Netanyahu says he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza ‘in the coming days’.

In a brief statement late Saturday, Netanyahu said he has sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalize technical details,” adding that “our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days.”

But Netanyahu signaled there would not be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, something Hamas has long demanded. He said Israel’s military will continue to hold territories it controls in Gaza, and that Hamas will be disarmed in the plan’s second phase, diplomatically “or through a military path by us.”

The prime minister spoke after Hamas said it has accepted some elements of the U.S. plan. President Donald Trump welcomed the militant group’s statement but on Saturday warned that “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off.”

Trump later said the ceasefire would begin immediately once Hamas confirms the “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza. A map with his social media post appeared to show much of Gaza still open to Israeli forces.

Trump has also ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza. Some in Gaza City reported a notable easing of Israeli strikes Saturday, though hospital officials said at least 22 people were killed, including women and children.

Israel’s army said leaders instructed it to prepare for the U.S. plan’s first phase. Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike, said an official who was not authorized to speak to the media on the record.

Still, an Israeli strike on Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood killed at least 17 and injured 25 others, said Al-Ahli hospital director Fadel Naim. “The strikes are still ongoing,” Naim said. Israel’s military said it struck a Hamas member and “regrets any harm caused to uninvolved civilians.”

Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiyah earlier Saturday said Israeli strikes killed five Palestinians across Gaza City.
Momentum ahead of war’s anniversary

Trump appears determined to deliver on pledges to end the war and return all hostages ahead of Tuesday’s second anniversary of the Hamas attack that sparked it on Oct. 7, 2023. His proposal has widespread international support. On Friday, Netanyahu’s office said Israel was committed to ending the war.

Monday’s indirect talks are meant to prepare the way for the release of hostages from Gaza and Palestinians from Israeli detention, mediator Egypt said.

A senior Egyptian official said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Egypt to head the U.S. negotiating team. The talks also will discuss maps showing the expected withdrawal of Israeli forces from certain areas in Gaza, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to brief the media.

The official also said Arab mediators are preparing for a comprehensive dialogue among Palestinians aimed at unifying their position toward Gaza’s future. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second most powerful militant group, said it accepted Hamas’ response after rejecting the plan days earlier.
Progress, but uncertainty ahead

Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages -- around 20 of them believed to be alive -- within three days. It would give up power and disarm.

In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.

Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. It didn’t address the issue of Hamas demilitarizing.

Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, said while Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released, it will resume its offensive if Hamas doesn’t lay down its arms.

Others said that Hamas’ position fundamentally remains unchanged. Its rhetoric “simply repackages old demands in softer language,” said Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.

Still, two vocal members of the right-wing bloc of Netanyahu’s coalition, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, criticized the plan’s progress but didn’t threaten to immediately leave the government.

And some speakers at the large weekly rally in Tel Aviv over the war expressed a cautious hope not heard for months.

A group representing some hostages’ families said the prospect of seeing loved ones return “has never been closer.” They appealed to Trump to keep pushing “with full force” and warned that “extremists on both sides” will try to sabotage the plan.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted across Europe calling for the war’s end.
Palestinians are `truly tired’

Some Palestinians in Gaza worried that talks will break down again.

“We want practical implementation. We want a truce on the ground,” said Sameer Qudeeh in Khan Younis.

“I hope Hamas ends the war, because we are truly tired,” said Mohammad Shaat in Khan Younis, as anxious people roamed the shattered streets.

On Saturday, Israel’s army warned Palestinians against trying to return to Gaza City, calling it a “dangerous combat zone.” Two residents said that since the morning, Israeli tanks and troops had not advanced but artillery shells and airstrikes were heard.

“We can still see the quadcopters everywhere,” Mohamed al-Nashar said.

In southern Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said its Saraya field hospital received 10 bodies and over 70 injured after Israeli strikes on Saturday afternoon.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war has topped 67,000. The toll jumped after the ministry said it added more than 700 names whose data had been verified.

The Health Ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

By Sam Mednick And Samy Magdy.

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed.

