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India Taps Argentina For Edible Oil Security
India is increasingly turning to sunflower and soybean oil imports from Argentina to reduce its reliance on palm oil, a move aimed at diversifying edible oil sources and strengthening food security.
Earlier this week, Indian importers secured around 300,000 metric tons of soybean oil from Argentina, following Buenos Aires’ decision to scrap export taxes on soybeans and other food products, making its oils more competitive in global markets.
Between January and July 2025, Argentina exported 2.1 million tons of soybean oil and 420,000 tons of sunflower oil to India—the highest export volumes in more than a decade. These figures underscore Argentina’s growing role as a reliable supplier amid ongoing supply chain disruptions.
“With India’s edible oil demand rising steadily, we see strong potential for long-term cooperation,” said Bruno Ferrari, Economist at the Economic Studies Department of the Rosario Board of Trade. “Argentina is ready to be a reliable and consistent supplier for India’s future consumption trends.”
India’s shift comes as it seeks to reduce dependence on palm oil, traditionally imported from Southeast Asia, due to environmental concerns, price fluctuations, and supply risks. Soybean and sunflower oils are considered healthier and more versatile options for Indian households and industries.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has disrupted global sunflower oil supplies, once dominated by the two countries. In response, India has accelerated efforts to deepen edible oil trade with Latin American partners. Talks are underway to amend the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with MERCOSUR nations—Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—to facilitate long-term crude sunflower oil contracts.
“Argentina remains distant from global conflicts and has proven itself with stable exports and robust productive capacity,” noted Agustín Larralde, Director of Market Planning & Analysis at Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture.
In the 2023–24 season, Argentina’s soybean oil production hit 8.7 million tons, its highest in ten years, supported by favorable growing conditions and advanced agricultural practices.
This year, delegations from both countries exchanged visits to explore agricultural cooperation. In July, officials from India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare visited Argentina, followed by an Argentine delegation to Delhi in August for talks with India’s agriculture and food ministries.
“The vegetable oil sector is just one pillar of our partnership,” said Ambassador Mariano Caucino of Argentina. “The broader bilateral relationship is flourishing, based on shared values of sustainable development and mutual growth.”
India’s rising population, growing middle class, and shifting dietary preferences are fueling demand for edible oils. Soybean and sunflower oils are especially attractive due to their health benefits and cooking versatility. Under its Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, the government is working to stabilize domestic supplies while ensuring reliable international sourcing.
As India seeks secure edible oil supplies in a fragmented global market, Argentina’s role is set to grow further. With stable governance, efficient logistics, and expanding oilseed production, Argentina offers both reliability and scale for India’s long-term food security.
Hezbollah Marks One Year Since Israel Assassinated Then-Leader Nasrallah
Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah on Saturday marked one year since its then-leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by Israel, an opening strike that sparked a devastating war which weakened the group and left vast areas of Lebanon in ruins.
On the evening of September 27, 2024, a string of Israeli bunker-busting bombs on a Hezbollah complex in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed Nasrallah, who had led the powerful Shi’ite religious, political and military group for more than 30 years.
Nasrallah’s death and the war that followed dealt huge blows to the Iran-backed group. His heir apparent, Hashem Safieddine, was killed weeks later. By December, Hezbollah’s Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, was toppled. Now pressure is swelling on the group to disarm – a demand Hezbollah has rejected.
Nasrallah became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992, aged just 35, after his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, was killed in an Israeli helicopter attack.
With his fiery speeches, he swiftly became the public face of a once-shadowy group founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight Israeli occupation forces.
‘Axis Of Resistance’
He was at the helm when Hezbollah guerrillas drove Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation, and declared a “Divine Victory” after the group waged 34 days of war with Israel in 2006, winning the respect of many Arabs who had grown up watching Israel defeat their armies.
As his group grew to become Lebanon’s most influential political and military force, it also developed a regional role as the spearhead of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” – fighting in Syria on behalf of Assad and training Houthis in Yemen.
The day after Hamas’s cross-border attack into Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah entered the fray in solidarity with its Palestinian ally by firing on Israel from southern Lebanon.
That prompted exchanges of fire for nearly a year before Israel sharply escalated by detonating explosives-rigged communication devices used by Hezbollah, pummelling the country with air strikes and sending troops into Lebanon’s south.
More than 4,000 people were ultimately killed in Israel’s military assault, including more than 300 children. Despite a truce, Israel continues to carry out deadly strikes in Lebanon.
Israel’s air and ground campaign prevented a formal burial for Nasrallah for months. Followers, including his son, have since flocked to his grave to pray.
Crowds are expected to gather in Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon’s south and east. The group’s secretary-general, Naim Qassem, who took over a month after Nasrallah’s killing, will make an address.
Tensions over the commemoration have been mounting this week, particularly after Hezbollah projected the portraits of Nasrallah and Safieddine on the famed towering rocks off the coast of Beirut.
The display went ahead, despite orders by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the Beirut governor not to do so, angering Lebanese opponents of Hezbollah who said the cliffs should not be used for political displays.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Netanyahu Slams UN Backing For Palestinian State After Mass Walkout
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday strongly denounced Western nations for endorsing the idea of Palestinian statehood, accusing them of conveying the message that “murdering Jews pays off.”
Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, the Israeli leader pushed back in his harshest terms yet against a flurry of diplomatic moves by leading U.S. allies that deepened Israel’s international isolation over its conduct of a nearly two-year-old war in Gaza.
“This week, the leaders of France, Britain, Australia, Canada and other countries unconditionally recognised a Palestinian state,” he said. “They did so after the horrors committed by Hamas on October 7 — horrors praised on that day by nearly 90% of the Palestinian population.”
Calling it a “mark of shame,” Netanyahu said: “You know what message the leaders who recognise the Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians? It’s a very clear message: murdering Jews pays off.”
With more countries joining the list of those endorsing Palestinian independence, the most right-wing government in Israeli history has made its strongest declaration in years that there will be no Palestinian state as it pushes on with its fight against Hamas following the militants’ October 7, 2023, rampage in Israel. Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s military response has killed more than 65,000 people in Gaza, according to local health officials, and left much of the territory in ruins.
Scores Of Delegates Walk Out Ahead Of Speech
Scores of delegates exited the hall as Netanyahu took the stage, while some attendees in the balcony gave him a standing ovation. At the same time, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic near Times Square in New York.
“Over time, many world leaders buckled. They buckled under the pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs. There’s a familiar saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, for many countries here, when the going got tough, you caved,” Netanyahu said.
“Behind closed doors, many of the leaders who publicly condemn us privately thank us. They tell me how much they value Israel’s superb intelligence services that have prevented, time and again, terrorist attacks in their capitals.”
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said in a statement that Netanyahu’s speech was “filled with lies and blatant contradictions” and condemned it as a “desperate attempt to justify the war crimes and acts of genocide.”
Frustration over Israel’s military siege and U.S. President Donald Trump’s unwillingness to rein in Netanyahu has spilled into the open at the annual New York gathering, where, in a dramatic shift, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, and several other nations embraced a Palestinian state.
They said such action was needed to preserve the prospect for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and help bring the war to a close.
Netanyahu followed to the rostrum Arab and Muslim leaders who, one after another, strongly condemned Israel’s military assault in Gaza.
Addressing the U.N. shortly after Netanyahu, Prime Minister Micheal Martin of Ireland, which recognised Palestine last year, called Israel’s actions in Gaza “an abandonment of all norms, all international rules and law.”
The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Gaza war. Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes. Netanyahu rebutted on Friday what he called “the false charge of genocide.”
Hamas has offered to release all remaining hostages – only about 20 of whom are said to be alive out of a total of 48 — in exchange for Israel agreeing to end the war and withdrawing from Gaza.
Netanyahu Addresses Hostages From Rstrum
“Much of the world no longer remembers October 7. But we remember,” Netanyahu said. Speaking in Hebrew, the Israeli leader directed his remarks to the hostages still held in Gaza: “We’ve not forgotten you — not even for a second.”
Netanyahu said he had loudspeakers placed at the Israeli side of the Gaza border to broadcast the address into the Palestinian enclave in hopes that hostages would hear his vow that his government will not rest until they are free.
On Friday, Trump told reporters for the second straight day that a deal to end the war and bring the remaining hostages home was close – though he offered no explanation for his optimism about overcoming months of impasse in negotiations.
A senior White House official told Reuters that Trump will meet Netanyahu on Monday in Washington with the aim of reaching a framework for a deal.
The right-wing Israeli leader is under mounting pressure from the hostages’ families and, according to public opinion polls, a war-weary Israeli public.
Netanyahu, who has insisted the fight must go on until Hamas is completely dismantled, said the group’s “final remnants” are holed up in Gaza City and vowed to “finish the job” as quickly as possible.
Israel’s army chief, Eyal Zamir, told troops: “We have collapsed its governing capacity.”
