In another post on X, the ambassador reiterated the White House's position and reaffirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal. "The world needs to hear this loud and clear: The United States and our partners will NEVER allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Period. End of story," he added. His remarks come amid growing concern over the Iranian regime's refusal to allow international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities.

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Waltz's remarks came two days after he was involved in a shouting match with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. The viral exchange took place during the General Assembly's annual debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba. The incident began while Waltz, speaking at the podium, denounced the Cuban communist regime as corrupt. The ambassador to the UN accused the Cuban government of seizing citizens' property, businesses, and savings to benefit its leaders. He even showed photographs of the late dictator Fidel Castro wearing two watches, whose combined value he estimated at about $40,000 in today's currency.

In the middle of his speech, members of the Cuban delegation banged on the table and interrupted him. Rodríguez Parrilla then approached the podium and accused him of lying. At that moment, Waltz did not remain silent and said the following before the eyes of those present: "This individual needs to back away from this podium. He's not going to intimidate me in the United States of America. I'm the representative of the United States of America. Back up! Back up, Ambassador. Back away! This isn't Havana," he added.

Clandestine return and criticism of the oil agreement’s lack of transparency

Machado declined to provide logistical details about her re-entry into the country to protect her security team, saying her inner circle carried out an autonomous operation after multiple failed attempts.

As for the U.S. administration's decisions, the opposition leader distanced herself from the energy agreement under which Venezuela will transfer 20% of its oil reserves to the United States. "This agreement does not reflect the level of transparency that Venezuelan society demands," she argued.

Despite her skepticism about the trade agreement, the leader emphasized that the relationship with Washington remains within a framework of "absolute respect" and ruled out directly joining the dialogue between the 2015 National Assembly and the interim administration, although she expressed interest in that forum succeeding in restructuring public powers.

Delcy Rodríguez responds with economic announcements and a promise of elections

Hours before Machado's speech, the regime's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, issued a rare recorded message on national television to mitigate the political fallout caused by the opposition leader's return.

Rodriguez announced that she had ordered a technical assessment of non-essential state assets to return them to their former owners or put them up for bid to the private sector, in an effort to provide legal certainty for investments.

At the same time, the interim president responded to Machado's protest by asserting that the street protests "could have been avoided" and reiterated that her administration will call for general elections.

"There will be elections with the world as a witness," Rodriguez asserted, opening the door to a process supervised by the international community amid growing domestic and international pressure.

Opinion

María Corina Machado is back to bring stability to Venezuela

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"I'm here. With you": María Corina Machado confirms her return to Venezuela

Israel Duro

President Daniel Noboa confirmed the extradition via his X account. "Daniel Salcedo, Ronald Herrera, and alias Churrón were extradited. With them, there are now nine who have been sent to face international justice," wrote the president, who has made judicial cooperation with Washington into one of the cornerstones of his security policy.

World

Ecuador: Former left-wing presidential candidate Luisa González arrested for alleged irregular campaign financing

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The Villavicencio case and those extradited

Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed on August 9, 2023 as he was leaving a rally in Quito, eleven days before the first round of the election. The Ecuadorian has already secured convictions for the perpetrators of the crime, including members of Los Lobos, with sentences of up to 34 years and eight months in prison. However, the case against the alleged masterminds remains open.

Daniel Salcedo, who has received several convictions in Ecuador for corruption and organized crime, is being prosecuted as the alleged mastermind in the FV assassination. The United States has requested his extradition to the Southern District of New York Court on charges of conspiracy to import narcotics, possession of machine guns, and money laundering. Ronald Herrera, a former police officer and protected witness for the Prosecutor's Office in the Ecuadorian investigation, faces similar charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses in the same judicial district. Both have agreed to the simplified extradition procedure.

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Alias "Churrón" and Los Choneros

The third person extradited, Francisco Manuel Bermúdez, alias Churron, was captured on July 3, 2026, in Guayaquil. Authorities identify him as one of the leaders of Los Choneros, a criminal organization involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and contract killings, and close to its top leader, José Adolfo Macías, alias Fito, who has already been extradited to the United States.

Bermúdez is being sought by the Eastern District of New York on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, international distribution of the drug, and the use of firearms to facilitate the trafficking. In 2025, the U.S. offered a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to his capture.

World

Trump administration revokes visas for 17 officials, businessmen rrom Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru over ties to corruption, drug trafficking

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According to a report by the Salvadoran Foreign Ministry, President Nayib Bukele spoke on Wednesday with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé about the operation and the continuation of El Salvador's military mission in the Caribbean nation.

"El Salvador will continue the operational deployment of more than 2,000 soldiers to rescue the four Salvadoran soldiers, in a large-scale operation supported by several countries and international organizations," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

Ambush and Bukele's warning

The four missing persons are military aviation technicians who were members of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), an international mission authorized by the United Nations to support the Haitian police in their fight against criminal organizations.

The attack took place on Oct. 18, when armed men intercepted their armored vehicle as they were returning to a base on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. According to Reuters, the attackers used gunfire and explosives, causing the vehicle to catch fire.

The soldiers managed to escape, but their whereabouts have been unknown ever since.

Last week, Bukele warned the Haitian gangs that he would step up operations against them if they did not release the Salvadorans. The president even threatened to crack down on these groups as he has done in El Salvador, where his security strategy has drastically reduced gang violence.

