International
Brazil’s Lula puts US, China among his first official visits
| By AFP |
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will make his first official trip to Argentina at the end of January, before visiting the United States, Portugal and China, an official said Tuesday.
Lula, as the 77-year-old leader is commonly known, will participate in the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), which takes place on January 23 and 24 in Buenos Aires.
The leftist leader, who was sworn in as president of the South American country for the third time on Sunday, will meet with US counterpart Joe Biden in Washington, on a still “undated” trip, according to a source in the president’s office.
The trip to China, Brazil’s largest trading partner, will be “after March,” the same source added.
China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday confirmed an invitation to the Brazilian president, although it did not provide a date for his visit.
“China places high importance on the China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership, and welcomes President Lula’s visit to China at a time convenient for both parties,” spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a briefing.
Senior Chinese official Wang Qishan attended Lula’s inauguration ceremony in Brazil on Sunday.
The Brazilian presidency also confirmed that Lula will be in Portugal from April 22 to 25.
Lula, who led Latin America’s largest economy twice between 2003 and 2010, is giving the first signs of wanting to break Brazil’s international isolation after four years under far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
In his inauguration speech in Congress, he announced a new role for Brazil in the world by resuming “South American integration” and the reconstruction of the “high and active dialogue with the United States, the European Community and China.”
The new foreign minister, Mauro Vieira, said Monday at the inauguration ceremony that Brazil will have “a huge reconstruction job” after the “unprecedented setback” of Bolsonaro’s reign.
International
Peruvian presidential candidate proposes death penalty amid crime surge
Peru is facing an unprecedented surge in crime ahead of its presidential election scheduled for April 12, with violence fueled by extortion networks and a wave of contract killings linked to organized crime.
Police data show that 2,200 homicides tied to organized crime were recorded in 2025, while extortion complaints increased by 19%, underscoring the growing security crisis in the South American nation.
Amid this backdrop, presidential candidate Álvarez has proposed reinstating the death penalty if elected, arguing that extreme measures are needed to curb the violence.
To implement the proposal, Álvarez said Peru would withdraw from the American Convention on Human Rights—also known as the Pact of San José—which the country signed in 1978. The agreement prevents member states that have abolished capital punishment from reinstating it.
Currently, Peruvian law only allows the death penalty in cases of treason during wartime.
“We have to leave the Pact of San José and apply the death penalty in Peru because those miserable criminals don’t deserve to live,” Álvarez told AFP during a campaign stop at a market in Callao, the port city neighboring Lima.
“An iron fist against those criminals,” he added, proposing to declare hitmen as military targets.
During the campaign event, Álvarez walked through stalls selling vegetables, groceries, and fish, greeting vendors while musicians played cumbia music nearby.
The 62-year-old candidate, who spent more than four decades working in television as a comedian, is a newcomer to politics and is running for president under the País para Todos party.
Polls place him fifth in voter preference with nearly 4% support in a fragmented race featuring 36 candidates.
“I am an artist who has taken a step into politics to bring peace to my country,” Álvarez told reporters while surrounded by supporters.
International
FBI: Man who attacked Michigan synagogue died from self-inflicted gunshot
The man who died during Thursday’s attack on a synagogue in the United States suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the FBI.
FBI agent Jennifer Runyan told reporters that the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Lebanese citizen Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, shot himself at some point during the confrontation.
“At some point during the shooting, Ghazali suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Runyan said during a press conference.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the suspect’s identity.
Authorities said Ghazali drove a truck into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, located in the state of Michigan, on Thursday.
According to Michael Bouchard, sheriff of Oakland County, synagogue security personnel noticed the vehicle and confronted the suspect with gunfire.
Investigators said it would be premature to speculate about the motive for the attack, although reports indicate Ghazali recently lost relatives during Israeli strikes in Lebanon earlier this month.
“It would be irresponsible for me to speculate about his motive,” Runyan said.