Netanyahu is wary at the same time of losing the backing of far-right members in his fragile governing coalition if he softens his approach.
He has retained the staunch support of the U.S., Israel’s most important ally and main arms supplier. Trump told the U.N. on Tuesday that moves to recognise a Palestinian state risked rewarding Hamas for “horrible atrocities” and could encourage continued conflict.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in a posting on X that “instead of stopping the diplomatic tsunami – Netanyahu worsened Israel’s situation today.”
Still, no matter how many countries recognise Palestine, full U.N. membership would require approval by the Security Council, where the United States has a veto.
Speaking by video after the U.S. denied him a visa, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “a war of genocide.” He thanked countries that recognised Palestinian statehood, pledged that his Palestinian Authority would be ready to govern post-war Gaza and called for Hamas to be disarmed and have no role.
Some of Netanyahu’s hardline ministers have said the government should respond to growing recognition of Palestinian statehood by formally extending Israeli sovereignty over all or parts of the occupied West Bank to snuff out hopes for Palestinian independence.
On Thursday, however, Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, which the Palestinians want for their state, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem. “It’s not going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump’s pronouncement could create tensions when he meets Netanyahu at the White House, their fourth time face-to-face since the president returned to office in January.
Analysts say Israeli annexation of the West Bank could unravel the landmark Abraham Accords, a signature foreign policy achievement brokered by Trump’s first administration in which several Arab countries forged diplomatic ties with Israel.
In his speech, Netanyahu made no mention of the annexation issue but went out of his way to praise Trump’s self-described crackdown on what he sees as antisemitism in the U.S.
The Trump administration has withheld billions of dollars in funding from major universities it accuses of failing to protect Jewish students from pro-Palestinian protesters.
(With inputs from Reuters)
From Gaza to Pahalgam: BRICS Asserts Itself As Voice Of Global South
Amid deepening global tensions, BRICS nations have launched a coordinated diplomatic offensive, positioning themselves as the voice of the Global South against militarism, selective outrage and broken international promises.
At a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers chaired by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, the bloc condemned aggression in West Asia, the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India and the rising use of double standards in global diplomacy.
United Stance On Gaza, Qatar
In a statement beyond typical diplomatic language, the ministers condemned Israel’s military operations in Gaza. They demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire, full withdrawal of Israeli troops and unrestricted humanitarian access to the besieged population. The bloc also expressed firm support for the reconstruction of Gaza under Palestinian leadership, referencing the March 2025 Emergency Arab Summit’s resolutions.
BRICS condemned Israeli airstrikes on Qatar, calling it a “flagrant violation” of sovereignty and international law. The attack was portrayed by BRICS as a dangerous escalation that undermines regional and global security.
On Palestine, Clear Call For Justice
BRICS ministers backed Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations, reaffirming its commitment to the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Palestinian state.
The ministers also condemned any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians under any pretext, rejecting population transfers as illegal under international law. They stated that a just political solution, not indefinite occupation or external military arrangements, is the only sustainable path to peace.
Pahalgam Attack Condemned
BRICS also stood firmly behind India in condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, where 26 civilians were killed in April. The attack was described by BRICS as a “heinous crime” that must not go unpunished.
The bloc used the moment to challenge the double standards in global counter-terrorism narratives, indirectly pointing to how similar attacks in the Global South are often met with silence or insufficient international attention.
The ministers reiterated their support for the finalization of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and called for concerted global efforts to tackle financing, cross-border movement and state-sponsored terrorism, without exception.
BRICS Rejects Militarism, Urges Diplomacy
BRICS condemned recent military strikes on Iran, warning against the targeting of civilian and nuclear infrastructure, and calling the actions a breach of international law and IAEA safeguards. The ministers highlighted the need to prevent further escalation and called on the UN Security Council to take responsibility.
Turning to Africa, the bloc expressed deep concern over the conflict in Sudan, which has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis and regional instability. Calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the ministers urged humanitarian access and scaling up of international aid. They also supported the African Union’s growing leadership role, both in regional peace efforts and at the global level, celebrating its recent full membership in the G20 as a major victory for the continent and the Global South at large.
Bigger BRICS, Bolder Vision
While addressing crises, BRICS also used the moment to reaffirm its internal consolidation. The ministers backed the expansion of BRICS, following the Johannesburg II summit, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to multilateralism, non-intervention and equal voice in global affairs.