World

Bukele launches military operation in Haiti to rescue 4 Salvadorans kidnapped by gangs: ‘Today’s attack is nothing compared to what is coming’

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Haiti faces serious security crisis

The new personnel will bolster search operations in Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, an area near Port-au-Prince where powerful criminal organizations operate.

According to The Washington Post, gangs control approximately 90% of the Haitian capital, while the violence has displaced about 1.5 million people.

The Salvadoran deployment also coincides with a further postponement of the elections in Haiti, whose first round has been rescheduled for July 2027 due to ongoing insecurity.

As of Thursday, Salvadoran authorities had not confirmed the rescue of the four soldiers.

Despite the victory, Netanyahu will need to reach an agreement with the other parties and seek external support to form a majority that will allow him to remain at the helm of the Israeli government for another four years.

The parties allied with Likud won a total of 26 seats, distributed as follows: Otzma Yehudit (seven), United Torah Judaism (seven), Shas (six), and Religious Zionism–Zehut (six).

With these results, Netanyahu secures 53 of the 61 seats needed to hold an absolute majority.

The main opposition party, Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot, received 16.1% of the vote, a result that gives it 21 seats. Its coalition partners—B'Yachad, the Democrats, and Yisrael Beiteinu—won 12, eight, and seven seats in the Knesset, respectively.

Netanyahu, who will be the first candidate nominated to form a government by the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, will have 28 days to do so, with a possible two-week extension.

From a perspective critical of the European and global institutional framework, Lagarde's career illustrates the continuity of a technocratic model of governance. Her tenure at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the French government, and the ECB, as well as the speculation about a possible move to the World Economic Forum (WEF) reinforce the perception of an elite that moves freely among supranational organizations with limited direct democratic accountability.

A career forged in organizations without direct electoral oversight

Lagarde joined the ECB in November 2019 after serving as head of the IMF and as France's finance minister. Her early departure allows her, as she herself stated, to regain her freedom of speech and "the freedom to engage on matters that are not monetary policy matters."

At a press conference on Thursday, as reported by AFP, she stated that she does not believe she can "remain neutral" in the current political climate. The institution confirmed that the succession process will begin immediately to ensure an orderly transition ahead of the French presidential election in April, in which the nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen is leading in the polls.

Her resignation and the French political calendar

Lagarde has ruled out running for the French presidency herself. Last month she told the French newspaper La Croix that doing so "wouldn't be a good idea." Various media outlets suggest she could take over as head of the World Economic Forum, the organizer of the Davos summit.

The French president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday praised her "commitment to Europe" and her "determined" leadership, and called for the succession to be prepared "in an orderly and balanced manner." Antonio Costa noted that, "through a global pandemic, a war in Europe, energy crises, and inflationary shocks," Lagarde had provided "steady leadership."

Inflation, interest rates, and the delayed response

On the very day of the announcement, Lagarde reported that the ECB's Governing Council had discussed a possible rate hike but unanimously decided to keep rates unchanged given the stability of core inflation and high uncertainty.

Inflation in the eurozone remains nearly double the 2% target. During Christine Lagarde's tenure, the ECB managed the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp spike in prices in 2022, when inflation exceeded 10% following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The agency then faced harsh criticism for the slowness of its initial response. For months, it insisted that the rise was "transitory" and maintained a highly expansionary policy, unlike the Federal Reserve or the Bank of England, which began raising rates earlier. It was not until July 2022, with inflation already spiraling out of control, that the ECB began a rapid cycle of rate hikes. Now, the situation is becoming complicated once again due to the energy implications of the U.S. war against the Iranian regime and tensions surrounding France's public finances.

According to regional authorities cited by AFP, the projectile struck an area where a commuter train and a passenger train were located. The governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Oleksandr Ganzha, confirmed that the death toll had risen to 14 dead and another 14 injured, six of whom are in serious condition. Among the injured are an 11-year-old boy and a man who had to have both legs amputated due to multiple shrapnel wounds.

Images released by Ukrainian emergency services show bodies on the platform, rescue teams assisting victims and two burned-out passenger cars with shattered windows. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it intercepted three jet-powered drones during the daytime attack, but a fourth managed to evade defenses and reach the station.

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Local ceasefire in Oleshky remains in effect

The attack occurred as Kiev and Moscow are trying to maintain a local ceasefire in the city of Oleshky, which has been under Russian control since 2022. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced that he had set out with a delegation for Oleshky via Belarus and Russia. Both sides confirmed that the ceasefire was holding on its third day. However, Russian attacks continued in the rest of the country.

French President Emmanuel Macron reacted strongly and emphasized that "much more than a localized ceasefire" like the one in Oleshky is needed. "It is intolerable that Russia continues to reject all proposals to this end, choosing instead to pursue escalation and target civilians," he wrote on social media.

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Musk accuses Ukraine of violating Starlink's terms of service

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Zelensky criticizes easing of sanctions on Russia

Zelensky used the attack as an opportunity to criticize the agreement reached this month between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which eased some sanctions against Russia and allowed Moscow to sell diesel on international markets. "Just how many terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on certain Russian oligarchs and the Russian energy sector, rather than de-escalating?" asked the Ukrainian leader on X.

In addition to the attack in Dnipro, AFP reported that at least six other people were killed in various parts of Ukraine. In Chernihiv, north of Kiev, a bombing killed two 15-year-old teenagers and injured nearly two dozen people, including four children. In Kremenchuk, a drone struck a multi-story residential building, killing three people and injuring several others, including a 6-year-old child.

