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Colombia will ask the UN to extend the implementation of the peace agreement to more than 15 years

The Government of Colombia will ask the UN Security Council to consider the possibility of expanding the implementation of the peace agreement signed in 2016 with the former FARC guerrilla beyond the 15 years agreed when it was signed, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said on Tuesday.

“We are proposing that an adjustment be made to the implementation framework plan that was designed to be implemented in 15 years and with the delays we must seriously consider the possibility of extending the implementation period of that framework plan,” Murillo said about the proposal that President Gustavo Petro will present to the Security Council on Thursday.

For the time being, the possibility of extending the 15-year period for the implementation that was signed and working on tables to work “extraordinary and emergency measures” will be considered to expedite the implementation because, as Murillo pointed out in a press conference: “It is very clear that we will not be able to comply with the agreement in the 15 years that were proposed in the framework implementation plan and will probably require an extension.”

That extension “has been said that it has to be (…) from five to eight years,” although at the moment it is under discussion.

“Althog much progress has been made in the implementation of the peace agreement, it is supremely important that the structural obstacles that are to the timely implementation and full implementation of the agreement can be removed,” said the chancellor, who stressed that the current Government is the one that has implemented the most.

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These obstacles are “institutional” but there are also “budgets” for peace in Colombia and others “that have to do with the legal and legal that have really prevented the accelerated advance of the implementation of the agreement,” Murillo said.

Therefore, the Government wants to propose “a shock plan for the next two years” that will require “extraordinary measures, some emergency, to be able to put the implementation in tune,” and thus “overcome the structural barriers that the complete implementation of the agreement has.”

The president of Colombia will go to New York on Thursday for the quarterly session of the Security Council where the state of implementation of the peace agreement will be discussed and where the UN verification mission will present its report for this quarter.

“Petro will be very clear that he remains firmly committed to the implementation of the agreement, but obviously connected to the policy of total peace and in that sense he will request that it continue with the unanimous support and accompaniment of the international community through the United Nations Security Council, but also an accompaniment to the new measures and the guarantees that will obviously be proposed to accelerate the implementation,” Murillo anticipated.

In New York, the president will also participate in the inauguration of a monument at the UN headquarters made with the smelting of weapons left by the FARC and will also meet with the Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, to talk about Colombia and other countries such as the situation in Gaza or the war in Ukraine.

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U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.

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