International

A U.S. media manager says he favored Trump to help him in his 2016 campaign

A director of a media outlet that testifies in the trial against Donald Trump, named David Pecker, said on Tuesday in a court in New York that he favored the campaign of the then Republican candidate in 2016 after an agreement that, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, was part of a “criminal structure” to corrupt the elections.

The former US president, present in the courtroom, is criminally accused of falsifying accounting records to buy the silence of the porn actress Stormy Daniels and that an alleged love affair between the two did not come to light that would have put in check his promotion to the White House eight years ago.

According to the Manhattan Prosecutor’s Office, the work of Pecker – former editor of the tabloid The National Enquirer – contributed to the plot by buying the publication rights of two other extramarital stories – an alleged ‘affair’ with model Karen McDougal and a false illegitimate son of Trump – to leave them stored in a drawer and thus protect the candidacy of the Republican politician.

A strategy known in English as ‘catch and kill’, which he applied after paying $150,000 to McDougal and $30,000 to the man who claimed to have the exclusive of Trump’s alleged unrecognized offspring, revealed Pecker.

“I made the decision to buy the story (of the alleged illegitimate son) due to the possible embarrassment it would mean for the campaign and for Mr. Trump,” he clarified.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Shortly before, the former American media magnate had explained that they also harmed the former ruler’s political rivals.

“What I had to do was publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and publish negative stories about his opponents,” Pecker, the first witness to testify at the trial, who was called by the Prosecutor’s Office after finishing the initial allegations, confirmed with a calm attitude.

Prosecutors argued on Monday that this “conspiracy,” in which Michael Cohen – former lawyer of the former president of the United States – was forged with a meeting at the Trump Tower in 2015.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

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.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

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.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

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.”