World

Melania Trump announces she secured ceasefire in Ukrainian city

AFP

According to Axios, Vance's letter explicitly stated that any negotiations aimed at preventing further U.S. military strikes would require discussions about Iran's nuclear program.

Trump, however, distanced himself from the statement a few hours later. Before a campaign event in Ohio, he stated that he had not pushed for the resumption of peace talks and that the contact was intended solely to facilitate medical supplies and humanitarian aid to the civilian population. "JD Vance asked me what I thought, and I told him, 'If you want to do it, that's fine with me,'" he said. Rezaei was expected to respond formally on Thursday.

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Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz: Three oil tankers and a drone

At the same time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday that three oil tankers had exploded and caught fire in the last 24 hours after colliding with naval mines while attempting to cross via the southern route, which Tehran considers unauthorized. According to the statement reported by AFP, the ships had turned off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from the Iranian Navy.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has reiterated in recent weeks that the main transit routes have been cleared of landmines. The Revolutionary Guard spokesman, Hossein Mohebi, publicly challenged that claim on X: "Back up your claim that the Strait of Hormuz has been cleared of mines with independent evidence, not just statements." The British maritime agency UKMTO also reported a sighting of a burning vessel in the strait, though it did not specify the cause or whether there were any casualties.

In a separate statement, the Guardians claimed to have captured a U.S. reconnaissance drone of the MQM-170 type through an electronic warfare operation in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz. No images or independent confirmation of the incident have been released.

World

The head of intelligence warns that Iran has stepped up its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East

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Sanrio, the company behind the popular character Hello Kitty, apologized on Thursday for the controversy and announced the cancellation of its commercial partnership with the series. In a statement, the company said it had received feedback from various sectors regarding the products associated with the drama and stated: "We sincerely apologise for any concern this may have caused."

The company explained that the project "contains expressions that are inconsistent with the Sanrio Group's corporate philosophy." For that reason, it stated that it had "decided to cease this collaboration, as well as all subsequent projects and promotional campaigns."

The partnership included a line of promotional products in which Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters were depicted as characters from "Vivant," a series currently in its second season.

Before the apology, the Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times had accused the series of "smearing China" and claimed that it had "sparked shock and fierce backlash on social media."

The media outlet also argued that the production reflected the "anti-China narrative of the current conservative Japanese right-wing administration," referring to the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing, which have historically been tense, have deteriorated since Takaichi suggested last year that Japan might intervene militarily in the event of a conflict involving Taiwan. China claims the self-governing island as part of its territory and has vowed to bring it under its control.

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TBS defends the fictional nature of the series

The private network TBS, which produced "Vivant," defended the drama's content and denied that its intention was to attack any particular country.

"It is a completely fictional entertainment work," the broadcaster said in a statement sent to AFP.

"There is absolutely no intention to deliver messages that disparage any particular nation or hurt public sentiment," he added.

The network's president also told Japanese media that TBS "does not in any way take a position that foments conflict between nations or condones the use of force or violence."

The commercial partnership had drawn criticism from users of the Chinese social media platform Weibo. "Sanrio, you are a brand for conveying a message of beauty and goodness, why have you got involved with this?" one user wrote.

"It's disappointing," noted another publication, which recalled that the company's founder had participated for years in various anti-war activities and argued that Sanrio had originally been founded on the ideals of ending conflicts and valuing peace.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun joined in the criticism during a regular press conference held on Thursday, following Sanrio's announcement.

"This television drama once again reveals the persistent existence inside Japan of a force that seeks to use cultural products to vilify and smear China and spread anti-Chinese sentiment," he said.

"This should raise alarm amongst the international community and enlightened individuals within Japan," he added.

“Serious suspicions have been brought before me of improper influence, through foreign funding by external actors acting against the Israeli interest, on the elections,” Sohlberg wrote.

“I cannot attest to the nature of the aforementioned suspicions,” he continued. Because the suspicions concern foreign actors, there is “a duty to investigate them properly,” he wrote.

“Only in this way can we ensure public trust in the election process”

Sohlberg instructed the domestic intelligence agency “to locate evidence to substantiate the aforementioned suspicions or to refute them.”

“Only in this way can we ensure public trust in the election process,” he wrote.

Citing the legal deadlines for filing election appeals, Sohlberg asked Zini to present any findings within a week.

Channel 12 reported that the suspicions concern Qatar

The letter does not name the foreign actor, but Channel 12 reported that the suspicions concern Qatar. According to the report, large sums allegedly flowed from Doha to illegally boost voter turnout in the Arab sector.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party on Wednesday accused Arab parties of stealing the election through widespread fraud and called for a police and Shin Bet investigation.

The party alleged that thousands of envelopes containing cash and United Arab List (Ra’am Party) ballots were handed out at polling stations in Arab communities. It also alleged identity fraud and ballot-count discrepancies.

© JNS

Elsewhere in his speech, Trump also argued that the armed conflict the United States is still engaged in with Iran must be understood in the context of decades of hostility between Washington and Tehran. "I was listening to a very good congressman last week and he said 'Trump didn't start this war.' This war was started in 1979 by Iran and killed many, many Americans," the president said, referring to the period following the Iranian Revolution.

