Venezuela oil, Rio Tinto-Glencore talks and ex-TD banker guilty in weekly business roundup

U.S. President Donald Trump said he aims to run Venezuela temporarily using the country's oil after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured, and Rio Tinto and Glencore are in preliminary merger talks with a Feb. 5 deadline to declare an offer or not.

U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a recent military operation, and President Donald Trump has said he intends to run the country at least temporarily with Venezuela's oil revenues covering costs. That development has drawn criticism and mixed reactions internationally and raised questions about control of Venezuelan oil. Key facts: - U.S. President Donald Trump said he aims to run Venezuela temporarily and to use the country's oil revenues after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. - Rio Tinto and Glencore announced they are in preliminary discussions on an all-share merger; under U.K. takeover rules Rio Tinto must either announce an offer by Feb. 5 or state it does not intend to bid. - A former TD Bank employee, Wilfredo Aquino, pleaded guilty in the U.S. for processing more than 1,600 cheques totaling over US$92-million as part of a money‑laundering network; the case is linked to a wider Department of Justice investigation and follows TD's October 2024 guilty plea and penalties. - Soaring copper demand has increased focus on Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where railways such as TAZARA and the Lobito Corridor are central to access; the article notes Canadian miners First Quantum and Barrick are positioned in the region. Summary: These developments touch energy, mining and financial-sector oversight and involve both political actions and corporate negotiations. The Rio Tinto‑Glencore talks carry a clear near-term procedural deadline of Feb. 5 for an offer or a public decision, while other outcomes, including the longer-term status of Venezuela and related economic arrangements, are undetermined at this time.