International

The Israeli army confiscates equipment and invades Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank

Al Jazeera denounced on Sunday that heavily armed Israeli soldiers seized and destroyed equipment in their offices in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, according to a report by the head of the Qatari network office, Walid al-Omari.

“The soldiers are confiscating the equipment even though the order only refers to the closure of the office,” Al Jazeera said in his report.

The network, known for its coverage of bombings of hospitals, attacks on residential buildings and the death of unarmed civilians in Gaza, also reported that during the raid the soldiers tore off a poster from journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was murdered by an Israeli soldier two years ago while covering a military raid in the West Bank.

This fact generated international condemnations and widened tensions between Israel and the channel.

For its part, the Government’s media office in Gaza strongly condemned the Israeli Army’s decision to close Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramala, describing it as a “crime and a clear violation of international law.”

In a statement published on Telegram, they stated that this decision reflects “the weakness and fragility of the Israeli narrative in the face of the truth and facts on the ground.”

The statement also urges press unions and media organizations to condemn this act, and calls on journalists and media around the world to show solidarity with Al Jazeera in defense of press freedom.

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This military incursion comes just four days after the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) revoked the press cards of Al Jazeera journalists in the country. This measure follows the May decision to ban the canal in Israel, claiming that its coverage represented a threat to national security.

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.