Trump's remarks came on the same day that oil prices fell during early trading in Asia, as investors weighed potential risks to energy supplies against other market pressures amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

World

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West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, the U.S. benchmark, fell 92 cents, or 0.9%, to $101.86 per barrel, hitting an intraday low of $101.75, after rising approximately 3% during Wednesday's session. According to a report by the Reuters news agency, the decline came as markets continued to assess the potential impact of the conflict on global oil supplies and energy prices.

Similarly, Trump's remarks come just a few days after the Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, warned that Iran has "substantially" increased its efforts to attack U.S. personnel in the Middle East and other countries. "We have received intelligence indicating that Iran has substantially increased its efforts to attack U.S. personnel," Clayton stated in a memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a U.S. official. The document, initially reported by Axios, warns that Iranian plans to target U.S. citizens have reached an advanced stage.

In the statement, he also denounced fraud and promised to lead the opposition against President Lula da Silva from the United States.

Last Sunday, Bolsonaro was defeated in the runoff of the Brazilian presidential election. He received 48% of the vote, compared to Lula's 51%, who won a fourth term and became the first candidate to finish second in the first round and still win the runoff. Bolsonaro refused to accept the results that same Sunday, questioning the intervention of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) in what he described as "a change in the rules of the game in the middle of the match."

The son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil on Tuesday night, hours after the STF ordered his passport to be confiscated as part of a judicial investigation. He traveled to Argentina, where he then boarded a flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. There, along with his family, he finally boarded a flight to the United States.

World

Brazil: Controversial Judge Alexandre de Moraes orders Flávio Bolsonaro's passports to be confiscated just seven minutes after Lula da Silva's contentious victory

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World

Flávio Bolsonaro arrives in Florida after leaving Brazil, sparking new diplomatic controversy

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"This is just the beginning of our fight for democracy"

In the statement, Bolsonaro wrote that he was addressing the Brazilian people and the international community as "the leader of Brazil." Regarding the elections, he stated that he watched "with dismay as electoral fraud unfolded before my eyes."

"The illegitimate and illegal actions of Lula's former lawyer allowed a mathematical impossibility to become a reality and enabled Lula to gain more than 10 million votes between the first and second rounds," the former candidate continued.

He also personally thanked the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President of Argentina, Javier Milei.

"I want to say—not just to my 60 million voters, but to the Brazilian people—that I am the leader (he previously wrote "president-elect") and that the criminals who stole the election in Brazil are part of a criminal organization that established a tyranny," he added.

For his part, Flávio Bolsonaro questioned the election results and the judiciary, alluding to the prison sentence his father is serving: "It was not my intention to abandon my homeland, but I know exactly where this is headed. This is the classic playbook for any coup d'état. The political persecution that began with my father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, and has spread to thousands of other ordinary, patriotic Brazilians—and even U.S. citizens—has a single objective: to silence anyone who disagrees with the state of emergency established in Brazil, through a Supreme Court co-opted by the PT criminal organization."

In addition, she was compared to other world leaders who had to exercise leadership from abroad, including Charles de Gaulle, Maria Corina Machado and José Martí.

"I will lead the opposition from here. I will say what you there cannot say, and I will take the risks that you cannot take," he declared.

What did Trump say?

Shortly after Flávio Bolsonaro released the statement, President Trump was asked about the initial report—whether he agreed that he was Brazil's "president-elect."

The president refused to endorse that account and responded as follows: "I'm not going to make any comment about that. I'm not getting involved in that. It was some very strange elections, that's clear."

The next day, federal agents approached the senator on the street and demanded that he surrender his regular and diplomatic passports within 24 hours. The order also prohibited him from leaving the country and from contacting attorney Willer Tomaz.

World

Flávio Bolsonaro arrives in Florida after leaving Brazil, sparking new diplomatic controversy

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Moraes' order and the seven-minute time limit

Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and a candidate who faced Lula in the runoff election, had not been convicted or formally charged at the time the order was issued. The ongoing investigations focus on possible links to Tomaz—who is under investigation for alleged large-scale transactions on betting platforms—and on the financing of a documentary about his father.

A few days later, Flávio was in Miami. As noted by the journalist Michael Shellenberger in Public, it is not only Flávio Bolsonaro who has fled Brazil to escape what he describes as persecution by Alexandre de Moraes and the pro-Lula wing of the Supreme Court. Glenn Greenwald stated on X that "there are dozens of Brazilian exiles who have done the same: dissident journalists, activists, bloggers, and politicians who fled to avoid a certain prison sentence for their political opposition."

The sequence of events is hard to ignore. Moraes took on Tomaz's case through the Supreme Court's random assignment system of the Supreme Court. The police request was signed at 9:16 p.m. on Sunday, immediately after the result was announced.

Members of the Federal Government and the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court deplored Moraes' decision to withhold Flávio Bolsonaro's passports, according to reports from BandNews FM columnist Mônica Bergamo.

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Ongoing investigations and no conviction

For Shellenberger, the case against Flávio is "a blatant witch hunt riddled with irregularities." According to the journalist, it is not based on any evidence of his guilt, much less on an indictment or conviction.

According to the Federal Police (PF), there are emails and bank records linking Flávio Bolsonaro to attorney Willer Tomaz. In the documentation for opening a Santander account in the name of Alcazar Holdings—a company owned by Tomaz and based in Madeira (Portugal)— the senator was listed as the "master user." That status, in principle, gave him a high level of access and control over the account. On May 22, 2025, one of Tomaz's secretaries asked the bank to remove his name, and Santander did so the same day.

These elements are part of the investigation into alleged money laundering linked to online gambling and have been reported by media outlets such as G1 and Folha. However, they do not constitute a conviction or a formal charge, but rather the basis on which the investigation is proceeding.

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Moraes' background and the Vorcaro case

Moraes is no stranger to controversy. Since 2019, he has been leading the "fake news investigation" launched by the Federal Supreme Court to investigate the spread of false news and attacks on institutions. In this context, he has ordered the removal of social media accounts and content that, according to his rulings, incited violence or threatened the democratic order. In 2024, he blocked X for several weeks after the platform, under Elon Musk, refused to comply with orders to remove profiles and appoint a legal representative in Brazil, and threatened fines against those who used VPNs to circumvent the block.

According to Michael Shellenberger, courts in Italy and Spain have rejected extradition requests related to warrants issued by Alexandre de Moraes, citing a lack of impartiality or political motivation. An Italian court refused to extradite a former advisor to the minister because Moraes was both the "aggrieved party" and the person leading the investigation; Spain's Audiencia Nacional rejected another extradition request on the grounds that it had an "obvious political connection and motivation."

Moraes has professional ties to Daniel Vorcaro, the banker whose Banco Master left a hole of 51.8 billion reais (about 9,700 million dollars) in the deposit insurance fund. Moraes's wife's law firm signed a legal services contract with Banco Master for 131 million reais (about $23 million). The minister himself acknowledged that the contract "legally exists." Investigators found edits to the metadata of documents under the username "Minister Alexandre de Moraes." Moraes and Vorcaro met at least nine times between March 2024 and August 2025.

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The contrast with Lula's treatment

The contrast with the treatment Lula received is striking. In 2017, a judge sentenced him to nine years and six months in prison in connection with the Guarujá triplex case, in which he was accused of accepting renovations valued at approximately 3.7 million reais (1.2 million dollars). Two years later, another judge sentenced him to twelve years and eleven months in a separate case related to improvements made to a rural property. Lula was released from prison in November 2019, after 580 days in detention. In 2021, the Supreme Court overturned the convictions on grounds of territorial jurisdiction, and subsequently, the court's Second Panel ruled, by a 3-to-2 vote, that Judge Sergio Moro had been biased. No court found the evidence to be false.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court and the government maintain that the investigations against Flávio Bolsonaro are legitimate. Lula called the senator's departure "shameful" and stated that "that's just how the Bolsonaro family is—they're kissing up to the United States."

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Growing distrust and social media regulation

The order regarding passports comes amid growing distrust toward the Supreme Court. According to figures cited by Shellenberger, AtlasIntel found that 61% do not trust the judges of the Court. In an Indexa poll, 45% of Brazilians said that Moraes makes decisions primarily based on political criteria and only 16% based on legal criteria. Datafolha reported in September a 48% distrust toward the Supreme Court—the highest since the series began in 2012—and 34% want Moraes removed from the court. 59% considered it was wrong to prohibit Flavio from visiting his imprisoned father.

The Senate has received 55 impeachment requests against Moraes, although its president, Davi Alcolumbre, has said that he will not process them "even with 81 signatures." Lula, for his part, announced in his victory speech that "communication will change" and that he will regulate digital platforms, in line with Moraes' approach of treating crimes on social media as crimes in the real world.

Shellenberger concludes that by forcing Bolsonaro into exile through an order issued seven minutes after the election results were announced, Lula and Moraes are turning Brazil into a "banana republic." The verifiable facts, the timing of the measure, the absence of a prior conviction, and the history of censorship and the ongoing investigations all support this critical interpretation.

Whether it is a case of systematic political persecution or the strict application of the law remains a matter of debate. What is difficult to dispute is that the sequence of events has further eroded confidence in the independence of the Brazilian judiciary and has opened a new chapter of political exile in a country that presents itself as a democracy.

World

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Although the General Assembly approved the document once again, the result was 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions, compared to 165 in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions the previous year, according to Diario de Cuba and The Associated Press.

The result represents a significant decline in international support for Havana's position.

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Which countries changed their stance?

Among the 17 countries that voted against the resolution were the United States, Israel, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Hungary and Ukraine, among others.

Also noteworthy were the abstentions by Chile and Peru, as well as those of several European countries, including Germany, Italy, Greece, Poland and the Netherlands, according to the tally published by Diario de Cuba.

The vote took place after an intense diplomatic campaign by the Trump administration to reduce support for the Cuban resolution. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez had previously accused Washington of pressuring and threatening other governments to change their votes, according to Reuters.

United States orders expulsion of Cuban diplomat following altercation

The setback for Havana came just a few hours after Washington announced the expulsion of Richard Tur de la Concepción, first secretary of the Cuban mission to the United Nations, who was accused of attempting to assault a member of the U.S. delegation.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz announced during an interview on the show "Hannity" that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had signed the documents ordering his expulsion from the country.

Waltz assured that the diplomat would be on a plane bound for Havana within the next 24 hours and warned that the Trump administration would not tolerate attacks against its representatives.

According to ADN Cuba, the incident occurred when Tur tried to snatch the phone from J. P. Freire, Waltz's spokesperson, who was recording the protests by the Cuban delegation during Tuesday's session. The confrontation was captured on video and shared on social media.

The altercation occurred while Waltz was speaking from the podium, questioning the privileges of the Cuban ruling elite and the island's political and economic situation. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez responded by interrupting him and accused the U.S. representative of lying, in a confrontation that forced the president of the General Assembly to intervene, according to The Associated Press.