Militants attack major prison in #Mogadishu hours after roadblocks lifted. Residents in the central Mogadishu district of Bondhere reported hearing explosions and gunfire and seeing smoke billowing from the prison, which also serves as the headquarters for the regional intelligence unit.

A resident, Hibo Mohamed, told The Associated Press by phone, “We are truly scared. The city had been calm for months, but now everyone feels anxious once more.”

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militant group, which is based in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had released prisoners.

The government did not immediately comment on the attack, and phone calls and messages to officials went unanswered Saturday.

Somalia’s state media reported that the militants used a vehicle disguised to resemble those of the intelligence unit’s security forces, and that soldiers repelled the attack and killed several militants.

The attack targeted the Godka Jilacow prison, which was previously attacked in 2014 when al-Shabab militants set off a suicide car bomb at the gate before storming the compound in an attempt to free detainees. Somali forces repelled the attackers in that assault, but at least a dozen people were killed.

Saturday’s attack came just hours after the federal government lifted several long-standing roadblocks in Mogadishu. The barriers had been in place for years to safeguard critical government sites, but many residents argued that they obstructed traffic and commerce.

Security forces promptly cordoned off the roads leading to the scene, while ambulances hurried to the area. The number of casualties was not immediately clear.

Mogadishu had been relatively calm in recent months as government forces, backed by local militias and African Union troops, have pushed al-Shabab fighters out of several areas in central and southern Somalia.

Omar Faruk, The Associated Press

Mexican authorities say they arrested an alleged local leader of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.


Officials identified the suspect as Nelson Arturo “N,” 29, described as the leader and main operator of the transnational criminal group in the country. Authorities said that he was wanted on multiple charges, but in keeping with Mexican law don’t release suspects’ last names.

Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in the central state of Aragua. The gang has expanded in recent years as more than 7.7 million Venezuelans fled economic turmoil and migrated to other Latin American countries or the U.S.

The Trump administration declared the group a terrorist organization. U.S. officials have consistently blamed the gang for being at the root of the violence and illicit drug dealing that plague some U.S. cities.

Trump has repeated his claim — contradicted by a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment — that Tren de Aragua is operating under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s control.

The size of the gang is unclear. Countries with large populations of Venezuelan migrants, including Peru and Colombia, have accused the group of being behind violence in the region. On Friday, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that he ordered another strike on a small boat that he accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, expanding what the Trump administration has declared is an “armed conflict” with cartels.

So far, at least three of the strikes have been carried out on vessels that U.S. officials said had originated from Venezuela. The strikes followed a buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean unlike any seen in recent times.

In a post about the first strike last month, Trump claimed that the vessel was carrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

Security agents carried out intelligence work and identified the suspect, who they accused of crimes including human trafficking, drug dealing, homicide, kidnapping and extortion.

Along with the gang leader, two other men, ages 36 and 37, were arrested. Authorities said that they were found with more than 100 doses of drugs, two cellphones and cash.

After the arrests, they were placed under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General’s Office to determine their legal status.

On Wednesday, five alleged members of the gang were extradited from the United States to Chile, including one linked to the killing of a former Venezuelan soldier last year.

___

Gabriela Molina in Quito, Ecuador, and Gabriela Sá Pessoa in Sao Paulo, contributed to this report.

Global Affairs says two Canadians detained in Israel over Gaza aid flotilla.



It mentioned that those on board were citizens of 14 countries, including the United States, Morocco and Switzerland, but did not name Canada among them.

Global Affairs Canada is advising Canadians to avoid all travel to Palestine.

“The Government of Canada is not able to guarantee the safety of Canadian travellers or to provide them with security and protection abroad,” it said. “The decision to travel is personal, and individuals are responsible for their own safety abroad.”

The Global Sumud Flotilla, organized to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, includes doctors, artists, clergy, lawmakers and activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg.

“Our efforts build on decades of Palestinian resistance and international solidarity,” the group says on its website. “Though we belong to/hold different nations, faiths and political beliefs, we are united by a single truth: the siege and genocide must end.”

