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  • Japan reaffirms ICC support as US pushes to dismantle court

    Japan reaffirms ICC support as US pushes to dismantle court

    In the wake of the United States launching a coordinated, whole-of-government campaign to undermine and dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC), Japan has publicly reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting the tribunal’s critical operations in upholding global justice and international order.

    Founded in 2002 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICC is the world’s first permanent international judicial body tasked with prosecuting individuals for four of the gravest crimes recognized by the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. The institution traces its origins back to a 1989 proposal put forward by Arthur NR Robinson, former Prime Minister and President of Trinidad and Tobago, during a United Nations General Assembly address. Today, the ICC is led by President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese jurist elected to the role in 2024.

    The statements of Japanese support came during an official visit to Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. In remarks at the Trinidad Hilton, Toshihiro Kitamura, Director General for Press and Public Diplomacy at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed questions regarding Japan’s stance on the U.S.-led push to dismantle the court. Kitamura acknowledged that member states hold a range of differing perspectives on the ICC’s work, but emphasized the institution’s irreplaceable role in sustaining a rules-based international order.

    “Japan maintains a very strong commitment to support ICC in its operation. We also maintain close discussion and communication with the US government, but at the same time, we always say to other countries that the role of ICC is very important to maintain the international order,” Kitamura said, noting the national ties through the ICC’s current Japanese president.

    For Trinidad and Tobago, the connection to the ICC runs deep: as the originator of the initial proposal for a permanent global criminal tribunal, the Caribbean nation was among the first group of countries to ratify the Rome Statute, the foundational treaty that formally established the court. Even as the country has deepened bilateral alignment with the United States in recent initiatives, including joining the U.S.-led Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC) and U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM), local stakeholders have publicly pushed for Trinidad and Tobago to retain its ICC membership. This call comes in the wake of neighboring Venezuela announcing its formal withdrawal from the court earlier this year.

    The U.S. campaign against the ICC was first announced in mid-July by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who framed the tribunal as a direct threat to American sovereignty. The State Department argues the ICC has overstepped its authority by claiming jurisdiction to prosecute and imprison American service members and public officials acting in pursuit of U.S. national interests, noting that the U.S. never ratified the Rome Statute and has long rejected the court’s jurisdiction over American citizens. All U.S. presidents since the ICC’s founding have maintained this position, and the court remains under fire from Washington for refusing to close a previously opened investigation into alleged misconduct by U.S. service members and intelligence personnel.

    Under the whole-of-government strategy, senior U.S. officials including Secretary Rubio, U.S. ambassadors, and other top leaders have been directed to engage with foreign governments to highlight what the U.S. frames as institutional abuses by the ICC. The administration has also called on all nations that partner with U.S. law enforcement and the U.S. military to reject the ICC’s claimed authority to prosecute American officials and service members.

