International
Trump says he has a very good dialogue with Moscow and Kiev to stop the “slaughter” in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump assured on Tuesday that he is having “very constructive” talks with Moscow and Kiev to end the conflict and stressed that the “massacre” that is taking place in Ukraine cannot be allowed to continue.
“An absolute slaughter is taking place on the beautiful farmland of Ukraine and we have to stop it. We cannot allow this to continue. It is a human tragedy and we will work hard to stop it,” he said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump said that he is having “very good and constructive” talks with the Ukrainian leadership of Kiev and also with the Russian leadership of Moscow.
“This should not have happened,” added the Republican president, who began his second term on January 20, about that war.
The US leader therefore stressed that it must be put to an end. “We cannot allow this to continue. It is a human tragedy and we will do our hard effort to stop it,” he said alongside Netanyahu, the first foreign president he receives in the White House since his return to power.
Trump said on Monday that he wants Ukraine to deliver rare earths to the United States, key minerals for technological innovations ranging from electric vehicles and wind turbines to state-of-the-art aircraft, in exchange for the help that Washington is providing.
“We are telling Ukrainians that they have very valuable rare earths. We want what we offer to be guaranteed in some way. We want a guarantee,” Trump told the press in the Oval Office of the White House, insisting that Ukraine should give something to Washington in exchange for the aid it provides.
According to Trump, the previous president, Joe Biden, “never asked them for money” and only “gave them money,” in reference to the military and other aid that the United States has given to Ukraine worth more than 180 billion dollars since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
In the opinion of the president, the European Union is not putting itself at the level of the United States in terms of aid to Ukraine and that has to be “rebalanced”, because “we have an ocean in between and they don’t.”
Trump advocated before his arrival at the White House to end the conflict in Ukraine immediately, something he has not achieved for the moment.
He has also said that he hopes to be able to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin to be able to “end the war” in Ukraine, while last Friday he was again cryptic about whether or not he has already spoken to Putin.
International
Virginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, 19, identified by federal officials as an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested in connection with the death of Carmen Lizet Puch, 42, who was found dead Monday, the Fairfax County Police Department said.
Authorities said Cedillos-Campos and Puch were coworkers and were also involved in an “intimate relationship.”
“Our victim suffered numerous stab wounds in a truly brutal and indescribable manner,” Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a news conference Wednesday.
Investigators said surveillance video showed Cedillos-Campos at the restaurant where he and Puch worked, allegedly taking a fixed-blade knife, a pair of black latex gloves and a bottle of water before leaving.
“He left with the intent to harm and kill the victim,” Davis said.
Cedillos-Campos was arrested Wednesday morning in Maryland and confessed to the killing, according to Davis. He is awaiting extradition to Virginia. Authorities have not said whether he has an attorney representing him.
The Department of Homeland Security said Cedillos-Campos had previously been arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2024 after allegedly crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally near El Paso, Texas.
International
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.
The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.
Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Security and border infrastructure
In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.
The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.
Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.
The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.
The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.
Migration and development
On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.
The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.
Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.
The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.
International
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.
“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.
The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.
About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.
The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.
The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.
Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.
Virginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
Honduran Lawyer and Protected Witness in Angie Peña Case Shot Dead
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
Honduran Lawyer and Protected Witness in Angie Peña Case Shot Dead
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Virginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
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International2 days agoFrance to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
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International4 days agoActress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
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Central America18 hours agoHonduran Lawyer and Protected Witness in Angie Peña Case Shot Dead
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International3 days agoTrump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
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International3 days agoHeat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
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International17 hours agoVirginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
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International3 days agoBrazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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International2 days agoMexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027