International
Hamas asks to investigate Israel’s abuses and torture of Palestinians imprisoned in Gaza
The Islamist group Hamas has called on the international community, and especially the International Committee of the Red Cross, to investigate cases of abuse and torture in Israeli detention centers against detained Gazans, as denounced by pro-human rights groups.
“The horrible testimonies about the conditions of the Palestinian detainees in the Zionist prisons continue, the last of which was that of several Palestinians kidnapped in Gaza and released today from the Zionist military prison ‘Sde Teman’,” Hamas said in a statement last night.
“Human rights institutions, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross, must work to follow up on the conditions of the Palestinian arrested in these fascist detentions and put an end to the serious violations to which they are exposed,” he added.
His words come hours after a young Palestinian, allegedly released from Sde Teman, where he was detained for a month by Israel, was recorded yesterday in a hospital in a state of shock, barely unable to speak coherently and with signs of torture on his wrists and ankles.
On March 7, the Israeli media Haaretz denounced that at least 27 people detained in the Gaza Strip and placed in Israeli military custody had died since the beginning of the war on October 7, either at the Sde Teiman military base, the Anatot detention camp or during interrogations.
Already in December, Haaretz revealed that those arrested in Sde Teiman could remain handcuffed and blindfolded for whole days, and an internal source assured that soldiers tended to mistreat prisoners, which coincides with the testimonies of other freed Palestinians
Meanwhile, the Israeli Army intensified its attacks and incursions in the heart of the city of Rafah, south of Gaza, on Friday, with the destruction of residential neighborhoods and hand-to-hand fighting with Hamas militiamen.
As Palestinian sources confirmed to EFE, the attacks are now concentrated in Al Auda, in the center of the city of Rafah, and in Tal al Sultan, a neighborhood in the northwest.
“The whole city of Rafah is an area of Israeli military operations,” Ahmed al Sofi, mayor of Rafah, said today in a statement released by Hamas on Telegram. “The city is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe and people are dying inside its tents due to the Israeli bombings.”
According to the mayor, there is no medical center left in operation in the city and the residents and displaced people – according to UNRWA about 65,000 people, of the 1.4 million Gazans that the city was homed before the offensive – cannot cover their daily needs for food and water.
The third point of intense military activity, as local sources reported to EFE, is still the so-called Philadelphia corridor, the border line with Egypt that Israel aspires to control, according to military sources, in order to cut the network of tunnels that supplies Hamas helps it both to rearm and attack.
Since this morning, at least 22 people have died in the Strip, according to medical sources, including five municipal workers, including the head of the emergency service, denounced the city council of Rafah.
Fatal attacks were also recorded in Zeitun, in the northern city of Gaza, which caused at least eight deaths, and in the central areas of Nuseirat and Deir el Balah, according to the Palestinian agency Wafa.
In the north, the lack of food and food is still a critical issue. According to UN data, of the 61 coordinated humanitarian assistance missions north of Gaza, only 28 – 46% – were facilitated by the Israeli authorities.
The reality in the enclave is that only a tiny minority can eat on a regular basis, in the absence of food or affordable prices. Many do it once a day and there is a lack of milk and porridge, denounce organizations on the ground.
The NGO Doctors Without Borders warned today of the psychological trauma that the war is causing to the children of Gaza, who are losing the desire to continue living surrounded by so much death.
“What we are seeing in young children, especially, are symptoms of depression because they have lost everything. They have lost their parents, their siblings, their home, their toys, everything that made their daily life normal,” the organization said in a statement.
International
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption office aimed at strengthening oversight of the executive branch and preventing future presidents from using the White House for personal financial gain.
Schumer said the proposal was prompted by what he described as President Donald Trump’s misuse of the presidencyto benefit his family’s business interests.
“In just 18 months, the Trump family has made more than $4 billion by exploiting the influence of the presidency,” Schumer alleged.
The New York senator also argued that the alleged corruption has had direct economic consequences for American households.
“The same corrupt practices Trump is using to pocket billions of dollars are also forcing Americans to pay, on average, $3,100 more each year because of the rising cost of living,” he said.
The legislation was introduced alongside Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, and Andy Kim.
According to Schumer, the bill has two primary objectives: “First, to return money to the American people. Second, to ensure that no one can ever steal from them again.”
He added that the proposal would create legal mechanisms allowing citizens to seek the recovery of funds allegedly obtained through government corruption.
“The fact that Trump stole money from the American people does not make it his. Americans deserve to get that money back,” Schumer said.
Under the proposed legislation, any U.S. citizen—as well as state attorneys general acting on behalf of their residents—would be authorized to file civil lawsuits to recover funds allegedly acquired through corrupt practices by public officials.
