International
Processing centers also to open in Costa Rica, but for limited group of migrants
June 13 |
The U.S. State Department announced that it reached an agreement with the Costa Rican government to establish migrant processing centers in the Central American country that began operating on Monday.
As in Colombia and Guatemala, the so-called “safe mobility offices” in Costa Rica will open in a six-month “exploratory phase” in which migrants will be referred to refugee resettlement programs and other legal pathways to the U.S., Canada or Spain.
However, the eligibility of those who can access services in Costa Rica will be more limited.
According to the State Department, during the exploratory phase, the offices’ services will be limited to Nicaraguan and Venezuelan nationals who “can demonstrate that they are physically present in Costa Rica as of the date of this announcement and are currently registered as asylum seekers”.
Those who enter Costa Rica after June 12 will not be eligible to access the processing centers.
In addition, in the first two months of the opening of the offices, only eligible persons will be contacted for an evaluation appointment to determine if they are qualified candidates for legal migration channels.
After the first two months, the aforementioned group of migrants will be able to make an appointment online at the movilidadsegura.org website. “Individuals will not be able to request an in-person appointment at the offices,” State determined.
“Individuals who enter Costa Rica irregularly after June 12 may be subject to return to their country of origin if they do not have a legal basis to remain in the country,” it added.
This is in addition to Title 8 measures in the U.S. which determine that those who attempt to cross the southwest border irregularly may face a five-year ban on admission and removal to the country of origin.
The White House also announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with the Colombian government for the opening of the offices in that country on June 19. No details have been provided so far as to whether access will also be limited to specific nationalities.
In Guatemala, on the other hand, secure mobility offices opened on Monday in the Guatemalan Air Force, Petén, Quetzaltenango, San Marcos, Quiché and Huehuetenango.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
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