International

Colombia demands removal from ‘hunger hotspots’ list

AFP

Colombia took umbrage Monday at being included in a report by UN agencies on 20 “hunger hotspots,” demanding to be removed from the list of countries considered at risk of “acute food insecurity.”

The report published last week by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme said that “7.3 million Colombians are food insecure and in need of food assistance in 2022.”

Other countries on the list included South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Madagascar and Yemen.

In a letter provided to the media, Colombia’s foreign ministry informed the FAO in Rome of its “rejection of this publication” which it said “lacks factual support, methodological definition and clarity in the sources that give it validity and credibility.”

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

The country asked to be removed from the list of “hotspots” and for statements made about Colombia to be “corrected,” Foreign Minister Martha Lucia Ramirez told reporters.

The report had blamed the situation in Colombia on “a combination of political instability, economic challenges and the ongoing impact of the regional migratory crisis amplified by internal displacement.”

It also highlighted a lack of food security for 1.1 million Venezuelan migrants who fled their country and now live in Colombia.

Alan Bojanic, the FAO representative in Colombia, lamented that the way the data was presented “was not the best”.

The idea, he said, was to “draw attention to the acute food insecurity of some populations in the territory, mainly migrants”.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.