International
Governor in Colombia: A ceasefire can be a demonstration of peace before COP16
The governor of the Colombian department of Valle del Cauca, Dilian Francisca Toro, believes that a ceasefire between armed groups in the Pacific “can happen” and would be “a demonstration of the will” of peace before the upcoming celebration of COP16 in Cali, the capital of that region.
“This has to serve, that nature, which is what reconciles us and is reconciling us at this moment, the conservation of life, serves for them to reflect and see that the most important thing is to be able to achieve peace, reconciliation and tranquility above all these communities so suffered,” Toro explains in an interview with EFE.
The objective of the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16), to be held from October 21 to November 1, with the participation of about 12,000 people, is to address the loss of biodiversity, restore ecosystems, distribute the benefits in a fair and equitable way and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.
However, the armed groups operating in the Pacific region have intensified their attacks in the vicinity of Cali in recent months, which set off alarms before the upcoming celebration of COP16, especially after the Central Staff (EMC), the main dissident of the FARC, referred to this international summit.
“I believe that (a ceasefire) can be a demonstration of the will to reduce all that onslaught of violence and suffering that the people of the Pacific have had, because it is those of the Colombian Pacific who have suffered the most violence and conflict,” says the governor.
Despite this, Toro is “completely calm” that COP16 will take place with total normality and without setbacks. “We have the certainty and we want to give all the certainty and security to the entire Colombian and international community,” he says.
The governor insists that to guarantee security there will be a “very great reinforcement of capabilities by the Army, the Police” and the regional authorities, including the purchase of technology such as anti-drones.
“What we want is for everyone to live it, that they do not tell them about it, but that they live the diversity in our region” and that they discover that “we can do a lot of ecotourism and that there nature is taken care of by indigenous, Afro-descendant, peasant communities and also civil society,” he says.
Toro highlights among the events of COP16 the summit of mayors and regional authorities that will take place on October 26, where they do not want to discuss, but to listen to the communities of each of the regions that are represented to know “how they take care of life, how they take care of nature, how they do to have sustainable development.”
“It is an opportunity, not only to take care of the environment, but that (COP16) becomes a closure of social gaps and inequalities, generating a sustainable economic development for those communities that live and that take care of that nature,” and those communities are precisely the ones that will be the protagonists of the summit, emphasizes the governor.
As for the expectations with COP16, he is confident that not only will the high-level negotiations “come to a successful conclusion,” but that “will serve to be able to continue taking care of nature, continue caring for biodiversity by 2030 as it is established.”
“And the most important thing is that we as a region, as a department, have a legacy (…) of culture, of the awareness of taking care of nature,” he adds.
So far, 145 delegations have confirmed their attendance, in addition to observer organizations, youth groups, civil society, academies and the general public that will negotiate and discuss the importance of the protection and restoration of nature through 23 goals for 2030 and four objectives for 2050.
International
WMO predicts 55% chance of weakened La Niña impacting global weather this winter
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Thursday that there is a 55% chance that the La Niña phenomenon, typically associated with cooler temperatures, will affect global weather between December and February, though in a weakened form.
In its update released Thursday, the WMO clarified that while La Niña is usually linked to a temporary drop in average global temperatures, some regions could still experience warmer-than-normal conditions.
As 2026 progresses, the WMO expects the planet to shift toward neutral conditions, neither influenced by La Niña nor by its opposite, El Niño, which is associated with increased temperatures. The likelihood of neutral conditions is expected to rise to 75% between February and April, according to the agency’s regular bulletin on these phenomena.
La Niña occurs due to cooling of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean waters and is also linked to changes in tropical atmospheric circulation, including wind and rainfall patterns. The opposite phenomenon, El Niño, has not been observed by experts since 2024, which currently remains the warmest year on record.
International
Spain’s PSOE summons Mark Zuckerberg over alleged mass surveillance on Android users
The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) requested on Wednesday that the Congress of Deputies summon Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, to explain the alleged mass surveillance of Facebook and Instagram users via Android devices without consent.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had previously indicated that his party would demand answers from the tech company’s executives for allegedly tracking the web activity of millions of people in Spain and across Europe without authorization. Meta responded in a statement to EFE, saying it is willing to “cooperate constructively with authorities on this matter.”
In addition to Zuckerberg, the PSOE has also requested the appearance of Javier Oliván, Meta’s Chief Operating Officer, and José Luis Zimmermann, Director of Public Affairs for Spain and Portugal. The socialists expect them to appear before the Congress’ Committee on Economy, Trade, and Digital Transformation, alongside independent experts.
The investigation is based on findings from European academic institutions such as IMDEA Networks (Spain), the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), and Radboud University (Netherlands). These studies revealed that Meta implemented a hidden mechanism to track users’ browsing activities through its apps—even in incognito mode or when using virtual private networks (VPNs).
“In Spain, the law is above any algorithm or tech giant, and those who violate our rights will face consequences,” warned Prime Minister Sánchez.
According to the technical report, the system reportedly operated for nearly a year and allowed web activity to be directly linked to users’ personal profiles on Facebook and Instagram. The PSOE described these practices as “silent espionage without any explicit consent.”
If confirmed, Meta would have violated key European Union regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the ePrivacy Directive, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The tech giant is already facing class-action lawsuits in Germany, the United States, and Canada for similar cases.
International
New York Times sues Pentagon over new press restrictions, citing First Amendment violations
The New York Times announced on Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon over new restrictions imposed on the press when reporting on the U.S. military.
The newspaper stated on its website that the Pentagon’s policy is “exactly the type of restrictive scheme on freedom of speech and the press” that the Supreme Court and the D.C. Circuit Court have recognized as violating the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment protects fundamental rights such as freedom of the press and expression.
On October 16, the deadline to accept the new rules, major U.S. media outlets—including journalists with more than thirty years of experience as Pentagon correspondents—returned their credentials in protest.
The lawsuit, filed by the NYT in the U.S. District Court in Washington, argues that the purpose of the policy is “to shut the doors of the Pentagon—areas that have historically been open to the press—to news organizations, like the plaintiffs, that investigate and report without fear or favoritism on the department’s actions and leadership.”
The newspaper is requesting that the court issue an injunction preventing the Pentagon from enforcing the press policy, along with a declaration that the provisions restricting First Amendment rights are unlawful.
The NYT noted that Pentagon officials have said that access to military facilities is a privilege subject to regulation, and that the new guidelines aim “to prevent leaks that could harm operational security and national safety.”
This past Tuesday, during the first press briefing held by the Pentagon since restricting access for most accredited national and international media following near-universal rejection of the new rules, influencers, bloggers, and reporters from so-called “new media” occupied the press room.
Several of the newly accredited journalists, such as Lance Johnston of the right-wing organization Fearless Media, boasted on social media that the desks “now belonged” to them—desks that had been used for decades by representatives of outlets like The Washington Post, The New York Times, and CNN.
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