International
Emotional support dogs help firefighters fighting fires in California
At least three emotional support dogs have been deployed at the Incident Command Post (ICP) in Palisades, one of the most devastating fires that continues to be active in Los Angeles, California, in order to provide some “love and joy” to firefighters who continue to fight the flames.
From very early Brisket, a three-year-old golden retriever Labrador, walks with his coach and police officer Amy Tate at the ICP located in Zuma Beach, Malibu, to share a moment with the firefighters as they line up to receive their breakfast and prepare to return to the fire zone.
The city agent of Glendale (California) believes that the presence of these highly trained emotional support dogs helps firefighters feel a little “at home” in critical emergency moments like the one that has been living in Los Angeles County for more than a week.
“Many people miss their families and their dogs. So if we can give them a couple of minutes of a little dog love, that’s our job,” Tate replies to EFE.
When Brisket appears the firefighters “come very quickly and ask me to caress him, kiss him and hug him, and tell me about their dogs at home or dogs they have had in the past and show me photos, which is really great,” he explains.
On normal days, Brisket is a service dog of the Glendale Police Department that, according to Tate, has become “a celebrity” for the various activities he carries out in the community.
The dog usually sits next to victims when they interview them and they have to remember the trauma.
Brisket “taste forty orders. He knows how to open and close doors, turn on lights, pick up things from the floor, help with the laundry, open the fridge, whatever you need,” he says.
In the same ICP also walks Ember (Brasa in Spanish), a Sheepadoodle dog that attracts firefighters who do not miss the opportunity to take a picture of her and spend some time with her.
The dog, who began her service in 2024, wears a Riverside County firefighters cap on her head and her trainer Bari Boersma points out that by petting these animals, people experience a decrease in tension and feel better.
“All these dogs that are here in this camp are trained through the first recognized therapy organization and then continue and obtain one more certification in animal-assisted crisis response training. So they have higher certifications than therapy dogs,” he explains to EFE.
Since January 7, Los Angeles, California, has faced one of the worst devastation crises due to the outbreak of a series of fires that are still active and have left at least 25 dead.
The Palisades fire, one of the most lethal foci, has been able to contain itself by 19% and has devastated one of the most exclusive areas of the city of stars, while the Eaton has managed to contain itself by 45%.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
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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