International

Mystery deepens in Émile Soleil case as family members are arrested

The death of Émile Soleil, a two-and-a-half-year-old boy who went missing from a village in the French Alps in July 2023, remains unexplained—even after a hiker discovered his skull and teeth nine months later.

At the time, prosecutors stated that the cause of his death, which shocked France, could have been “a fall, involuntary manslaughter, or murder.” Police later found additional bones and pieces of the child’s clothing.

Émile had been spending the summer at his maternal grandparents’ home in the small village of Le Haut-Vernet, located at an altitude of 1,200 meters in the Alps, when he disappeared on July 8, 2023. The last known sighting of him was as he walked along one of the village streets.

His mother and father were not present on the day he went missing.

However, the investigation took a dramatic turn on Tuesday morning, shifting its focus to the boy’s family.

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The grandparents and two of their children, whose identities have not been disclosed, were arrested on charges of “premeditated murder and concealment of a body,” prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon said in a statement to AFP.

Speculation had been reignited on March 13 when investigators were seen in the village, seizing a large planter placed at the entrance of the local chapel.

Authorities stated that the arrests were the result of months of investigation, with forensic teams now examining “several areas of interest.”

Following Émile’s funeral service in February, his grandparents had released a statement saying that “the time for silence must give way to the truth,” adding: “We need to understand, we need to know.”

The disappearance of Émile deeply impacted France, particularly as it revived memories of another tragic case: the 1984 death of four-year-old Grégory, whose body was found lifeless on the same day he vanished—an unsolved case that still haunts the nation’s collective memory.

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International

Maduro urges UN to intervene for venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador

Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a third term in January following his controversial re-election, urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to intervene on behalf of Venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador after being deported from the United States.

During a broadcast on the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Maduro claimed these Venezuelans were “kidnapped”, forcibly disappeared, and held in “concentration camps.”

He also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for failing to release the list of migrants deported on March 16, who were allegedly accused of belonging to the transnational gang Tren de Aragua, which originated in a Venezuelan prison.

“Reports say there are 238 Venezuelans kidnapped in prisons, in concentration camps, in El Salvador. A week after they were taken and thrown into these camps, neither the U.S. government nor Nayib Bukele have published the list of those they have kidnapped in El Salvador,” Maduro stated, calling it a “forced disappearance.”

International

Canada updates U.S. travel advisory amid immigration policy changes

In a coordinated action with several European allies, Canada has updated its travel advisory for citizens visiting the United States, citing changes in immigration policies and law enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Finland have issued similar warnings, highlighting stricter border screenings, tighter visa restrictions, and new federal guidelines that particularly affect transgender and non-binary travelers.

These advisories reflect growing diplomatic concerns over how the recent U.S. policy shifts are impacting foreign visitors, especially tourists and long-term travelers. Additionally, this marks a rare instance in which multiple NATO allies publicly warn their citizens about travel to the United States.

International

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to meet with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on friday

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum next Friday.

According to statements made to Fox News, the Trump administration official will travel this week to El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico.

On Wednesday, Noem is scheduled to meet with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, with whom she will tour the mega-prison built to detain gang members in the country.

On Thursday, she will visit Colombia, where she will hold talks with President Gustavo Petro and top law enforcement officials.

On Friday, Noem will be in Mexico, where she is expected to meet with President Claudia Sheinbaum and Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente.