A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser
extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your
connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.
Challenging the Client
Communist and far-right candidates advance to Chilean presidential run-off
Chile’s presidential election will go to a run-off vote in December between a Communist Party and a far-right candidate, after the first round on Sunday produced no outright winner.
The election campaign was dominated by crime and immigration, as migration to the country has grown in recent years and candidates pledged to fight foreign gangs like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua.
The Communist Party’s Jeannette Jara, from the governing coalition, narrowly won the first round followed closely by far-right candidate José Antonio Kast.
The result is expected to give a boost to Kast, as Jara was the only left-wing candidate running against several right-wing candidates, which split the right-wing vote.
In the 14 December run-off, voters will have to coalesce around one of these two candidates.
Kast is expected to pick up votes from other candidates who did not make the final two, including the centre-right senator Evelyn Matthei and the radical libertarian congressman Johannes Kaiser.
If this happens, it would make Chile the latest country in Latin America to shift to the right.
Kast is a conservative lawyer and former congressman who lost the 2021 election’s run-off to President Gabriel Boric. This is his third time running for president.
The father of nine has promoted a tough crackdown on immigration including a Trump-style “border wall”, opposes abortion even in cases of rape, has criticised environmental and indigenous activism, and wants to shrink the state.
His brother was a minister during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship and his father was a member of the Nazi party.
Speaking on election night, he said Chile needed to avoid “continuity of a very bad government. Perhaps the worst government in the democratic history of Chile.”
Jara is a member of the Communist Party but many see her as centre-left in practice. She was a minister in President Boric’s government and her platform has included pledging to increase lithium production, raising the minimum wage, building new prisons and deploying the army to protect Chile’s borders.
As results were coming through, she said: “Democracy in our country must be taken care of and valued. And it costs us a lot to recover it, today it is at risk.”
Both candidates talked up their pledges to tackle crime and immigration, as organised crime and kidnappings having risen in the country.
Chile’s foreign population has grown since 2017. The National Migration Service said in December 2023 it reached more than 1.9 million people. Official estimates suggest at least 330,000 are undocumented migrants living illegally in the country, many from Venezuela.
Kast has blamed rising crime on immigration, although several studies suggest that those born abroad commit fewer crimes on average than Chileans.
Chile, perceived as more prosperous and safe compared to some other Latin American nations, is a desirable destination for migrants in the region, and for those returning from the US after President Trump’s migration crackdown.
Kast has pledged to build ditches along Chile’s northern border with Peru and Bolivia, as well as mass deportations of undocumented migrants and people who entered the country illegally.
He has also promised new maximum-security prisons, like those that have been built in El Salvador.
Jara has promised to build new prisons and expel foreigners convicted of drug trafficking.
This election was the first time that all eligible voters were automatically registered to vote, and voting was compulsory in Chile.
Trump now supports releasing Epstein files, encourages Republicans to vote in favor
Trump reverses stance on Epstein files, urges Republicans to vote for releasing them
Portugal and Norway secure qualification for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Portugal recovered from a shock loss to Ireland on Thursday to qualify, while Norway is through for the first time since 1998.
Portugal booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup with a 9-1 victory over Armenia on Sunday, while an Erling Haaland brace rubber-stamped Norway’s place in the global showpiece as they romped to a 4-1 win in Italy.
After being held by Hungary and then stunned by the Republic of Ireland last time out, Portugal sealed top spot in Group F at the third time of asking with a resounding win over bottom-side Armenia.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
In the absence of the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, star midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves both scored hat-tricks as the Portuguese ran riot in Porto.
Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao were also on the scoresheet.
“The most important thing was qualifying for the World Cup,” Paris Saint-Germain linchpin Neves told RTP.
“For me, as I always say, the team always comes before the individual. I’m very happy to have scored my first goal for the national team, and my second and third as well.”
Portugal will compete in a seventh consecutive edition of the World Cup, a tournament which the Euro 2016 champions have yet to win.
“We’re at the World Cup! Let’s go, Portugal!” Ronaldo posted on social media.
