International

COP16 recognizes the contribution of indigenous people to the care of biodiversity

The United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16) approved in the early hours of Saturday by consensus the recognition of the contribution of Afro-descendant peoples and local communities to the care and preservation of biodiversity.

The approval was given at the last minute at the COP16 held in Cali and implies “the creation of a new subsidiary body of Article 8J” of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, according to the Colombian Foreign Ministry.

“Historical! We reached by consensus a great agreement on article 8J with 3 great achievements in COP16 Colombia,” said the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, Susana Muhamad, president of the meeting, in her account of X.

With T-shirts printed with images of birds from the region and phrases in which they invite you to take care of nature, more than 2,000 people gathered in the historic center of Cali, in southwestern Colombia, to say goodbye to the COP16 of Biodiversity, whose celebration was a success for the city.

The party, to the rhythm of salsa, was lit in the Plaza de Cayzedo, heart of the Green Zone, in which, according to figures from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, more than 900,000 people attended the activities of the COP over 12 days.

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“We leave the name of our city high before the planet, we fulfill Colombia and we fulfill the world. This is because we are united in reconciliation with each other and with nature,” said the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder.

Applause to Cali

The invitation included a massive applause tonight to Cali, Colombia’s third city, in recognition of its civility and commitment to COP16, considered the most important event held in that city.

“I want us not to forget this feeling we are feeling, this joy, this pride of being from Cali because just as Cali organized the largest COP in history, every year we will have the Biodiversity Week and we will continue to take it (the ball) out of the stadium,” Eder insisted.

The salsa of traditional orchestras of the city, such as the Niche Group and Guayacán, rumbled in the square, while two dance teachers led the crowd.

The challenge was to create the largest class of sauce in the world, however, due to “logistical problems”, the task was not achieved.

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“It doesn’t matter, no one takes away what we danced and enjoyed. We are ready as Caleños to keep trying and invite all the inhabitants of the different continents to come to this city, a city that we love and that opens its doors for them,” Juliana Álvarez, attendee to the street party, told EFE.

A COP16 that leaves positive figures

During the two weeks that COP16 lasted – from October 21 until today – Cali had visitors from more than 190 countries around the world, hotel occupancy exceeded 91% and even several delegations had to stay in motels for couples.

The Mayor’s Office of Cali also indicated that more than 15,237 tourists arrived in the city that increased the sales of businesses adjacent to the Green Zone by 290%.

The National Government also indicated that Cali reached the level of attendance of the climate COPs, surpassing a call of over 30,000 people.

The official information added that 1,000 businessmen attended the COP15 in Montreal (Canada), while more than 3,000 from around the world arrived at the COP16 in Cali.

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“The world press talked about Cali. More than 5,588 portals from 149 countries in 51 languages and more than 23,000 articles with 91,700 impressions confirm that Cali is where the whole world should be,” concluded Mayor Eder.

International

Iran Reports 201 Dead, 747 Injured After U.S. and Israeli Strikes

The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported Sunday night (local time) that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured following attacks carried out by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.

A spokesperson for the humanitarian organization said more than 220 rescue teams have been deployed across affected areas and that relief operations are continuing without interruption. The official highlighted the difficulty of treating the large number of wounded and the urgent need for additional resources in impacted provinces.

Out of Iran’s 31 provinces, 24 have reported damage, according to a statement carried by the Isna news agency. This marks the first overall casualty toll released by Iranian state-affiliated media since the launch of the offensive.

Among the dead are 85 schoolgirls from a school in the southern city of Minab, according to the country’s judiciary. “The number of martyrs at the Minab girls’ school has risen to 85,” the local prosecutor’s office said, as quoted by the judiciary’s website, Mizan Online.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian described the attack as a “savagery” that “constitutes a new black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors.”

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Meanwhile, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely amid concerns about possible further reprisals and the broader impact on Middle East stability, energy markets, and global security.

AFP noted that it was unable to independently verify the casualty figures or the circumstances surrounding the events.

International

Pope Leo XIV Urges End to ‘Spiral of Violence’ in Middle East

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, following military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent retaliatory bombardments in the region.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I urge the parties involved to assume their moral responsibility and stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” the pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Speaking during the Angelus prayer, the U.S.-born pope said stability and peace cannot be achieved through threats or weapons. “Stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats or with arms that sow destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue,” he declared.

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics also called for diplomacy to “regain its role” amid escalating tensions.

In addition, the pope urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to urgently resume dialogue after several days of clashes between the two countries.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.