News from February 18, 2025 at 2 PM

On February 16, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Ukraine and Europe would be part of any 'real negotiations' to end Moscow's war, downplaying European concerns about being excluded from initial talks between Russia and the United States set to take place in Saudi Arabia. US officials have given European officials a questionnaire asking, among other things, about their troop contributions to enforcing a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. President Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin last week, expressing his desire for peace. US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and national security adviser Mike Waltz are scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia on the evening of February 16. Rubio emphasized that Ukrainians and other Europeans would be included in any meaningful negotiations. French President Emmanuel Macron will host an emergency summit of European leaders on February 17 to discuss the Ukraine war.

A Delta Air Lines CRJ900 flight operated by Endeavor Air crashed and overturned upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 17, injuring 18 people, three of whom were seriously hurt, including a child. The plane had 76 passengers and four crew members. Passenger Nelson posted a video on Facebook showing firefighters extinguishing the flames, with the tarmac covered in snow. Passenger Kukov described being flipped sideways and hanging upside down in the cabin. The airport suspended all flights for two hours following the incident, having canceled some flights due to a snowstorm the previous day. The runway was dry and there was no crosswind at the time of the accident. The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Pope Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital last Friday for treatment and tests for bronchitis. On Monday, the Vatican announced that the pontiff has a polymicrobial infection of his respiratory tract, necessitating a change in his treatment. Currently, the Pope is in stable condition without a fever and has been conducting some work in the hospital. He expressed gratitude for the numerous messages of support and specifically thanked other hospitalized patients for their affection and prayers. The weekly general audience scheduled for this Wednesday has been cancelled. This is not the first time the Pope has been hospitalized due to health issues.

On February 17, a military source revealed that Israeli troops will withdraw from southern Lebanon but temporarily remain at five strategic sites, including Jabal Blat and Khamamis. These sites include the Hasullam mountain range, Hashaked mountain range, Hatzivoni mountain range, Jabal Blat, and Hamamis, overseeing Israeli settlements. IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani stated that a small number of troops will stay temporarily to ensure the safety of Israeli population centers. Earlier, the Ynet news website reported that Israeli troops would withdraw from southern Lebanon within 24 hours, except for the five strategic sites. According to Kan radio, the IDF will stay at these locations indefinitely to prevent Hezbollah from resuming activities in southern Lebanon. The November 27 ceasefire, brokered by the US and France, stipulated that Lebanese forces would deploy along the southern border with UN peacekeeper support, while Hezbollah would retreat beyond the Litani River. Israel was given 60 days to withdraw, but on January 27, the White House announced an extension until February 18.

Bolivian police reported that over 30 people were killed in a bus crash on a mountain road in the southwestern district of Yocalla. The vehicle plunged nearly 800 meters into a ravine, injuring 14 people, including four children, according to a local hospital official. The accident occurred between the cities of Potosí and Oruro. Preliminary investigations suggest speeding may have caused the driver to lose control of the bus, police colonel Victor Benavides told AFP. This is believed to be the deadliest road accident in Bolivia this year. Local news outlet Unitel reported that several injured were in serious condition. Deadly road accidents are common in Bolivia, with 19 killed in another bus accident near Potosí last month. Government data indicates that an average of 1,400 people die in road accidents annually in the country of about 12 million inhabitants.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has accused neighboring Rwanda of seizing part of its territory, alleging that Rwanda plans to occupy and plunder their land, committing crimes and severe human rights violations. Following the seizure of Bukavu city by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, the government acknowledged the deteriorating security situation and urged residents to stay indoors. On the evening of February 14, M23 rebels entered Bukavu, taking control without resistance after government forces and militia withdrew. Bukavu has a population exceeding one million, with an additional million in displacement and refugee camps in its suburbs. In late January, M23 rebels captured Goma, the administrative center of North Kivu province. The conflict in the DRC has been ongoing for decades, with M23 rebels seizing several cities and over 100 villages in North Kivu province since January 2021.

