The neuroscientist is investigating whether the brain has an internal map before an animal begins exploring its surroundings.
Even before we begin exploring the world, the brain may have a kind of internal map, “like a GPS,” ready to guide us. This hypothesis, which is still under investigation, fascinates Norwegian neuroscientist May-Britt Moser, the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate, who has spent decades trying to unravel how we know our way around.
“It seems that we could have an internal map that is ready for us when we start moving and exploring,” Moser said in an interview with EFE, although she cautioned that the findings she is currently working on have not yet been published.
Moser refers to philosopher Immanuel Kant and the possibility that, to experience the world, the brain needs certain pre-existing structures that allow it to organize what it perceives.
"I was not always the best student… but my teachers saw something in me."
May-Britt Moser, inspired by her teachers, went on to uncover the brain’s "inner GPS," for which she was awarded the 2014 medicine prize.#WorldTeachersDaypic.twitter.com/9AeljdCWRk
The neuroscientist is now trying to determine whether one of these structures exists before an animal — rats, in her case — begins moving around and learning about its surroundings.
The clue comes from so-called “grid cells,” which Moser discovered with her husband, Edvard Moser. Their discovery helped the couple share the Nobel Prize with British neuroscientist John O’Keefe.
These neurons fire in a highly regular “spatial pattern.” When the locations where a single cell fires as a rat moves around are plotted, equilateral triangles can be drawn between its different activity fields.
Moser said she remains surprised by this level of precision, precisely because the brain is a biological system and, therefore, one might expect much more noise and many more errors.
“Because the brain is a biological system, you would expect many errors. And if there were many errors, we would never see a pattern like the one we observe in grid cells, where equilateral triangles can fit between each activity field as the animal moves through its surroundings. It is incredible,” she stressed.
The geometry becomes even stranger when scientists simultaneously record the activity of numerous grid cells and use mathematical tools to represent it in three dimensions.
What emerges is a “torus,” a doughnut-shaped surface across which neuronal activity appears to move, a kind of map that would not switch off even when the outside world disappears.
“This internal map is active even when the animal sleeps, so it does not need any information from the outside to keep functioning. It is simply the way the cells are connected that makes this pattern possible,” she said, adding that the question remains whether this architecture, or scaffolding, exists before exploration begins.
Moser is confident that the combination of new technologies capable of recording thousands of neurons, better mathematical theories and computational models will make it possible to achieve major advances in understanding the brain over the coming years.
"This is not biology! You can't get this in biology!"
Medicine laureate May-Britt Moser and artist Olafur Eliasson discuss the intersection of art and science at an event in 2015 at the Nobel Week Dialogue: The Future of Intelligence.
“But, as Professor Geoffrey Hinton, considered the ‘godfather’ of AI, said, understanding how we can come to have that feeling of being alive, of being conscious, can be quite difficult,” Moser reflected.
Artificial intelligence could become a tool for investigating this question, in part because it makes it possible to compare how a machine and a brain perform similar functions.
Asked whether she is optimistic about AI or a “doomer” — a term for someone who takes a catastrophic view of its future — Moser said that losing hope means surrendering. “But I think we need hope,” the neuroscientist replied.
In her view, tools can be used both to do good and to cause harm, and artificial intelligence does not eliminate this long-standing human trait, although it can greatly amplify its consequences, she added.
“It becomes dangerous if evil people use the tool to become even more evil. But they can also use their brains to be evil,” she said.
Against an international backdrop that she describes as “depressing” when she watches the news, Moser champions cooperation, science and education. She also points to individuals capable of mobilizing many others, from Malala Yousafzai to Greta Thunberg and Jane Goodall.
Thus, despite this depressing situation, Moser does not see machines as having intellectual supremacy, either. “For now, I think the brain is the best tool we have,” she concluded.
The legislation requires social media platforms to implement age-verification measures to ensure compliance. Companies that fail to meet the requirements could face fines of up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover.
