International
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed by gunshot, autopsy reveals
An autopsy conducted by Israeli authorities revealed that the leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, died from a gunshot wound to the head, reported the American newspaper The New York Times on Friday.
Dr. Chen Kugel, director of Israel’s national forensic institute who oversaw the procedure, told the newspaper that Sinwar was initially injured in the arm by shrapnel, possibly from a missile or tank shell.
Following this, the Hamas leader tied an electrical cable around his arm in an apparent makeshift tourniquet, but according to Kugel, “it was not strong enough, and his forearm was shattered.”
Kugel added that a gunshot to the head ultimately killed Sinwar, but The New York Times reported that it remains unclear who fired the shot, when it occurred, and what weapon was used.
According to the Israeli army, Sinwar’s death occurred during a routine surveillance round on Wednesday.
A group of soldiers was patrolling the city of Rafah when they encountered three Palestinian militants.
While the military pursued them, Sinwar separated from the other two, the army clarified.
Israeli forces subsequently fired a tank shell at the building where the two militants were hiding and at another building where Sinwar was taking refuge, it added.
Israeli media and military officials stated that there was no prior information indicating the presence of the Hamas leader in the area.
Images released by the Israeli army reportedly show Sinwar, covered in dust, sitting in an armchair and staring at a drone as it entered a house devastated by attacks.
In the low-quality video, Sinwar is seen alone, with a severely injured hand and his head covered with a traditional scarf, throwing a stick at the drone.
The Israeli army conducted DNA tests, dental examinations, and other forensic investigations that helped confirm the leader’s identity.
He had not been seen in public since the outbreak of the war in Gaza following the deadly attack launched by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, for which he was the mastermind.
Sinwar, 61, had led Hamas in Gaza since 2017 and was appointed the political leader of the movement in August following the death of Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on July 31 in an attack attributed to Israel.
This group, which is supported by Iran, has governed Gaza since 2007.
International
OAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) has pledged to follow up on allegations regarding the alleged involvement of Colombian President Gustavo Petro in political campaigning ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.
The announcement was made by presidential candidate Claudia López after a meeting with the head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández.
According to a statement released by López’s campaign, the OAS mission listened to the concerns raised by the candidate and committed to monitoring the complaints she has submitted to both national and international organizations.
The mission also reiterated its commitment to overseeing the electoral process to help ensure that the will of Colombian voters is respected throughout the election.
“We have turned to international forums and technical observation missions to warn that Colombian democracy cannot be left at the mercy of fear or undue pressure,” López, the former mayor of Bogotá, said following the meeting.
López has repeatedly expressed concerns about what she describes as political interference in the electoral process and has called on national and international institutions to closely monitor the conduct of the campaign.
The OAS observation mission is one of several international bodies deployed to Colombia to monitor the presidential election, which is taking place amid heightened political tensions and intense competition among candidates from across the ideological spectrum.
The election is expected to be closely watched both domestically and internationally as Colombians choose whether to continue with the country’s first left-wing administration or shift toward a new political direction.
International
Colombia Votes in Pivotal Election as Left Seeks to Retain Power
Colombians headed to the polls on Sunday in a crucial presidential election that will determine whether the country continues under its first left-wing government in modern history or shifts back toward the political right.
The election campaign has been marked by deep political divisions, with armed violence and economic concerns emerging as the dominant issues for voters.
A total of 11 candidates remain in the race following the withdrawal of three presidential tickets. The central question is which candidate will advance to a likely runoff election alongside ruling-party senator Iván Cepeda, who has led opinion polls for months with his platform of “democratic revolution” but is not expected to secure enough votes to win outright in the first round.
On the right, Senator Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Center party, the political movement founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, has lost momentum as support has grown for far-right attorney Abelardo de la Espriella. Known as “The Tiger,” De la Espriella has campaigned on a tough-on-crime agenda targeting criminal organizations and guerrilla groups, drawing comparisons to the security policies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Political analyst Sandra Borda, a professor at the University of the Andes, argues that Colombia is experiencing not simply greater polarization but a broader political landscape.
“The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC opened significant space for the left. Inevitably, it also created opportunities for the right,” Borda told CNN. The political scientist, who ran for the Senate in 2022 with the New Liberalism movement, believes the current election presents a more challenging environment for the left than four years ago.
According to Borda, left-wing candidates can no longer campaign solely as agents of change who have never had the opportunity to govern or who remained untouched by traditional politics.
“They can no longer make that argument. They have already governed and are no longer immune from criticism associated with political power,” she said.
The election is being closely watched across Latin America as voters weigh the record of the outgoing administration against promises of change from candidates across the political spectrum.
International
ICE agent arrested in Texas over shooting of Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota
U.S. authorities arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Friday in Texas after he was accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota earlier this year and later providing false information about the incident.
The suspect, identified as Christian Castro, faces four counts of second-degree assault, along with an additional charge related to filing a false official report. He was taken into custody after investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension located him, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The case stems from a January operation carried out by ICE during which Castro shot Julio César Sosa, a Venezuelan migrant, in the leg. Prosecutors allege that the agent later submitted a misleading account of the incident, claiming that Sosa and another migrant had attacked officers with a shovel and a broomstick.
However, investigators say that video evidence and further findings contradicted that version of events, leading to the dismissal of charges initially brought against the migrants by federal prosecutors.
ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, acknowledged in February that agents involved in the incident had given “false sworn testimony” about what occurred.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described Friday’s arrest as a “critical step forward” in the judicial process and reaffirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
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