  • Vakbond rapporteert 108 aanvallen op Palestijnse journalisten in juli

    Vakbond rapporteert 108 aanvallen op Palestijnse journalisten in juli

    A new report from the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate has documented 108 separate violations against Palestinian journalists and media personnel committed by Israeli military forces and Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank during the month of July 2026. The syndicate’s Freedom Committee published the findings on Sunday, outlining a wide spectrum of abuses that range from arbitrary short-term detentions and physical assault to coercive interrogation, obstruction of on-the-ground reporting, and the seizure or destruction of professional journalistic equipment. The report details a consistent, escalating pattern of intimidation that has made it increasingly dangerous and difficult for journalists to carry out their core work: documenting Israeli military incursions and settler violence in Palestinian territories. According to the findings, short-term detentions and restrictions on reporting were the most common violations, with 58 confirmed cases recorded in July alone. Of the documented incidents, 11 were direct physical attacks on journalists carried out by settlers, including physical assault, shoving, and death threats. Most of these attacks occurred while reporting teams were covering settler incursions and military operations in other areas of the occupied West Bank. The report also notes 12 separate incidents in which Israeli military forces fired tear gas or flash grenades at groups of working journalists, leaving multiple media workers with respiratory distress and other injuries. Six journalists were beaten, and four others sustained open, bleeding injuries – including shrapnel wounds from ordnance – while covering developments in the Gaza Strip. Two additional journalists were detained, and four more were subjected to interrogation over the content of their reporting. The syndicate also recorded four raids on the private homes and media offices of journalists, one of which resulted in the permanent closure of a local media outlet. Three incidents involved the seizure or destruction of journalistic equipment, two cases involved the deletion of on-site recorded footage, and two more incidents saw journalists forcibly expelled from areas surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. In response to the findings, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate has issued an urgent call for international intervention to protect press freedom, demanding that journalists be allowed to carry out their professional work “free from threats, attacks, and prosecution” and holding that all perpetrators of these abuses must be held accountable under international law. The July death toll adds to a sharply rising cumulative total that has already made this period the deadliest on record for journalists operating in the region. Human rights organizations have confirmed that Israeli actions have killed more than 270 journalists since October 2023, as part of a widespread, systematic campaign of arbitrary detention and targeting of press personnel operating in Palestinian territories. Al Jazeera, one of the largest international news outlets covering the conflict, has confirmed that 12 of its own journalists have been killed in Gaza since the launch of Israel’s full military campaign in 2023 – a higher death toll for staff than any other news organization operating in the region. One high-profile recent incident, documented in photojournalism by Agence France-Presse, saw Israeli forces attack a group of journalists with a flash grenade during a military incursion into the Balata Palestinian refugee camp, located east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on June 7, 2026.

  • In the face of the economic blockade against Cuba, solidarity awakens

    In the face of the economic blockade against Cuba, solidarity awakens

    Against a backdrop of long-standing U.S. economic and energy sanctions that have crippled Cuba’s public health and social services system, delegates from the 4th Continental Assembly of the ALBA Movement have turned words of solidarity into tangible action, delivering critical donations to vulnerable Cubans while facing a coordinated smear campaign on social media.

    On Sunday morning, August 10 2026, the first cohort of delegates traveled to Havana’s National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, Cuba’s leading facility for complex cancer care. Stuffed into suitcases and duffel bags were urgently needed supplies: prescription medications, healing creams, sterile bandages, and small treats for the hospital’s young patients. While the donation may appear modest to outside observers, it fills critical gaps created by resource shortages that have plagued the institution for years. Hospital staff welcomed the gift, noting it directly eases the strain on patients who already bear the burden of systemic scarcity.

    In an informal meeting with delegate leadership, institute deputy director Misleidiy Nápoles Morales laid bare the daily reality of practicing oncology under blockade. “Cancer is a chronic, terminal illness for many, and a diagnosis often feels like a death sentence to patients,” she explained, her words resonating with the listening delegates. “Our mission is to buy time for patients, to give them years of life and the highest quality of life possible. Thirty extra years of life is life-changing for a child – it’s the chance to grow up, to experience all the things we take for granted.”

    Nápoles Morales did not shy away from the hardship imposed by the U.S. sanctions: “It hurts more than anyone can say when we don’t have the tools to do our work. We have to postpone life-saving surgeries and delay treatments because we don’t have electricity, because we don’t have medications, because our equipment breaks and we can’t get spare parts. Our patients suffer for political decisions they have no part in, and we show up every day to navigate this crisis alongside them. Saving lives is our responsibility, no matter how hard the conditions get.”

    Emotions ran high as delegates shared their own perspectives on the struggle. A Venezuelan delegate, unable to hold back tears, spoke to the shared history of solidarity between the two nations. “Cuban doctors have saved thousands of lives in my country and across the globe,” she said. “To see imperialism bearing down on you with all its force only leaves me with two feelings: anger at the injustice, and unwavering solidarity. You can count on me, always, for both.”

    A young Colombian delegate removed his cap before speaking, a quiet gesture of respect for the hospital’s work. “So many victims of paramilitarism in my country found life-saving treatment here in Cuba, when our own government abandoned them,” he said. “This small island gave them a place to reclaim their human dignity. You are living proof that only the people can save the people, and love is always repaid with love.”

    The final speaker, an Argentinian delegate with a tattoo of Che Guevara on her shoulder, pushed back against warnings she received before traveling to Cuba. “Many people told us not to come, said this country wasn’t what it used to be – and here we are, standing with you,” she said. “Thank you for being that project of humanity we all dreamed of. Where I’m from, children with cancer die every day because life-saving medications are locked away in private clinic warehouses, only available to people who can pay. That’s why your work, your national project of care for all, matters so much to the world.”

    After the meeting, delegates dropped off the donations at the hospital’s storage facility for distribution to the most vulnerable patients. Before leaving, they were invited to meet three young cancer patients, with one simple instruction: do not cry inside the room. Most delegates quickly found that rule nearly impossible to follow. For visitors, the quiet resilience of the hospital’s staff – who show up every day with smiles despite unthinkable hardship – stands as a frontline of resistance against what the report calls a “silent genocide” imposed by political elites in suits who prioritize geopolitical gain over human life.

    A second contingent of delegates split off to visit the Víbora 2 Children’s and Youth Shelter, another institution strained by U.S. sanctions. Director Danay Sánchez Hernández told delegates the facility currently houses eight children, with a mission to prepare them for societal integration and, more importantly, to give them the love and sense of worth every child deserves. The children welcomed delegates, sharing their toys, posing for photos, and showcasing their learning through educational activities led by shelter specialists. Laughter and the bright, curious energy that defines childhood filled the facility’s small terrace, where a portion of the one ton of donations brought by delegates was unloaded.

    Brazilian delegate Tica Moreno emphasized that the solidarity would continue, despite political pressure. “No one will stop the global solidarity movement with the Cuban people,” she said. “Aid will keep coming, no matter what.” Sánchez Hernández acknowledged the impact of the U.S. sanctions on Cuba’s most vulnerable: “It’s no secret how much this country prioritizes the care, protection, and education of children. The U.S. sanctions and oil embargo hit minors the hardest, so this donation means more than we can say.”

    While bad-faith actors on social media have amplified a hate campaign targeting the 4th Continental Assembly of the ALBA Movement, delegates have rejected that rhetoric by showing up directly in Cuban communities, where need is greatest. Crossing the lines drawn by imperial blockade, they have extended a hand of friendship and support to the Cuban people, turning cross-border solidarity into tangible change.

  • BREAKING: Businessman Yida Zhang Hospitalized After Shooting

    BREAKING: Businessman Yida Zhang Hospitalized After Shooting

    On Sunday afternoon, a brazen shooting unfolded inside the tightly guarded YIDA Special Economic Zone, leaving the zone’s founder and owner Yida Zhang hospitalized and triggering a wide-ranging manhunt by law enforcement officials. The violent incident took place just after 4 p.m. local time in the vicinity of a storage warehouse located within the Crabbs Peninsula compound, according to initial law enforcement briefings. Preliminary accounts confirm that an unidentified armed gunman was able to enter the secured premises before opening fire on Zhang. Following the attack, Zhang was immediately transported to a nearby medical facility for urgent care. As of the latest updates from hospital officials, Zhang is in stable condition and receiving ongoing treatment. Investigators have not yet reached any conclusions about a potential motive for the attack, nor have they been able to confirm how the shooter bypassed the compound’s strict security protocols to access the site. Local law enforcement has formally opened a full criminal investigation into the shooting, with officials noting that additional details will be released to the public as new evidence emerges from ongoing interviews and forensic analysis. This attack marks the most recent in a growing string of shooting incidents that have rocked the region over the past several weeks. It also comes less than 24 hours before a high-stakes national security meeting scheduled to convene on Monday morning, where senior government officials are expected to address rising public safety concerns across the country.

