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Thousands of US-bound migrants stranded in Colombia
AFP
Thousands of migrants are stranded in a Colombian port town as they wait for boats to cross into neighboring Panama on their way to the United States, a state relief agency said.
The Gulf of Uraba, on Colombia’s northern coast, is one of the main transit points for refugees from nearby Latin American nations as well as Africa, and Asia, trying to cross into Panama through a jungle corridor known as the Darien Gap.
The United States is usually their final destination.
But the number of migrants arriving in the municipality of Necocli has swelled in recent weeks and a local shipping company that transports people across the gulf into Panama’s southern jungle is unable to keep up, the municipal disaster management agency said Tuesday.
In the absence of land crossings to the border, “the company takes around 700 to 750 (migrants) but at night 1,000, 1,100, 1,200 more arrive,” head of the disaster management unit, Cesar Zuniga, told AFP.
He added that more than 10,000 migrants had now accumulated in the municipality of 45,000 people.
Dozens of migrants, including pregnant women and children, can be seen crowded on the beach waiting for a spot on a boat in images shared by local authorities.
Zuniga said many of them were living in local hotels or rented rooms.
In January, hundreds of migrants living in makeshift tents on the beach were trapped in Necocli due to strict border closures meant to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
“This time it is different,” said Zuniga. “There is no forced border closure, the build-up is due to the operational and logistical inability of the transport company,” Zuniga said.
In May, Colombia reopened its land, river, and sea borders with Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil, after closing them for more than a year due to the pandemic.
Earlier in July, it also reopened borders with Venezuela.
A United Nations report in June showed global displacement figures swelled to around three million in 2020 after an already record-breaking year in 2019, with the majority of refugees hosted in countries neighboring crisis areas.
Colombia hosts the world’s second-largest refugee population with 1.7 million displaced people living in the country, the UN said in the report.
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Trump renews criticism of Pope Leo XIV amid tensions over Iran
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday night, urging that “someone tell him” that Iran has “killed at least 42,000 innocent protesters” and insisting that it is “unacceptable” for the country to possess nuclear weapons.
“Can someone please inform Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 completely unarmed, innocent protesters over the past two months, and that it is absolutely unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear bomb?” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
The statement comes amid an escalating public dispute between Trump and the pontiff over the conflict in Iran and the broader Middle East. The US president concluded his message with the phrase “AMERICA IS BACK.”
Pope Leo XIV, who was born in the United States, has repeatedly spoken out—both directly and indirectly—against Washington’s stance toward Tehran, while calling for peace in the region.
On Monday, Trump openly criticized the pope, describing him as “weak” and “terrible on foreign policy.”
Speaking aboard a flight to Algeria, the first stop of his trip to Africa, the pontiff said he was “not afraid” of the Trump administration and would continue to raise his voice against the ongoing conflict.
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Tehran engulfed in toxic cloud after strikes on fuel facilities
Tehran woke up under a sky that shifted from gray to black following strikes on fuel infrastructure, as the city has become engulfed in a toxic cloud that is turning daily life into a public health and environmental emergency.
Residents warn that what is falling from the sky is no longer just rain, but a mixture of oil and pollutants. Attacks on fuel depots have triggered prolonged fires, releasing thick plumes of smoke that continue to spread across the العاصمة.
For several days, facilities have remained ablaze, while a dark layer has settled over streets, homes, and even water reserves. Authorities have urged the population—more than nine million people—to remain indoors, especially vulnerable groups.
The extreme toxicity is linked to mazut, a dense petroleum byproduct with high sulfur content still used in Iran due to industrial limitations and sanctions. When burned, it releases hazardous particles that, when combined with moisture, result in contaminated rainfall.
The situation is worsened by Tehran’s geography. Surrounded by mountains, the city is affected by a temperature inversion phenomenon that traps pollutants near the ground, preventing their dispersion and creating a stagnant layer of toxic air over the population.
Residents have reported symptoms such as eye and skin irritation, headaches, and respiratory difficulties. Emergency agencies have also warned of potential chemical burns caused by acid rain.
Long-term concerns are mounting, as prolonged exposure to fine particles and heavy metals could lead to serious health conditions, including lung damage and cancer.
Contamination is also spreading to water sources and agricultural land, threatening the food supply in a country already facing water scarcity.
At a regional level, the environmental impact is expanding, with oil spills reported in the Persian Gulf, affecting marine ecosystems and fishing communities.
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FBI Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested in Mexico and Deported to U.S.
Authorities in Mexico announced Thursday that Samuel Ramírez Jr., a U.S. citizen accused of murdering two women and listed among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, was arrested in the northern state of Sinaloa.
Ramírez Jr., 33, was detained Tuesday in Culiacán just 1 hour and 13 minutes after being added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Ten Most Wanted list, the agency said in a statement.
The suspect, who was born in California, has already been deported to the U.S. state of Washington, where he faces charges related to the fatal shooting of two women at a bar in Federal Way in May 2023.
A court issued an arrest warrant for Ramírez in November last year, and the FBI initially offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture, later increasing the amount to up to $1 million.
“To protect individuals’ privacy and ensure continued cooperation from the public, the FBI does not confirm the identity of those who provide information,” the agency said in its statement.
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