International
Israel claims to have found tunnels and arsenal of Hizbulá next to UN bases
The head of Operations of the second brigade of the Israeli Army, Ariye Hominer, said on Monday that the troops have found numerous tunnels and arsenal of the Shiite group Hezbula near positions of the UNFI, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, during its operations in the south of the country.
“It is surprising that, despite the number of bases of the UN forces, we have found so much infrastructure of Hizbulah: tunnels, arsenal… in the noses of the blue helmets. How is it possible?” Hominer criticized in a visit to the troops in the Israeli town of Shlomi, adjacent to the border with Lebanon.
Shlomi is one of the cities in Israeli Galilee that have become closed military zones in which troops are preparing for their operations in Lebanese territory since the Hebrew State invaded the south of the neighboring country on October 1.
There, the military spokesman defends the good communication of the Israeli Army with UNFINUL, after being questioned by the various incidents between the Hebrew troops against positions of this UN mission that so far leave at least five injured blue helmets.
However, the military assures that “the UN mandate is not doing the work it should be doing” in Lebanon.
Attacks on Lebanon
Hominer also said that Israel will not cease its attacks on Lebanon – which, in addition to the land invasion, consist of a bombing campaign that began on September 23 – until it fulfills the objective of returning displaced Israelis from nearby communities to the border of the neighboring country.
“I hope it’s soon, but it doesn’t limit our time or space,” he said.
Throughout the day, the armed forces have detected the launch of more than 110 rockets from Lebanon aimed at Israel, although most have been intercepted or have fallen in open spaces.
“A drone approaching Israeli territory from Lebanon was intercepted by the Air Force” before entering the country, a military statement was collected around 15.00 local time (12.00 GMT), this being the fifth unidentified aerial vehicle shot down by the armed forces today.
Some 60,000 Israelis were displaced from northern Israel when the exchange of fire between the Army and Hezbullah began on October 8 last year, in a gesture of solidarity of the Shiite group with the Palestinians after the start of the war in Gaza.
On the other hand, more than 1.2 million Lebanese have had to move through Israeli bombings and the deaths from these attacks in more than a year exceed 2,500, most of them since Israel intensified its offensive in September.
International
EU Faces Migration Crisis After 60,000 Migrants Arrive in Spain’s Ceuta Enclave
The arrival of around 60,000 migrants from Morocco to Spain’s Ceuta enclave triggered a major European Union crisis on Friday, after Madrid described the situation as an “attack” on its territorial integrity.
At least 34 people died while attempting to reach the Spanish territory, according to local authorities.
Hundreds of migrants had begun arriving in Ceuta earlier in the week, either by swimming across the border or climbing security fences. Most of those who entered were young men and teenagers.
However, the situation escalated dramatically early Thursday morning, when the number of arrivals surged within a few hours, reaching nearly 60,000 people. According to the Spanish government, the vast majority of them — around 48,000 migrants — had returned to Morocco by Friday evening.
The episode represents one of the most serious migration crises faced by the autonomous city of Ceuta, which has a population of around 84,000 residents, in recent years.
Several European countries responded strongly to the crisis, with Italy announcing the temporary suspension of the Schengen free movement agreement with Spain, a measure supported by Finland and Denmark.
“The temporary suspension of Schengen with Spain is a necessary decision to protect the security of our citizens and defend Europe’s borders,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a post on X.
Italy’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the country had tightened controls on maritime and air entry points from Spain, but clarified that the measure would not affect Spanish or European citizens traveling to Italy.
The additional checks will specifically target non-European citizens arriving from Spain, according to the ministry.
The measure will remain in effect for one month starting Saturday, authorities said.
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares responded to the Italian announcement through a statement on X, as European governments continued discussions over the consequences of the migration crisis.
International
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption office aimed at strengthening oversight of the executive branch and preventing future presidents from using the White House for personal financial gain.
Schumer said the proposal was prompted by what he described as President Donald Trump’s misuse of the presidencyto benefit his family’s business interests.
“In just 18 months, the Trump family has made more than $4 billion by exploiting the influence of the presidency,” Schumer alleged.
The New York senator also argued that the alleged corruption has had direct economic consequences for American households.
“The same corrupt practices Trump is using to pocket billions of dollars are also forcing Americans to pay, on average, $3,100 more each year because of the rising cost of living,” he said.
The legislation was introduced alongside Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, and Andy Kim.
According to Schumer, the bill has two primary objectives: “First, to return money to the American people. Second, to ensure that no one can ever steal from them again.”
He added that the proposal would create legal mechanisms allowing citizens to seek the recovery of funds allegedly obtained through government corruption.
“The fact that Trump stole money from the American people does not make it his. Americans deserve to get that money back,” Schumer said.
Under the proposed legislation, any U.S. citizen—as well as state attorneys general acting on behalf of their residents—would be authorized to file civil lawsuits to recover funds allegedly acquired through corrupt practices by public officials.
“Our bill would empower any individual, including a state attorney general acting on behalf of the people of that state, to bring legal action to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption,” Schumer said.
The measure is expected to face debate in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over executive accountability and the scope of presidential powers.
International
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Latin American countries to increase investment in defense and security to strengthen the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking networks.
The appeal was made by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in an article published by Americas Quarterly. Colby argued that governments across the region should assume greater responsibility for protecting their territories from transnational criminal organizations.
“It is essential that our neighbors in the region invest more in their own defense and security. There is no reason why any country, especially those facing significant narco-terrorist threats, should spend so little on defense,” Colby wrote.
The Pentagon official described it as “absurd” that some Latin American nations allocate less than 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense, although he did not identify the countries. He contrasted that with NATO members in Europe, many of which are increasing defense expenditures to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% devoted to security-related investments.
Colby, who participated earlier this month in the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, said there is “a historic opportunity” for the United States and its regional partners to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and other transnational threats.
He also defended the proposed Shield of the Americas, a military partnership promoted by the Trump administration to combat organized crime and supported by several conservative governments in the region. The initiative does not include Brazil or Mexico.
In addition, Colby said the administration’s security strategy includes an updated interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, the long-standing U.S. foreign policy principle that historically viewed Latin America as part of Washington’s sphere of influence.
“Of course, we recognize that the Monroe Doctrine is controversial in many circles. But it is also frequently misunderstood,” he said.
According to Colby, the United States is not seeking “exploitation, subordination or dependence,” but rather a region characterized by greater prosperity, stability and security.
He also stated that Washington is prepared to use “all available resources,” including the U.S. Armed Forces, to combat drug trafficking and irregular migration. Colby highlighted ongoing counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, despite criticism from human rights organizations that have questioned some missions over allegations of extrajudicial killings in international waters.
EU Faces Migration Crisis After 60,000 Migrants Arrive in Spain’s Ceuta Enclave
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
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