International

Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, was beaten in the center of Copenhagen

The Danish Prime Minister, the Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen, was beaten this Friday in the heart of Copenhagen by an individual who has been arrested, the Ritzau agency reported.

Frederiksen is “shocked” by what happened, the Prime Minister’s office said in a brief letter sent to Ritzau, who also cites police sources to confirm the incident.

The Danish authorities have not given more information about the state of Frederiksen.

“Oh, no, what a surprise. That’s not Denmark. We don’t attack our prime ministers. I send my best thoughts to Mette,” the vice president and minister of Defense, the liberal Troels Lund Poulsen, wrote on the social network X.

The leaders of the main Danish parties and several ministers have also reacted on social networks condemning what happened and sending messages of support to Frederiksen.

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Mette Frederiksen, 46, has been head of government since June 2019: the first legislature, at the head of a center-left coalition; and since December 2022, at the head of a center executive with two right-wing forces.

The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, expressed his support for the Danish prime minister, the social democrat Mette Frederiksen, after the aggression against her.

“Mette Frederiksen is a committed leader, a magnificent person and a great friend. The attack he has suffered tonight is an attack against all of us who believe in a Europe of freedom, tolerance and peace,” Sánchez published on his social network X.

Sánchez sent Frederiksen his support “and that of Spanish citizenship in these difficult times.”

“Violence has no place in the EU,” he concluded.

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The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, also condemned the aggression against her counterpart from Denmark and expressed her solidarity with the Danish president.

“I am shocked by the news of the attack on the Danish prime minister,” the Italian leader said in a statement, which described what happened as “an act of intolerable violence that represents an attack on the heart of democratic values.”
“My solidarity is with my colleague Mette,” Meloni added.

International

Ninth Victim Recovered After Deadliest U.S. Avalanche in Decades

Rescue teams in California on Saturday recovered the body of the ninth and final victim of a deadly avalanche in the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to the local sheriff’s office.

The avalanche struck a group of 11 skiers and four guides on Tuesday as they were returning from a three-day backcountry trip near Castle Peak, a 2,777-meter (9,111-foot) mountain and popular tourist destination on the U.S. West Coast.

Six people were rescued alive on Tuesday. Authorities said the incident marks the deadliest avalanche in the United States since 1981.

“All nine individuals who lost their lives in the February 17 Castle Peak avalanche have been safely recovered from the mountain,” the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“There are no words that can truly capture the magnitude of this loss, and our hearts grieve alongside the families affected by this catastrophic event,” Sheriff Shannan Moon said.

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Officials had warned on Thursday that search operations would likely continue through the weekend due to severe weather conditions in the area.

Survivors were able to call for help shortly after the avalanche occurred. However, near-zero visibility and the risk of additional snow slides prevented rescue teams from reaching them for several hours.

International

Trump Defies Supreme Court With New 10% Global Tariff

Defiant in the face of a judicial setback, Donald Trump on Friday imposed a new across-the-board 10% tariff after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that he does not have the authority to levy customs duties under the guise of a national emergency.

The Republican president signed the order in the Oval Office and announced on social media that the measure would take effect “almost immediately.” According to a statement from the White House, the decree will formally enter into force on February 24 for a period of 150 days.

It remains unclear whether the new tariff will apply to countries that have already negotiated trade agreements establishing rates higher than 10%.

Earlier in the day, the conservative-majority court ruled that a 1977 law cited by Trump to abruptly impose tariffs on individual countries — disrupting global trade — “does not authorize the president to impose tariffs.”

Trump said he was “deeply disappointed” by the decision and accused some justices of being influenced by “foreign interests.”

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Although he has made variable tariffs a cornerstone of his foreign policy, Trump acknowledged that it is uncertain whether the government will have to refund revenue already collected. A study by the University of Pennsylvaniaestimated that the amount at stake could reach as much as $175 billion.

“That issue was not addressed by the Court,” Trump told reporters, warning that the legal battle could drag on for “years.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who dissented from the Court’s 6–3 majority opinion, cautioned that the legal process could become a “mess.”

Trump denied any error or haste in using tariffs as a policy tool, arguing instead that the six justices who ruled against him were motivated by “political correctness.” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that the Court had acted “outside the law.”

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International

U.S. Targets Members of Outgoing Boric Administration With Visa Revocations

The United States government announced on Friday the revocation of visas for three Chilean officials—whose identities were not initially disclosed—citing activities that allegedly “undermined regional security,” an accusation that Chile denies.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of State did not provide specific details about the individuals involved but criticized the outgoing administration of leftist President Gabriel Boric.

“The legacy of the Boric government will be further tarnished by actions that undermine regional security to the ultimate detriment of the Chilean people,” the statement read. It was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Chile’s Minister of Transport, Juan Carlos Muñoz, later confirmed in a video message to the press that he is among those sanctioned.

“I was recently informed that my visa to enter the United States has been revoked by that country, which I deeply regret,” Muñoz said.

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The U.S. statement also noted that Washington hopes to “advance shared priorities, including those that strengthen security in our hemisphere, with the upcoming Kast government.”

The electoral victory of ultraconservative leader José Antonio Kast was welcomed in Washington, which has been building alliances with like-minded governments in the region to reinforce its diplomatic and economic agenda—particularly in response to China’s growing investment presence in Latin America.

“We remain committed to promoting accountability for Chilean individuals who deliberately work to destabilize our hemisphere,” the statement concluded.