International
Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet to discuss the conflict in Syria
The Foreign Ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet at the end of this week to discuss the conflict in Syria, where rebel factions have launched a major offensive against the Damascus Government.
The meeting between the members of the so-called Astana Process – formed to end the Syrian civil war – will be within the framework of the Doha Forum to be held on December 7 and 8, according to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchí and reported on Wednesday by the state agency IRNA.
Iran accuses Israel and the United States
Iran and Russia are allies of the Government of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, while Turkey has supported armed opposition groups in recent years.
Araqchi will discuss with his counterparts from Russia and Turkey, Sergey Lavrov and Hakan Fidan, respectively, the situation in Syria, where Islamist insurgent factions began a broad military offensive in the northwest of the country on November 27.
Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian colleague Masud Pezeshkian have reaffirmed their “unconditional” support for Al Asad.
Iran has also accused the United States and Israel of reactivating violence in Syria, amid the conflict already existing in the Middle East.
Contacts with Arab countries
The Syrian government has launched a campaign of contacts with Arab countries, as well as with Iran, its main ally, in search of support, after the start of the broad offensive of Islamist factions.
This alliance is led by the Levante Liberation Agency, a former subsidiary of Al Qaeda in Syria.
It is also made up of pro-Turkish factions and together they have since managed to completely control the city of Idlib and most of Aleppo, the second largest after Damascus.
At the moment they continue their advance towards Hama, about 210 kilometers north of the capital.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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