International

109 migrants deported from the US are referred from a hotel in Panama to the Darién

A group of 109 migrants, of the 299 deported by the United States who were in a central hotel in Panama, were transferred last night to a shelter in the province of Darién, where the homonymous forest that forms the natural border with Colombia is located, after not accepting for the moment to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.

Of the rest of the almost 300 migrants deported since last week on three flights from the US to Panama, after an agreement between both nations, at least 13 have already returned by air to their countries and another 177 remain waiting in the hotel in the Panamanian capital after having accepted the voluntary return, a source familiar with the process informed EFE on Wednesday.

The National Migration Service of Panama later announced in a statement of “the evasion of a foreign citizen of Chinese nationality”, which “presumably received external collaboration from individuals who were prowling around the hotel”, so now 176 migrants would remain in the building, which was guarded by Panamanian security forces.

On Tuesday, EFE was outside that hotel where migrants are staying, where some wrote messages on the windows like “help” or “we are not safe in our countries.”

Panama’s Security Minister, Frank Ábrego, explained on Tuesday that those almost 300 deported migrants were in the temporary “custody” or “protection” of the Panamanian government at the Decapolis hotel, near the maritime avenue of Panama City.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

And he noted that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) manage “repatriation”.

The IOM pointed out that its work is limited to working “with local officials to help those affected, supporting the voluntary returns of those who request them and identifying safe alternatives for others,” so they provide “humanitarian support, facilitating returns when it is safe to do so.”

Ábrego had advanced that some 171 migrants of those 299 “agreed to return voluntarily.”

The almost 300 deported migrants arrived in the Central American country on three flights from the United States, which deported them after the tightening of immigration policies with the arrival of President Donald Trump at the White House.

Although the Panamanian Government has not given details of the nationality of the total number of migrants, people from Asia such as China, Afghanistan and India, among others, arrived on the first flight with more than a hundred of those deportees.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Panama agreed to be a “poundge” for the mass deportations of the United States after the visit of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to the Central American country amid tensions over Trump’s threats to “recover” the Channel.

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.”