International
Bolsonaro meets Hungary’s Orban after Putin talks

AFP
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro met Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban Thursday, a day after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid fears Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Putin welcomed “constructive” talks with Bolsonaro, following his first official trip to Moscow.
Western leaders remain fearful of a Russian attack on its neighbour Ukraine. Bolsonaro had brushed off pressure from Washington, Brazil’s traditional ally, and his own cabinet to cancel the trip, justifying the focus on trade.
Before the South American set off for Russia, Brazil publicly reaffirmed its diplomatic ties with Kyiv.
In Hungary, Bolsonaro met President Janos Ader followed by Orban, marking the first time a Brazilian leader has visited the EU member.
Bolsonaro told reporters in a joined press conference with Orban that he considered Hungary as “our little-big brother”.
“Small, if we take into account the differences in our respective territorial dimensions. And big, because of the values we represent, which can be summed up in four words: God, homeland, family and freedom,” he said.
Orban said Bolsonaro’s visit was a “great honour”, praising his South American counterpart for his “very precious” diplomatic efforts to discuss the Ukraine crisis during his Moscow visit.
Brazil is one of Hungary’s most important trading partners in Latin America, and Orban was one of few Western leaders to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration in January 2019.
In late 2020, Hungary signed a deal to buy two Brazilian KC-390 military transport aircraft at an undisclosed price.
Critics have slammed the visit of Bolsonaro, who has been likened to former US president Donald Trump and who has expressed admiration for Putin.
One Hungarian news portal described the visit as a “diplomatic tour de force” ahead of April elections, where Orban is expected to face his toughest fight yet against a united opposition since returning to power in 2010.
Orban himself met Putin early this month despite objections from the opposition and his European allies.
Next month, a flagship US conservative conference is to take place in Budapest with Orban as key speaker.
During his three straight terms in office, the nationalist leader has branded his foreign policy as “eastern opening,” cozying up to Russia and China, while often antagonising European allies.
International
Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.
Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.
In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.
Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.
“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.
He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.
International
Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking

Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.
Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.
The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.
“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.
International
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.
“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.
He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.
A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.
Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.
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