India’s upcoming 2026 chairship was welcomed enthusiastically, with strong support for its hosting of the XVIII BRICS Summit. Initiatives like the BRICS Startup Forum, led by India, and the proposed Big Cats Alliance were seen as steps toward greater soft power collaboration within the bloc.
Call For UN Reform
A repeated theme throughout the BRICS statement was the urgent need to reform global governance structures, particularly the UN Security Council. The ministers reiterated their support for India and Brazil’s aspirations to take on more prominent roles in an expanded UNSC that reflects today’s geopolitical realities, not the frozen post-WW II power balance.
“The world cannot continue to be governed by a system where the voices of over half the planet are sidelined,” the statement suggested, echoing long-standing frustrations from across the Global South.
New Zealand Rules Out Immediate Recognition Of Palestinian State
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand will not move to recognise a Palestinian state for now, though he stressed the country’s continued support for a two-state solution.
“With a war raging, Hamas remaining the de facto government of Gaza, and no clarity on next steps, too many questions remain about the future state of Palestine for it to be prudent for New Zealand to announce recognition at this time,” Peters said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.
“We are also concerned that a focus on recognition, in the current circumstances, could complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire by pushing Israel and Hamas into even more intransigent positions,” Peters added.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon emphasized that recognition is a matter of “when, not if,” indicating that the country remains committed to a two-state solution but is waiting for a more conducive environment for peace.
New Zealand Is ‘Out Of Step’
New Zealand’s position is out of step with traditional partners Australia, Canada and Britain who all recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday. T
The move aligned them with more than 140 other countries also backing Palestinians’ aspiration to forge an independent homeland from the occupied territories.
A handout from the New Zealand government on Friday said that it hoped to recognise a Palestinian state at a time when the situation on the ground offers greater prospects for peace and negotiation than at present.
New Zealand’s opposition Labour Party criticized the move and said it would put the country on the wrong side of history. It called this a missed opportunity and asserted that recognition is essential for genuine peace.
Labour foreign affairs spokesperson Peeni Henare said New Zealand will feel let down by the government today.
“There is no two-state solution or enduring peace in the Middle East without recognition of Palestine as a state,” Henare said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Mexico: Ex-Immigration Chief Apologizes Over 2023 Detention Center Fire That Killed 40
On Friday, Mexico’s former immigration chief issued a public apology for the 2023 fire at a migrant detention facility in Ciudad Juarez that left 40 people dead and 27 injured. The statement was part of a court deal that spared him a prison sentence.
Speaking at the Museum of Mexico City in front of survivors of the fire and relatives of those who died, Francisco Garduno said he offered his “deepest apologies for the suffering and harm caused to you and your families, whose lives have changed forever.”
The rare apology marks part of a contentious resolution to one of the worst migrant tragedies in Mexican history. The fire in March 2023 garnered international headlines and shone a spotlight on longstanding allegations of corruption and inhumane conditions in Mexico’s migrant detention facilities.
The tragedy began after two migrants set a mattress alight to protest conditions at the detention center, Mexican authorities said. A video from a security camera inside the facility shows the guards walking away as smoke fills the center, but they made no effort to release the migrants.
The person with the key to the cell was absent, Mexico’s former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said.
Prosecutors accused top immigration officials of failing to “watch over, protect and ensure the safety of the people and facilities in their charge.” They said the case showed a “pattern of irresponsibility.”
Charges Dismissed
In January, a judge in Ciudad Juarez dismissed charges against Garduno – the highest-ranking official to be charged – in exchange for him complying with several conditions, including taking courses in human rights and issuing a public apology to survivors and relatives. Immigrant-rights groups that represented the victims opposed the judge’s decision.
In a statement on Friday, four human rights groups said Garduno’s apology was a “symbolic first step” in providing reparation to the victims and their families.
“The public apology should not be interpreted as an absolution of responsibility or an act of repentance,” the groups said. “It does not resolve the demands for justice or guarantee that similar events will not be repeated.”
The Mexican government has paid roughly 3.5 million pesos ($190,000) to family members of each of the 40 people who died in the fire as well as those who were injured.
Prosecutors are still pursuing charges against two Venezuelan migrants accused of starting the fire as well as 10 former migration officials and private security guards.
Estefan Aragon, a Venezuelan migrant who survived the fire, said to this day he suffers serious pulmonary and breathing problems. “A public apology won’t restore my health,” he said. “We need help.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
Russian Drone Flights Into Poland Aimed At Weakening Western Unity: Ukraine
Ukraine accused Russia on Friday of deliberately sending drones into NATO member Poland’s airspace, framing the move as part of a broader strategy to test the alliance’s defenses.
