International

Processing centers also to open in Costa Rica, but for limited group of migrants

Photo: AP

June 13 |

The U.S. State Department announced that it reached an agreement with the Costa Rican government to establish migrant processing centers in the Central American country that began operating on Monday.

As in Colombia and Guatemala, the so-called “safe mobility offices” in Costa Rica will open in a six-month “exploratory phase” in which migrants will be referred to refugee resettlement programs and other legal pathways to the U.S., Canada or Spain.

However, the eligibility of those who can access services in Costa Rica will be more limited.

According to the State Department, during the exploratory phase, the offices’ services will be limited to Nicaraguan and Venezuelan nationals who “can demonstrate that they are physically present in Costa Rica as of the date of this announcement and are currently registered as asylum seekers”.

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Those who enter Costa Rica after June 12 will not be eligible to access the processing centers.

In addition, in the first two months of the opening of the offices, only eligible persons will be contacted for an evaluation appointment to determine if they are qualified candidates for legal migration channels.

After the first two months, the aforementioned group of migrants will be able to make an appointment online at the movilidadsegura.org website. “Individuals will not be able to request an in-person appointment at the offices,” State determined.

“Individuals who enter Costa Rica irregularly after June 12 may be subject to return to their country of origin if they do not have a legal basis to remain in the country,” it added.

This is in addition to Title 8 measures in the U.S. which determine that those who attempt to cross the southwest border irregularly may face a five-year ban on admission and removal to the country of origin.

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The White House also announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with the Colombian government for the opening of the offices in that country on June 19. No details have been provided so far as to whether access will also be limited to specific nationalities.

In Guatemala, on the other hand, secure mobility offices opened on Monday in the Guatemalan Air Force, Petén, Quetzaltenango, San Marcos, Quiché and Huehuetenango.

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.”