Last night, Ukraine launched a drone attack on the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station in Russia's Krasnodar region. The station is owned by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which is not subject to US sanctions and has a significant portion of its stock owned by American shareholders. This attack could be seen as a blow to US business interests and a personal insult to US President Donald Trump, who has been working to lower oil prices for the benefit of the United States and its people. The drone attack, along with other strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure, may help maintain or even increase oil prices by reducing supply. Speculation arises that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might be attempting to assert leverage over the US by threatening American business interests.

Argentine President Javier Milei is facing calls for impeachment and legal action accusing him of fraud over his promotion of cryptocurrency on social media. On Friday, Milei posted about the $LIBRA coin on X, formerly Twitter, claiming it would fund small businesses and start-ups, and shared a purchase link, causing its price to surge. However, within hours, he deleted the post, leading to a nosedive in the cryptocurrency's value and significant losses for investors. Some opposition members of Congress plan to initiate impeachment proceedings, while lawyers filed fraud complaints in Argentina's criminal court on Sunday. Milei is accused of a 'rug pull,' where cryptocurrency promoters attract buyers and then cease trading to abscond with the funds. The presidential office stated that the post was removed to avoid speculation and that Milei was not involved in the cryptocurrency's development, with the Anti-Corruption Office set to investigate any impropriety. Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner criticized Milei as a 'crypto scammer,' and the main opposition coalition vowed to file an impeachment request, calling it an 'unprecedented scandal.' Esteban Paulón, a member of the opposition Socialist Party, also pledged to seek the start of impeachment proceedings.

On February 17, Elon Musk's AI company xAI unveiled the latest version of its chatbot, Grok 3, aiming to gain traction in the highly competitive AI sector. Musk touted Grok 3's powerful reasoning capabilities and 10 times the computational resources of its predecessor, along with self-correction mechanisms. Grok 3 will initially be available to Premium+ paid subscribers of X, formerly Twitter. The launch comes amid intensifying global AI competition, with Chinese startup DeepSeek and OpenAI's ChatGPT as key rivals. Meanwhile, Musk's role in US President Donald Trump's administration has raised conflict-of-interest concerns.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fired approximately 20 employees over the weekend, including those reviewing Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink. These employees were primarily from the FDA's office of neurological and physical medicine devices, responsible for reviewing clinical-trial applications for brain-computer interface devices, including Neuralink. The sources stated that the employees were not specifically targeted for their work on Neuralink's applications, but the layoffs will hinder the agency's ability to process medical device applications quickly and safely. Former FDA official Victor Krauthamer expressed concerns about the oversight of Neuralink's trial and the protection of trial participants. The FDA, White House, and Musk have not yet commented. The cuts primarily affected probationary employees, despite their previously excellent performance. Neuralink is currently testing a device that allows paralyzed individuals to use digital devices through thought and is developing an implant aimed at restoring vision.

According to Ynet, Israel demands that Hamas release six hostages on Saturday instead of the three stipulated in the current agreement. Israel is also preparing to receive the bodies of several hostages who died in Hamas captivity, which will be brought to Israel two days before Saturday's handover for identification procedures. Kan radio station reported that Israel would receive the bodies of four to five hostages, with Hamas expected to announce their names on the morning of February 20. On January 15, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to release hostages held in Gaza and declare a ceasefire in the enclave. The three-phase deal, which took effect on January 19, involves Hamas releasing 33 Israeli hostages in the initial 42-day phase in exchange for Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israel states that 73 people remain in Hamas captivity.

On September 24, 2024, Huawei launched its trifold smartphone, the Mate XT, in Hong Kong, aiming to make a comeback in international markets. The device starts at 3,499 euros (approximately $3,660) and is already available in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. First released in China last year, the Mate XT garnered global attention as the first-ever trifold phone. U.S. sanctions starting in 2019 severely impacted Huawei's market share, which now stands at just 0.3% outside China. However, its market share in China grew to 17% in 2024. Francisco Jeronimo, VP at IDC, noted that the Mate XT is likely targeted at wealthy individuals. Neil Shah from Counterpoint Research highlighted the lack of Google services as a significant hurdle in the international market.