UNITED STATES

New Fed chair pick likely by year-end

US President Donald Trump said a decision on the next Federal Reserve chair might be made by the end of the year. "Maybe by the end of the year, we'll make a decision on the Fed," he told reporters on the Air Force One. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "We're going to do a second round, and we hope to present a good slate to the president right after Thanksgiving." The pool of candidates has been narrowed to five: Trump's aide Kevin Hassett, former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, current Fed Governor Christopher Waller, Fed Vice-Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, and BlackRock executive Rick Rieder, Bessent said.

VENEZUELA

Washington decried for 'military provocation'

Venezuela on Sunday condemned the arrival in nearby Trinidad and Tobago of a United States warship as a dangerous "provocation", amid mounting fears of potential attacks against the Venezuelan mainland. The USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, docked on Sunday in the Trinidadian capital Port of Spain for a four-day visit, which will include joint training with local defense forces. Venezuela denounced "the military provocation of Trinidad and Tobago, in coordination with the CIA, aimed at provoking a war in the Caribbean", and said it had arrested "a group of mercenaries" with links to the CIA.

ARGENTINA

Milei triumphs in midterm elections

Argentine President Javier Milei hailed his La Libertad Avanza party's victory in Sunday's midterm elections as a "turning point" for the country and vowed to charge ahead with his agenda of shrinking the state and deregulating the economy. His party rebounded from a series of setbacks to win 40.7 percent of the votes cast for members of Congress, far outpacing the opposition. "Today we reached a turning point," Milei said. He promised to continue on the reform path with what he predicted would be "the most reformist Congress in Argentina's history".