International

Saudi Arabia will host a meeting between the US and Ukraine next week

Saudi Arabia confirmed this Friday that it will host a meeting between the United States and Ukraine in the coastal city of Jeddah next week, after both countries announced that their respective governments will hold a meeting to move towards negotiations with Russia.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the city of Jeddah will host “the scheduled meeting between the United States and Ukraine,” which will take place next week, although it did not specify the day.

He also affirmed the “continuous efforts of the kingdom to achieve a lasting peace that puts an end to the Ukrainian crisis,” while recalling that Saudi Arabia “has continued these efforts over the last three years by organizing many meetings in this regard.”

Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on his social networks that he will meet on Monday with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohamed bin Salman.

“After that, my team will remain in Saudi Arabia to work with American partners. Ukraine is more than interested in peace,” the Ukrainian president said, after he announced that his administration is working with the Americans to hold a meeting next week to move towards negotiations with Russia.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“As we have told President (Donald) Trump, Ukraine works and will work exclusively constructively for a quick and solid peace,” Zelenski said.

For his part, the United States special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, also trusted that the meeting will be “a good meeting” and also a “good sign for the Russians, because they have also been proactive, in wanting to do something about it.”

According to the Fox network, the US delegation will be composed of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Witkoff himself.

The administrations of Ukraine and the United States resumed contact this week after the debacle of Zelenski’s visit to the White House, which ended prematurely after the Ukrainian president starred in a tense public discussion with Trump and his vice president, JD Vance.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.

International

Oil prices surge again as Middle East tensions persist

Oil prices climbed again on Friday for a second consecutive session, as markets remained concerned about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East with no tangible diplomatic progress.

North Sea Brent crude for May delivery rose 4.22% to close at $112.57 per barrel.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) approached the $100 mark, settling at $99.64, up 5.46%.

The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to delay by ten days his ultimatum for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz failed to reassure market participants.

“It means there will be ten additional days of disruptions in the Middle East for crude and refined product flows,” said Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“For prices to come down, a resolution to the conflict is necessary,” Lipow added. “And even in the event of a ceasefire, it is not certain that Iran would allow oil shipments to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”

International

Young Spanish Woman Receives Euthanasia After Legal Battle, Sparking Debate

A 25-year-old Spanish woman, Noelia Castillo, received euthanasia on Thursday following a prolonged legal dispute with her father.

She passed away at a care center in Sant Pere de Ribes, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona, where she had been living for some time, according to Spanish media reports.

In an interview broadcast a day earlier on Antena 3, Castillo expressed her exhaustion after enduring prolonged suffering. She indicated that her decision was influenced by a combination of personal circumstances and health-related challenges, including family conflicts and a condition of paraplegia following a previous incident that left her with lasting physical consequences.

Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, becoming one of the few countries that allow patients under strict conditions to seek medical assistance to end their lives in order to avoid what the law defines as unbearable suffering.

The case has reignited debate in Spain over the ethical, legal, and family dimensions surrounding euthanasia, as well as the broader issue of support for individuals in vulnerable situations.