Addressing parliament ahead of the vote, Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou described the measure as a necessary step that is compatible with the European Union’s (EU) existing regulatory framework.
“It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law. But the challenge is here. Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do,” he said.
4 countries. 1 growing movement.
France, Denmark, Spain and Greece are all moving to block children from social media — and Greece wants Brussels to make it a Europe-wide rule.#EUXLpic.twitter.com/xH6iJrO139
Minister of State Akis Skertsos said technology should be regulated in ways that give children greater freedom to grow up safely.
Excessive use of social media can negatively affect children’s sleep, concentration, social relationships and psychological development, said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, who described digital addiction as a public health challenge.
The legislation forms part of broader government efforts to protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying and platform features that encourage excessive use. Greece aims to become the first EU member state to introduce such a ban.
The French parliament passed legislation on July 21 aimed at protecting minors from the risks associated with social media use. However, the French Constitutional Council ruled on Aug. 14 that the key provision banning under-15s from accessing social media was unconstitutional.
Both candidates remain statistically tied three days before the presidential runoff.
On Thursday, polling firm Datafolha published a survey showing far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tied at 50% of valid votes, three days before the presidential runoff.
This is the first runoff poll to show a numerical tie between the two candidates and represents a two-point recovery for Lula compared with the survey released by the same firm last week.
In terms of voter intention, Bolsonaro has 47%, compared with Lula’s 46%, representing a one-percentage-point increase for the incumbent.
On Wednesday, another poll released by Quaest also showed a trend toward a narrowing gap between the two candidates, in this case with Bolsonaro leading by one point, 45% to Lula’s 44%.
Amazing turnout and energy in London yesterday in support of President Lula, ahead of his crucial election against Bolsonaro. His campaign has given hope to people around the world!
In both polls, the results amount to a statistical tie within the margin of error, which is two percentage points for each survey. For its latest poll, commissioned by television network Globo and Folha de Sao Paulo, Datafolha interviewed 2,520 voters between Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Bolsonaro received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, held Oct. 4, with 47.03% of the vote, followed by Lula with 45.16%. This was the narrowest result between two candidates in the first round of a presidential election held in Brazil, demonstrating the extreme polarization of the Brazilian electorate.
In Brazil’s recent democratic history, presidential runoffs have been held seven times, and in every instance, the candidate who received the most votes in the first round has won.
On Friday, Lula and Bolsonaro will face off in the second and final televised debate and will wrap up their respective campaigns on Saturday, the day before voters head to the polls.
One person was killed and four were seriously injured in three shootings in Trappes and La Verrière.
France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office will take charge of the investigation into the shootings that took place Friday about 20 miles from Paris, in which one person was killed and four were seriously injured.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who announced that he would travel to the scene, said three shootings occurred in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière. The perpetrator, who was arrested, used an automatic weapon.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said it had opened an investigation into murder and attempted murder targeting people because of their “actual or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.”
The other charges are weapons possession and terrorist conspiracy to prepare crimes against individuals. The Police Anti-Terrorism Subdirectorate (SDAT) will lead the investigation in coordination with intelligence services.
🔴 Une fusillade a éclaté ce vendredi matin à Trappes et La Verrière (Yvelines), faisant au moins un mort et 4 blessés. Un homme a été interpellé par la BAC à Coignières. pic.twitter.com/n2El3MQY1S
The text reads, “A shooting broke out this Friday morning in Trappes and La Verrière (Yvelines), leaving at least one person dead and four others injured. A man was arrested by the anti-crime brigade (BAC) in Coignières.”
The incidents occurred at around 10:30 a.m. (8:30 GMT), when the perpetrator fired several bursts of gunfire at people who were on the street.
La Verrière Mayor Nicolas Dainville explained that three people were injured, including a 12-year-old girl who was struck by eight bullets and whose condition had been stabilized. The other two injured people are men, ages 29 and 49, who were taken to two major hospitals in the Paris region.
Although the mayor insisted on caution regarding the nature of the incidents, he said the perpetrator appeared to have selected his victims, specifically Black people.
