International
The US, Japan and South Korea renew their intention to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific
The leaders of Japan, the United States, Japan and South Korea renew their intention to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific and South Korea renewed this Sunday their determination to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, one year since their meeting in Camp David, near Washington.
Highlighting “the tremendous progress” in the trilateral efforts, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said that cooperation “is indispensable to face the current challenges,” according to a joint statement published today.
“We are determined to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, remain aligned in our shared vision and be ready to face global challenges,” the statement states.
The statement comes after last year, on this same date, the three leaders agreed to strengthen their military cooperation in the face of North Korea’s arms race and China’s military boom in the Pacific.
The thorny issues addressed contrasted with the setting of the summit: the serene presidential residence of Camp David, anchored in the mountains of the state of Maryland and known for having hosted some of the most emblematic agreements of American diplomacy.
One of the greatest results was the signing of a regional security agreement that includes a clause known as “consultation obligation”, an understanding that establishes that the three nations will consider any security threat against one of them as a threat to all, which would imply a mutual discussion about how to respond.
Another important result of the summit is the annual realization of joint military exercises between the three countries.
In addition, the leaders agreed to create a hotline to communicate more quickly in the face of any type of crisis that may affect the Asia-Pacific region.
Although the three nations agreed to hold a trilateral summit at least once a year, Kishida has announced that he will not run for the race for the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), while Biden has announced his withdrawal from the November U.S. presidential election.
International
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Monday requested that the Supreme Court restore his freedom while he appeals the historic 12-year house arrest sentence he received for bribery and procedural fraud.
Uribe, the most prominent figure of Colombia’s right wing, was convicted last week by a lower court for attempting to bribe paramilitary members into denying his ties to the violent anti-guerrilla squads.
Since Friday, the 73-year-old has been under house arrest at his residence in Rionegro, about 30 km from Medellín. The judge justified the measure by citing a risk of flight.
However, Uribe’s defense team rejected that argument and formally petitioned the court to immediately lift the detention order, claiming it lacks legal basis.
Uribe, a dominant force in Colombian politics for decades, is now the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted and placed under arrest, found guilty of witness tampering and obstruction of justice to prevent links to paramilitary groups.
He has repeatedly denounced the trial as politically motivated, blaming pressure from the leftist government currently in power.
His political party, Centro Democrático, has called for nationwide protests on August 7 in support of Uribe, who remains popular for his hardline stance against guerrilla groups.
Uribe has until August 13 to submit his written appeal. The case will then move to the Bogotá High Court, which has until October 16 to uphold, overturn, or dismiss the sentence. If the deadline passes without a decision, the case will be archived.
International
U.S. Embassy staff restricted as gunfire erupts near compound in Port-au-Prince
The poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean is currently engulfed in a deep political crisis and a wave of violence driven by armed groups — a situation that an international security mission led by Kenya is attempting to stabilize.
Due to the worsening security conditions, the U.S. government has suspended all official movements of embassy personnel outside the compound in Port-au-Prince, the U.S. State Department announced Monday in a security alert posted on social media platform X.
“There are intense gunfights in the Tabarre neighborhood, near the U.S. Embassy,” the alert reads, urging the public to avoid the area.
Tabarre is a municipality located near Port-au-Prince International Airport, northeast of the Haitian capital.
According to a July report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,141 people were killed in Haitibetween January 1 and June 30 of this year.
International
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that 136 boxes of food aid were airdropped into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, and Belgium.
“In recent hours, six countries conducted air drops of 136 aid packages containing food for residents in the southern and northern Gaza Strip,” read the statement, which added that the operation was coordinated by COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Israeli military emphasized that they will “continue working to improve the humanitarian response alongside the international community” and reiterated their stance to “refute false allegations of deliberate famine in Gaza.”
The announcement comes as UN agencies warn Gaza faces an imminent risk of famine. More than one in three residents go days without eating, and other nutrition indicators have dropped to their worst levels since the conflict began.
The agencies also noted the difficulty of “collecting reliable data in current conditions, as Gaza’s health systems —already devastated by nearly three years of conflict— are collapsing.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported on Sunday that hospitals in the enclave recorded six deaths from hunger and malnutrition on Saturday, all of them adults.
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
U.S. Embassy staff restricted as gunfire erupts near compound in Port-au-Prince
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
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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Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction