International

At least two members of the Gulf Clan die in a Colombian Army operation

At least two members of a Gulf Clan group, accused of the murder of social leader Jaime Gallego, died this Sunday in an operation carried out by the Colombian Army in a rural area of the municipality of Anorí, in the department of Antioquia (northwest).

The Seventh Division of the Army detailed in a statement that during the operation two members of the Gulf Clan, the main criminal gang in the country, were killed, as well as “war material, stewardship, communications, explosives and ammunition” was seized.

“This is a sustained operation that seeks to hit the Jorge Mario Valle Structure of the GAO (organized armed group) Clan del Golfo, responsible for the murder of social leader Jaime Gallego. Currently, this military operation is in development,” the information added.

Gallego, a defender of human rights and traditional miners of Antioquia, who had been missing for a week, was murdered, according to social organizations on Sunday.

“With deep pain and indignation we have learned that the social leader and defender of human rights Jaime Gallego, known as ‘Mongo’, was cowardly murdered,” said the Corporation for Peace and Social Development (Corpades) in its X account.

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Gallego had been missing since March 3 when he was last seen along with his escort Didier Berrío, of the National Protection Unit (UNP), whose whereabouts are “unknown.”

The social leader was found “lifeless at 2:00 in the morning on the sidewalk (hamlet) El Jabón, in the municipality of Vegachí, with gunshots,” the information added.

According to the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz), with the death of Gallego, 33 social leaders have been murdered so far this year in Colombia.

Gallego was the founder of the Mesa Minera of the municipalities of Segovia and Remedios (Antioquia), where there are disputes between different illegal armed groups over gold deposits, and in 2023 he was a candidate for mayor of Segovia for the Historical Pact, party of President Gustavo Petro.

Last August, Petro authorized the opening of a “socio-legal conversation space” with the Gulf Clan, heir to the paramilitary United Self-Defense of Colombia (AUC) and the country’s main criminal gang.

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The objective of this space is to set the terms of submission to justice according to the precepts allowed by law, but the process has not yet begun.

Unlike other negotiating tables installed such as those that the Government has with the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), with a faction of the FARC dissidents of the Central General Staff (EMC) and with a split group of the Second Marquetalia, it is a space for socio-legal conversations.

This happens because the Government does not recognize the Gulf Clan, self-proclaimed Gaitanista Army of Colombia (EGC), political status.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.

International

Oil prices surge again as Middle East tensions persist

Oil prices climbed again on Friday for a second consecutive session, as markets remained concerned about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East with no tangible diplomatic progress.

North Sea Brent crude for May delivery rose 4.22% to close at $112.57 per barrel.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) approached the $100 mark, settling at $99.64, up 5.46%.

The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to delay by ten days his ultimatum for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz failed to reassure market participants.

“It means there will be ten additional days of disruptions in the Middle East for crude and refined product flows,” said Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates.

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“For prices to come down, a resolution to the conflict is necessary,” Lipow added. “And even in the event of a ceasefire, it is not certain that Iran would allow oil shipments to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”

International

Young Spanish Woman Receives Euthanasia After Legal Battle, Sparking Debate

A 25-year-old Spanish woman, Noelia Castillo, received euthanasia on Thursday following a prolonged legal dispute with her father.

She passed away at a care center in Sant Pere de Ribes, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona, where she had been living for some time, according to Spanish media reports.

In an interview broadcast a day earlier on Antena 3, Castillo expressed her exhaustion after enduring prolonged suffering. She indicated that her decision was influenced by a combination of personal circumstances and health-related challenges, including family conflicts and a condition of paraplegia following a previous incident that left her with lasting physical consequences.

Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, becoming one of the few countries that allow patients under strict conditions to seek medical assistance to end their lives in order to avoid what the law defines as unbearable suffering.

The case has reignited debate in Spain over the ethical, legal, and family dimensions surrounding euthanasia, as well as the broader issue of support for individuals in vulnerable situations.