  • 7.4-magnitude earthquake shakes Colombia, damage reported

    7.4-magnitude earthquake shakes Colombia, damage reported

    A powerful 7.4-magnitude seismic event jolted western Colombia in the early hours of Monday, leaving a trail of damaged buildings and crippled infrastructure across large swathes of the nation, according to updates from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Colombia’s national geological agency.

    The tremor struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located close to the town of San José del Palmar in Chocó, a rural department along Colombia’s Pacific coast. There is a slight discrepancy in depth measurements between the two monitoring bodies: the USGS recorded the quake at a depth of 107 kilometers, while Colombia’s Geological Service put the depth at 96 kilometers. Colombian geological officials also adjusted their initial magnitude reading, upgrading it from an estimated 6.6 to the final 7.4 after further data analysis.

    Local authorities have confirmed structural damage across multiple urban centers spread across the country. In Quibdó, the capital city of Chocó department, regional governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi confirmed that multiple people have sustained injuries, and dozens of local buildings suffered severe structural damage. The city’s main air hub, El Caraño Airport, also sustained impacts that disrupted operations. Governor Córdoba Curi also urged local residents to remain alert, noting that aftershocks remain a distinct possibility in the coming days.

    Further inland in the city of Manizales, one of the iconic stone towers of the city’s central cathedral suffered catastrophic structural damage, leaving the structure leaning precariously over the main church building. At Matecaña International Airport, which serves the city of Pereira, a section of the roof covering the public transit area collapsed onto the ground below. As of the latest updates, authorities have not reported any casualties at that location.

    The strong tremor was also felt sharply in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital and largest city located hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter. Emergency alarms triggered across the capital, and thousands of residents evacuated office and residential buildings as a safety precaution. Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galán confirmed that no major structural damage had been reported across the city, though a number of buildings developed minor cracks following the quake. Emergency response teams have already launched systematic inspections of high-rise buildings and critical infrastructure across the capital to rule out hidden safety risks.

    Residents in a dozen other major Colombian cities, including Medellín, Bucaramanga, Cúcuta, Villavicencio, Valledupar and Envigado, also reported feeling noticeable shaking when the earthquake hit.

  • Plane that killed 10 hit trees on approach

    Plane that killed 10 hit trees on approach

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  • Flights between Dominican Republic and Colombia continue despite 7.4 earthquake

    Flights between Dominican Republic and Colombia continue despite 7.4 earthquake

    Just days after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook Colombia on Monday, cross-border air connectivity between the Dominican Republic’s Aerodrom-managed airports and key Colombian travel hubs continues to operate without disruption, according to aviation officials. Luis López, communications director for Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), confirmed that the two Colombian airports that see the highest volume of Dominican flight traffic — Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport and Medellín’s José María Córdova International Airport — are running full, regular schedules as of the latest update.

    Despite the stability on major routes, the seismic event has forced aviation authorities to ground commercial traffic at several regional airports across Colombia. Colombia’s Civil Aeronautics Authority (Aerocivil) ordered a temporary suspension of all commercial operations at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, as engineering teams conduct urgent inspections to identify potential structural damage that could put passengers and crew at risk. At this time, these closed regional terminals only allow emergency medical evacuation flights and official government aircraft to land or take off.

    Additional air travel disruption is in place at Guillermo León de Valencia Airport in Popayán, where operations remain restricted not due to earthquake damage, but due to ongoing hazardous volcanic emissions from the nearby Puracé volcano.

    For the immediate future, Aerodom has confirmed that all commercial flights connecting the Dominican Republic to Colombia’s primary travel and economic centers remain fully operational, with no planned cancellations or schedule changes tied to the earthquake or volcanic activity.

  • STATEMENT: CARICOM Secretary-General on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

    STATEMENT: CARICOM Secretary-General on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

    Against a backdrop of growing global recognition for Indigenous communities’ rights and legacy, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is joining the international community to observe the 2026 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, shining a light on the lasting resilience, enduring heritage, and irreplaceable contributions of Indigenous populations across the Caribbean and the globe.

