International

Trump tells the Palestinian president that he will “work to stop the war” in Gaza

The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, assured Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in a telephone conversation that he “will work to stop the war” in Gaza, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Friday.

“President Trump said that he will work to stop the war and that he is willing to work with President Abbas and stakeholders in the region and the world to achieve peace in the region,” WAFA said.

In the call, the Palestinian president expressed his willingness to work with Trump “to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy.”

He also congratulated Trump on his victory in the presidential elections on the 5th and wished him “success” in his new mandate to “guide the United States of America towards progress and prosperity.”

“Working for Israel’s security”

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held a telephone conversation with Trump, in which they agreed to “work together for the security of Israel.”

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“The prime minister was one of the first to call the US president-elect. The conversation was warm and cordial. Both agreed to work together for the security of Israel and also talked about the Iranian threat,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office at the time.

At least 43,508 have died in Gaza and 102,684 people have been injured since Israel launched its offensive on the devastated enclave 13 months ago.

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.