during the probe, which are under investigation by prosecutors.
Within the prosecution, signs of collective action have emerged. Members of the investigative team reportedly created a group chat, fueling speculation about a coordinated response to the inquiry.
Legal experts warned the standoff could weaken the effectiveness of the parliamentary probe and deepen concerns over institutional conflict between the legislature and prosecution.
Some analysts said the episode reflects broader tensions over the independence of investigative authorities and the limits of parliamentary oversight.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260405010001293
Oil prices pull back as hopes rise for end to Iran war; Trump says U.S. could leave in 2-3 weeks
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Families are choosing to stay in the UK and embrace holidays only a short drive away(Image: Matt Howell)
Brits’ favourite things about a staycation include shorter travel times, avoiding the airport – and proper pub lunches. A poll of 2,000 adults revealed over a third of Brits would prefer to holiday on home turf than go abroad. In addition, rising travel costs have made 50% of Brits more likely to holiday at home.
Nevertheless, many enjoy the opportunity to visit the countryside and take in scenic drives. For 28%, the stunning coastlines are the best thing about staying in the UK, with 62% saying the best type of staycation is a ’coastal getaway’. This was followed by 50% who love a city break and 28% who enjoy camping or glamping.
Eurig Druce, managing director of Vauxhall, which commissioned the research, said: “The UK is such a wonderful place to holiday, and it’s been great finding out why people love it so much.
“Everyone has memories of holidaying in the UK from their childhood, and more than ever, Brits are choosing ‘staycations’ over going abroad, whether that be because of the beautiful scenery on our doorstep or the comfort of travelling in your own car.”
The south west of England was considered the best place to get away for 21%, followed by Scotland (15%) and Wales (11%).
It emerged those polled, via OnePoll.com, are willing to spend an average of £391.11 per trip. And the only potential downside was that 78% felt the weather could make or break a holiday in the UK.
The car is the most common mode of transport (80%) with the average person travelling just under 206 miles. Of the electric vehicle drivers polled, 77% said having charging points at their accommodation is important.
The research found 15% have been asked by their children to be more environmentally friendly when planning their trips, and one in 10 said sustainability is a priority for them when booking.
Eurig Druce from Vauxhall added: “The Grandland Electric has been designed with families in mind, with a spacious interior, large boot and an electric range of over 300 miles, making it the ideal vehicle for a ‘staycation.’
“Whether it is stunning coastlines, rural escapes or bustling city centres, the home nations have some fantastic places on offer for people to enjoy.”
Smoke billows above buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs after a strike that followed Israeli warnings targeting the area. The neighbourhood has been largely emptied after residents were forcibly displaced by repeated Israeli attacks since the war with Hezbollah began on March 2.
Published On 30 Mar 202630 Mar 2026
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Brent crude tops $104 a barrel as hopes fade for deescalation in US-Israel war on Iran.
Published On 26 Mar 202626 Mar 2026
Oil prices have climbed higher amid fading hopes of deescalation in the Iran war following Tehran’s denial that talks with the United States are under way.
Futures for Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose nearly 2 percent on Thursday to top $104 per barrel after Tehran dismissed reports of direct negotiations with US President Donald Trump’s administration.
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The rise comes after oil prices eased on Wednesday following reports that Trump had shared a 15-point plan for ending the war with Iran.
Asian stock markets opened lower on Thursday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225, South Korea’s KOSPI and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index all seeing losses.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with state media aired on Wednesday that Tehran was not engaged in direct talks with Washington and has “no intention of negotiating for now”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Wednesday that Iran would be “hit harder” than ever before if Tehran did not accept military defeat.
Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for one-fifth of global oil supplies, and its attacks on energy facilities across the Middle East have prompted a surge in energy prices worldwide.
Oil prices are up more than 40 percent compared with before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting numerous countries to implement fuel rationing and other energy conservation measures.
Market-watchers say prices are likely to rise further until shipping is free to traverse the strait, despite efforts by countries to bolster supply by tapping emergency stockpiles in coordination with the International Energy Agency.
While Tehran has repeatedly claimed that the strait is open to ships that are not aligned with its enemies, daily transits have all but collapsed since the start of the conflict.
Four vessels were tracked transiting the waterway via their automatic identification systems on Tuesday, down from an average of 120 daily transits before the conflict, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward.
Commander of the Presidential Guard, head of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), and now Minister of Defense. The meteoric rise of General-in-Chief Gustavo Enrique González López in the 75 days since January 3 is only comparable to Delcy Rodríguez’s own improbable ascent to Venezuela’s presidency.
In less than three months, González López went from leading the Bolivarian Intelligence Service to commanding the Armed Forces and becoming one of the most powerful figures in the Venezuelan government. His appointment points in several directions: counterbalancing Diosdado Cabello’s power (no longer an ally) in the monopoly of force; shielding the acting president from enemies within chavismo itself; and building a loyal enforcement structure for the new ruling clan.
Amid celebrations of Venezuela’s victory in the World Baseball Classic on March 18, Rodríguez seized the moment to overhaul her cabinet. One of the most radical moves was the dismissal of Vladimir Padrino López, the longest-serving minister in the chavista cabinet. After 12 years at the helm of the Defense Ministry, he will hardly be remembered for defending the nation.
Although rumors had long suggested that Padrino López would soon step down, the selection of his successor caught observers off guard.