The Israeli navy began intercepting the boats on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on social media that 137 individuals involved in what it referred to as the “Hamas-Sumud flotilla” had been deported to Turkiye.

For more information on Canada’s consular services, Canadians can visit the federal government’s consular services page. Additional details on travel risks and advisories are available on the government’s travel advice and advisories website.

LOS ANGELES - A judge remained undecided Friday on the treatment and placement plan for a man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston and ramming his car into the front gate of her home.

Jimmy Wayne Carwyle, a 48-year-old from Mississippi, has pleaded not guilty to felony stalking and vandalism. But in May, Judge Maria Cavalluzzi found him not competent to stand trial after evaluations from two experts. At Friday’s hearing in a Los Angeles court dedicated to mental health cases, she heard arguments on Carwyle’s treatment and placement.

Aniston’s lawyer, Blair Berk, spoke on her behalf for the first time, detailing two years of Carwyle’s harassment and stalking, including various failed attempts to make physical contact with the actor.

Cavalluzzi said she leaned toward sending Carwyle to a mental health treatment alternative to imprisonment. She requested another hearing, scheduled for later this month, to hear from a mental health professional before making a final decision.

Prosecutors and Aniston’s attorney will have a chance to weigh in, Cavalluzzi said.

The judge acknowledged Aniston’s “very real” fear, but she said she can’t ignore the opinions of mental health professionals who have evaluated Carwyle and deemed him not a danger to society. The alternative treatment option offers community-based housing, treatment and support services as opposed to incarceration.
Harassment started two years ago, prosecutors say

Prosecutors alleged Carwyle had been harassing the “Friends” star with a flood of voicemail, email and social media messages for two years before driving his Chrysler PT Cruiser through the gate of her home in the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles on May 5, “only feet away from where she was,” Berk said.

Carwyle had a stated and “persistent delusion” to impregnate Aniston with three children, Berk said, and “there is simply no way to prevent him from carrying out his delusion if he walks out.”

The prosecution expressed concern that if Carwyle were offered the treatment in Los Angeles, nothing would stop him “from travelling those few miles to Ms. Aniston,” Berk said.

Berk and William Donovan, the deputy district attorney, argued Carwyle was a present danger to Aniston and those around her. Berk said he attempted to enter her property twice, but was turned away.

Carwyle’s lawyer, Robert Krauss, said his client qualifies for alternative treatment, arguing that he hasn’t been convicted of violent crimes. Granting him alternative treatment, “is not like giving him a break or showing him leniency,” Krauss said. “Its just one thing and one thing only -- and that is absolute, pure faithfulness of the law.”

Krauss also referenced a report from the probation department, which recommended Carwyle be granted probation and 90 days in jail if convicted, much less than the over three years maximum sentence for his two charges. Carwyle has been in jail since May and, if convicted, could be let out with time served.
Suspect says he won’t walk away from treatment

Carwyle was present at the hearing and addressed questions from Cavalluzzi, saying he “wasn’t right in the head,” when asked about the text messages he sent Aniston. He said he has been taking medication, which is keeping him focused, and admitted his wrongdoing.

When Cavalluzzi asked how she can be sure he won’t walk away from the treatment program -- a stated concern from the prosecution -- Carwyle responded, “You have my word.”

Berk said Carwyle “travelled thousands of miles over a year ago “after sending thousands of messages” that reflected “his delusions and intentions to not just make contact with Ms. Aniston, but to commit criminal wrongs against her, sexual violence against her.” She added that Carwyle stressed in his messaging that he “would be unabated by doctors or others or FBI intervening.”

Donovan argued that a state hospital is a “much safer, much more effective place for him to go,” and will offer the treatment Carwyle needs to address his delusions. The prosecution also argued there’s no evidence that Carwyle’s delusions toward Aniston have stopped, even with medication.

Carwyle has been under involuntary medication for the past few months. Krauss said that Carwyle’s actions toward Aniston were “just the product of psychosis from someone who is unmedicated.” The government must keep its “promise of treatment rather than punishment and of rehabilitation rather than incarceration,” he said.

The hearing was postponed several times in recent months as Carwyle at first objected to the incompetence finding and asked for an opinion, and both sides sought more time to examine the case.

Carwyle remains jailed, but he is under a judge’s order not to contact or get near Aniston.

Authorities said Aniston was home at the time of the gate crash, but he did not come into contact with her. A security guard stopped him in her driveway until police arrived. No one was injured.

Carwyle also faces an aggravating circumstance of the threat of great bodily harm.

Aniston became one of the biggest stars in television in her 10 years on NBC’s “Friends.” She won an Emmy Award for best lead actress in a comedy for the role, and she has been nominated for nine more. She currently stars in “The Morning Show” on Apple TV+.

---

Itzel Luna, The Associated Press

#News: Marco Mendicino: How #Canada’s new defence agency will build national strength.

When Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered his landmark address on defence and foreign policy at the University of Toronto’s Munk School last June, he set the tone with a clear charge: “Canadian leadership will be defined not just by the strength of our values, but also the value of our strength.”

It was a call to seriousness. In a world marked by rupture, there springs opportunity. However, sovereignty is safeguarded not by words, but by decisive actions and deliberate choices to protect our nation.

Strengthening Canada’s security requires more than a declaration of our intent. It demands ensuring the Canadian Armed Forces are ready, resilient, and fully equipped. That is precisely the mission of the federal government’s newly launched Defence Investment Agency (DIA).
Incrementalism an Achilles’ Heel

It is no secret that, for years, Canada has lagged when it comes to procuring military assets for the CAF. The subject of numerous independent commissions and parliamentary reports, the systemic barriers standing in the way of defence procurement are well documented.

Acquisitions have been plagued by chronic delays, cost overruns, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and obsolete technology, long after our allies have already moved on to the next generation. This dysfunction undermines our operational capabilities, erodes our credibility, and puts our security at risk.

Despite a clear consensus on the system’s flaws, defence procurement reform has faltered under incremental adjustments rather than decisive structural change. However, the geopolitical landscape is too volatile, and the stakes are too high for half-measures any longer.
The core mission of the defence investment agency

The launch of the DIA is designed to meet this moment. It represents bold, transformational reform that will cut through bureaucratic inertia and deliver capabilities at the speed of relevance. At its heart, the core mission of the DIA is threefold:

Deliver faster, smarter procurement with centralized authority, consolidated processes, specialized staff, and transparent timelines aligned with operational realities.
Build with Canadian industry by tying procurement to a new Defence Industrial Strategy that will prioritize Canadian supply chains, innovation and jobs, and leverage dual-use infrastructure that benefits both the military and Canadians.
Deepen Canada’s defence partnerships with our allies, including in Europe, who possess procurement and manufacturing expertise.

We can no longer afford to tinker at the edges. The DIA’s mission is aimed at rapidly accelerating Canadian procurement to keep pace with modern warfare and unleashing our potential as a country.
DIA as an economic catalyst.

The DIA will not only streamline defence purchasing processes. It will also serve as a catalyst for the Canadian economy. Defence projects will generate demand in shipbuilding, aerospace, critical minerals, infrastructure, AI, technology, and cyber industries. These sectors create high-skilled, good paying jobs, while pulling in buyers to our supply chains.

To lead the DIA, the prime minister chose Doug Guzman, former deputy chair of the Royal Bank of Canada, as the agency’s first CEO. With three decades of business experience, he has the credibility to work with industry leaders and collaborate with defence stakeholders to drive results.

Mr. Guzman’s appointment signals the federal government’s commitment to organizational discipline and execution. The leadership of the DIA will strengthen Canada’s military readiness while harnessing the defence sector as a lever for economic growth.
Trade diversification as a force multiplier

Just as the DIA will partner closely with domestic industry, Canada’s trade diversification strategy will reinforce its mandate by reducing over-dependence on a single market when it comes to the military’s needs.

