International

The European Union resists breaking with Israel and has again ruled out suspending the Association Agreement. Not even partially. The issue, which had been formally requested by the Spanish Government, was the focus of Tuesday’s meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg, but the Council refused to make any decision on the matter due to the persistent division among the Twenty-Seven on an issue that remains too delicate for some capitals.

More than four hundred years ago, in 1602, the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci, together with the Chinese cartographer Li Zhizao, created the “Map of the Ten Thousand Countries of the Earth” or Kunyu Wanguo Quantu. On that map, the Ming Dynasty empire was located at the center of all known land. That map was on the verge of opening China’s doors to Christianity.

Without demonstrations in the streets, avoiding direct criticism of the leader and without questioning the policies of the Kremlin or the military intervention in Ukraine. Russians have let Vladimir Putin know that they are not at all happy with the blocking of the internet and social media, making a video recorded for the Russian president by a popular blogger and TV presenter, Victoria Bonya, who currently lives outside Russia, tremendously viral.

It’s a scenario no one wants to talk about with too much impetus, but one that seems increasingly real: the possibility that the EU may have to defend itself without the US security umbrella. EU heads of state and government will discuss this week at the Cyprus summit the implications of Article 42.7 of the EU treaty, the clause that obliges member states to provide assistance if another country in the bloc is attacked on its territory. To all intents and purposes, the European equivalent of NATO’s Article 5.

Despite its imposing size —with a length of 261.50 meters— and its privileged technology, being the first non-American nuclear aircraft carrier, safety is not the strong suit of the French ship Charles de Gaulle.

U.S. Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, will leave the Donald Trump Administration after the controversy generated by her accusations of workplace misconduct. White House communications director, Steven Cheung, announced in a statement that she is leaving “to take on a role in the private sector” and praised “her phenomenal work in her role protecting American workers.”

Two days before the expiration of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump has confirmed that the American delegation, led by his vice president J.D. Vance, “is already heading” to Islamabad (Pakistan) and “will arrive tonight”. However, sources consulted by The New York Times state that it has not yet taken off and “is now expected to travel on Tuesday”.

A gunman broke into the archaeological zone of Teotihuacán (Mexico) this Monday and opened fire from the top of the Pyramid of the Moon. The attack leaves a provisional toll of two fatalities, a Canadian citizen, and the shooter himself, who reportedly took his own life after the detonations. Three other people have been injured and are receiving medical attention.

Like a mischievous child who paints all the walls of the house with a black marker, Keir Starmer has told his parents (in this case the House of Commons) that he did it unintentionally and does not deserve punishment. When he informed Parliament that due procedure had been followed and all necessary security measures had been taken in relation to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington, he actually did not know that the security services had flagged him with a red flag.

The Japanese authorities have withdrawn this Monday the tsunami alert issued hours earlier after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on the open Richter scale off the country’s eastern coast, with no information on victims or material damage so far. However, a warning remains in place for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate, as well as Miyagi and Fukushima, due to a potential ‘mega-earthquake’ that could occur as part of the aftershocks of the quake.