    For the Caribbean region, the wisdom, cultural traditions, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous communities form an inseparable foundation of the area’s collective shared history. CARICOM emphasizes that elevating Indigenous voices, supporting Indigenous leadership, and advancing Indigenous prosperity are non-negotiable prerequisites for building an equitable, sustainable regional community.

    This year’s official United Nations observance theme — “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being” — puts a spotlight on the critical role Indigenous knowledge systems play in fostering healthy communities and preserving cultural identity across successive generations. Indigenous midwives, the theme notes, act as three core pillars for their communities: custodians of centuries-old ancestral wisdom, trusted frontline caregivers, and stewards of cultural traditions that bind families and neighborhoods together. The intergenerational knowledge they carry embodies a holistic perspective on health, life, and the deep interconnectedness between people, their culture, and the natural world that surrounds them.

    As the original stewards of Caribbean lands, ecosystems, and natural resources, Indigenous Peoples carry centuries of refined knowledge that continues to strengthen regional societies and reinforce collective cultural identity. This knowledge spans sustainable agricultural techniques, traditional medicinal practices, endangered languages, unique cultural expressions, and community governance models. Across CARICOM’s member states, Indigenous communities work tirelessly to preserve traditions that tie current and future generations to the region’s rich ancestral heritage, while also offering critical, actionable insights into environmental stewardship and sustainable development. These insights carry particular urgency today, as climate change and accelerating biodiversity loss hit Indigenous communities disproportionately harder than most other populations.

    To advance equity for Indigenous populations across the region, CARICOM recently relaunched its landmark policy framework: the *CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment*. The updated document reinforces the regional bloc’s call for the creation of a dedicated Indigenous Peoples Development Programme, designed to foster thriving Indigenous communities by expanding access to social and economic development opportunities. CARICOM stresses that addressing historical and ongoing inequities faced by Indigenous populations will require intentional, meaningful dialogue and policy frameworks that center and respect Indigenous rights, dignity, and self-determined aspirations.

    As the regional bloc marks this annual observance, CARICOM’s leadership is calling on all stakeholders across the Caribbean to join in celebrating the rich cultural diversity of the region’s Indigenous communities, honor the critical contributions of Indigenous midwives and other traditional knowledge holders, and renew collective commitments to protecting Indigenous rights and advancing full, equal participation of Indigenous Peoples in every sector of Caribbean public and social life. Closing out the observance message, CARICOM extended warm greetings to Indigenous communities globally and regionally: Happy International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples!

  • Autobomaanslag schudt Colombia op na inauguratie van hardline president

    Autobomaanslag schudt Colombia op na inauguratie van hardline president

    A brazen car bomb attack at a toll plaza along Colombia’s critical Pan-American Highway has sent tensions soaring across the Andean nation, coming barely 24 hours after right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn into office. The assault, which targeted the toll station in the southwestern department of Cauca, left two security personnel with minor injuries. Witness accounts confirm the attacker abandoned the explosive-laden vehicle and fled the scene on a waiting motorcycle, according to initial on-the-ground reports.

    Colombia’s armed forces have immediately pinned responsibility for the attack on two dissident armed factions that broke away from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla movement. The original FARC organization signed a landmark peace deal with the Colombian government in 2016 and completed its disarmament process shortly after, but a handful of splinter groups have rejected the agreement, remained active, and continued to carry out violent operations across the country.

    The timing of the attack is widely seen as no coincidence: it coincides directly with the launch of de la Espriella’s presidency, a campaign built on a promise of hardline security policy that directly rejects the dialogue-centered peace approach of his predecessor. The new president has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of what he calls “narco-terrorism,” vowing to launch sweeping military offensives against drug trafficking networks and illegal armed factions that have operated with impunity in large swathes of the country. Analysts and government officials view the attack as an open challenge to de la Espriella’s agenda and an early warning from armed groups that they will not submit to the new administration’s crackdown.

