International

Crypto executives in France targeted by wave of violent kidnappings

After having cut off one of their hostage’s fingers, the kidnappers were preparing to drill into one of his knees, according to France’s Interior Minister. The swift action of French police saved the hostage — the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur — from the horrifying situation.

While the incident earlier this month ended with a police raid and the arrest of seven suspects, this and other abductions have shaken France’s cryptocurrency industry.

This week, following another attempted crypto-related kidnapping in the heart of Paris, the wave of violence has also become a political issue for President Emmanuel Macron’s government — and particularly for Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is maneuvering for a possible presidential bid in the 2027 election.

Retailleau held a private meeting on Friday with cryptocurrency business owners to discuss their safety and prevent further damage to his tough-on-crime image, as well as Macron’s broader efforts to brand France as a hub for cutting-edge tech and innovation. His ministry urged journalists not to film participants “for security reasons,” describing the meeting as “strictly confidential” — a sign of how months of extortion attempts have put the crypto sector on edge.

A Kidnapping Attempt in Broad Daylight

On Tuesday, several masked men attempted to drag the daughter of a crypto entrepreneur into a van during a brazen abduction attempt in Paris. In video footage taken by witnesses, the men can be seen struggling with the woman and her husband as they clung to each other on the ground, shouting “Help! Help!” A shopkeeper intervened by grabbing a fire extinguisher and hurling it at the attackers’ vehicle, prompting them to flee.

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

The woman’s father, Pierre Noizat, is the CEO and founder of Bitcoin exchange platform Paymium. Speaking to BFMTV on Friday, the businessman harshly criticized French politicians and judges for what he described as their “lack of action.” He said his son-in-law required stitches after being injured while resisting the attackers.

Noizat also expressed concern that wealthy businesspeople from other sectors could become targets next, saying: “I believe this is just the beginning if nothing is done.”

Éric Larchevêque, another crypto entrepreneur whose business partner and wife were kidnapped in January and who attended Friday’s meeting, warned: “All entrepreneurs — and the image of France — are at risk.”

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.

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

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.