International
Colombian State to apologize for false positives in Soacha
September 28 |
Colombian human rights organizations confirmed Thursday that the Colombian State will publicly ask for forgiveness on October 3 for the false positive cases of the Soacha youths, killed in Catatumbo by members of the Army.
According to the organizers, the act of recognition of responsibility will take place in the Plaza de Bolivar and will be headed by the Colombian Minister of Defense himself, Ivan Velasquez.
Asociación Minga and Colectivo José Alvear Restrepo (Cajar), explained that the request for state pardon is framed within the restoration measures established by the Administrative Court of Cundinamarca in 2015, prior to the signing of the Peace Accords, within the case of victim Jaime Estiven Valencia Sanabria.
The act of recognition comes after several days of concertation and were managed to unlock under the Government of Gustavo Petro, stating that several measures were “insistently denied” by previous ministers.
In this sense, from the Cajar explained that “…it is publicly acknowledged that State agents committed crimes that the high military commanders and the former President of the Republic during the period in which they happened, Alvaro Uribe Velez, have tried to minimize and even justify for years. We consider this one more step to confront the impunity that has surrounded these cases”.
El Cajar recalls that this is an “act of recognition of state responsibility” and “includes families covered by sentences of other courts in which the military forces and the National Army were ordered to make public apologies to the victims and society, as well as other victims of extrajudicial executions in which the justice system proved the responsibility of the State but did not order acts of public apology”.
The organizers explain that “although the pain of the families cannot be compensated with anything, this act of public apology can be reparative for them and, we hope, for Colombian society as well”.
They also recall the responsibility of “who was President of the Republic during the period in which they happened, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, (which) they have tried to minimize and even justify for years”, for which they consider “this is one more step to confront the impunity that has surrounded these cases, to honor the memory of those who today are not physically with us and to exalt the struggle of the families who, despite the difficulties to access justice, continue in their search”.
International
Child Found Malnourished in Van in France; Father Admits Confinement
French gendarmes discovered a child in a van in Hagenbach, in northeastern France, after a neighbor reported hearing what she described as “childlike noises” coming from the parked vehicle.
After unlocking the van, officers found the boy lying in a fetal position, unclothed and covered with a blanket, surrounded by garbage and near human waste, according to a statement from the Mulhouse prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz.
Authorities said the child appeared pale and severely malnourished. Due to prolonged confinement in a seated position, he was no longer able to walk. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Mulhouse for medical care.
The boy’s father, who lived with his partner and two daughters aged 10 and 12, admitted to keeping the child confined and depriving him of proper care.
According to the prosecutor, the man said he placed the child in the van in November 2024, claiming he wanted to “protect him” because his partner intended to have the boy admitted to a psychiatric facility.
The suspect also stated that he allowed the child out of the vehicle in May 2025 and permitted him to enter the family apartment around mid-year, when the rest of the family was on vacation.
The man’s partner—who is not the child’s mother—also faces charges, including failure to report abuse. However, she has denied all accusations.
International
Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Risk Amid Hormuz Disruption
The Airports Council International Europe has warned of a potential “systemic shortage” of jet fuel if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored within the next three weeks, according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Friday.
In the document, addressed to the European Commission and first reported by the Financial Times, the European airport lobby stated that a “systemic jet fuel shortage will become a reality” in the European Union unless stable and significant transit through the strait resumes soon.
The association, which represents around 600 airports across 50 countries, called on Brussels to implement “urgent monitoring of fuel availability and supply” over the next six months.
Jet fuel prices have surged amid the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transport.
The conflict escalated on February 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.
In response, Tehran imposed several countermeasures, including blocking maritime traffic through the strait, a route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil, jet fuel, and gas supply passes.
International
Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery
Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.
Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.
On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.
Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.
At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.
NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.
Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.
NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).
Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.
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