International
Trump will receive Zelenski in the US next week and talk to Putin on the phone
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Friday that next week he plans to receive his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House, and will speak on the phone with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in an attempt to end the war in Ukraine.
“I will probably meet with President Zelensky next week and also talk to President Putin. I would like that war to end,” he said in statements to the press in the Oval Office, where he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
The last time Trump met with Zelenski was in December in Paris, in a three-man meeting sponsored by the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Trump had not yet taken office, but served as president-elect after winning the elections weeks earlier against Democrat Kamala Harris.
This Friday, the US president announced, without giving more details, that Zelenski will be in Washington next week.
With regard to Putin, he assured that both have had “always a good relationship.”
“Putin and I have always had a good relationship. That’s why it’s so sad that this (the war) happened. This would never have happened if I had been president,” said the US president.
“So many dead people and so many destroyed cities. Let’s talk about Gaza, but let’s look at Ukraine. Many of those cities are mere rubble. It’s so sad, it should never have happened. All those beautiful golden domes, but most importantly, all those beautiful dead people. It should never have happened,” he added.
Trump said this week that he wants Ukraine to deliver rare earths to the United States – key minerals for technological innovations ranging from electric vehicles and wind turbines to state-of-the-art aircraft – in exchange for the help that Washington is providing.
He has also threatened Moscow with tariffs and more sanctions, as well as promoting a drop in oil prices if the war continues.
Trump advocated before his arrival at the White House on January 20 to end the conflict in Ukraine immediately, something he has not achieved for the moment.
International
Four suspected PCC members killed in Police shootout in Florianópolis
At least four armed men, allegedly linked to an organized crime group, were killed Sunday night during a shootout with police officers at Ponta das Canas beach on the island of Florianópolis, capital of the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, local media reported on Monday.
According to the Santa Catarina Military Police, one of the men killed was a native of the state of São Paulo (southeast) and identified as a leader of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a gang that controls drug trafficking in the Papaquara community in northern Florianópolis, one of Brazil’s most popular tourist areas.
Police said officers were conducting a patrol in the Ponta das Canas neighborhood when they noticed a man entering a house in a hurry, raising suspicion. Upon entering the residence, they encountered four heavily armed individuals.
During the police operation, one of the suspects reportedly attempted to seize an officer’s rifle, triggering the exchange of gunfire. “Faced with the imminent threat and the criminals’ high firepower, the officers responded to stop the aggression,” the Military Police said on social media.
International
U.S. uses $4.65 billion in emergency funds to sustain SNAP benefits amid shutdown
The U.S. government will use $4.65 billion from an emergency fund to finance payments under SNAP, the country’s primary food assistance program, covering roughly “50% of benefits for eligible households,” according to a Department of Agriculture official in court filings.
The administration, however, does not plan to make up the funding shortfall through other resources, as noted in documents submitted to a federal court in Rhode Island.
This announcement follows a federal judge’s order in Providence — one of two issued last week — requiring the government to tap emergency funds to ensure the program remains operational.
The Trump administration argues that SNAP is running out of money amid a month-long federal government shutdown, triggered by a budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans who continue to blame each other for the crisis.
President Trump said on Friday that he was willing to release the necessary funds if the courts required it and emphasized that he does not want “Americans to go hungry.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, accused Trump and the Republican Party on Sunday of “weaponizing hunger” during the political dispute.
International
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
A U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, marking the latest in a series of attacks in international waters.
The United States has deployed ships to the Caribbean and sent fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a large military force that Washington says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known to our intelligence for being involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,” Hegseth stated on X. “Three narcoterrorists were aboard the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters,” he added.
Experts argue that the attacks, which began in early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, even if the targets are known traffickers.
Washington has yet to publicly provide evidence that the targeted individuals were actively smuggling drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Hegseth said the U.S. would continue “hunting… and killing” suspected traffickers. He also shared video footage of the strike, showing the vessel being hit and engulfed in flames. As in previous videos, sections of the ship were blurred, making it impossible to verify the number of people on board.
The United Nations called on Friday for Washington to halt its attacks.
Four suspected PCC members killed in Police shootout in Florianópolis
U.S. uses $4.65 billion in emergency funds to sustain SNAP benefits amid shutdown
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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