International

Hezbulá announces a “specific” reprisal to the “Israeli massacre” against its militiamen in Lebanon

The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbulá promised on Wednesday that it will give a “specific” response to the “Israeli massacre” caused among its ranks by the simultaneous and massive explosion of thousands of searchers in the hands of its members in Lebanon and Syria, which caused a dozen deaths and thousands of injuries of varying severity.

In a message issued this morning, the armed formation indicated that despite the attack received, it will continue its support for the “resistance of Gaza and its people” and will continue to defend “Lebanon, its people and its sovereignty.”

The group added that Tuesday’s “massacre” will have a “hard punishment” and “specific accountability.”

“What happened yesterday will fill us with will and insistence on following the path of resistance and struggle and we totally trust in the divine promise with the victory of the faithful patient fighters,” the formation said in the statement.

Hizbulá also expressed his “most sincere blessings and condolences” to the families of those killed and injured “in the treacherous attack.”

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Already last night, both Hizbulah and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon individually attributed to Israel the massive explosion of the searchers, which they condemned as a “criminal aggression that also targeted civilians and killed several people.”

“This serious and deliberate Israeli escalation coincides with Israeli threats to expand the war against Lebanon and with its uncompromising stance that calls for more bloodshed, destruction and sabotage,” the Lebanese Government denounced in a statement.

Around 15.30 on Tuesday (12.30 GMT), thousands of searchers in the hands of members of Hezbula exploded simultaneously in various parts of Lebanon, mainly in the south of the country and the southern suburbs of Beirut, controlled by the Shiite formation.

The Lebanese Minister of Public Health, Firas Abiad, said on Wednesday that the death toll from the chain explosion increased this Wednesday to twelve, while about 1,800 of the more than 2,800 injured required hospitalization.

According to Abiad, most of the injured were registered in Beirut and its suburbs, while in the south of the country about 750 people were injured and, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, another 150.

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“There were more than a hundred hospitals that helped us receive the injured, all hospitals in all areas, including the north. The medical teams stayed all night and even today they are still working in the Eye and Ear units of the Hotel Dieu and the Roum,” he said in statements to the press during a visit to hospitals.

The Lebanese authorities received 15 tons of supplies on Wednesday and also medical personnel provided by Jordan, Iran and Iraq to help treat the victims, while Egypt, Syria or Turkey have also offered their help to Lebanon, according to Abiad.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.