Kyiv’s military intelligence said the incursions were designed to erode Western unity, increase fatigue with the war, and step up pressure on NATO members.
It sent the written assessment to Reuters after NATO jets downed Russian drones that entered Polish airspace on September 9-10. This week unidentified drones shut down air traffic in parts of Denmark.
The assessment only addressed the incident in Poland.
“Such hybrid operations likely aim to increase pressure on Ukraine’s Western partners, potentially leading to: Reduced support for Ukraine, especially military aid,” the agency wrote.
Russia denies it planned to target anything in Poland with drones as it was attacking neighbouring Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump said in the immediate aftermath that it was possible the drones had ended up there by mistake.
Ukraine uses jamming and electronic systems to try to suppress and divert incoming Russian drone and missile strikes, but the Ukrainian spy agency said it had ruled that out as the cause.
“UAVs (drones) entered Poland not only from Ukraine but also from Belarus. Some UAVs penetrated up to 100 km (60 miles) into Polish territory, far beyond the range of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems,” it said.
It also pointed to the large number of drones – around 20, it estimated – involved in the incident. The models included the Gerbera decoy drone, the use of which indicated that Russia had not intended to hit anything, the Ukrainian agency said.
‘Part Of Broader Plan’
Tensions have mounted on NATO’s eastern flank with Russia in recent weeks. Apart from the Polish incursion, Estonia accused Russia of sending three fighter jets into its airspace last week, while Romania has come close to shooting down a drone.
Earlier on Friday, the Kremlin said that talk of shooting down Russian military planes over Europe was reckless, aggressive and marked a serious escalation of tension near Russia’s border.
Without addressing the more recent incidents, the Ukrainian agency said: “This incident (in Poland) is part of Russia’s broader plan to expand aggression into countries bordering Ukraine”.
“It serves as a warning to NATO and a test of their response to attacks on member states. It is also intended to intimidate the Polish population.”
According to reports, there had been 10 violations of Moldovan airspace by Russian drones this year, and that 14 drones had crashed on Romanian territory during attacks on nearby port infrastructure in Ukraine since 2023.
“Violations of airspace in countries bordering Ukraine have become systematic during Russian combined air attacks on Ukrainian civilian and critical infrastructure,” it said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Cyberattack On London Nurseries Exposes Records Of Thousands Of Children
Hackers have claimed responsibility for a major cyberattack on Kido International, a childcare provider running several nurseries in London. They said personal data belonging to more than 8,000 children had been stolen and posted details of the breach on a dark web forum.
The gang, which calls itself Radiant, evidenced its claim by publishing the names, photos, home addresses, and family contact information of 10 children it said attended one of Kido’s 18 nurseries in Greater London.
The hack, which raises serious concerns about child safeguarding and data privacy, was the latest in a string of serious ransomware incidents in Britain that have rocked businesses in Britain this year.
“Next steps for us will be to release 30 more ‘profiles’ of each child and 100 employees,” the post on Radiant’s leak website said.
In a statement, London’s Metropolitan Police said they had made no arrests. “Enquiries are ongoing and remain in the early stages within the Met’s Cyber Crime Unit,” the statement said.
Speaking over an encrypted messaging service, the nursery hackers said they had been inside Kido’s networks for weeks.
Cybercriminals
Asked where they were based, the hackers said they were in Russia, though they did not provide evidence to support that statement.
Ransomware is malicious software used by cybercriminals to encrypt a company’s data and demand payment for its release. The hackers declined to say how much money they were asking Kido International to pay.
“Cybercriminals will target anyone if they think there is money to be made, and going after those who look after children is a particularly egregious act,” Jonathon Ellison of the National Cyber Security Centre, part of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency, said in a statement.
A government source said on Thursday that the British government was considering providing financial support for carmaker Jaguar Land Rover’s suppliers after a shutdown caused by a cyberattack was extended until October.
A day earlier, police said they had arrested a man as part of an investigation into a ransomware attack against Collins Aerospace, owned by RTX. The cyberattack crippled automated check-in systems at London Heathrow, Britain’s busiest airport, and caused travel chaos at other airports across Europe.
In April, a group of hackers dubbed Scattered Spider was widely reported to be behind an attack that crippled British retailer Marks & Spencer preventing one of Britain’s best-known retailers from taking online orders for weeks.
The company forecast in May that the hack would cost it about 300 million pounds ($405 million) in lost operating profit in its 2025/26 financial year.
