International
They find a body and continue to look for 6 missing people after the shipwreck of a sailboat in Sicily
The body of one of the seven missing from the sailboat that sank this Monday in front of the town of Porticello, in Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily, was located by the divers of the Fire Force inside the hull at a depth of 49 meters, while six other people who could be trapped in the cabins are being sought.
The first shipwrecked, initially recovered by a ship present in the vicinity, were brought ashore by 4 ships of the Coast Guard.
According to some media, the body that has been recovered would be the crew member who worked as a cook and has Canadian nationality, although born on the island of Antigua.
The six people who are still missing are British and American tourists.
The sinking occurred at 05.00 local time (03.00 GMT) and according to some witnesses the British-flagged sailboat, called ‘Bayesian’, was anchored in front of the port of Porticello when the strong tornado that hit the area broke the main mast and this would have caused the imbalance of the boat that overturned and sank.
The sailboat was from a group of tourists who had chosen Sicily to spend their vacations and the survivors who have already disembarked are mostly English citizens, but there is also a New Zealander, an Irishman and another from Sri Lanka
Among the 15 survivors, a mother and her one-year-old daughter were transferred to the Palermo Children’s Hospital for checks, while the father was admitted to another hospital in the Sicilian capital and five other passengers were treated in an outpatient clinic.
The mother of the girl, of whom they have communicated only that her name is Charlotte, explained to the doctors who treated them that at a time when she slept the boat overturned and they found themselves in the water and that for a few seconds she lost the girl at sea, but then immediately picked her up again.
He pointed out that people were heard screaming and that they were saved because a lifeboat launched by another ship that was nearby arrived almost immediately.
“The baby is fine and the mother only has abrasions and a wound that needed to be sutured,” said Domenico Cipolla, director of pediatric admission and emergency and surgery at the “Di Cristina” hospital in Palermo.
“Yesterday afternoon we saw this boat in the port. He arrived before dusk from the west, from Palermo, and docked about 300 meters from the entrance of the marina,” Giovanni Lo Coco, one of the fishermen of Porticello, a coastal town in the province of Palermo, told the Italian media.
It continues while the search for the divers in the sunken hull of the ship that is 49 meters deep, as well as patrol boats and helicopters of the Coast Guard look for the missing in the area and more reinforcements of divers are arriving from Naples and Rome.
International
Senate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
The U.S. Senate took a significant step on Thursday toward limiting President Donald Trump’s military authority in Venezuela, advancing a bipartisan war powers resolution that would block further military actions without explicit congressional approval, lawmakers said.
In a 52-47 procedural vote, the measure moved forward after five Republican senators joined all Democrats in supporting the effort. The resolution aims to require presidential authorization from Congress before the United States can engage in any new hostilities against Venezuela, a rare rebuke of Trump from both sides of the aisle following the controversial military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
If ultimately passed, the legislation would obligate the administration to withdraw U.S. forces from any imminent hostilities in or against Venezuela unless Congress explicitly authorizes such actions. However, the measure’s future remains uncertain as it heads next to the House of Representatives, where a Republican majority is less likely to approve it, and any final version would likely face a presidential veto. Overriding a veto would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers, a high threshold in the current political landscape.
President Trump has sharply criticized Republican senators who broke ranks to support the resolution, saying they should not be re-elected and arguing that the measure undermines his authority to act in national defense. Nevertheless, the vote signals growing bipartisan concern in Congress about unchecked executive military action in the absence of legislative authorization.
International
Petro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed on “joint actions” to combat the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group operating along the Colombia–Venezuela border, Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said on Thursday.
The announcement came after a period of heightened diplomatic tension triggered by recent U.S. airstrikes in Venezuela, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and threats of possible U.S. military action in Colombia. The phone call Wednesday evening was the first direct conversation between Petro and Trump since both leaders took office, and it helped ease the strained relationship.
During the call, both presidents committed to carry out joint efforts against the ELN, a guerrilla group that has repeatedly attacked Colombian security forces and is accused of kidnapping soldiers. In December, the ELN declared a “armed strike,” confining civilians in areas under its control in response to perceived threats of U.S. intervention.
According to Benedetti, Petro welcomed Trump’s invitation to meet in Washington and asked for U.S. support to “strike hard” against ELN positions along the porous border with Venezuela, where guerrillas often flee after clashes with Colombian forces.
The border region is a longstanding flashpoint, where armed groups, drug traffickers and illegal mining networks compete for control. Previous attempts by Petro’s government to negotiate peace with the ELN have stalled after a major offensive in Catatumbo that left hundreds dead and displaced thousands.
International
Lula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed on Thursday a bill that would have significantly reduced the prison sentence of his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving time for attempting a coup d’état.
Despite the veto, the conservative-majority Congress retains the power to override the decision through a vote.
In September, following a landmark trial, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison after finding him guilty of conspiring to remain in power in an “authoritarian” manner following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 presidential election.
The 70-year-old former president has been incarcerated in a Brasília prison since late November. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court rejected a request for house arrest on health grounds.
Under the current legal framework, Bolsonaro would be required to serve approximately eight years before becoming eligible for sentence leniency. However, a bill passed by Congress in December could have reduced that period to just over two years, prompting Lula’s veto.
Senate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
Petro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
Lula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
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
-
International3 days agoU.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
-
Central America4 days agoEl Salvador reports safest year in its history, security cabinet says
-
International3 days agoFlorida’s ‘Tidal Wave’ operation detains 10,400 migrants in largest ICE joint effort
-
International4 days agoDelcy Rodríguez, key figure in U.S.-Venezuela transition, remains under EU sanctions
-
International3 days agoU.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
-
International3 days agoMaduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
-
International4 days agoChina urges immediate release of Maduro, seeks emergency UN security council meeting
-
International3 days agoColombia to maintain anti-drug cooperation with U.S. after Trump remarks
-
International5 days agoMarco Rubio warns Cuba could be Trump administration’s next target
-
International1 day agoBeijing Says International Support Strengthens Its Position on Taiwan Sovereignty Issue
-
International3 days agoColombia says border with Venezuela remains calm after U.S. arrest of Maduro
-
International14 hours agoPetro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
-
International14 hours ago
Trump Signals Extended U.S. Influence Over Venezuela Following Military Operation
-
International14 hours agoLula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
-
International1 day agoJustice Department Misses Deadline as Millions of Epstein Files Remain Under Review
-
International14 hours agoSenate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela