International

The White House denies that Elon Musk is the legal manager of the Department of Efficiency

The White House denied before a court that Elon Musk is the legal manager of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an office that President Donald Trump created for the tycoon to cut public spending of the federal Administration.

In a document filed on Monday with the District of Columbia federal court, White House Administration Director Joshua Fisher detailed that Musk is neither the administrator nor an employee of the DOGE.

According to Fisher, the richest man in the world is actually a White House worker who serves as an advisor to the president and who, therefore, has no direct authority to make government decisions.

The document does not clarify who is the legal guardian of the DOGE.

The White House’s revelation comes in response to the lawsuit filed by several Democratic prosecutors from different states accusing Trump of having delegated to Musk “a practically uncontrolled authority” and without the authorization of Congress.

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The argument that Musk is not the legal manager of the DOGE contrasts with the public statements made so far by Trump himself, Musk and the DOGE.

After winning the elections last November, Trump announced the creation of the DOGE to cut bureaucracy and placed businessmen Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy at the head, but the latter disassociated himself from the organization.

Musk was last week in the Oval Office with Trump detailing to the press the actions that the DOGE is carrying out and assuring, in the face of criticism from the opposition, that its management is “transparent.”

To date, DOGE and Musk have led the dismantling of entities such as the International Development Agency (Usaid) or the Consumer Financial Protection Office (CFPB), in charge of monitoring Wall Street and protecting consumers.

The broad power of the businessman within the Administration has generated concern in some departments and a federal judge blocked the DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s payment system.

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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.”