(With inputs from Reuters)
US To Cancel Colombian President Petro’s Visa After Gaza Protest, Call To Defy Trump
The United States on Friday announced plans to revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian protest in New York and publicly urged US soldiers to defy President Donald Trump’s orders.
“We will revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions,” the State Department posted on X.
‘Obey The Orders Of Humanity’
Petro, addressing a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters outside the UN headquarters in Manhattan, called for a global armed force with the priority to liberate Palestinians, adding, “This force has to be bigger than that of the United States.”
“That’s why from here, from New York, I ask all the soldiers of the army of the United States not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity,” Petro said in Spanish.
Reuters could not immediately confirm whether Petro was still in New York. His office and Colombia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
UN Clashes Over Gaza War
The Trump administration has been cracking down against pro-Palestinian voices while countries including France, Britain, Australia and Canada have recognized a Palestinian state – moves that have angered Israel and its ally the US.
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president and a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, hit out at Trump in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, saying the US leader was “complicit in genocide” in Gaza and calling for “criminal proceedings” over US missile attacks on suspected drug-running boats in Caribbean waters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the assembly on Friday, denounced Western countries for embracing Palestinian statehood, accusing them of sending the message that “murdering Jews pays off”.
Israel began its war against Hamas after an attack led by the Palestinian militant group on October 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people, with 251 taken hostage. Since then, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and displaced the entire population of the narrow enclave.
Multiple rights experts say this amounts to genocide, a charge angrily denied by Israel, which says the war is in self-defence.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN by video on Thursday after the Trump administration said it would not give him a visa to travel to New York.
Abbas’ office said at the time that his visa ban violated the 1947 UN headquarters agreement, under which the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN However, Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
Colombia’s Rocky Start With Trump
US-Colombia relations got off to a bad start shortly after Trump returned to office in January, when Petro refused to accept military flights carrying deportees in Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Petro said his country’s citizens were being treated like criminals. But he quickly reversed course, agreeing to accept the migrants, after both countries threatened tariffs on each other and after the US cancelled visa appointments for Colombians.
Trump this month put Colombia on a list of countries that Washington says have failed to uphold their counter-narcotics agreements.
Petro came to office in 2022 promising agreements with armed groups but pivoted last year, pledging to tame coca-growing regions with massive social and military intervention. The strategy has brought little success.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Trump Targets Microsoft’s Lisa Monaco, Calls For Her Immediate Removal
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said Microsoft should dismiss Lisa Monaco, a former official in two Democratic administrations who now serves as the company’s global affairs president.
The move appears to be the latest effort by Trump to exact retribution on those he sees on political enemies and comes one day after the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
Monaco had helped coordinate the Justice Department’s response to the January 6, 2021, attacks by Trump supporters on the US Capitol.
She served as a security aide in the administration of President Barack Obama and was the deputy attorney general in President Joe Biden’s administration. Monaco started working for Microsoft in July to lead the firm’s engagements with governments globally, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Trump’s Rant On Truth Social
Trump on Truth Social said Monaco was “a menace to US National Security, especially given the major contracts that Microsoft has with the United States Government”.
“It is my opinion that Microsoft should immediately terminate the employment of Lisa Monaco,” he posted.
Monaco’s security clearances were revoked in February. On Friday, Trump said the US government has also banned her from all federal properties because of “Monaco’s many wrongful acts”.
Microsoft declined to comment on Trump’s post. Monaco also did not immediately respond.
Going After ‘Enemies’
On Thursday, Comey, who led the FBI when it began an investigation into ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government, was indicted on charges of false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
Trump on Friday said he expects more indictments against perceived enemies, saying to reporters: “I think there will be others” but said he did not have a list.
Since Trump returned to office in January, he has used his powers as president to hamstring law firms that represented causes he dislikes, leveraged federal funding to force changes at universities and fired prosecutors who took part in investigations against him.
He has also pushed for charges against former national security adviser John Bolton, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.
Involvement In Corporate America
The Trump administration also has been involved in corporate America on an unprecedented scale, demanding that Intel’s CEO step down, before praising him and agreeing for the government to take a stake in Intel. Disney’s ABC suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show for several days under pressure from Trump and his administration.
Tech firms, including Microsoft, have attempted to warm their ties with Trump during his second term in office. Many prominent tech leaders attended his inauguration in January and some have been hosted by him at the White House.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently visited the White House for a dinner that Trump had with tech leaders.
Trump and Republicans had previously complained of a bias against conservatives in the tech industry.
(With inputs from Reuters)