“Our bill would empower any individual, including a state attorney general acting on behalf of the people of that state, to bring legal action to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption,” Schumer said.
The measure is expected to face debate in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over executive accountability and the scope of presidential powers.
International
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Latin American countries to increase investment in defense and security to strengthen the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking networks.
The appeal was made by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in an article published by Americas Quarterly. Colby argued that governments across the region should assume greater responsibility for protecting their territories from transnational criminal organizations.
“It is essential that our neighbors in the region invest more in their own defense and security. There is no reason why any country, especially those facing significant narco-terrorist threats, should spend so little on defense,” Colby wrote.
The Pentagon official described it as “absurd” that some Latin American nations allocate less than 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense, although he did not identify the countries. He contrasted that with NATO members in Europe, many of which are increasing defense expenditures to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% devoted to security-related investments.
Colby, who participated earlier this month in the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, said there is “a historic opportunity” for the United States and its regional partners to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and other transnational threats.
He also defended the proposed Shield of the Americas, a military partnership promoted by the Trump administration to combat organized crime and supported by several conservative governments in the region. The initiative does not include Brazil or Mexico.
In addition, Colby said the administration’s security strategy includes an updated interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, the long-standing U.S. foreign policy principle that historically viewed Latin America as part of Washington’s sphere of influence.
“Of course, we recognize that the Monroe Doctrine is controversial in many circles. But it is also frequently misunderstood,” he said.
According to Colby, the United States is not seeking “exploitation, subordination or dependence,” but rather a region characterized by greater prosperity, stability and security.
He also stated that Washington is prepared to use “all available resources,” including the U.S. Armed Forces, to combat drug trafficking and irregular migration. Colby highlighted ongoing counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, despite criticism from human rights organizations that have questioned some missions over allegations of extrajudicial killings in international waters.
International
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday appealed for $42 million to help vulnerable communities in southern Africa prepare for what is expected to be an unprecedented El Niño event.
The funding will enable humanitarian agencies to protect millions of people before worsening weather conditions severely affect agricultural production across the region.
Following a meeting with partners in Maputo, Mozambique, the two UN agencies said they still need to secure $42 million of the $54 million required to assist 2.3 million people in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
In a joint statement, FAO and WFP said the appeal marks the first time the two organizations have launched a large-scale, forward-looking call for anticipatory action, warning that insufficient funding could push the region’s most vulnerable families into a major food security crisis.
“The period before the main planting season is critical for taking action,” said José Luis Fernández, FAO Representative in Mozambique. He stressed that early intervention is both more effective and less costly than responding after crops have failed and productive assets have already been lost.
“With timely and flexible financing, we can help farmers access appropriate seeds and agricultural inputs, protect livestock and water resources, and sustain food production before reduced rainfall causes irreversible damage,” Fernández said.
Claire Conan, WFP Representative in Mozambique, emphasized that acting before disasters strike is more efficient and cost-effective than responding after communities have lost their livelihoods. She added that the agency is working closely with the Mozambican government to translate climate forecasts into preventive measures aimed at reducing the impact of droughts and floods.
The planned interventions include supporting farmers, strengthening food production systems and protecting the food security of the region’s most vulnerable households, with the goal of reducing the risk of widespread hunger.
El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon characterized by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and changes in atmospheric circulation, disrupting weather patterns around the world. Its most recent episode, between 2023 and 2024, was associated with record global temperatures, severe droughts across southern Africa, Central America and northern South America, as well as destructive wildfires, torrential rainfall and widespread flooding.
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
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
-
International2 days agoU.S. and Iran Maintain Ceasefire as Trump Expresses Optimism Over New Talks
-
International2 days agoPolice Investigate After Remains of Five Newborns Found in French Apartment
-
International2 days agoPortuguese Authorities Seize 2.6 Tons of Cocaine Worth More Than $550 Million in Drug Bust
-
International23 hours agoFive Bodies Found in Ecuador as Police Probe Suspected Gang Turf War
-
Central America4 days agoEU Urges Nicaragua to Hold Free and Transparent Elections Amid Proposed Electoral Reforms
-
International3 days agoCosta Rica Seeks to Expand Extradition Law to Target Organized Crime
-
International3 days agoChina Accuses U.S. AI Firms of Using Chinese Models to Train Artificial Intelligence
-
Central America23 hours agoProsecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras
-
International23 hours agoGeorgia Teen Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Deadly School Shooting
-
International3 days agoThree Killed, Four Injured in Shooting Near Seattle’s Space Needle
-
International27 minutes ago
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
-
International48 minutes agoTrump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
-
International50 minutes ago
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño