Germany recorded 2,656 conscientious objector applications in the first three months of 2026, more than two-thirds of the total registered across the whole of 2025, according to the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA). The figures, reported by the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, compare with 3,867 applications for the entirety of 2025 and roughly 3,000 in 2024. If the current rate holds, 2026 would see more conscientious objector applications than any year since Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011. The rise follows the entry into force of new military service legislation at the start of the year. The reform requires young men born in 2008 or later to register for potential conscription, with the Bundestag able to activate compulsory service if voluntary recruitment falls short.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has framed the changes as a response to a deteriorating security environment. "The world has become more unpredictable and yes, it must also be said, more dangerous," he said recently.

hmm, I wonder who's responsible for that!

Pistorius has set a target of at least 260,000 active soldiers in the Bundeswehr, with a combined active and reserve force of 460,000 — which would make it one of the largest armies in Europe. The reservists' association has called for the maximum age for reservists to be raised from 65 to 70. Discussion of a possible requirement for men of fighting age to seek authorisation before travelling abroad for extended periods has added to public unease. Meanwhile, not all Germans are rejecting armed service. 781 people who had previously declared conscientious objector status reversed their decision in 2025. A further 233 did so in the first quarter of 2026.

Mexico City, July 13 (Prensa Latina) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated today that her government is in contact with Venezuelan authorities to continue supporting that country after the devastating earthquakes of June 24.

“Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco is in contact with the interim president of Venezuela (Delcy Rodríguez), and we will also seek her out this week to see what else they need to support them,” the head of the Executive stated.

During her usual press conference, the president alluded to the reception on Friday of the "Yumare" group, with rescuers and health personnel from the National Defense, after their work in the South American nation.

He described the event, held in the central State of Mexico, as very emotional, and highlighted not only the professionalism of the Army members, but also "the dedication and humanism with which they do their work."

“We will continue to help. We will always help our suffering brother nations in any way we can,” he reaffirmed.

According to official data, the group – made up of 264 members and 18 canine teams, which left for that nation one day after the tragedy – managed to rescue two people, two dogs and recover 92 bodies, as well as carry out 2,059 medical consultations.

Mexico also transported more than 70 tons of food supplies, equipment and tools to that nation by air (through an air bridge with eight flights) and sea (with two Navy ships), collected by the Venezuelan Embassy here and civil society.

In addition, it distributed more than 13 tons of medicines and sent eight electricity generating plants.

Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 shook several states of Venezuela on June 24, leaving a total of 4,490 dead and 16,740 injured, as well as severe damage to infrastructure, according to the most recent tally.

Brasilia, July 13 (Prensa Latina) President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva maintains the lead in all scenarios for the first and second rounds of the 2026 elections, according to a survey by the Nexus consultancy released today.

The study, commissioned by the BTG Pactual bank, attributes 40 percent of the voting intention to the president in the stimulated scenario of the first round, compared to 34 percent for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, considered the main representative of Bolsonarism for the presidential contest.

Regarding the spontaneous consultation, where no list of candidates is presented, the president obtains 35 percent of the preferences, while Flávio Bolsonaro reaches 24, a difference of 11 percentage points.

In the other simulated scenarios for the first round, the former governor of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado, appears with five percent; the president of the Mission Party, Renan Santos, and the former governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, with four each; the former magistrate Joaquim Barbosa and the writer Augusto Cury, with two; and the deputy Aécio Neves, with one.

The runoff simulations also place Lula ahead of all his potential rivals.

The closest scenario is against Flávio Bolsonaro, with 47 percent for the current president and 44 for the senator, a difference that remains within the margin of error.

Against Zema, Lula would win by 47 to 40 percent, while against Caiado he would widen the margin to 47 to 38; and the largest margin is recorded against Santos, with 49 percent for the president and 35 for his opponent.

The survey also reveals regional differences, as Lula obtains his greatest support in the northeast of the country, where he has 54 percent of the preferences compared to 25 percent for Flávio Bolsonaro, and he also leads in the southeast.

The senator, for his part, leads the preferences in the south and north-central-west regions; and, among women, Lula registers 45 percent of voting intention compared to 30 percent for Flávio Bolsonaro, while among men the senator appears in the lead with 38 percent against 34 percent for the president.

The survey also shows that 36 percent of those interviewed prefer a victory for Lula or a candidate supported by him, 32 percent opt ​​for a candidate backed by former president Jair Bolsonaro and his family, and 27 percent express a preference for a third way.

The survey, which interviewed 2,003 voters by telephone between July 10 and 12, has a margin of error of two percentage points and a confidence level of 95 percent.

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court Justice suspended for 90 days the visits of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, after the senator published a political letter on social media written by the ex-president, violating court-imposed restrictions.

According to the ruling, Flávio Bolsonaro read and published a letter in which his father endorsed him as a presidential pre-candidate for the 2026 elections and defined him as his “spokesperson” and the “best option” for Brazil.

For Justice Moraes, this conduct violated the prohibition that prevents the former President from using social media, even indirectly.

The decision came after the Court determined that the senator deviated from the purpose of a visit by disseminating political content on behalf of his father. The letter constituted a clear attempt to influence the electoral process from within the confines of house arrest, where Jair Bolsonaro has been held since November 2025.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes noted that the phrase used by Flávio Bolsonaro when presenting the document –“It’s unmissable, a very important message he wants to give to our entire nation”– suggests that the former President had knowledge of the publication. This formulation implied coordinated action between father and son to bypass the communication restrictions imposed by the Court.

The magistrate also sent copies of the case to the Prosecutor General for Electoral Affairs to evaluate a possible investigation for alleged early electoral propaganda, a violation of Brazilian electoral law that prohibits campaigning before the official period begins.

As a consequence of the ruling, father and son will not be able to meet until mid-October, after the first round of presidential elections, scheduled for October 4. The 90-day suspension effectively removes Flávio Bolsonaro’s physical access to his father during the critical period leading up to the vote, where the senator is positioning himself as a candidate.

The magistrate also granted a 48-hour deadline to Jair Bolsonaro’s defense team to clarify whether the ex-president knew that the letter would be publicly disclosed. The response could determine whether additional sanctions are imposed on the Brazilian former President, who is already serving a 27-year and three-month prison sentence for being found guilty of leading a criminal organization that attempted to perpetrate a coup d’état to remain in power after his defeat in the 2022 elections.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes further argued that the senator used the right to visit for a purpose different from that authorized by the Court and recalled that a similar precedent occurred in August 2025. That episode was one of the arguments that later led to the imposition of house arrest on the former President, demonstrating a pattern of behavior that the court deemed unacceptable.

The publication of the letter has also provoked a new crisis within the Liberal Party, amid growing tensions between Flávio Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro. While Flávio has positioned himself as his father’s political heir, Michelle has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, creating a rift that threatens to fragment the conservative base.

The Supreme Federal Court has maintained a firm stance on enforcing the restrictions imposed on Jair Bolsonaro, viewing the house arrest conditions as essential safeguards against further attempts to destabilize Brazil’s democratic institutions.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck southern Mexico on Monday, with authorities reporting no casualties, significant damage or tsunami risk.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the southern Mexican state of Chiapas on Monday, according to the National Seismological Service (SSN). The quake’s epicenter was located near the country’s border with Guatemala, triggering monitoring and assessment protocols by civil protection authorities.

The SSN said the earthquake’s epicenter was located 64 kilometers southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo, in the municipality of Suchiate. The event occurred at a depth of 44.2 kilometers.

Mexico’s National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) said there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant material damage following the earthquake. The agency also ruled out any tsunami threat, stating that no significant changes in sea level had been detected along the country’s Pacific coast.

“Following the magnitude 5.0 earthquake recorded this morning, no significant variations in sea level have been reported, and there is no danger to port operations or the population.”

The CNPC added that it remains in permanent communication with state and municipal civil protection authorities to monitor the situation and respond to any developments.

Mexico is one of the world’s most seismically active countries due to the interaction of the Cocos, Rivera, Pacific, North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. Chiapas is particularly prone to earthquakes because it is located above the Cocos Plate, which is subducting beneath the North American Plate.

The government of Brazil began on Monday the shipment of 48 tons of powdered milk to Cuba as humanitarian aid, according to a statement from the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic, in response to the severe shortages facing the island.

The operation is carried out on two flights of the Brazilian Air Force headed to Santiago de Cuba.

The first flight took off at 2:10 PM this Monday from the Canoas Air Base in Rio Grande do Sul, carrying 16 tons. The second flight will depart this Tuesday from Porto Alegre International Airport with the remaining 32 tons. Both flights are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, July 15.

The decision was made on July 9 during a meeting led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with the Chief Minister of the Civil House, Miriam Belchior; the Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro; the Chancellor, Mauro Vieira; the Minister of Agrarian Development, Fernanda Machiaveli; the commander of the Air Force, Brigadier Marcelo Damasceno; and the president of the National Supply Company (Conab), Sílvio Porto.

The coordination of the operation falls under the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation (ABC), which is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the food is supplied by Conab.

According to the presidential statement, "new donations of food and medicine are under evaluation by the Brazilian government."

Santiago de Cuba, the destination city for Brazilian flights, is also the area most affected by Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall as a category 3 hurricane in October 2025 and left a trail of destruction that is still felt in the eastern region of the country.

This shipment is part of a larger humanitarian aid that Brazil announced on March 19, which included 170,000 tons of rice, 150 tons of black beans, and 500 tons of powdered milk, facilitated through the World Food Program (WFP).

In May, Lula's government also donated medications to treat a thousand patients on the island.

However, Brazilian aid has not been without controversy: in March, there were allegations that products donated by Brazil, Mexico, and Chile were being sold in dollar stores run by Cuban military personnel, accusations that the regime denied.

Additionally, Cuba has a debt of 676 million dollars to Brazil.

Cuba is experiencing its worst energy and food crisis in decades. The cutoff of Venezuelan oil supplies —following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation— and the reduction of shipments from Mexico left the island without fuel reserves in May 2026.

The electrical deficit exceeds 2,000 MW, with power outages lasting between 20 and 36 hours daily in several provinces.

33.9% of Cuban households report that at least one person went to bed hungry, and gasoline can reach nine dollars per liter on the black market.

Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced this Monday the merger of the Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade ministries, appointing seasoned diplomat Felix Plasencia to lead the newly unified cabinet portfolio.

The Bolivarian Government consolidated both institutions into a single structure named the Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign and Foreign Trade Relations.

This strategic administrative reorganization aims to streamline state functions, optimize public resources, and integrate commercial and diplomatic initiatives under a cohesive international policy framework.

The newly unified Ministry of Foreign and Foreign Trade Relations will be led by Felix Plasencia, while former foreign minister Yván Gil takes over the Science and Technology portfolio to drive national development.

Acting President Rodriguez highlighted that Félix Plasencia, an internationalist with extensive diplomatic experience, has the official mission to direct Venezuela’s foreign policy, defend national sovereignty, strengthen strategic cooperation agreements, and promote peace diplomacy across the globe.

Plasencia previously served as foreign minister and has held various high-level diplomatic posts representing the South American nation.

The Venezuelan Acting President also expressed her gratitude to Johan Alvarez, who formerly served as the head of Foreign Trade, and announced that he will assume new responsibilities within the public administration in the coming days.

This structural transformation comes as the country accelerates its recovery and reconstruction efforts following the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes of June 24. By merging diplomatic and trade portfolios, the Bolivarian Government seeks to maximize the efficiency of international cooperation and secure strategic investments necessary for the Venezuela Rises national reconstruction plan.

The unification of foreign relations and foreign trade reflects a modern approach to economic diplomacy, allowing the State to negotiate trade agreements and receive humanitarian assistance with greater agility. This consolidated approach will strengthen Venezuelan position within multilateral blocks such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America.

The strategic shift also aims to bypass the obstacles created by illegal unilateral coercive measures imposed against the nation, fostering new commercial alliances under the principles of South-South cooperation and mutual development.

The Human Rights organization Ir Amim denounced that Israel’s authorities approved a new plan to build a large settlement in the Palestinian neighborhood of Umm Lison in occupied East Jerusalem with 450 housing units.

Umm Lison is located between the Palestinian neighborhoods of Jabal al-Mukabber and Sur Baher in occupied East Jerusalem and currently houses approximately 800 homes belonging to Palestinian families.

The construction of 450 new settler units within this already consolidated Palestinian community represents what Ir Amim described as an “unprecedented” project in terms of its magnitude within the Palestinian neighborhoods of occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the organization reported that the Jerusalem District Planning and Construction Committee gave the green light to the project, which had been suspended for more than two years due to infrastructure-related difficulties.

According to Ir Amim, the execution of the settlement will involve the incorporation of hundreds of new homes within an already established Palestinian community, which will considerably alter the urban characteristics and demographic balance of the sector while increasing attacks by Israeli settlers against the local population.

The organization warned that the project could house approximately 2,000 Israeli settlers, further entrenching the occupation presence in the heart of East Jerusalem.

Ir Amim also argued that the decision adopted by the Jerusalem municipality responds to a political strategy aimed at expanding Israeli settlements rather than urban planning criteria, and accused municipal authorities of privileging settler interests to the detriment of the rights of the Palestinian population living in the city.

On multiple occasions, the United Nations has denounced that Israeli settlements built in the occupied Palestinian territories lack validity under international law and that their expansion hinders the possibilities of reaching a solution based on the coexistence of two states. The Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory, explicitly prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.

Meanwhile, Palestinians maintain their claim that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a future Palestinian State, in line with international resolutions that do not recognize the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 nor the annexation of the city proclaimed by Israel in 1980. The international community, including the United Nations Security Council, has consistently rejected Israel’s unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem.

In another decision related to settlement policy, the Israeli Central Command officially recognized on July 12 the illegal settlement of Givat Ze’ev as a city, located northwest of occupied East Jerusalem. According to Israeli media, the decision was adopted after a coordination process between the Ministries of Defense and Interior and forms part of policies promoted by Israel to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the declaration of Givat Ze’ev as a city is part of government policy aimed at strengthening settlements and consolidating their legal recognition. Smotrich also argued that this decision will contribute to building an alleged “protective wall” against the creation of a Palestinian state, a position that deepens tensions and affects the stability and security of Palestinian communities.

The settlement expansion comes as violence in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem has increased significantly, with settler attacks against Palestinian farmers, destruction of olive groves and home demolitions rising sharply in recent months. Human rights organizations have documented hundreds of incidents of settler violence, often carried out with impunity under the protection of Israeli military forces.

The Umm Lison approval and the elevation of Givat Ze’ev to city status represent a coordinated push by the most right-wing government in Israel’s history to cement Israeli control over occupied Palestinian territory, making the prospect of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state increasingly difficult. The international community, including the European Union and the Arab League, has condemned the moves but has so far failed to impose meaningful consequences on Israel for its continued violation of international law.

Colombia’s president-elect announced the elimination of the Peace Commissioner post and two presidential advisory offices tied to human rights and national reconciliation.

Colombia president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella also announced the closure of presidential offices for human rights and national reconciliation. Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced that his administration will abolish the Office of the Peace Commissioner, along with the Presidential Advisory Offices for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and for National Reconciliation, after taking office on Aug. 7.

President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella said his government will eliminate the Office of the Peace Commissioner, which has led negotiations with armed groups in Colombia, as part of a restructuring that will also dissolve two presidential advisory offices. The measure includes the closure of the Presidential Advisory Office for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and the Presidential Advisory Office for National Reconciliation.

In a speech published on his social media accounts, de la Espriella said the Peace Commissioner position would be abolished because “there will be no more false peace processes under my government.”

He also referred to Rodrigo Londoño, known as Timochenko, the third and final leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) and a signatory to the 2016 Peace Agreement, saying that “he deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison,” and that his administration would seek to achieve that outcome.

De la Espriella also commented on the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the transitional justice tribunal established following the 2016 peace accord, describing it as an institution that provides “refuge” to Pilar Rueda, the spouse of opposition senator and former presidential candidate Iván Cepeda.

According to the information provided, dismantling these specialized institutions would end political dialogue as a mechanism for bringing hostilities to a close and facilitating the demobilization of armed groups.

The information also states that international actors and human rights organizations have historically argued that the absence of institutional channels for negotiation tends to deepen cycles of violence and reduce the prospects for a peaceful resolution of Colombia’s armed conflict.

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Press TV - news agency in Tehran for international broadcast, broadcasts television in english 24/7

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