The United States of America remains Canada’s most irreplaceable ally in defence and security. They are our largest trading partner and an indispensable member of NORAD and NATO. Canadian and American forces share technology, intelligence, and conduct joint operations that protect North America and project strength abroad. We are steadfast in collaborating with our friends to the south of the border.

At the same time, Canada also has deep historical ties to Europe and is strengthening its relationships in the Indo-Pacific. CETA and CPTPP both offer Canadian firms preferred access to global supply chains and export markets that can support the growth of our defence sector.

More specifically, Canada recently negotiated a new security and defence partnership with the EU. Europe offers valuable models, including in the aerospace and shipbuilding sectors, that deliver advanced capabilities that are on time and cost-effective. By further integrating Canadian industry into allied procurement networks, we attract investment, ensure interoperability, and accelerate innovation.

There are many tangible opportunities on the horizon where Canada’s trade relationships will advance the DIA’s mandate by equipping the CAF with goods and services from abroad, while reinvigorating Canadian production in sectors that will fuel long-term growth.
The time is now

In the end, as the prime minister said, Canadian leadership will endure not only because of the values we uphold, but because we have built the strength to defend them.

The DIA is how we do that. The time for half-measures has passed. To build Canada strong, we need to transform defence procurement into a national strength.

The moment to act is now.

#GlobalNews. #USA, #News: Tyrese Gibson booked into Georgia jail and released on bond following cruelty to animal charge.

Tyrese Gibson was booked into a Georgia jail early Friday, a week after he failed to turn himself in following an arrest warrant for cruelty to animals, police said.

Gibson was released the same day on a US$20,000 bond, Fulton County Police Captain Nicole Dwyer said. He has still not turned his four Cane Corso dogs to police, who authorities say killed a neighbor’s small dog in mid-September and had roamed the neighborhood unsupervised at various times over the past few months.

“We are glad he did the right thing and turned himself in,” Dwyer wrote to The Associated Press, noting the four dogs are still unaccounted for.

Gibson’s lawyer did not immediately respond to the AP’s request for comment Friday.

Gabe Banks, the actor’s lawyer, had previously told AP that the actor wasn’t home when the incident took place and “immediately made the difficult decision to rehome his dogs to a safe and loving environment,” including two adult dogs and their three puppies.

A search warrant for the “Fast & Furious” actor’s property was issued alongside the arrest warrant days after the Sept. 18 incident, when the dogs attacked a small spaniel owned by a neighbor about a half a mile away from Gibson’s house. The dog was rushed to a veterinary hospital, but did not survive, Dwyer said.

The dogs were seen on camera minutes later at the next-door neighbor’s house, where the owner called police to report she couldn’t reach her car because of the animals. Animal control officers responded and were able to keep the dogs back while the neighbor went to her vehicle.

Gibson had initially told police he would surrender his dogs on Sept 22, but when officers arrived, he said he needed a few more days, according to a police press release.

Gibson posted a video to Instagram that included various clips of his dogs early Monday and reposted it the following day with a statement from him and his lawyer. Banks wrote Gibson had dealt with stalkers for years, and “his only motivation in bringing these dogs into his life was to protect his family and provide peace of mind.”

Banks added the dogs weren’t “trained to be vicious,” and “had never harmed a child, a person, or another dog. This tragic event is shocking and traumatizing for him and his family — and he can only imagine how devastating it has been for the family who lost their pet.”

“I had no idea I would ever wake up to this nightmare, and I know the family must feel the same way. To them, please know that my heart is broken for you,” Gibson said in the statement. “I am praying for your healing and for your beloved pet, who never deserved this. I remain committed to facing this matter with honesty, responsibility, and compassion.”

Itzel Luna, The Associated Press

Federal appeals court rules Trump administration can’t end birthright citizenship.


A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals became the fifth federal court since June to either issue or uphold orders blocking the president’s birthright order. The court concluded that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claims that the children described in the order are entitled to birthright citizenship under the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The panel upheld lower courts’ preliminary injunctions, which blocked the birthright order while lawsuits challenging it moved ahead. The order, signed the day the president took office in January, would halt automatic citizenship for babies born to people in the U.S. illegally or temporarily.

“The ‘lessons of history’ thus give us every reason to be wary of now blessing this most recent effort to break with our established tradition of recognizing birthright citizenship and to make citizenship depend on the actions of one’s parents rather than — in all but the rarest of circumstances — the simple fact of being born in the United States,” the court wrote.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose state was one of nearly 20 that were part of the lawsuit challenging the order, welcomed the ruling.

“The First Circuit reaffirmed what we already knew to be true: The President’s attack on birthright citizenship flagrantly defies the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and a nationwide injunction is the only reasonable way to protect against its catastrophic implications,” Bonta said in a statement. “We are glad that the courts have continued to protect Americans’ fundamental rights.”

A second appeals court ruling on Friday also found in favour of several organizations that challenged the birthright citizenship order. The plaintiffs, including New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support and League of United Latin American Citizens, were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union.

“The federal appeals court today reinforced that this executive order is a flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution — and we agree,” said SangYeob Kim, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of New Hampshire. “Our Constitution is clear: no politician can decide who among those born in this country is worthy of citizenship.”

In September, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to uphold its birthright citizenship order. The appeal sets in motion a process at the high court that could lead to a definitive ruling from the justices by early summer on whether the citizenship restrictions are constitutional.

“The court is misinterpreting the 14th Amendment. We look forward to being vindicated by the Supreme Court,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

In July, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston issued the third court ruling blocking the birthright order nationwide after a key Supreme Court decision in June. Less than two weeks later, a federal judge in Maryland also issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the order. The issue is expected to move quickly back to the nation’s highest court.

The justices ruled in June that lower courts generally can’t issue nationwide injunctions, but they didn’t rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects, including in class-action lawsuits and those brought by states.

A federal judge in New Hampshire later issued a ruling prohibiting Trump’s executive order from taking effect nationwide in a new class-action suit, and a San Francisco-based appeals court affirmed a different lower court’s nationwide injunction in a lawsuit that included state plaintiffs.

At the heart of the lawsuits challenging the birthright order is the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which includes a citizenship clause that says all people born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to U.S. jurisdiction, are citizens.

Plaintiffs in the Boston case — one of the cases the 1st Circuit considered — told Sorokin that the principle of birthright citizenship is “enshrined in the Constitution,” and that Trump does not have the authority to issue the order, which they called a “flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands of American-born children of their citizenship based on their parentage.”

Justice Department attorneys argued the phrase “subject to United States jurisdiction” in the amendment means that citizenship isn’t automatically conferred to children based on their birth location alone.

In a landmark birthright citizenship case, the Supreme Court in 1898 found a child born in San Francisco to Chinese parents was a citizen by virtue of his birth on American soil.

___

Michael Casey, The Associated Press

U.S. escalates criticism of Colombia’s president at the UN, calls for action against drug trafficking.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz told a UN Security Council meeting that President Gustavo Petro’s policies in Colombia and around the world “are frankly irresponsible failures” that have led the country to greater instability and violence.

Relations between the United States and Colombia reached a new low last week after Petro, a leftist, participated in a pro-Palestinian protest during the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly. The U.S. State Department revoked Petro’s visa after the protest.

Petro has angered senior U.S. officials by denying American extradition requests as well as criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and its efforts to combat drug trafficking in neighboring Venezuela.

The Security Council meeting took place as the Trump administration announced its fourth deadly strike in the Caribbean on boats it says were trafficking narcotics. Petro accused the U.S. of committing “murder” and said there were no “narco-terrorists” on the boats just “poor Caribbean youth.”

Waltz strongly disagreed.

“In recent months, Colombia has been rocked by attacks by narco-terrorist groups on Colombian security forces and civilians,” the U.S. ambassador said. “The violence and drug trafficking perpetrated by these arms groups, if left unchecked, can spread and jeopardize the safety of Colombians, the safety of everyone in the region, and certainly of Americans.”

