International
Netanyahu and Trump vow to expand “Circle of Peace” amid Middle East ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he will continue fighting alongside U.S. President Donald Trump against their “common enemies,” and that both leaders will swiftly expand the “circle of peace” in the Middle East following their collaboration in the recent war against Iran.
“Thank you, President Trump, for your moving support for me and your tremendous support for Israel and the Jewish people. We will continue working together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and rapidly expand the circle of peace,” Netanyahu wrote on the social media platform X.
Netanyahu’s remarks came in response to a message from the former U.S. president on his social network, Truth Social, in which Trump called Netanyahu “perhaps the greatest warrior in Israel’s history,” praising his role in the war against Iran.
In that message, Trump also called for an end to the “witch hunt” against Netanyahu, referring to the ongoing corruption trials he has faced for months, and asked for their dismissal.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu himself requested a two-week postponement of his court testimonies due to national security concerns.
The statements about expanding the “circle of peace” come amid regional uncertainty following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran (proposed by Trump and coordinated with Qatar), the terms of which remain unknown.
Since the truce, Trump has advocated for regional peace, posting on Truth Social: “CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!” Days earlier, the U.S. had joined the conflict by bombing Iran’s main nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and the heavily fortified Fordow site.
White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told CNBC that “major announcements” regarding the Abraham Accords — initiated during Trump’s first administration to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab states (including the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco) — could be made soon.
Additionally, on June 24, Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel was holding talks with Syria in an attempt to normalize relations with its neighbor.
Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and, since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, has controlled the demilitarized zone between the two countries, which is Syrian territory.
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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