International

ELN stands firm against surrender after Petro halts peace negotiations

The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group stated on Monday that it will not accept surrender or submission as a peace policy. This declaration comes after Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspended peace talks in response to the violence caused by the group in the Catatumbo region over the past 11 days.

“The ELN will never accept submission or surrender as a peace policy. ‘Total peace’ has been a policy of Petro that has given certain paramilitary groups and gangs a ‘political status’ to coordinate actions with the State and its armed forces,” said the ELN’s Central Command in a statement.

Clashes between the ELN and the 33rd Front of FARC dissidents in Catatumbo since January 16 have resulted in between 60 and 80 deaths, according to estimates by the Ombudsman’s Office and the Government of Norte de Santander.

However, authorities have only been able to recover 41 bodies due to ongoing challenges in accessing the most remote rural areas, where the violence persists.

International

Colombian Education Minister fails master’s thesis for lack of rigor

Colombia’s Minister of Education, José Daniel Rojas, failed his master’s thesis due to a lack of theoretical rigor, according to the National University, a decision that sparked widespread criticism and mockery on Wednesday.

Local media quickly picked up the news, while social media users flooded platforms with jokes, asking, “What’s the ultimate irony for an Education Minister?”

Rojas’ thesis on “Guaranteed Employment in Colombia” for his Master’s in Economic Sciences was graded as failed due to “theoretical weaknesses and lack of conceptual rigor,” the National University (UNAL), the country’s most prestigious public institution, stated in a press release.

“Additionally, the student’s responses to the questions posed during the defense were not considered satisfactory,” the statement added.

International

Trump announces 25% tariffs on EU products, including cars

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that tariffs on European Union (EU) products will be set at 25% across the board.

“We will announce them very soon, and they will be 25% in general terms, applying to cars and all kinds of things,” he stated during his first cabinet meeting at the White House.

Trump reiterated his grievances against the EU, claiming that the bloc “does not accept [U.S.] cars or [U.S.] agricultural products.”

“They take advantage of us in a different way than Canada or Mexico,” he added. The Republican president once again cited the U.S. trade deficit with Europe at “$300 billion,” a figure the European Commission disputes, estimating it at €150 billion ($157 billion) in goods, and only $50 billion when factoring in the U.S. trade surplus in services.

“The EU was designed to screw the United States. That was the goal, and they succeeded. But now I’m the president,” Trump said, adding that European countries might consider retaliating, but “they won’t.”

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International

NASA confirms asteroid 2024 YR4 poses no threat to Earth

NASA has confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4, initially identified as a potential threat, does not pose a significant danger to Earth in 2032 or beyond.

The near-Earth asteroid, roughly the size of a football field, was first discovered in December last year. Experts initially estimated a 3% chance of impact with our planet, later reducing it to 0.28% last week.

Following new observations, NASA further updated the impact probability for December 22, 2032, lowering it to just 0.004%, according to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. The agency also stated that the asteroid does not pose any significant risk to Earth for at least the next century.

However, there remains a 1.7% chance that it could impact the Moon.