The striker could miss the start of the tournament depending on whether FIFA extend his suspension beyond the mandatory one-match ban he served against Armenia.
Ireland sewed up the playoff place in the group thanks to Troy Parrott’s 96th-minute hat-trick goal, handing them a 3-2 win over third-placed Hungary.
Daniel Lukacs gave the hosts the lead in Hungary after four minutes, before Parrott levelled from 12 yards shortly afterwards.
Barnabas Varga’s 37th-minute goal looked to have been enough for Hungary to seal second spot until 23-year-old Parrott notched his fourth and fifth international goals this week.
Parrott was the hero with his brace in Thursday’s 2-0 defeat of Portugal, and he struck to equalise again for Ireland with 10 minutes remaining in the Hungarian capital.
The AZ Alkmaar forward then sparked wild Irish celebrations as he prodded home Liam Scales’s knockdown deep into injury time to send Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side into March’s playoffs.
‘Absolutely insane’
Italy needed a miracle in Milan to pip Norway to first place in Group I due to the visitors’ gargantuan goal difference advantage.
Pio Esposito scored early at the San Siro to give the home side the faintest of hopes, but they were unable to again break down stubborn Norwegian defending as Stale Solbakken’s side held firm.
Antonio Nusa levelled just after the hour before Haaland, inevitably, netted twice in 60 seconds to turn the tie on its head. Jorgen Strand Larsen then put gloss on the result in injury time as Norway romped to an eighth win from eight outings.
It will be Norway’s first appearance at the World Cup in 28 years.
“I’m happy, but more relieved. There’s a lot of pressure and stuff, and I feel it. But it’s fun,” Haaland, who netted 16 goals across the campaign, told TV 2.
“It’s indescribable. Absolutely insane. The way we did it is absolutely incredible. It’s huge,” Martin Odegaard said.
Israel beat Moldova 4-1 but finished six points adrift of second-placed Italy, who go into the playoffs.
France booked their place in next year’s tournament in North America with a win over Ukraine earlier in the week, and a much-changed side concluded their campaign with a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan.
Ukraine saw off Iceland 2-0 thanks to two strikes inside the final 10 minutes from Oleksandr Zubkov and Oleksii Hutsuliak to claim second place in Group D.
Thomas Tuchel’s England completed a perfect group-stage performance as they won 2-0 against Albania to finish their campaign with a 100 percent record, featuring 22 goals scored and zero conceded – a European record for a team playing at least six qualifying matches.
“I think it’s as good [a squad] as we’ve ever had,” Harry Kane, who scored both England goals, told ITV.
“I think when you look at the starting 11, you look at the players coming off the bench, we’re going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites.”
With Albania already assured of second place, Serbia beat Latvia 2-1 in a dead-rubber in Group K’s other match.
Bessent: Congressional Vote Required for Trump’s $2,000 Checks
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump’s proposal to send $2,000 “dividend” payments from tariffs to US citizens would require congressional approval.
“We will see,” Bessent said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “We need legislation for that.”
Trump, who has touted the billions raised in US tariff revenue this year, has talked about the checks as public frustration mounts over the cost of living. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Friday, Trump said the checks would go out sometime next year to “everybody but the rich.”
“It’s a lot of money,” he said. “But we’ve taken in a lot of money from tariffs. The tariffs allow us to give a dividend.” He added that “we’re also going to be reducing debt.”
Read More: Trump’s $2,000 Tariff ‘Dividend’ Marks Throwback to Covid Checks
The plan could cost the US government double what it’s projected to take in for 2025, according to one estimate. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a centrist watchdog group, estimated a preliminary $600 billion cost for the proposal, if the dividends were designed along the lines of government stimulus payments during the Covid pandemic.
Net US tariff revenue for the fiscal year through September totaled $195 billion and many economists have penciled in about $300 billion for calendar-year 2025.
Bessent said Americans should start feeling more economic relief in the beginning of next year, citing the tax cuts in Trump’s signature policy bill passed earlier this year.
“So I would expect in the first two quarters we are going to see the inflation curve bend down and the real income curve substantially accelerate,” he said.
