International

Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are in their “final phase,” according to the United States

Negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are in their “final phase,” although there remain some pitfalls that U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss during their meeting at the White House, said a senior US official.

According to this source, during the meeting, Biden will try to solve some of the “final gaps” to reach an agreement that allows a truce to be declared in the Gaza Strip, where more than 39,000 people have already died, in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages who remain in the enclave and Palestinian prisoners.

“We believe that we are in the final stages and that an agreement can be closed,” said the official, who spoke with the press on Wednesday under the condition of remaining anonymous.

The official was confident that the obstacles that are still present can be resolved and said that there will be “a lot of activity in the next week” with more meetings aimed at reaching an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip.

The US representative downplayed some of the statements made by Netanyahu this Wednesday in his speech before the two chambers of Congress, in which he promised a “total victory” over Hamas.

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Instead of falling into rhetoric, the conversation with Biden will focus on how the agreement would be put into practice once both parties approach positions, that source explained.

“I don’t expect the meeting (with Netanyahu) to be a yes or a no, it’s rather a ‘How do we close these final gaps?’ And there are some things we need on the Israeli side, without a doubt,” the official added.

The last indirect talks between Israel and Hamas took place a couple of weeks ago in Doha and Cairo, with positive signs that an agreement was close.

However, at the last minute Netanyahu added demands that blocked the dialogue again, such as the Israeli control of the Philadelphia corridor – the border of the Strip with Egypt – and the Rafah crossing.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

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Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.