International
Antony Blinken assures that the Panamanian sovereignty of the Panama Canal “will not change”
The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, assured this Thursday that Panamanian sovereignty over the Panama Canal “will not change,” despite the threat of President-elect Donald Trump to regain US control of the interoceanic route.
“We have a treaty and a policy in force for many years and that is not going to change. As I said before, it’s not worth spending time on this,” he said at his last press conference before leaving office.
His answer was similar to the one he gave last week in Paris when he was questioned by Trump’s plan to annex Greenland to the United States.
“It’s not worth spending time on that issue because that’s not going to happen,” he said at the time.
Blinken’s statements come a day after the nominee to succeed him, Marco Rubio, suggested that China’s influence on the Panama Canal is a violation of the terms of the delivery of the road to the Panamanians.
Rubio, next Secretary of State in the Trump Administration, warned during his confirmation hearing in the Senate that this is “a very legitimate issue” for the United States, although it opened the door to dialogue with the Panamanian authorities.
“Panama is a great partner in many other matters, and I hope we can solve this issue of the channel and its security,” Blinken said.
“Although technically sovereignty over the canal has not been handed over to a foreign power, in reality a foreign power today possesses, through its companies, which are not independent, the ability to turn the channel into a bottleneck at a time of conflict,” he added.
Blinken was convinced that the agreement for a truce in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages will take effect on Sunday as planned, despite the fact that Israel and Hamas accuse each other of delaying it.
“I am confident and fully hope that the implementation will begin as we said on Sunday,” the head of US diplomacy said at his last press conference before leaving office.
On Thursday, the Israeli government accused Hamas of introducing new conditions in the ceasefire and hostage release agreement announced last night, while the Islamist group recriminated the Israelis for trying to “create tension at a critical moment.”
The relatives of the hostages who still remain in Gaza attend with anguish to the rifirrafe, less than three days before the agreed date for the departure of the first kidnapped.
The announced ceasefire should come into force next Sunday and would allow the release of Israeli hostages – alive and dead – and access to humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, where more than 46,700 people have died since October 7, 2023.
The team of outgoing President of the United States, Joe Biden, and President-elect Donald Trump, participated in the final stretch of the negotiations, which also had the mediation of Qatar and Egypt.
The Secretary of State urged the next Donald Trump Administration to ensure that the ceasefire agreement that the next president wants to achieve in Ukraine is truly “lasting.”
“One of the most important things here is that if there is a ceasefire, that it is durable and that it is maintained,” said the head of US diplomacy in his last press conference.
For Blinken, this is key, because, as he warned, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, “will want to take weight off him” and “attack when he feels it’s time.”
“A ceasefire agreement must be reached with the effective deterrence necessary so that Russia does not attack again,” he warned.
Trump, who will assume power on January 20, has criticized the constant sending of weapons to Ukraine by the Joe Biden Administration and has made it a priority to end the war started by the Russian invasion of February 2022.
Blinken defended that the strategy of the outgoing government, focused on sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia, sought to put Ukraine “in a position of power” against the Kremlin.
“That I could continue fighting, if necessary, or sit down to negotiate, if that’s what they wanted, but do it from a strong position,” he added.
He also claimed that this plan has caused “unimaginable” losses for Russia: “We see the impact on its economy, on its future and on its inability to invest in critical infrastructure for the future.”
Marco Rubio, Blinken’s successor, declared on Wednesday that the policy of the new US government will be to end the war and asked for “concessions” to both Ukraine and Russia.
The next Secretary of State said that Russia will not be able to invade all of Ukraine, but he also described it as “unrealistic” to think that Ukraine will be able to recover the pre-invasion borders.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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