Charlotte experiences increased DHS enforcement as agents focus on ‘criminal undocumented immigrants’
Federal agents have descended on the city of Charlotte in North Carolina as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said.
In a post on X, US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said at least 81 people had been arrested in the city on Saturday.
Local officials, including Mayor of Charlotte Vi Lyles, released a joint statement criticising the operation, saying it was causing “unnecessary fear and uncertainty” in the community.
Since Trump’s return to office he has deployed troops to Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago to deliver on his promise of “the largest deportation programme” in US history.
The DHS announced “Operation Charlotte’s Web” on Saturday, saying “criminal illegal aliens” would be targeted in the Democratic-run city.
“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Armoured vehicles and special operations teams could be involved in the North Charlotte crackdown, according to internal government documents seen by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.
Several church members doing yard work at a church in east Charlotte fled into woods when agents arrived and detained one man, The Charlotte Observer reported, quoting the church’s pastor.
“We thought church was safe and nothing [was] gonna happen,” a 15-year-old witness told the newspaper.
Officials said there are “a number of organisations standing ready to assist individuals seeking legal guidance on immigration matters”.
The DHS said they are carrying out the operation because North Carolina has not honoured the nearly 1,400 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees – meaning they had been released due to “sanctuary policies”.
Charlotte is not a sanctuary city – cities that have policies in place to limit the assistance given to federal immigration authorities – but it is a “certified welcoming city”. This is a formal designation for cities that are committed to immigration inclusion.
“President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t,” the DHS said.
Charlotte is an ethnically diverse city, with about 17% of residents being born outside of the country, according to Data US.
DHS has not said how long the raids will last. Chicago’s crackdown, which began in September is still ongoing.
Earlier in the week, US Representative and Democrat, Alma Adams, said she was informed of the operation and was “extremely concerned” about Border Patrol and ICE agents coming to North Carolina.
The next city on Trump’s list is set to be New Orleans, according to CBS, and that as many as 200 agents could be deployed to the city.
Operations in previous cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have come under fire over concerns of excessive use of force.
Too Lost forms direct partnership with South Korean streaming service Melon
Indie music distribution and publishing company Too Lost has signed a direct partnership with South Korean music streaming service Melon, a move Too Lost says will open “one of Asia’s most powerful music markets” to its roster of artists and labels.
In a statement issued Thursday (November 13), Too Lost says the move is “another strategic step” in its global expansion. Founded in 2020, the New York-headquartered company boasts more than 400,000 artists and labels, distributing 7 million songs to some 450 digital service providers including Spotify, Apple Music and TikTok.
The Melon integration will strengthen the company’s ability to “deliver music seamlessly to Korean listeners and position independent acts alongside the biggest names in pop culture,” Too Lost said.
“This partnership is about breaking borders for independent artists,” Too Lost CEO Greg Hirschhorn said. “Melon is one of the most influential platforms in the world, and connecting our creators directly to its audience helps make independence truly global.”
According to data from app tracker WiseApp, Melon is the second-largest music streaming service in South Korea by monthly active users (MAUs), counting 6.01 million MAUs, behind only YouTube Music at 7.14 million, as of earlier this year.
Founded in 2004 by SK Telecom and operated by Kakao Entertainment since 2021, Melon has been linked to the meteoric rise in the popularity of K-pop.
“The platform has fueled the international rise of K-pop, often serving as the first launchpad for chart-topping hits before they go global,” Too Lost said. “For artists around the world, Melon remains a key gateway to Korean audiences and one of the most active streaming cultures worldwide.”
“Melon is one of the most influential platforms in the world, and connecting our creators directly to its audience helps make independence truly global.”
Greg Hirschhorn, Too Lost
According to data for 2024 from IFPI, South Korea is the world’s seventh-largest recorded music market. A September 2025 report from Omdia valued the country’s market at $1.08 billion, with about two-thirds of that coming from digital music.
For Too Lost, the partnership with Melon comes amid a flurry of expansion activity, including a “seven-figure” investment last month into indie label Rebellion Records, which boasts of having generated some 5 billion streams since launching two years ago.
