live Russia, Ukraine preparing new major prisoner exchange
Russia and Ukraine are preparing another major prisoner exchange, with officials from both sides working to fin...
Security chief links cartel recruitment to deadly mine attack in Michoacan. Mexico’s top security official said the country’s most powerful drug cartels are now recruiting former Colombian soldiers, raising new concerns about foreign fighters helping fuel cartel violence.
Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed the trend on Tuesday, days after 12 Colombians were arrested in the cartel-hit state of Michoacan. Eight Mexican soldiers were killed there in a mine explosion. García Harfuch said nine of the suspects had served in Colombia’s army, and the other three had military-style weapons training.
Mexican immigration authorities have recently blocked 69 Colombians from entering the country. Some admitted they had been approached by criminal groups, the official said.
Both the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are now believed to be targeting Colombian ex-soldiers. Ties between Colombian and Mexican criminal networks go back decades, especially in the cocaine trade.
Colombian Ambassador Fernando García voiced concern that the arrests could impact talks between the two countries aimed at easing entry restrictions for Colombian travelers.
Mexican officials also recalled a 2023 case in which eight Colombians were arrested, also in Michoacan, for allegedly helping cartels make drone-dropped explosives.
García Harfuch said Mexico remains in close contact with Colombian authorities as both countries try to address the growing threat.
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Pakistan is stepping up efforts to protect its trade and energy supplies as the Iran war disrupts shipping through the Persian Gulf, driving up freight costs and putting pressure on key export routes.
Russia and Ukraine are preparing another major prisoner exchange, with officials from both sides working to finalise lists of people who could be released, Russia's state news agency TASS said Wednesday.
The Trump administration has temporarily suspended some visa appointment scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world as part of a new training initiative for consular staff, adding another layer to the administration's broader immigration policy overhaul.
The United States has launched what it describes as its most aggressive sanctions campaign yet against Iran, expanding secondary sanctions and targeting sectors ranging from shipping and aviation to technology and finance.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Canada has announced nearly $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods and billions in support for workers and businesses, escalating its trade dispute with Washington after President Donald Trump's latest duties took effect.
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