Ghazali arrived in Detroit in 2011 on a spouse visa for U.S. citizens and obtained American citizenship in 2016, according to reporting by The New York Times.
He was the father of two teenagers, divorced from his wife in 2024, and had recently been working as a waiter.
The newspaper also reported that Ghazali attended a memorial service in the nearby city of Dearborn for relatives killed in the recent conflict, alongside other grieving family members from the Lebanese town of Machghara.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the incident is being investigated as an act of violence targeting the Jewish community.
A source from Michigan’s Lebanese-American community told CBS News that several of Ghazali’s relatives had been killed roughly ten days before the attack, leaving him deeply devastated.
International
Mexican Navy Ships Deliver Third Shipment of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba
Two logistics support vessels from the Mexican Navy — the ARM Papaloapan and the ARM Huasteco — docked again on Friday in the bay of Havana carrying a third shipment of humanitarian aid for Cuba.
The vessels had previously arrived on the Caribbean island on February 28 with a second cargo that included 1,200 tons of food, sent to help alleviate the country’s ongoing crisis, which has worsened following the U.S. oil restrictions affecting fuel supplies to the island.
Cuba’s deputy foreign minister Josefina Vidal confirmed the new shipment in a social media post.
“Two ships carrying a third shipment of aid from the Government and the people of Mexico for the Cuban people are now arriving at the port of Havana. Thank you Mexico for your solidarity with Cuba,” she wrote.
Previous aid shipments
During the second shipment, the Papaloapan transported 1,078 tons of beans and powdered milk, while the Huastecocarried 92 tons of beans and 23 tons of assorted food products collected by social organizations with support from the government of Mexico City.
In recent months, Mexico has become the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Cuba, sending around 2,000 tons of supplies, mostly staple foods and hygiene products, in the two shipments prior to Friday’s delivery.
The first shipment alone included 814 tons of food.
Cuba praises Mexico’s support
Hours before the ships arrived, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted Mexico’s support during a televised appearance, describing the country as “a friendly and brotherly nation that has shown tremendous solidarity,”particularly praising Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Díaz-Canel also addressed reports suggesting that Mexican donations were being resold in state-run stores, dismissing them as a “disinformation campaign” promoted by right-wing groups.
Peruvian presidential candidate proposes death penalty amid crime surge
FBI: Man who attacked Michigan synagogue died from self-inflicted gunshot
Mexican Navy Ships Deliver Third Shipment of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International1 day agoU.S. Confirms Death of Six Crew Members in KC-135 Crash in Western Iraq
-
Central America4 days agoGuatemala Remains in “Restricted” Press Freedom Category, Chapultepec Index Warns
-
International2 days agoTrump Says Iran Is Welcome at 2026 World Cup but Warns of Security Concerns
-
International3 days agoIran issues threat to Trump as conflict escalates over Strait of Hormuz
-
Central America4 days agoUN Report Warns of Nicaragua’s “Transnational” Surveillance Network Targeting Dissidents
-
International4 days agoTrump Raises Possibility of “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Deepening Crisis
-
International2 days agoFBI Warns of Possible Iranian Drone Attack on U.S. West Coast
-
International3 days agoDriver detained after suspicious vehicle incident near the White House
-
International1 day agoEcuador Declares 60-Day National Emergency After Deadly Floods and Landslides
-
International1 day agoMexican Navy Ships Deliver Third Shipment of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba
-
Sin categoría3 days agoUN experts warn Nicaragua runs vast transnational network to monitor exiled dissidents
-
International1 day agoTrump Pushes for Regime Change in Cuba as Havana Confirms Talks With Washington
-
Central America4 days agoUN Rapporteur Warns of “Deep Crisis” in Guatemala’s Judicial System
-
International8 hours agoFBI: Man who attacked Michigan synagogue died from self-inflicted gunshot
-
International8 hours agoPeruvian presidential candidate proposes death penalty amid crime surge
-
Sin categoría2 days agoFBI Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested in Mexico and Deported to U.S.