International

The UN warns that humanitarian aid via border crossings in Gaza has been halved

The United Nations warned this Friday that the volumes of humanitarian aid that have been able to reach Gaza from its various border crossings have been halved since May, when the Rafah crossing was closed.

The deputy spokeswoman for the UN Secretary-General, Florencia Soto Niño, indicated at a press conference today that that aid has decreased from a daily average of 169 trucks in April to less than 80 trucks in June and July.

In addition, at the Kerem Shalom junction, the aid received has fallen by more than 80% in the last three months, Soto Niño said.

Last May, the Israel Defense Forces reported the closure of this crossing, in the south of the Gaza Strip and key to the entry of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, after an alleged new missile attack by Hamas.

According to the spokeswoman, humanitarian assistance missions that require coordination with the Israeli authorities continue to be denied or prevented.

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As of Thursday, Israel facilitated only 24 of the 67 planned aid missions in northern Gaza and it is the same scenario in the south, where of about 100 humanitarian missions, only about half could be completed.

The rest were denied, prevented or canceled for security, logistical or operational reasons, he explained.

Soto Niño also added that 60,000 Palestinians were forcibly relocated in the last 72 hours due to Israel’s evacuation orders in Jan Yunis (south of the Gaza Strip).

The Israeli Army ordered last Saturday the displacement of civilians from the southern neighborhoods of that city in the direction of the Mawasi area, whose perimeter is increasingly small.

Thus, the spokeswoman said that it is considered that more than 80% of the Gaza Strip has received evacuation orders since October last year.

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International

Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to five years in prison

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other charges, concluding the first in a series of trials stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

The sentence is shorter than the 10-year prison term sought by prosecutors against the 65-year-old conservative former leader, whose move against Parliament triggered a major political crisis that ultimately led to his removal from office.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, is still facing seven additional trials. One of them, on charges of insurrection, could potentially result in the death penalty.

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on one of the multiple secondary cases linked to the affair, which plunged the country into months of mass protests and political instability.

International

U.S. deportation flight returns venezuelans to Caracas after Maduro’s ouster

A new flight carrying 231 Venezuelans deported from the United States arrived on Friday at the airport serving Caracas, marking the first such arrival since the military operation that ousted and captured President Nicolás Maduro.

On January 3, U.S. forces bombed the Venezuelan capital during an incursion in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. Both are now facing narcotrafficking charges in New York.

This was the first U.S.-flagged aircraft transporting migrants to land in Venezuela since the military action ordered by President Donald Trump, who has stated that he is now in charge of the country.

The aircraft departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and landed at Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the Venezuelan capital, at around 10:30 a.m. local time (14:30 GMT), according to AFP reporters on the ground.

The deportees arrived in Venezuela under a repatriation program that remained in place even during the height of the crisis between the two countries, when Maduro was still in power. U.S. planes carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued to arrive throughout last year, despite the military deployment ordered by Trump.

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International

Sheinbaum highlights anti-drug gains after U.S. says challenges remain

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday highlighted her government’s achievements in the fight against drug trafficking, after the United States said challenges remain in combating organized crime.

On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that “despite progress, challenges still exist” in addressing organized crime.

“There are very strong results from joint cooperation and from the work Mexico is doing: first, a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures at the U.S. border,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference.

The president also said that authorities have seized nearly 320 tons of drugs and that there has been a “40% decrease in intentional homicides in Mexico” since the start of her administration on October 1, 2024.

Sheinbaum added that the United States should implement campaigns to reduce drug consumption within its territory and curb the flow of weapons into Mexico.

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“There are many results and there will be more, but there must be mutual respect and shared responsibility, as well as respect for our sovereignties,” she said.

On Monday, Sheinbaum held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security issues. She said she once again ruled out the presence of U.S. troops in Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Security has been a recurring issue used by Trump to threaten tariffs on Mexico and to pressure negotiations over the USMCA (T-MEC) free trade agreement, which are scheduled for 2026.

The agreement is crucial for Mexico’s economy, as about 80% of the country’s exports are destined for the United States.