International

Julian Assange’s appeal against his extradition to the United States. The United States will be examined in July

On July 9 and 10, British justice will examine Julian Assange’s appeal against his extradition to the United States, which wants to judge the founder of Wikileaks for a massive leak of documents.

Assange fights not to be handed over to the American justice system, which pursues him for having published since 2010 more than 700,000 confidential documents about American military and diplomatic activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 52-year-old Australian has been detained in a high-security prison near London since 2019 and could be sentenced to 175 years in prison in the United States, under the espionage law in the North American country.

In the last chapter in this case, which has become a symbol of the struggle for freedom of the press, two British judges allowed Julian Assange the right to appeal to stop his extradition on May 20.

On March 26, British judges had asked the US authorities to guarantee that the Australian could benefit from the First Amendment of the Constitution, which protects freedom of expression, and that he would not be sentenced to the death penalty.

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But the guarantees presented by the United States, in the first of the points, failed to convince the two magistrates of the High Court of London, after justice had granted extradition to the United States in June 2022.

Assange was arrested by the British police in 2019, after spending seven years at the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid his extradition to Sweden for a case of alleged rape dismissed that same year.

In recent weeks, Assange’s relatives, held for five years in the Belmarsh high-security prison in London, have warned of the deterioration of his health.

His defense also warned during the different hearings about the risk of suicide in case of extradition.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”