International

Thousands flee to Colombia after Venezuela clashes, Bogota says

AFP/Editor

More than 3,000 people fled to Colombia to escape fighting that broke out over the weekend in Venezuela between its military and suspected FARC dissidents, officials in Bogota said Wednesday.

Venezuela’s military clashed with the group near the border with Colombia on Sunday, resulting in the death of two military personnel and the capture of 32 Colombian “insurgents,” according to Venezuela’s Armed Forces. Lucas Gomez, Colombia’s presidential delegate for border control, reported that since then, the town of Arauquita had witnessed “a massive displacement of people fleeing… the bombardments taking place on the other side of the border.”

Bogota has long accused Venezuela of shielding members of Colombian armed rebel groups FARC and ELN on its soil, a charge Venezuelan President Victor Maduro denies.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed a historic peace agreement in 2016 to end a half century of armed conflict. But some guerrilla fighters refused to join the peace process and have continued their struggle, while also mixing with and battling drug-traffickers in lawless areas of Colombia, including close to the Venezuelan border.

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The Ombudsman’s Office of Colombia said there were at least 858 children, 52 pregnant women and 134 people over 60 among the refugees. Authorities have prepared sports halls and 500 tents to provide shelter for the refugees but called on the international community for help in finding them temporary homes.

International

Netanyahu orders shortened preparation for Gaza city operation against Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday ordered a “shortening” of the preparation period before troops enter Gaza City, where around one million Palestinians are taking refuge.

“In anticipation of the approval of plans for the operation in Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the timelines to be shortened for taking the last terrorist strongholds and defeating Hamas,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

The brief text, which may serve as a pressure tactic on both Hamas and the displaced Palestinian population, does not specify any dates.

The Israeli military has also not provided details beyond reiterating that “preliminary operations” have already begun in some neighborhoods of Gaza’s capital.

Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said in an online briefing that “the army now controls the gates of Gaza City” and that forces are stationed in the southern Zeitoun neighborhood and the northern Jabalia area.

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“Additional forces will join the fighting in the near future,” Defrin added.

According to Gazan sources, attacks and bombings have increased in these two locations, along with the demolition of homes. The military has also called up 60,000 reservists, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

International

UN official urges international action against U.S. sanctions on ICC judges

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Thursday that the U.S. imposition of new sanctions on judges and deputy prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should prompt the international community to take measures to protect them.

“The relentless escalation of U.S. reprisals against international institutions and their personnel must stop,” Türk said in a statement issued from his office in Geneva.

The ICC itself condemned Trump’s actions against two prosecutors and two judges investigating Israel for crimes in Gaza, asserting that it will not be intimidated by pressure or threats.

The UN High Commissioner called for the removal of sanctions against this group of magistrates, as well as those previously imposed on four other judges and a prosecutor from the same institution, and on the UN Human Rights Council-appointed rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese.

Practically, Türk noted that other governments could protect them by urging companies operating under their jurisdiction not to enforce these sanctions.

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“States must step forward to defend the institutions they created to uphold human rights and the rule of law. Those who work to document, investigate, and prosecute serious violations of international law should not work in fear,” he emphasized.

International

Trump threatens to cut California school funding over trans policies

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to cut funding to schools in California that do not comply with his policies regarding the transgender community, which have sought to restrict rights since his return to the White House.

“Any school district in California that does not follow our policies on transgender individuals will not receive funding,” he wrote in a brief post on his Truth Social account.

One such grant has already been canceled by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

A representative from the Administration for Children and Families, part of HHS, told Fox News that the grant for California’s sex education program was withdrawn due to the state’s refusal to remove what the federal office called “radical gender ideology” from its curriculum.

“California’s refusal to comply with federal law and remove the abhorrent gender ideology from federally funded sex education materials is unacceptable,” said Andrew Gradison, acting secretary of the office.