International
Colombia defends its anti-drug efforts ahead of U.S. certification decision
The Colombian government does not take for granted the annual narcotics certification granted by the United States administration, but defends that it has done enough to maintain that status.
“Is this certification guaranteed? Of course not. It is a decision of President Trump,” said Colombia’s Ambassador to the United States, Daniel García-Peña, in a press conference on Wednesday.
The Director General of the Colombian Police, Carlos Triana, and the Director of the Illicit Crop Substitution Program, Gloria Miranda, visited Washington to hold meetings with the Trump administration, which must decide in September whether to maintain the certification of cooperation with Colombia in the fight against drugs.
According to the ambassador, the metrics demonstrate that Colombia “continues to meet” the commitments made with the United States in the fight against drugs. García-Peña highlighted that the government of Gustavo Petro has achieved a record in cocaine and precursor drug seizures, although he acknowledged that “improvements are needed” in the fight against money laundering.
“It would be a huge mistake for me to say that the certification is guaranteed. But to say it is in jeopardy is also not true,” pointed out the ambassador, who assured that “there is recognition of Colombia” from both Republicans and Democrats.
The Petro administration’s approach is that the anti-drug policy should not be addressed only from a military standpoint but must also tackle its structural causes and support the development of rural communities affected by cultivation.
“Colombia is the country in the world that has done the most in the fight against narcotrafficking; this is clear,” said Miranda, who sees “similarities” with the Trump administration’s policy.
International
Thirteen kidnapped individuals found alive in Honduras after drug cartel abandonment
At least thirteen people who had been reported missing since June 17, 2024, in the Caribbean region of Honduras have been found alive, according to Miguel Martínez, spokesperson for the Secretariat of Security.
Martínez provided a brief statement confirming that the thirteen individuals—four women and nine men—were discovered “alive at a dock on the shore of a beach in Tela, Atlántida,” near the village of Crique Las Marías.
The group had been abandoned by a criminal organization linked to drug trafficking, which remains under investigation, he added.
Martínez also noted that “intense police pressure” led to the group’s release. They were subsequently taken to the Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Tela, where they received medical attention.
The abduction of these thirteen individuals, who were reportedly taken at gunpoint on June 17 by an armed group arriving by sea at Crique Las Marías, is believed to be connected to the death of a relative of José Rafael Sosa. Sosa, a Honduran national, was extradited to the United States at the request of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on drug trafficking charges.
Sosa, who was arrested on March 5, 2017, in Jutiapa, Atlántida, had been held at the National Penitentiary in northern Tegucigalpa.
International
Trump accuses EU of exploiting the U.S., promises retaliation over tariffs
President Donald Trump has stated that the United States will respond to the European Union’s countermeasures against his new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, escalating the risk of a broader global trade war.
“Of course, I’m going to respond,” Trump said Wednesday when asked by reporters at the White House if he would take retaliatory action. “The problem is that our country never responded. Look, the EU was created to take advantage of the United States.”
Trump did not specify what measures he would take. The U.S. tariffs on metals, which went into effect Wednesday, have already triggered immediate retaliation from the EU and Canada, prompting other countries to intensify negotiations with the Trump administration in an attempt to remove the import taxes.
The European Commission delivered the strongest response yet to Trump’s latest trade offensive, launching “swift and proportionate countermeasures” on U.S. imports. The EU reinstated countervailing duties from 2018 and 2020 and added a new list of industrial and agricultural products. These measures will impact up to €26 billion (US$28.4 billion) in U.S. exports—matching the economic impact of the U.S. tariffs, according to EU officials.
International
Gal Gadot opens up about her emergency surgery during pregnancy
he 39-year-old actress has confessed that she was terrified when doctors found a blood clot in her brain in February 2024, just before giving birth to her daughter, Ori.
The Hollywood star—who also shares daughters Alma, 13, Maya, 7, and Daniella, 3, with her husband Jason Varsano—opened up about the frightening experience on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: “It was a huge scare. Suddenly, I understood what it really means to be scared to death.”
Gal had been suffering from severe headaches for weeks before finally receiving the correct diagnosis.
She was also “very pregnant” when the symptoms first appeared.
“I had excruciating headaches for three weeks and saw different doctors and neurologists,” she explained.
Initially, medical professionals attributed her headaches to migraines and hormonal changes. However, it was Gal’s mother who convinced her to get an MRI.
“They discovered something terrible, and we were rushed to the hospital. They delivered the baby immediately. I had a thrombectomy,” she shared.
In December, Gal publicly addressed her health scare in an emotional Instagram post.
Best known for her role as Wonder Woman, the actress wrote: “Back in February, during my eighth month of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with a massive blood clot in my brain. I had been suffering from unbearable headaches that left me bedridden for weeks, until I finally underwent an MRI that revealed the terrifying truth. In an instant, my family and I were reminded of how fragile life can be. It was a harsh reality check on how quickly everything can change. In the midst of an already difficult year, all I wanted was to hold on and survive. We rushed to the hospital, and within hours, I underwent emergency surgery. My daughter, Ori, was born in the middle of that uncertainty and fear.”
Thirteen kidnapped individuals found alive in Honduras after drug cartel abandonment
Trump accuses EU of exploiting the U.S., promises retaliation over tariffs
Gal Gadot opens up about her emergency surgery during pregnancy
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