Author: Press Room

Foreign Minister of Panama Javier Martínez-Acha on Wednesday called for China to respect Panama’s legal sovereignty amid a series of arbitrary detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by Chinese authorities after Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison lost control of two key Canal ports. Martínez-Acha spoke at a joint press conference in Asunción next to his Paraguayan counterpart, Rubén Ramirez. Both questioned the retaliatory actions taken by the Chinese communist regime against Panamanian vessels after the nation’s Supreme Court annulled two highly controversial contracts awarded to CK Hutchison subsidiary Panama Ports Company (PPC). The contracts gave it control of two Panama Canal ports located at opposite ends…

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that some NATO members did fail their tests during the war in Iran, but “a large majority” of European nations lived up to their commitments. Host Jake Tapper asked, “Do you agree that NATO countries, some of them, were tested and failed?” Rutte answered, “Some of them, yes, but a large majority of European countr[ies] — and that’s what we discussed today — have done what they promised before in a case like this, because they know that, when it comes to NATO, it’s there to protect…

Charges against the man accused of killing Iryna Zarutska could be dismissed if a judge agrees with his psychiatric evaluation A homeless man accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska could see charges against him dropped after he was deemed unfit to stand trial, several US media outlets have reported, citing a motion filed by his attorney. He had been previously indicted by a federal grand jury in the case, which could lead to the death penalty.Zarutska was killed on a train last August in Charlotte, North Carolina. Surveillance footage showed Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, stabbing her three…

Undaunted by Iran’s claim that its ceasefire agreement was conditioned on Israel halting its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched another round of airstrikes in Lebanon on Thursday. Iran responded by declaring the Strait of Hormuz is once again closed to commercial traffic, but nevertheless appears willing to proceed with peace talks in Pakistan this weekend. Israeli and U.S. officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, have insisted Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire agreement, but Pakistan and Iran claim it was. President Trump had shared a statement on his website,…

Underlying Inflation Falls to Lowest Levels in Five Years The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Wednesday that the personal consumption expenditures price index rose 0.4 percent in February, a pickup from January’s 0.3 percent. Goods prices jumped 0.7 percent, led by a 1.1 percent surge in durables. Recreational goods and vehicles were up 2.2 percent. On the surface, this looks like a troubling inflation report that should give the Federal Reserve pause. But look beneath the surface, and a very different picture emerges. Measures designed to capture the underlying trend in inflation — the ones that strip out the noise…

Farmers and truckers across Mexico blocked highways peacefully to draw attention to the violence and the lack of government support. Rather than address the massive protests that brought the country to a standstill, President Claudia Sheinbaum claimed it was a political move by her opponents. The protests began on Monday morning, as members of various farm workers’ unions and syndicates blocked several highways in at least 12 states across the country. The move had been announced days prior as a way to publicize their concerns, primarily the raging violence that continues throughout the country at the hands of terrorist drug…

Donald Trump has declared the start of a new “golden age” in the Middle East after announcing a ceasefire with Iran. The war, at least for now, has been paused. And while predictions are always risky with this White House, there is at least a chance that the fighting will not immediately resume.That alone matters. A prolonged war would raise risks for everyone, but above all for Washington. For all the bombast coming from the US administration, America has always been deeply uncomfortable with prolonged uncertainty and strategic risk. It is one thing to threaten. It is another to endure…

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered rare papyrus scrolls approximately 3,000 years old, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiques. The eight papyrus scrolls have been found along a “cache of colorful coffins of Amun chanters,” dating back to the Third Intermediate Period, which ranged from 1070 B.C. to 664 B.C. The archaeologists discovered the scrolls during an exploration in the Qurna area of Luxor’s West Bank, by the tomb of Seneb. Amun chanters were singers dedicated to the god Amun. “The most common title is ‘Chanter(s) of Amun,’ opening new avenues for studying the class of chanters and singers during that…

Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar’s migration bill is a high-stakes attack by business groups on the wages of her party’s populist-minded voters. “Here’s what matters most,” Salazar said in a poll-tested, talking-point response to populist criticism from Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX): It costs ZERO taxpayer dollars. Reduces the deficit. Invests $70 BILLION into our [employers’] workforce. “It’s really simple” for business lobbyists, Gill told a radio show: They want cheap labor …They want illegal aliens in the country. Because for them, that is bigger profit margins whenever you suppress American wages, or whenever you’re able to replace more expensive American workers…

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN International’s “The Brief,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) said that he fears that “the Iranians, quite frankly, are not ready to conclude this war.” And also dubbed the war a “war of choice” that is President Donald Trump’s war. Krishnamoorthi said that “this war of choice is disastrous, it’s illegal, it’s unconstitutional. It needs to come to an end. And the start is this truce.” He added, “[M]y biggest concern is this, which is that it takes two sides to come to an agreement, and the Iranians, quite frankly, are not ready to conclude this war. I…