International
Zelensky believes that “success is possible” in US-led peace negotiations
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, believes that “success is possible” in the peace negotiations promoted by the United States after the meetings he has held on the margins of the Munich Security Conference with the team of US President Donald Trump.
“We have started working with President Trump’s team and we already feel that success is possible,” he wrote on his social networks from Munich, where last night he concluded two marathon days of interventions before European and American leaders and an intense agenda of meetings with different politicians and, above all, from the United States, such as the vice president, JD Vance, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the envoy for the war in Ukraine, Keith Kellog.
Zelenski indicated that the United States is now seen in the world as a force that can not only stop the war, but also help ensure the reliability of peace after a ceasefire.
In Munich, Zelenski and JD Vance agreed to work for a lasting peace while the European leaders watched the meeting from the margins and with some concern how the Old Continent was excluded from the US plans, both at the negotiating table and from the previous consultations.
Kellog said the day before in a parallel event to the Security Conference that Europe will not be able to participate directly in peace negotiations, but it can propose ideas and suggestions.
Of course, Zelenski stressed that Europe must clearly have a voice, writing that “real peace is possible” even if there will be different attempts by Putin to “deceive everyone and prolong the war.”
“We must achieve it (peace): Ukraine, the United States and Europe. This is our common security,” he emphasized.
He also said that he expects a soon visit from Kellogg to Ukraine to continue studying the situation and find ways for President Trump to adopt “firm and truly pacifying decisions.”
The head of state of Ukraine explained that the two teams are working “with great detail and care on a special agreement” between Kiev and Washington “that will definitively strengthen the United States and Ukraine,” although he did not reveal what agreement it is.
The US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, delivered on the 12th in Kiev to Zelenski a draft of an agreement to guarantee the continuity of US aid to Kiev in exchange for access to critical rare earth minerals owned by Ukraine for an amount of 500 billion euros.
Zelenski, who also met with US senators and members of the North American country’s House of Representatives in Munich, explained last night that Kiev is not yet ready to sign this agreement.
“I have not allowed the ministers to sign the agreement because, in my opinion, it is not prepared to protect us, our interests,” he told the media in Munich, according to the Kyiv Independent newspaper.
International
Shootout in Sinaloa leaves 13 gunmen dead as authorities rescue kidnapping victims
A confrontation between Mexican security forces and an armed group in the troubled state of Sinaloa left 13 gunmen dead and four others arrested, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported on Monday.
Sinaloa, located on the Pacific coast, has been shaken for more than a year by a violent power struggle between factions of a powerful local cartel — a conflict that has resulted in at least 1,700 homicides, including 57 minors, and nearly 2,000 disappearances.
The shootout occurred around 12:45 p.m. local time (18:45 GMT) in the municipality of Guasave, where authorities were able to rescue nine kidnapped individuals following the clash. Officers also seized seven vehicles, long weapons, and tactical equipment, according to the minister’s post on X.
García Harfuch explained that security forces “were attacked by an armed group hiding under a bridge” while patrolling the La Brecha community of Guasave, prompting an “immediate response” from authorities.
The detainees and seized items have been turned over to Mexico’s federal prosecutor’s office, he added.
The internal war within the Sinaloa Cartel erupted after the capture of longtime leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who was betrayed and extradited to the United States in July 2024 by the son of his former partner Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Guzmán has been serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison since 2019.
International
Trump alleges “massive fraud” in California redistricting vote without evidence
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday — without providing evidence — that “fraud” is taking place in California’s referendum on the redrawing of electoral districts, one of the key votes held nationwide alongside mayoral elections in cities such as New York.
“The unconstitutional vote on redistricting in California is a MASSIVE FRAUD, because the entire process, particularly the voting itself, is RIGGED,” the president wrote on his social network, Truth Social.
Trump — who in 2020 also alleged widespread fraud in the presidential election he lost to Joe Biden — argued that Republicans have been “shut out” of mail-in voting and claimed the process is “under very strict legal and criminal investigation.”
Proposition 50, the measure being put to referendum in California, proposes a temporary redrawing of the state’s congressional districts in favor of the Democratic Party. Such a change could jeopardize the Republican majority in the House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposal was introduced by California authorities, where Democrats hold majority power, as a response to a similar Republican-backed initiative in Texas aimed at reshaping districts to boost Trump-aligned candidates in next year’s House elections.
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.
Shootout in Sinaloa leaves 13 gunmen dead as authorities rescue kidnapping victims
Trump alleges “massive fraud” in California redistricting vote without evidence
Four suspected PCC members killed in Police shootout in Florianópolis
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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