International

Federal judge halts Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship

A federal judge in New Hampshire has issued a nationwide injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship. The order, announced on Trump’s second day in office during his second term, has sparked intense legal and political backlash.

Judge Joseph Laplante ruled that stripping individuals of U.S. citizenship through a sudden reversal of longstanding policy would cause “irreparable harm.” The judge, however, placed a seven-day pause on his decision to allow the government time to appeal. The case was brought as a class-action lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The executive order was set to take effect on July 27, following a Supreme Court ruling that overturned similar state-level injunctions on the basis that state judges could not block federal directives. That ruling was widely seen as a major legal precedent.

In his decision on the motion brought by “Barbara et al.,” Judge Laplante stated that the plaintiffs “would suffer irreparable harm if the injunction were not granted.” This latest ruling expands on a previous decision from February, in which the same judge blocked the order but limited the protection only to members of specific organizations. He argued at the time that Trump’s order violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The current ruling appears to apply to “existing and future children” born in the U.S. who would have been affected by the executive order, though it does not extend protections to their parents, as the plaintiffs had requested.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The lead plaintiff, Barbara — whose full name remains undisclosed — is a Honduran citizen currently awaiting a decision on her asylum request. She is expecting her first child in October, who would be born on U.S. soil.

The lawsuit argues that birthright citizenship is a “treasured right” protected under the 14th Amendment and supported by longstanding legal precedent.

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.