International
Uruguayan Pepe Mujica thanks the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, for “living with a cause”
The former president of Uruguay José Mujica (2010-2015) thanked on Monday the Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, who was visiting Uruguay, for “living with a cause” in a meeting in which he also reflected on humanism and the love of life.
“I thank this boy, who has many years to be bitter and feel defeated, for living with a cause thinking that humans can contribute to building societies a little better than those in which we were born and less selfish,” the former Uruguayan president told the press after finishing the meeting on his farm on the outskirts of Montevideo.
In that sense, ‘Pepe’ specified that human beings must allow themselves to dream and live with the idea that there may be a future and that all children who are born have “a side of opportunity.”
“We say that we are left-wing but we are neither left nor right, we are humanists and we think about what suits the future and humanity and we are going to die dreaming of that,” he said.
In addition, Mujica emphasized that “it is not money” that is needed in the world but “heart, compassion and love of life”.
The Chilean president did not hide his joy after meeting Mujica and his wife Lucía Topolansky, whom he described as references of “conviction, honesty and principles” during his visit to Montevideo.
“They are for me personally, but also for our generation, references of conviction, references of honesty, references of principles, of not forgetting where we come from and why we are in the political struggle,” Mujica’s house, on the outskirts of Montevideo, told the press when he left the meeting.
The Chilean president said that “it is exciting” to be able to talk to both of them and Mujica’s energy to “pass the post” despite the esophageal cancer he suffers from and pointed out that he left the meeting with “many ideas for the future.”
“With that energy I’m going to Chile again, which we’ve been trying to do permanently. We also talked about how important it is to advance step by step so as not to get out of runh,” he said.
Boric arrived in Montevideo in the morning where he held a meeting with his counterpart, Luis Lacalle Pou, in which in addition to Mujica he will also visit the president-elect, Yamandú Orsi, who will take over on March 1.
“We see that there are those who sow hatred to do politics. I think that to that we have to oppose a resistance of hope, of affection, of public policies that improve the quality of life of our people and with Yamandú I have no doubt that we will work firmly in the integration of Latin America,” said Boric.
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.
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