International

Greenpeace will have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to the Energy Transfer company

A popular jury ruled on Wednesday that the Greenpeace organization must pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to the company Energy Transfer (ET) for inciting protests against the construction of a company pipeline that degenerated into acts of vandalism.

The jury found Greenpeace responsible for defamation and other lawsuits filed by ET, which accused it of instigating the 2016 Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s protests against the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline in the north of the country, which delayed the project and raised costs.

The energy company, based in Dallas (Texas), claimed 300 million dollars (about 287 million euros), a figure that the environmental organization itself has declared that would threaten its very existence.

Greenpeace had denied ET’s accusations, claiming that it simply supported those protests and is not responsible for their development.

The jury, composed of nine people, has made its decision after two days of deliberations in a court in North Dakota (United States) and a trial that has lasted almost a month.

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In its lawsuit, ET included the entities Greenpeace International, Greenpeace Inc and the Greenpeace Fund.

The case has been denounced as an example of a Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation (SLAPP), a type of civil litigation increasingly used by corporations, politicians and other powerful groups against activists, opponents or journalists, among others.

During the protests, which took place between 2016 and 2017, thousands of people camped for months arguing that the pipeline was being built on sacred lands and that it could pose a danger to the water supply.

According to The New York Times, the co-founder and chairman of the board of directors of Energy Transfer, Kelcy Warren – one of the largest donors in the last presidential campaign of the president, Donald Trump – assured in a video projected during the final arguments that the demonstrators created “a totally false narrative.”

One of the company’s lawyers, Trey Cox, said during the trial that “Greenpeace took a small and disorganized local case and exploited it to close the pipeline and promote his own selfish agenda,” reports the New York media.

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In a post on its website written before the verdict was known, the organization assures that, with this lawsuit, Energy Transfer “has used the US legal system as a weapon to try to silence us at a time when our voices are more necessary.”

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.

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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.

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“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.