    Transport Minister Elsa Noguera emphasized in an immediate statement that the Colombian government will not bow to terror threats, reiterating the state’s commitment to protecting critical infrastructure that connects the country’s disparate regions. She added that the administration is moving quickly to restore public order and security in affected areas to prevent further escalation of violence ahead of planned military operations.

    De la Espriella, a former lawyer, won the Colombian presidential election by a narrow margin over his left-wing challenger Ivan Cepeda. His hardline military-focused agenda has received explicit backing from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged $1 billion in security assistance to support the new government’s policies. The plan includes authorization for airstrikes on boats and aircraft suspected of transporting cocaine out of the country. However, the approach has already drawn sharp criticism from global and local human rights organizations, which warn that aggressive military action could lead to widespread human rights violations against civilian populations in conflict zones.

    Colombia has been grappling with internal armed conflict for more than six decades, pitting government forces against rebel groups, paramilitary organizations, and transnational criminal networks tied to the drug trade. The country remains the world’s largest producer of coca leaf, the key raw material for cocaine, with illicit crop cultivation and drug trafficking funding much of the ongoing violence in rural and border regions.

  • Man jailed for gun under pillow killed 1 week after release

    Man jailed for gun under pillow killed 1 week after release

    Just seven days after walking free from prison following a years-long sentence for illegal weapons possession, 30-year-old Akeem Ferdinand of Rockies, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was shot and killed in his home community on Thursday. His violent death marks the latest in a growing wave of deadly gun violence that has pushed the small Caribbean nation’s annual homicide count to 31, according to local law enforcement.

    Police confirmed in an official statement released Friday that officers were dispatched to Rockies at approximately 8:05 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls reporting the sound of gunfire in the area. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Ferdinand, a local labourer, suffering from multiple apparent gunshot wounds across his body. A medical professional attended the scene and pronounced Ferdinand dead shortly after arrival, authorities confirmed, noting that a post-mortem examination will be carried out in the coming days to confirm the exact cause of death. As of Friday, investigations into the shooting remain ongoing, with no suspects named or motives publicly disclosed.

    Ferdinand’s death has put him back in the public eye, echoing repeated headlines he generated throughout his life, which included repeated run-ins with the law over illegal weapons charges. His most recent incarceration dated back to 2022, when he was handed a 75-month prison sentence for a 9mm pistol authorities found under his pillow during a 2021 search warrant execution. The search, carried out as part of an ongoing burglary investigation, found Ferdinand and a 15-year-old girl naked and asleep in his bed. Along with the unlicensed pistol, officers seized 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 552 grammes of cannabis that Ferdinand was accused of possessing with intent to distribute. He received an additional 24-month sentence for the illegal ammunition, ordered to run concurrently with his weapons sentence, and was fined EC$1,500 to avoid extra prison time for the cannabis charge. When officers first discovered the weapon, Ferdinand responded, “Jah! Boy, I ain’t even remember that dey dey,” but declined to answer further questions during formal police questioning. During a 2022 trial break, he made headlines again after expressing shock that a woman had posted a photo of herself posing with his unlicensed weapon on Facebook.

    That 2022 sentence came just months after Ferdinand completed a five-year prison sentence for a prior illegal weapons conviction. In 2017, he was originally handed a six-year sentence for possession of an unlicensed Uzi pistol and 12 rounds of ammunition, a sentence that was reduced to five years on appeal. At that 2017 sentencing, Ferdinand blamed alcohol for his offense, telling the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, “If I wasn’t drunk that night, I wouldn’t ah come across that gun.” When a magistrate asked if alcohol led him to find the weapon, Ferdinand clarified, “It make me pick it up and walk with it when I should ah leave it there.”

    Ferdinand’s killing comes just 24 hours after another high-profile fatal shooting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On Wednesday, 52-year-old Michael Jackson, a resident of Yambou, was shot and killed by a police officer in Mesopotamia during an investigation into a reported theft of funds from a local bingo event. Authorities allege Jackson brandished a cutlass when the responding officer approached him to recover the stolen money, leading the officer to open fire.