Politics

'Back off. This isn't Havana': Mike Waltz confronts Cuba's foreign minister at UN after attempt to silence him

Joaquín Núñez

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"The U.S. government was offering a $5 million reward" for this man accused of manufacturing, distributing and importing cocaine and heroin, said Secretary Omar García Harfuch on his social media accounts.

World

Mexico rejects expanding American companies' participation in energy sector

Carlos Dominguez

The operation

According to Harfuch, González Peñuelas and another alleged criminal were killed after clashing with personnel from the Mexican Navy during an operation. The sailors, who were attacked by the criminals, seized four vehicles, three long guns, magazines and ammunition.

The Mexican Navy confirmed that the clash occurred during a security operation in the region. Following the skirmish, troops seized the weapons and vehicles used by the alleged criminals; there were no casualties among military personnel.

World

Mexico: Sheinbaum denies the IMSS crisis as doctors and nurses protest over wages, medications and a shortage of specialists

Carlos Dominguez

Enhanced monitoring in Sinaloa

Peñuelas' arrest comes one day after García Harfuch announced that this week the Mexican Navy, Army and Ministry of Security will conduct coordinated oversight visits to Sinaloa.

The goal of these actions is to monitor operational deployments, engage in dialogue with local police officers, and inspect the site where a new prison will be built.

Bolsonaro, 45, landed at Opa-locka Executive Airport, near Miami, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, following a trip to Argentina and Ecuador that caused confusion about his whereabouts and sparked a new diplomatic crisis in the region.

The arrival was confirmed by a journalist from the AFP news agency. Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported that the senator had left Brazil despite an order from the Federal Supreme Court requiring him to surrender his passports as part of investigations into alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

Bolsonaro's journey: From Brazil to Miami

According to the National Immigration Directorate of Argentina, the senator crossed the border on Tuesday at 10:50 p.m. via the Tancredo Neves International Bridge, which connects Brazil with the Argentine province of Misiones.

Authorities confirmed that Bolsonaro and his family entered the country with valid documentation and that there were no legal impediments on Argentine soil.

Shortly thereafter, they boarded a private flight operated by Baires Fly from Puerto Iguazú to Guayaquil, Ecuador. The aircraft made a stopover before continuing on to Florida.

The route was confirmed by Reuters, which also noted that the senator had publicly denied any intention of leaving Brazil.

Trump authorizes his entry while Lula questions his departure

The Donald Trump administration confirmed that it would grant entry visas to Bolsonaro and his family.

Trump, a political ally of the Bolsonaros, questioned the Brazilian election results and described the election as strange.

Lula criticized his rival's departure and argued that he should have stayed in Brazil to defend himself against the legal charges.

The incident is also straining relations between Brazil and Argentina, whose president, Javier Milei, publicly endorsed Bolsonaro's candidacy and even participated in his campaign.

World

Brazil's Supreme Court orders investigation into Bolsonaro over possible foreign funding

Alejandro Baños

An electoral defeat and several judicial investigations

Bolsonaro lost the presidential runoff on Oct. 25 by a margin of approximately 4.4 million votes. However, he questioned the result and announced his intention to challenge the election.

Brazilian authorities are investigating him in two cases related to alleged financial irregularities. According to the AP, one of them involves suspicions of money laundering through a sports betting company and fraudulent deductions from the pensions of the elderly.

The senator denies having committed any wrongdoing and has claimed the investigations are a form of political intimidation.

"We really don't want this to turn into 'Yalta 2, 3, 4,' with a redistribution of influence," Zelensky told reporters, referring to the 1945 conference at which the Allied powers divided up their spheres of influence following the Second World War.

World

Witkoff arrives in Russia to meet with Putin following a 'positive' conversation with Zelensky

Williams Perdomo

A summit that "Russia wants more than anyone else"

The Kremlin has confirmed that a meeting is being arranged between Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his counterparts from China and the United States, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for November in Shenzhen.

"What China, Russia and the United States might discuss has not yet been clearly defined," acknowledged Zelensky, who sees that meeting as a diplomatic risk for Kyiv.

""Russia wants this meeting more than anyone else," said the Ukrainian president, warning that giving Moscow a high-level negotiating forum without Ukraine's participation could amount to "another major diplomatic advantage" for the Kremlin.

Russia has been seeking a comprehensive agreement with Washington on the European security architecture for years, particularly an end to the expansion of NATO near its borders. Moscow maintains that its invasion of Ukraine was a response to that alleged threat, a justification that Kyiv and its allies flatly reject.

World

Musk accuses Ukraine of violating Starlink's terms of service

Israel Duro

The race against the clock before Shenzhen

Ukraine and Russia plan to meet in November in the United Arab Emirates with U.S. emissaries in an effort to revive peace talks. Although no date has been confirmed yet, Zelensky wants the meeting to take place before the Shenzhen summit, so that Ukraine does not arrive there with decisions already made by others.

At the same time, Kyiv has asked Washington to increase its supply of Patriot missiles, which are crucial for intercepting Russian attacks. According to Zelensky, Ukraine currently receives 12 Patriot systems per month, but it needs to shoot down 150 ballistic missiles each month, a shortfall that leaves Ukrainian cities vulnerable during bombings.

Kyiv is also seeking an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure before winter sets in, as well as a maritime truce to protect its grain exports. Moscow, however, refuses to accept partial ceasefires until a definitive peace agreement is reached.

