International

Two new explosions reported in Cuenca, Ecuador, without casualties

Photo: @Sanchezmendieta

September 1|

The National Police (PN) and the Fire Department of Ecuador reported that this Thursday two new explosions were recorded in the city of Cuenca, located in the center-south of the country, with no fatalities.

The first explosion was reported in the structure of a bridge near the parish center of the town of Sayausí, northwest of Cuenca, leaving damage to pipes and asphalt.

The second event was caused by the detonation of an explosive device inside a vehicle in the town of Totoracocha, in the east of the city.

After the events, authorities were deployed throughout the territory to support the work of the National Police and the Armed Forces in search of the perpetrators of the explosions.

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These events are in addition to the detonation of two car bombs in Quito, the capital of the country, on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, without leaving people injured.

The PN reported on Wednesday that six people have been detained, allegedly related to the explosive attacks that occurred in Quito.

Ecuador’s unified command post, together with the PN, the Armed Forces and the National Service of Integral Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI), took a series of decisions to recover order in the penitentiary system.

In a statement, the government of Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said that until Thursday night seven police officers and 50 prison security and surveillance officers were being held in six detention centers.

He reported that the event would be a response of criminal groups to the interventions of public forces in prisons in the country, whose purpose is the seizure of prohibited objects that are used in violent acts.

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In a message published on the social network X, formerly Twitter, Lasso said that “the measures we have taken, especially in the penitentiary system, have generated violent reactions from criminal organizations that seek to intimidate the state”.

“But we are firm and we will not back down in our objective of capturing dangerous criminals, dismantling criminal gangs and pacifying the country’s prisons,” added the president.

This week, some 2,200 police and military personnel arrived at the Latacunga prison, located in Cotopaxi province, south of Quito, and seized some 49 bladed weapons and two bulletproof vests, among other prohibited objects.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.