Waltz said the United States urges Colombia’s government to prioritize addressing this threat, adding that the administration is deeply concerned about the prospect of peace negotiations that could give these groups impunity.

The Security Council has been monitoring a 2016 peace accord between the government and what was then the largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, at the government’s request. The agreement ended more than 50 years of war in which over 220,000 people died and nearly six million people were displaced.

Waltz warned the council that the Trump administration, which has veto-power on renewing the mandate of the UN political mission, is examining whether it merits continued support.

“Unfortunately, over time, the mission’s mandate has broadened to reflect excessive political priorities, including transnational justice and supporting minority ethnic groups,” Waltz said.

Colombia’s UN Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres made a strong appeal to the Security Council to renew the mandate, which expires on Oct. 31.

Zalabata Torres, describing herself as an Indigenous woman, said the Petro government is committed to the 2016 peace agreement, especially the chapter recognizing Indigenous peoples and those of African descent “as fundamental pillars for building a complete stable and lasting peace.”

She said true reconciliation will only come when Colombia’s cultural and ethnic diversity is recognized and there is justice.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca, who visited Colombia in September, told the council on Friday that consolidating peace after decades of conflict “is a complex work-in-progress” and the country is entering a “delicate period.”

He pointed to presidential and legislative elections in May 2026, which he said are increasing tensions. Petro is barred from running for a second term. Jenca recently has been appointed head of the #UN mission in Bogota, a position he’ll take up later this month.

Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press

#Chinese toymaker accused by U.S. of sharing children’s data sells products in Canada.

A Chinese toymaker accused by U.S. authorities of illegally sharing children’s location data is selling app-controlled toys in Canada.

Headquartered near Hong Kong in Shenzhen, Apitor Technology sells Lego-like building kits for robots that are programmed and controlled through a smartphone app. According to the company’s website, Apitor markets the toys as STEM education tools that help “kids learn and grow in science, technology, engineering and math.

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Apitor’s app allowed a third party in China to collect location data from children without notifying parents or obtaining their consent. By doing so, U.S. authorities say Apitor violated what’s known as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

“Apitor allowed a Chinese third party to collect sensitive data from children using its product,” Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a news release. “Companies that provide online services to kids must notify parents if they are collecting personal information from their kids and get parents’ consent — even if the data is collected by a third party.”

The third party that received the data is a Chinese mobile developer and analytics provider known as both Jiguang and Aurora Mobile. Jiguang’s privacy policy allows it to use the data it collects for any purpose, including advertising and sharing it with other third parties.

In Canada, Apitor’s toys are available through several large online retailers.

CTVNews.ca reached out to Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, which said it has not received any complaints about Apitor.

“The Office will be reaching out to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to better understand the situation and determine next steps,” a spokesperson said.

The office is responsible for overseeing compliance with Canada’s privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). The act requires organizations to provide information about data collection and seek user consent.

The privacy watchdog previously published tips for parents about internet-connected toys. In May, Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne announced a consultation to help inform the development of a new children’s privacy code.

“Organizations must provide privacy information to young people (and their parents/guardians as appropriate) in a concise, prominent and clear manner suited to the maturity of the young person,” the privacy office spokesperson said. “They should also be transparent about any privacy risks associated with using their product or service.”

On Tuesday, the DOJ announced that a U.S. federal court order had resolved the allegations against Apitor. Apitor has been ordered to delete any personal information that was improperly collected, and it must also now make reasonable efforts to directly notify and obtain verifiable parental consent before gathering or using data from children. A court-ordered civil penalty of US$500,000 has been suspended due to Apitor’s alleged inability to pay.

Apitor did not respond to a request for comment.

“The (DOJ) will vigorously work to ensure businesses respect parents’ rights to decide when their children’s personal information can be collected and used,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said in a news release. “We will continue to work with the (FTC) to stop unlawful intrusions on children’s privacy.”