Also last month, Too Lost made a “seven-figure” investment into AntiFragile Equity Partners, a startup that focuses on acquiring and monetizing “undervalued” music catalogs, and partnered with music financing company Xposure Music, which plans to deploy “tens of millions of dollars” in upcoming catalog acquisitions.
In September, Too Lost struck a deal with direct-to-fan platform EVEN, giving Too Lost’s artists and labels access to EVEN’s D2C storefronts.
Too Lost ranks in 90th place on Inc.’s list of fastest-growing companies in the US for 2025, recording 3,677% growth over three years.Music Business Worldwide
Beloved Australian Swim Coach and Lifeguard Ray Nicol Passes Away in Suspected Hit-and-Run Incident
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
Australian life guard and swim coach Ray Nicol has died after an alleged hit-and-run in Hervey Bay, Queensland. Nicol, 57 spent the last 30 years as a coach and lifeguard.
Nicol was hit by a car near his home at 4:30AM on Friday. He was rushed to a hospital, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
20-year-old Riley John Groves has been charged in his death. Police allege that Groves fled the scene and did not help the injured coach. He has been charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, failure to remain at the scene and render assistance, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and drugs and weapons offences.
Nicole was a legendary local lifeguard and coach who worked at the Hervey Bay and Maryborough aquatic centers.
- A GoFundMe account has been started to raise money for funeral costs and to support his wife Fiona.
An outpouring of positive messages came from the local aquatics community, including in the comments on this Facebook post from the Hervey Bay Triathlon Club.
One person, Tristan Anderson, said “The man who taught so many to swim with a dedication that was pure and unwavering, the steady guidance of a sure hand and the heart of a genuine top bloke. You’ll be missed Rayzor!”
Nicol was scheduled to compete in the Hervey Bay 100 Triathlon the weekend after he died.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Beloved Australian Swim Coach & Lifeguard Ray Nicol Dies in Alleged Hit-and-Run
Victorinox x La Marzocco Swiss Army Knife: A Barista Tool for Coffee Lovers
We’ve all heard of the waiter’s corkscrew, but how about the barista’s Swiss Army knife? The Swiss toolmakers at Victorinox have teamed up with Italian espresso machine manufacturer La Marzocco to create a special-edition multitool that combines timeless Swiss Army standards with specialist coffee tools. It’s a handy piece of EDC (everyday carry) for one of the world’s most popular EDDs (everyday drinks).
Bringing together some of Central Europe’s most celebrated craftsmanship, the new Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool couples precise Swiss engineering with Italian coffee expertise to create a pocket tool that’s at once classic and fresh. It includes both coffee-specific implements and more general tools tasked with a specified coffee-related purpose.
The all-out coffee-purposed tools in the specially badged SAK-red body include a thin spatula designed for scooping out excess coffee and leveling the grounds in an espresso machine’s portafilter and a 12-mm nozzle remover specially sized for taking off a La Marzocco steam wand tip for cleaning or replacing.
Victorinox
Many of the remaining tools can each be considered its own multifunctional implement, with a traditional purpose plus a task specific to the coffee-making/serving process or repair and tune of La Marzocco espresso machines. Each has been developed, or selected from the extensive Swiss Army catalog, with this dual-purpose usage in mind.
The classic large blade is tasked with slicing through thick, stubborn bags of coffee like room temperature butter while also filling the same types of cutting roles any traditional folding blade would. The small blade, meanwhile, handles more delicate sampler bags without tearing them to shreds. The can opener with integrated 3-mm slotted screwdriver is there to pry the lid, if your coffee happens to be stored in a can.
Of course, a small blade, slotted screwdriver and pry have plenty of other potential uses as well, so there’s no reason the Barista Tool can’t travel far away from the coffee machine as a reliable EDC companion.
