International

Leo XIV urges to defend “the dignity” of migrants

Pope Leo XIV urged this Friday to defend the dignity of migrants, which “is always the same, that of a creature loved and loved by God,” in the speech he gave to the representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

“In the change of era that we are living, the Holy See cannot exempt itself from making its own voice felt in the face of the numerous imbalances and injustices that lead, among other things, to unworthy working conditions and increasingly fragmented and conflicting societies,” he said before the representatives of the 184 countries with which the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations.

And he said that “it is also necessary to strive to remedy global inequalities, which trace deep grooves of opulence and indigence between continents, countries and even within the same societies.”

The American pontiff made an appeal to those who “have the responsibility of government to apply to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies” and said that “this can be done above all by investing in the family, based on the stable union between man and woman.”

So “no one can exempt themselves from favoring contexts in which the dignity of each person is to be tuted, especially those most fragile and defenseless, from the unborn child to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, whether these are citizens or immigrants.”

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

And he recalled his own life “unfolded between North America, South America and Europe” and his own history, which is that of “a citizen, descendant of immigrants, who in turn has emigrated” so “each of us, in the course of life, can find ourselves healthy or sick, busy or unemployed, in his homeland or in a foreign land”.

“His dignity, however, is always the same, that of a creature loved and loved by God,” he said.

As a cardinal, Robert Francis Prevost had criticized the anti-immigrant policy of US President Donald Trump on social media.

This Friday, in his first meeting with the diplomatic corps, León XIV also advocated giving new impetus to multilateral diplomacy and to those international institutions that were loved and conceived above all to resolve the controversies that may arise within the international community.

And he recalled Pope Francis’ last request on Easter Sunday to abandon the race to rearmament.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“It is a time of conversion and renewal, and above all the opportunity to leave the contests behind and begin a new path, animated by the hope of being able to build, working together, each according to their own sensitivities and responsibilities, a world in which each of us can realize our own humanity in truth, in justice and in peace,” the pope concluded before the diplomats.

International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.