International

Xiomara Castro reaches an “agreement” with the United States for Honduras to continue the extradition treaty

The president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, announced on Tuesday that her government reached an “agreement” with the United States Administration to continue the bilateral extradition treaty, a decision that occurs just ten days before the end of the treaty after the Honduran president’s accusations of US “interference”.

“I announce that I have reached an agreement with the new administration of the United States so that the Extradition Treaty continues with the necessary safeguards for the State of Honduras, guaranteeing its objective application,” Castro stressed in a message in X.

On August 28, the president denounced the extradition treaty with the United States dating from the last century, which provoked many reactions against sectors that consider that it meant a clear path for drug traffickers to continue operating freely in Honduras.

The president argued that the decision had been made before the interference of the United States ambassador in Tegucigalpa, Laura Dogu, who had criticized a visit to Venezuela by the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces, General Roosevelt Hernández, accompanying the then Secretary of Defense, José Manuel Zelaya.

The United States ambassador in Tegucigalpa expressed her country’s “concern” about the meeting of Honduras Defense authorities with the sanctioned Minister of Defense of Venezuela, Vladimir Padrino López, as part of a military sports event.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Thus, Castro added on Tuesday, “I have assured respect for the integrity of the Armed Forces, an institution responsible for defending sovereignty, maintaining peace, asserting the empire of the Constitution and guaranteeing the security of our democratic electoral process.”

Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina reiterated on Monday in statements to journalists that the extradition treaty with the United States was denounced in the face of his country’s concern about the possibility that this mechanism can be used for political purposes, within the framework of the electoral process that Honduras is experiencing, with primary and internal elections, on March 9, and general elections on November 30.

He also pointed out that extradition is a “very important” tool.

“It is a useful tool, our concern is that it is not used for political issues, especially in electoral terms,” Reina said.

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.”