World

Zelensky announces that Ukraine has resumed intelligence sharing with the US following days of tension with Trump

Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón

According to a report by Antena 3 earlier, sources at the Railway Infrastructure Administrator (Adif) expressed concern that the death toll could rise. However, authorities have not yet released an official tally of the dead and injured.

The accident occurred at approximately 8:54 a.m. local time near the town of Urda, in the province of Toledo, which is part of the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, according to information from the regional emergency services reported by the EFE news agency.

Two railcars fell down an embankment

The collision involved an AVE high-speed train, operated by the state-owned company Renfe, and another train operated by the private company Iryo, both of which were traveling on the rail line between Madrid and Seville.

According to Adif, the public agency responsible for the Spanish railway infrastructure, the accident occurred at kilometer 118 of the line, near Urda.

Initial investigations point to a rear-end collision, that is, one train crashed into another from behind. According to a report by Cadena SER, one of the trains reportedly struck another that was stopped on the tracks, although the exact circumstances have yet to be determined.

Sources from the 112 emergency service, as cited by EFE, confirmed that the two train cars derailed.

Large-scale rescue operation and care for the injured

After receiving word of the accident, regional authorities deployed three medical helicopters, two intensive care units, firefighters and civil protection teams to assist the victims.

The mayor of Urda, Manuel Galán, confirmed to Spanish public television that there were injured people and explained that emergency services requested that a municipal facility be made available to treat those affected, according to AS.

The Government of Castilla-La Mancha activated its regional emergency plan to coordinate the rescue, medical and security resources deployed in the area.

Trains between Madrid and southern Spain have been suspended

The collision led to the suspension of high-speed rail service between Madrid and Andalusia, a region in southern Spain that includes cities such as Seville, Córdoba and Málaga.

Renfe announced that affected passengers will be able to change or cancel their tickets at no additional cost as long as service remains suspended.

Adif confirmed the suspension of rail service and explained that the incident is affecting one of the country's main high-speed rail lines.

At this time, authorities have not specified when traffic will resume, nor have they determined the causes of the accident.

World

Shocking collision between two high-speed trains in Spain: At least 39 dead and dozens injured

Joaquín Núñez

Together with United Torah Judaism (240,648, 6.00%), Otzma Yehudit (220,798, 5.51%), Shas (217,202, 5.42%) and Religious Zionism-Zehut (196,346, 4.90%), Netanyahu’s bloc stood at 1,703,966 votes, or 42.51%.

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar was second with 640,241 votes (15.97%). Its allies are B’Yachad (353,717, 8.83%), the Democrats (254,429, 6.35%) and Yisrael Beiteinu (239,040, 5.96%). The four parties had a combined 1,487,427 votes, or 37.11%.

Under these circumstances, the ruling coalition would win 53 seats—8 short of the number needed to secure a majority in the legislature (Knesset) and 14 fewer than it currently holds. On the other hand, the anti-Netanyahu coalition would fall even further short of a majority, with just 48 seats, while the Arab parties (Raam and the United List) would see a significant increase, reaching 19 seats—9 more than they currently hold.

Yair Golan says opposition bloc should work with Arab parties

Yair Golan, the head of Israel's main left-wing party, called on Wednesday for his opposition allies to work with Arab parties to unseat Netanyahu, as partial election results showed their support would be crucial to reaching a governing coalition.

"We must no longer accept Netanyahu's racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes," he said on X. "We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel's Arab citizens."

The projections shifted throughout the night. In the early hours, the opposition appeared to be in the lead. As dawn broke, Netanyahu's coalition regained ground. Channel 12's latest update gives the prime minister's right-wing and religious coalition 52 seats, compared to 49 for the opposition parties, while the Arab parties—the Joint List and Ra'am—have 19 seats, a record number. Kan 11 has both blocs tied at 51, and Channel 14, which is pro-government, gives the ruling coalition 60. Likud would win 27 seats, six more than Yashar, Eisenkot's party.

However, none of these results are official yet. Shortly after midnight, results were available from only 128 of the more than 12,000 polling stations, and the final tally must be published no later than November 4.

World

Israel: Central Elections Committee rejects Netanyahu's request to extend voting hours

Alejandro Baños

What is certain, however, is the sheer scale of voter turnout: 77.7%, the highest since 1999 and seven points higher than in 2022, in the first national election since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. For much of the country, the vote was a referendum on Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister, and on who bears responsibility for that day's security failures and the military achievements in the years since.

Netanyahu's main opponent, Eisenkot, spoke first. Addressing his supporters in Tel Aviv, when exit polls still favored him, he asserted that Israelis voted against keeping the prime minister in office.

"The public voted for change. The coalition of failure lost the people's trust," he said before calling on Netanyahu to accept this vote of no confidence and leave politics. The opposition leader also ruled out the idea of returning to the polls due to the high voter turnout and promised to form a Zionist government that represents all citizens, is committed to universal military service, and to dismantling Hamas. He also called on security officials to serve only the state and its citizens.

Netanyahu responded hours later from Likud headquarters in Jerusalem, his voice hoarse and with polls now showing him in a more favorable position.

JNS

Election Day: Polls open as Israelis cast ballots for 26th Knesset

JNS (Jewish News Syndicate)

"The right-wing bloc has a clear and decisive majority among the Zionist public," the prime minister said, announcing that he would seek to form a "strong, national, right-wing government." In his speech, he flatly rejected any alliance that depends on Arab parties, whom he accused of viewing Hamas as a charitable organization, and once again placed Iran at the center of his remarks.