Victorinox
In terms of espresso machine repair and maintenance, the Barista Tool’s reamer/punch/sewing awl can leverage off the group head gasket, while the combination pliers can help in removing and handling other gaskets and O-rings. The 1.5-mm mini screwdriver stowed in the corkscrew is sized specifically for removing the dispersion screen for cleaning, while the Phillips screwdriver is meant for removing crosshead screws. The tweezers can grab small, difficult to pull screws and parts, while the toothpick can clean out tight spaces and creases around the machine – just remember not to use it to clean out your teeth later on.
Of course, one doesn’t sip or serve coffee alone throughout the day, and the Barista Tool comes equipped with a bottle opener and corkscrew to open and serve other beverages. Depending on whether you intend to keep the tool at home next to the coffee machine or take it on the go, the keyring can secure to a keychain or hang from a hook on the kitchen wall.
Victorinox
The Barista Tool carries a retail price starting at US$145 but is currently sold out on both Victorinox’s and La Marzocco’s websites. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem for most of us – unless you use a La Marzocco machine at home or work, you’d probably be better off with the tools of a traditional Swiss Army knife model.
The Barista Tool does make us yearn for a more universal coffee drinker’s multitool, but we suppose useful coffee tools like a scoop, burr grinder and frothing wand would be quite difficult to stuff into a pocketable chassis. And a flip-out stirrer, while easy enough to fit, probably wouldn’t reach down anywhere near the bottom of a large cup.
For now, the foam-lined box remains a much better form factor for a multifunctional coffee tool set.
Source: Victorinox
US carrier lands in Caribbean amid escalating tensions with Venezuela under Trump administration
The arrival of the USS Gerald R Ford, the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier, comes as US strikes alleged drug vessels in the region, killing dozens.
The United States’ most advanced aircraft carrier has arrived in the Caribbean Sea in a flex of military power by the President Donald Trump administration, as it raises pressure on Venezuela and prompts questions about what the influx of troops and armoury could portend.
The arrival of the USS Gerald R Ford and other warships, announced by the US Navy in a statement on Sunday, marks a potentially pivotal moment in what the administration has pitched as a counterdrug operation, but is seen in many quarters as an aggressive push against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The US has been conducting military strikes on vessels the administration alleges are transporting drugs. In recent months, the campaign has carried out about 20 strikes in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coasts of Latin America, killing some 80 people.
International law and human rights experts have repeatedly said that such attacks amount to extrajudicial executions, even if those targeted are suspected of drug trafficking.
The administration has said that the build-up of American forces in the region is focused on stopping the flow of drugs into the US, but it has provided no evidence at all to support its assertions that those killed in the boats were what they term “narcoterrorists.”
‘Operation Southern Spear’
The Reuters news agency reported on Saturday that senior Trump administration officials held three meetings at the White House this week to discuss options for possible military action against Venezuela, citing unnamed officials.
The reported meetings come as the Trump administration has continued to significantly expand the US military’s presence in the Latin America region, including with F-35 aircraft, warships and a nuclear submarine.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon said the Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group, which includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier, had arrived in the Caribbean with at least 4,000 sailors and dozens of “tactical aircraft” on board.
In total, there are now about 12,000 US sailors and Marines in the region, in what US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday formally named “Operation Southern Spear”.
Under the US Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war.
But Trump has said that he would not “necessarily ask for a declaration of war” in order to continue killing people “that are bringing drugs into our country”.
Rear Admiral Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the strike group, said it will bolster an already large force of American warships to “protect our nation’s security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere”.
In Trinidad and Tobago, which is only 11 kilometres (seven miles) from Venezuela at its closest point, government officials said troops have begun “training exercises” with the US military.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sean Sobers described the joint exercises as the second in less than a month, adding they are aimed at tackling violent crime on the island nation, which has become a stopover point for drug shipments headed to Europe and North America. The prime minister has been a vocal supporter of the US military strikes.
Venezuela’s government has described the training exercises as an act of aggression. It had no immediate comment Sunday on the arrival of the aircraft carrier.
President Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the US, has said the US government is “fabricating” a war against him. On his Facebook page, Maduro wrote on Sunday that the “Venezuelan people are ready to defend their homeland against any criminal aggression”.
Venezuela’s government recently promoted a “massive” mobilisation of troops and civilians to defend against possible US attacks.