International

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro is released from prison to participate in the Republican convention

Peter Navarro, former adviser to former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump, was released from prison on Wednesday in Miami after a four-month sentence for failing to comply with a summons from Congress related to the investigation of the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 by Trumpistas.

According to the campaign of former President Trump (2017-2021), the former economic adviser of the White House plans to present himself at the Republican National Convention, which takes place from Monday in Milwaukee and ends this Thursday.

The former president, who was already proclaimed this Monday as the official Republican candidate, said last May that he would “absolutely” hire Navarro again in case of returning to the White House.

Navarro completed his sentence in a federal prison in Miami on Wednesday after the conviction he received in 2023 on two counts of contempt for not presenting documents related to the investigation and skipping his statement before the select committee of the House that investigated the assault on the Capitol.

Congressional investigators wanted to collect the testimony of the former White House official about his post-election actions, in which the current president of the United States, Democrat Joe Biden, was the winner.

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Navarro, who surrendered to the authorities on March 19, failed in his attempt to evade prison while appealing the sentence, after U.S. Supreme Court judge John Roberts dismissed a request made by his defense.

Throughout the judicial process, Navarro argued that he believed that, based on an invocation of executive privileges by then President Trump, he did not have to comply with the demands of the chamber committee.

Before entering the prison, Navarro pointed out that his sentence was “an unprecedented assault on the constitutional separation of powers.”

During the trial, the Prosecutor’s Office affirmed that Navarro demonstrated “total contempt” for the committee of the House of Representatives that investigated the insurrection and “for the rule of law.”

The former adviser prepared at least three reports related to the 2020 elections in which he cited versions of alleged fraud, and in January 2021 the then President Trump alluded to one of those reports when he summoned his followers to a protest in Washington, which ended in the temporary seizure of the Capitol by the protesters.

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For the assault on the Capitol he has also been sentenced to four months in prison for contempt Steve Bannon, Trump’s former head of strategy, however another court ruled that he could be released pending an appeal.

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.”