International
UN Security Council to discuss syrian rebel advance and HTS role in emergency meeting
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Syria following a lightning offensive by rebels who have seized large areas in the country’s north from government forces, diplomatic sources told AFP.
The meeting was requested by the Syrian government and supported by the Council’s three African members (Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Algeria), as well as Guyana, one of the sources added.
The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which leads the coalition that captured the Syrian city of Aleppo, was previously linked to the jihadist group Al-Qaeda. For years, HTS has sought to establish itself as a political alternative in northern Syria, though it has failed to convince Western powers. Once known as Jabhat al-Nusra and aligned with Al-Qaeda, the group claims to have renounced its extremist origins.
HTS adopted its new name in January 2017 and, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG), has actively distanced itself from figures linked to both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) in its strongholds.
Primarily composed of Syrian fighters, HTS now positions itself as a local political alternative. In early 2019, the group took control of most of Idlib province (northwest Syria) from other rebel factions. It has since established a security government that manages Idlib’s economy and appoints loyalist judges.
International
Gaza ceasefire at risk after Trump’s ultimatum on hostages, says Hamas
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is hanging by a thread after the Palestinian Islamist movement warned on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats were making the situation “even more complicated” for the ongoing truce in the region.
On Monday, the Republican leader threatened to unleash “hell” in Gaza if Israeli hostages are not released by Saturday, as stipulated by the ceasefire agreement in effect since January 19.
“Trump must remember that there is an agreement (for a ceasefire) that both parties must respect, and that is the only way to bring back the prisoners,” said Sami Abu Zuhri, one of Hamas’ leaders.
“The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters further,” he emphasized.
Hamas, which has been in power in Gaza since 2007, announced on Monday that it was indefinitely postponing the next hostage release, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar with the help of the United States and Egypt.
However, the Islamist movement stated that the door for the hostages’ release remains “open” if Israel fulfills its obligations.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Hamas to release the hostages.
“We must do everything we can to prevent hostilities from resuming in Gaza, which would lead to a huge tragedy,”he wrote on the social media platform X.
The ceasefire halted more than fifteen months of conflict in the Gaza Strip, allowing for five hostage exchanges after Hamas took Israeli hostages on October 7, 2023, in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
International
Luisa González criticizes Daniel Noboa for hiding after narrow first-round defeat
Luisa González, the presidential candidate from the correísmo movement, compared her electoral confrontation with current Ecuadorian president and re-election candidate Daniel Noboa to “a battle of David against Goliath.” She stated that Noboa “feels like a loser, which is why he hides” after she nearly surpassed him in votes in the first round.
In an interview with EFE, the first she gave to an international media outlet after becoming the main protagonist of Sunday’s electoral night, González expressed her joy over the best result for correísmo in a first round without former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017) as a candidate, calling it “a great victory.”
With 96.31% of votes counted, González (Revolución Ciudadana) received 43.96% of valid votes, compared to 44.15% for Noboa (ADN), leading both candidates to a second round, as occurred in 2023, when the businessman won to complete the term of President Guillermo Lasso.
After the results were revealed, Noboa did not appear publicly on Sunday, and on Monday, he issued a written statement declaring himself the winner of the first round. González found this statement “very amusing,” as she claims to have received two percentage points more than Noboa.
“The one who feels like a winner goes out, faces the media, and says ‘I won,’ just like I’m doing. He feels like a loser, which is why he hides from the media, from his supporters, and from the country,” stated González, a 47-year-old lawyer and single mother of two who aims to become the first woman to win Ecuador’s presidential elections.
International
Gulf of Mexico renamed “Gulf of America” on Google Maps following Trump’s executive order
The Gulf of Mexico was officially renamed the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps.
The name change for the oceanic basin — shared by the United States, Mexico, and Cuba — went into effect on Monday across the country. Both names now appear for Google Maps users outside the U.S., while the Gulf of Mexiconame remains in place in Mexico.
The renaming was carried out after Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” on his first day in office, January 20, asserting that the Gulf should celebrate the United States, not Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico had carried that name since the 17th century.
Google stated that it would comply with the Trump order, but only after an update in the U.S. Geographic Names System (USGS).
Gaza ceasefire at risk after Trump’s ultimatum on hostages, says Hamas
Luisa González criticizes Daniel Noboa for hiding after narrow first-round defeat
Gulf of Mexico renamed “Gulf of America” on Google Maps following Trump’s executive order
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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