International
California wildfire doubles in size
AFP | by Patrick FALLON
A wildfire burning outside Los Angeles has doubled in size in less than 24 hours, firefighters said Thursday as they endured yet another day of blistering heat in the western United States.
Thousands of people have been told to evacuate in the face of the growing Fairview fire, which has now spread to 19,000 acres (7,700 hectares).
“Active fire behavior occurred in the east, south, and north portions of the incident,” Cal Fire said.
“Fire will become active with primary movement to the east. Steep drainages will aid the spread with the up canyon/up slope winds and heavy fuels.”
Two people are known to have died in the blaze, which erupted on Monday, the midpoint of a heat wave which has lasted more than a week and seen temperatures repeatedly exceed 110 Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) in parts of California, Nevada and Arizona.
The searing heat has put enormous strain on California’s electrical grid, as households crank up the air conditioning.
That has led to daily calls for consumers to conserve power to avoid blackouts, including text alerts sent to mobile phones.
The grid operator has hailed public co-operation which it said has helped keep the lights on throughout the state all week.
Another “Flex Alert” was expected to be declared Thursday, asking for thermostats to be raised, and major appliances to be switched off during peak hours.
Forecasters say the heat wave will begin to dissipate over the coming days, but warned California was not out of the woods yet.
“Dangerous heat also continues to impact the Golden State as high temperatures are once again forecast to reach well into the triple digits both today and Friday, particularly over interior valley regions,” the National Weather Service said.
International
Costa Rica hails appointment of Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Takaichi Sanae
The Government of Costa Rica on Tuesday congratulated Japan on the appointment of Takaichi Sanae as the country’s first female prime minister and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations in multiple areas.
“The Government of Costa Rica extends its warmest congratulations to the Government and people of Japan on the election of Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. Costa Rica celebrates this decision, made by the Japanese Parliament, which for the first time places a woman in such a high office,” the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.
Costa Rica also reiterated its “strong commitment to further strengthening the traditional bonds of friendship and cooperation between both nations,” and to promoting joint initiatives “based on mutual respect, multilateralism, and shared democratic values.”
The statement also conveyed Costa Rica’s “best wishes for success” to Prime Minister Takaichi and expressed its “hopes for the well-being and prosperity of the Japanese people.”
Takaichi officially became Japan’s first female head of government on Tuesday after winning a parliamentary vote to succeed Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned in September following poor electoral results during his little more than a year in office.
International
Colombian court overturns ex-president Uribe’s conviction for witness tampering
Colombia’s judiciary overturned on Tuesday a conviction against former President Álvaro Uribe for witness tamperingin a case linked to his alleged ties with anti-guerrilla paramilitary groups.
The 73-year-old right-wing leader had become in August the first Colombian ex-president to be criminally convictedand sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for bribery and procedural fraud, following a first-instance ruling that his defense immediately appealed.
However, a judge from the Bogotá Superior Court annulled the conviction, ruling that there was insufficient evidenceto incriminate Uribe. The court also deemed the wiretaps used as evidence illegal and pointed to methodological flaws in the original ruling.
Leftist Senator Iván Cepeda, who filed the complaint against Uribe, announced he will file an appeal in cassation before the Supreme Court of Justice. Speaking at a press conference, Cepeda said he received the decision with “calm and respect,” though he disagreed with it.
After a six-hour reading of the verdict, the hearing concluded with Uribe attending virtually.
Uribe, who governed from 2002 to 2010, spent about 20 days under house arrest before being released on a previous court decision—the same court that has now overturned his conviction.
International
Venezuela accuses U.S. of using anti-drug operations as pretext to target Maduro
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino criticized on Tuesday what he described as the greater lethality of U.S. anti-drug operations in the Caribbean compared to those in the Pacific, where most drug trafficking routes are concentrated.
Venezuela maintains that the real goal of the U.S. military deployment in the region is to oust President Nicolás Maduro, rather than to combat drug trafficking as claimed by the White House.
Since September, the United States has reported seven attacks in the Caribbean against vessels allegedly linked to Venezuelan drug trafficking. President Donald Trump himself has shared videos of airstrikes on speedboats, with at least 32 people killed in these operations.
“The interdictions carried out in the Pacific do not receive the same treatment as those here in the Caribbean Sea,” Padrino said during a state television broadcast. “What is the real purpose behind this U.S. air and naval deployment in the Caribbean? Is it really about drug trafficking?” he asked.
Venezuelan authorities argue that only 5% of the drugs produced in Colombia leave through Venezuelan territorytoward the Caribbean, claiming that most shipments travel through the Pacific on their way to the United States.
The government also reports an increase in domestic anti-drug operations, showcased by state media, involving the destruction of clandestine airstrips and laboratories, and the seizure of boats, vehicles, and weapons, as well as the shooting down of aircraft allegedly used by traffickers.
On Tuesday, Padrino presented a report on several of these operations alongside the military commanders who led them.
Costa Rica hails appointment of Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Takaichi Sanae
Colombian court overturns ex-president Uribe’s conviction for witness tampering
Venezuela accuses U.S. of using anti-drug operations as pretext to target Maduro
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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