The trial has begun for former congressman David Rivera over allegations he secretly lobbied for Venezuela’s government during the first Trump administration. Prosecutors allege Rivera was a hired gun for former President Nicolás Maduro and leveraged Republican connections from his time in Congress to push the White House to abandon its hard line on Venezuela's socialist government. Prosecutors say Rivera was aided by Texas Republican Rep. Pete Sessions and a convicted Cali cartel associate as he sought meetings with the White House and Exxon Mobil on Maduro’s behalf. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to testify about meetings with Rivera. Rivera denies wrongdoing.
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Emmanuel Grégoire has won the Paris mayoral race and takes over from fellow Socialist Anne Hidalgo. On Sunday, he sealed the moment by riding a city bike to City Hall. Grégoire won over conservative rival Rachida Dati in a runoff. The vote was part of France’s second round of municipal elections. Grégoire has spent years inside Paris politics and served as Hidalgo’s top deputy. He pushes greener streets and tougher rules on tourist rentals.
AP Wire
Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire has won the Paris mayoral race, succeeding fellow party member Anne Hidalgo as the French capital’s mayor. Grégoire claimed victory after estimates based on partial results placed him well ahead of conservative rival Rachida Dati, who acknowledged defeat. Grégoire said “tonight is the victory of a certain vision of Paris: a vibrant Paris, a progressive Paris.” French voters returned to the polls Sunday for the final round of municipal elections in 1,500 communes, including major cities. Nice, France’s fifth largest city on the French Riviera, becomes the most resounding win of the far right.
Emmanuel Grégoire becomes the new mayor of Paris, succeeding fellow Socialist Anne Hidalgo.
AP Wire
U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are calling for new people in charge of Cuba as the socialist island experiences its third nationwide blackout in four months. Trump said Tuesday that Cuba “is in very bad shape” and that “we’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon.” Rubio, who is of Cuban heritage, said the current government is incapable to addressing Cuba's economic problems. The island's government blames its woes on a U.S. energy blockade after Trump in January warned of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. The country's aging grid has drastically eroded in recent years, leading to daily outages.
France’s far right has made gains in the first round of municipal elections in the southeast, while big cities head to a runoff, including Paris, Marseille, and Lyon. The National Rally performed strongly around the Mediterranean on Sunday and ran tight races in places like Marseille. In Paris, left-wing candidate Emmanuel Grégoire leads, but the March 22 runoff against conservative contender Rachida Dati is expected to be tight. The results are under scrutiny one year before the 2027 presidential race, which will choose a successor to President Emmanuel Macron.
Poland once was in economic ruins when communism fell more than three decades ago. Now it's the 20th largest economy in the world. Poland edges out Switzerland with more than $1 trillion in annual output. The Trump administration is taking note by inviting Poland to attend the Group of 20 summit of leading economies this year. Poland prospered by turning decisively toward the European Union and dodging the corruption that plagued other countries that had been in the Soviet orbit. Poland's entrepreneurs aren't afraid to take risks and start new businesses. All that means many educated young people see their future at home instead of abroad.