International

Petro asks Pope to host ELN peace talks at the Vatican

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Monday asked Pope Leo XIV to consider the Vatican as a new host for peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, whose negotiations have been suspended since January due to escalating violence in northeastern Colombia.

“They (the ELN) want to keep the meetings in Cuba, in Venezuela… but I believe it is here where the theory of effective love can be recalled — in the Vatican,” Petro said in a video released by the presidential office after his first private audience with the pontiff.

The Holy See did not comment on Petro’s proposal in its official statement regarding the meeting with the pope or the subsequent one with Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. Instead, the communiqué highlighted the “positive and enduring cooperation between the Church and the State in supporting peace and reconciliation efforts.”

Petro had previously made the same request in January 2024 to then-Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican, though it never materialized. The ELN negotiations have so far been held in Cuba, Venezuela, and Mexico — three of the guarantor countries in the process.

By inviting Pope Leo XIV to consider the Vatican as a host for renewed talks, Petro implied that the ELN might be given “a second chance” to return to the negotiating table, though he did not confirm any concrete progress with the group.

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Petro launched peace talks with the ELN after taking office in 2022 as Colombia’s first leftist president. However, the government suspended the talks in January after the ELN engaged in clashes with a rival armed group in the Catatumbo region, near the border with Venezuela. The violence led to the displacement of over 56,000 people and more than 90 deaths.

“The ELN has just committed a massacre. They’ve forgotten their revolutionary principles. They’ve forgotten that Catholic priests once led their ranks,” Petro said, referencing the group’s origins, which were inspired by Liberation Theology and included a Catholic priest among its founders.

International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

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“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

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According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

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When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.