International

Zelensky wants Russia expelled from UN agriculture agency

AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for Russia to be expelled from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, blaming Moscow for spurring the global grain crisis by invading his country.

“There can’t be any discussion on prolonging Russia’s membership in the FAO,” Zelensky told delegates at a Paris meeting of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by video link.

Active in 130 countries worldwide, the FAO’s mission is to “achieve food security for all”.

“What is there for Russia to do (in the FAO) if they are causing hunger for at least 400 million, or potentially more than a billion people?” Zelensky added.

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Ukraine’s Black Sea ports usually export millions of tonnes of grain each year but have been blocked since Moscow’s late February invasion.

Along with western sanctions on Russia, which prevent Moscow selling much of its grain abroad, the blockade has sent food prices soaring and triggered warnings of famine in the Middle East and Africa.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed at UN-backed talks in Turkey on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to grant safe passage to ships transporting Ukrainian corn and wheat.

Ukraine says it is open to resuming shipments but needs concrete security guarantees from Russia, an FAO member since 2006.

“The United Nations’ mediation efforts are significant steps, and I think, unfortunately, the only ones,” Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi told Thursday’s OECD meeting.

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“We have to offer President Zelensky the assurances he needs that the ports will not be attacked.”

International

Habeas Corpus at risk as Trump team eyes drastic border policy shift

The White House is reportedly considering suspending habeas corpus, the legal principle that protects individuals against arbitrary detention, as part of its efforts to escalate anti-immigration measures in the United States.

In remarks to reporters, Stephen Miller, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, argued that the U.S. Constitution allows the suspension of habeas corpus “in times of invasion.”

“It’s an option we are actively considering, and it all depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not,” Miller stated.

The Trump administration has frequently invoked the notion of a “migrant invasion” to justify actions such as the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border and the deportation of foreign nationals—primarily Venezuelans—to El Salvador’s CECOT megaprison.

International

Maduro to Xi: Venezuela is a loyal friend to China

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro assured his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, during a meeting held in Moscow on the sidelines of the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory in World War II, that China has “loyal friends” in the Caribbean nation.

“You know that in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela you have loyal friends and people willing to continue working for a new world,” said the South American leader, according to footage aired Friday by Venezuelan state broadcaster VTV.

Maduro, accompanied by several of his ministers including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, highlighted the “great results” of a 2023 agreement between China and Venezuela called the “All-Weather and All-Round Strategic Partnership.”

“I believe we can multiply the great results we’re already seeing, and I’m sure that strong and clear guidelines will emerge from this meeting to keep moving forward together,” Maduro added.

International

Iberojet reaffirms commitment to Honduras as Central American Hub

Spanish airline Iberojet and Palmerola International Airport, located in central Honduras, signed a three-year renewal of their exclusive agreement to operate direct flights between the Honduran terminal and the cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

With this renewal, Iberojet—part of the Spanish tourism group Ávoris Corporación Empresarial—reaffirms its commitment to Honduras as its main gateway to Central America from Europe.

The agreement was signed by Iberojet’s Commercial Director, Mario Domínguez, and Erick Spears, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Palmerola.

The signing ceremony took place at the residence of the Spanish Ambassador to Honduras, Diego Nuño García, who served as an honorary witness.