There were strong reasons to replace Vladimir Padrino López.
Replacing Padrino with González López raises several questions:
What role will he play in a power structure divided among four family-based factions, consisting of Diosdado Cabello, the Rodríguez siblings, the Chávez family, and the Maduro-Flores clan?
If this marks a new political moment, why recycle officials from the Chávez and Maduro governments?
What is the point of US sanctions if the acting president rewards sanctioned officials with key posts?
Does his appointment guarantee impunity for human rights abuses committed under his command?
And, since it came after official visits from the CIA director and the head of US Southern Command, does it have Donald Trump’s backing?
Before examining why González López was chosen, it is clear there were several reasons to replace Padrino López.
On January 3, 2026, when US forces bombed key military infrastructure and captured Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan Armed Forces offered no resistance. The attack left 83 dead among those guarding Maduro, including 32 Cubans, while US forces only reported minor injuries. There was no troop mobilization afterward to restore order or deter further attacks.
Padrino appeared only hours later in a solitary video, declaring: “The Bolivarian National Armed Forces inform the world that the Venezuelan people have been the victims of a criminal military aggression by the United States.”
Days later, he justified his inaction bluntly: “It would have been a massacre if we had confronted the Americans.”
When Delcy became the acting minister of petroleum, she appointed González López to a tailor-made role at PDVSA overseeing strategic affairs and production control.
This was not his only failure. In 2021, the FANB lost the so-called Apure war, an operation aimed at expelling FARC dissidents from Venezuelan territory.
The Colombian guerrillas killed 17 Venezuelan soldiers and kidnapped eight more to force negotiations that allowed them to remain in the country. By January 2022, the ELN had finished the job the FANB could not, pushing FARC factions out of the border region.
Nor did the Defense Ministry respond to US attacks on more than 20 Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean. US tactical teams seized at least eight oil tankers without any naval reaction from Venezuela. Padrino also failed to deploy troops to prevent Maduro’s blatant presidential election fraud on July 28, 2024.
Beyond his rank and decorations, Padrino leaves behind another legacy: signing Resolution 008610, which authorizes the use of “firearms or potentially lethal weapons” for public order control.
González López was the first official appointed after Delcy Rodríguez herself. On January 6, 2026, he was named Commander of the Presidential Guard and head of Military Counterintelligence. These roles are clearly designed to protect the new head of state.
Since then, he has been inseparable from Rodríguez: her shadow, her watchdog, the strongman of the Rodríguez clan. His appointment is key to consolidating this new ruling faction. Previous chavista groups had their own enforcers. These are figures with intelligence expertise, coercive power, and influence over security forces and armed groups. González López fills that role for the Rodríguez siblings.
Their Achilles’ heel had been precisely a lack of support from armed elements within the Venezuelan State. For this reason, the Rodríguez siblings could not operate independently from other chavista factions. They had secured economic power and built extensive business ties, including in the oil sector. Rodríguez’s tenure as foreign minister also gave her a broad international network.
The rise of González López could even foreshadow a purge to both consolidate Delcy’s power and polish the image of a criminalized State.
González López has been close to her since at least 2018, when as vice president she oversaw SEBIN, then led by him.
In 2024, when Rodríguez became the acting minister of petroleum, she appointed him to a tailor-made role at PDVSA overseeing strategic affairs and production control. Such position combined security and operational authority.
González López has therefore become Delcy’s trusted operator, the man that can enforce her orders.
At the same time, chavismo has spent 26 years building a system of power rooted in complicity, which explains the constant recycling of officials. Even if the Rodríguez faction wanted to break away, it cannot fully detach from that structure without risking collapse. It still lacks independent foundations.
After overseeing more than 2,000 arbitrary detentions in 2024 as head of SEBIN, being identified as one of Maduro’s torture chiefs, and linked to the deaths of political prisoners, González López has not been punished. He has been promoted.
His appointment disregards warnings from human rights groups and signals that the regime’s institutional chain remains intact—one of chavismo’s enduring strengths. If prosecutions ever come, they will likely follow the familiar script: a few scapegoats.
His rise could even foreshadow a purge to both consolidate Rodríguez’s power and polish the image of a criminalized State.
As the architect of the Operation for the Liberation and Protection of the People (OLP), González López has already demonstrated a zero-tolerance approach to crime. In practice, that policy led to the killing of young men in poor neighborhoods under the banner of law enforcement.
Could Rodríguez appoint a defense minister of this magnitude without a green light from Washington?
His profile aligns with hardline anti-crime and anti-migrant approaches promoted by US policy in recent years, which could appeal to sectors in Washington.
This may help explain why he appears to have received approval from Donald Trump’s team. Could Rodríguez appoint a defense minister of this magnitude without a green light from Washington? Perhaps not. While not every minister requires it, Defense almost certainly does.
Other signs point in that direction: González López appeared as host during John Ratcliffe’s visit (Trump’s CIA director) and was part of the delegation that met US Southern Command chief General Francis L. Donovan. There have also long been rumors of his role as a US intelligence informant. Which is unsurprising, given that intelligence and repression are his specialties.
For now, sanctions imposed under Barack Obama and accusations of crimes against humanity are not part of Venezuela’s new political moment, as Delcy Rodríguez has labelled it.
After two months, the new era seems to prioritize “stabilization, economic recovery, and political transition.” Not human rights, not justice.