"Israel has before it a historic and unique opportunity, together with our friend President Trump, to eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all," he said.

The key, then, will be the final numbers and the alliances. Once the results are certified, President Isaac Herzog will consult with the elected parliamentary blocs and task the person most likely to secure 61 votes with forming a government. Eisenkot could do so if he secures the Arab parties' recommendations, which may support him without formally joining his coalition. However, even with the mandate, he would not be guaranteed to form a government. The chosen person would have 28 days to negotiate, with a possible 14-day extension.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu will continue to lead a caretaker government, and the country is preparing for weeks of negotiations with an uncertain outcome.

CNN confirmed the news, citing a Trump adviser. According to that source, administration officials had known since Monday that Bolsonaro had about 24 hours to turn in his passport, and they made it clear he would be welcomed on U.S. soil. A senior Department of State official confirmed that the U.S. "will issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them entry" to the country.

The conservative senator's departure openly defied the Brazilian justice system. Supreme Federal Court Justice Moraes had ordered him on Monday to surrender his passports, including his diplomatic passport, and prohibited him from leaving the country. Bolsonaro failed to comply, and the Federal Police canceled the documents, according to CNN Brasil. At the time of his departure, no arrest warrant was out against him, although legal analysts warn that his failure to comply could lead to one.

World

Trump questions Lula's victory in Brazil, compares it to 2020 election

Diane Hernández

Flávio had presented the measure as part of a campaign against him. In a video shared on social media, he said agents approached him in the middle of the street as he was leaving the home of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest. “As I was leaving, Lula’s Federal Police were at the door of his house, and right in the middle of the street, they notified me that I had to surrender my passports and that I am also prohibited from leaving the country,” he said. In the same message, he denied any intention to flee.

The Supreme Court is investigating the senator in two cases. One involves an alleged money-laundering scheme linked to online gambling platforms. The other examines the financing of "Dark Horse," the film about his father's life, which, according to the Federal Police, allegedly received funds from Banco Master, a bankrupt bank at the center of a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme. Bolsonaro denies all the accusations.

World

Brazil's Supreme Court orders investigation into Bolsonaro over possible foreign funding

Alejandro Baños

His route to the United States also caused confusion. The Argentine media outlet Infobae reported that he left Brazil via Argentina, but Javier Milei's government said it had no record of his entry. It is unclear in which city he landed or whether he spoke directly with Trump before traveling.

In Brazil, Lula called his rival's departure shameful and argued that he could have stayed to defend himself in court. The Liberal Party, for its part, ultimately acknowledged the election results, though it asked for clarification on the issues raised during the election, including the extension of voting hours—an unusual measure in the South American giant.

With this trip, Flávio joins a group of Brazilian right-wing figures based in the United States, including his brother Eduardo. His journey also echoes his father's, who, after losing to Lula in 2022, spent three months in Orlando, Florida.

World

'It wasn't me who lost — the system won': Flávio Bolsonaro concedes victory to Lula on the same day a court orders him to surrender his passport

Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón

A move that reignites the debate over De Moraes

Flávio Bolsonaro's departure has reignited controversy over Moraes's role in cases against figures in the Brazilian opposition. American journalist Glenn Greenwald, who published a series of reports in 2024 in collaboration with the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo based on a leak from the judge's office, said on X that the senator is not an isolated case. According to him, dozens of Brazilian journalists, activists, and politicians have left the country to avoid political imprisonment, and several countries and institutions have rejected Moraes's extradition requests on the grounds that these proceedings are politically motivated.

The most recent example came this past Monday from Italy. The Court of Appeals in Catanzaro, in southern Italy, denied the extradition to Brazil of Eduardo Tagliaferro, a former advisor to Moraes at the Superior Electoral Court, whom Brazilian authorities accuse of leaking confidential information. The Italian judges noted that Moraes served as the reporting judge in the investigation against Tagliaferro, directed the inquiries, adopted precautionary measures, and issued the arrest warrant on which the extradition request was based, and warned of a risk to the right to a fair trial, given that the proceedings were concentrated in the hands of a judge directly involved as an aggrieved party.

Greenwald described the Brazilian judicial system under Lula and Moraes as "a farce."

"Nobody in their right mind who is a political enemy of Moraes would remain in Brazil once if it is clear that he intends to imprison you," he wrote, arguing that asylum exists precisely to protect those who cannot obtain justice in their own country.

"We have submitted a request to extend voting hours," Likud said in a statement reported by the Jerusalem News Syndicate (JNS).

However, the Central Election Committee later denied Netanyahu's request, arguing that there was no justification for extending voting hours.

Israelis are flocking to the polls. By mid-afternoon, turnout had reached 66.7% —a figure that breaks all previous records since voting rates began to be tracked by time slots.

Turnout among members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is also high. At 5:00 PM, voter turnout among soldiers stood at 68%.

The leading candidates have already cast their ballots. Netanyahu voted around 11:50 a.m. at a polling station in Jerusalem.

The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, was an early riser, arriving at his designated polling place around 9:10 AM. "This is the story of Israel, an incredible nation that turns out to vote and decides its future," he said after casting his ballot.

From Washington, D.C., these elections are being closely followed. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, praised Israel for being "a democracy" in a region "where there aren't many."