Authorities arrested the suspect in Coignières and identified him as Kevin, a native of Saint-Cyr, another town in the same department. “He fired randomly and wanted to carry out a massacre,” said Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh, who specified that the deceased victim was of African origin and that another of the injured people, who is in very serious condition, is of Maghrebi origin.
A Saudi-led military airstrike on a house in the town of Al-Za’azi’, in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz governorate, killed at least one person and wounded four on Thursday, including two minors, according to Yemeni health authorities.
The Saudi coalition also bombed Bajil in Al-Hudaydah, carried out four attacks in Harf Sufyan and two in Bani Suraym in Amran, and hit the Water Corporation building in Al-Hazm, Al-Jawf with two airstrikes, the same Yemeni health authorities reported. Saudi gunfire wounded two citizens and an African migrant in the border districts of Baqim and Munabbih in Sa’dah.
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree reported more than 2,900 Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks in the last 100 days, an escalation that left more than 562 victims, most of them women and children.
Saudi Arabia collaborating with Israeli intelligence in joint campaign against Yemen's Armed Forces —— According to a report published by The Jerusalem Post, Israeli military intelligence is actively sharing strategic target data with Saudi Arabia to assist its campaign against… pic.twitter.com/3PUhxcu46w
According to a report published by The Jerusalem Post, Israeli military intelligence is actively sharing strategic data with Saudi Arabia to assist its campaign against Yemen’s Armed Forces, also known as Ansarallah. The report said a Zionist military official confirmed the intelligence-sharing mechanism and emphasized that degrading Yemeni military capabilities serves Tel Aviv’s strategic regional interests while allowing the IDF to monitor and study tactical operations on the ground.
Colombia’s Government issued the 2027 General National Budget by decree on Thursday, after the bill’s approval in Congress fell through because of a procedural error.
The total amount is 634.9 trillion pesos, or 200 billion dollars at the current exchange rate, of which 391.38 trillion pesos, or 122 billion dollars, are for operating expenses, 155.43 trillion pesos, or 48.7 billion dollars, for debt service and 88.14 trillion pesos, or 27.6 billion dollars, for investment.
Opposition sectors described the Government’s handling of the budget as improvised.
The Senate and the Chamber approved different texts in one of the bill’s articles, and conciliation was not achieved before the October 20 deadline set by law for concluding that process, the last of the congressional debates, namely the plenary sessions.
The Government therefore had to issue the Budget by decree in the form in which it emerged from the joint economic commissions.
¡Se le cayó el presupuesto chimbo a @ABDELAESPRIELLA! Por hacer las cosas a las patadas, terminaron enredados entre dos versiones distintas y ahora el Gobierno pretende expedirlo por decreto.
Tanta improvisación con más de $634 billones de los colombianos exige responsables. ¡La… pic.twitter.com/Uivsc6N4kf
Resources for earthquake victims, health and energy subsidies added during the plenary sessions will be reduced because of the situation, Senator Alejandro Ocampo affirmed.
Representative María Fernanda Carrascal considered that Congress’s servility to the Executive vitiated the legislative process and denounced that the approved budget showed the Government’s true priority as more debt and less social investment, with debt service growing 46 percent while cuts hit the most vulnerable.
After the events, President Abelardo de la Espriella dismissed Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara.
A truckers’ strike against high fuel prices paralyzed southern Italy on its sixth day, leaving supermarkets with empty shelves, airports without fuel and postal services suspended.
Hundreds of tons of agricultural production remained stranded in trucks or piled up in cold storage rooms, and many business owners decided to suspend harvests and halt production of emblematic products such as buffalo mozzarella.
Poste Italiane was forced to completely interrupt the sending and delivery of mail and packages to and from Calabria, Sicily, Campania and Apulia, the company was reported to have said.
The mayors of Naples and Bari warned in a joint statement that the paralysis not only threatened food supplies but also jeopardized urban waste management, and they warned of an emergency that could plunge entire communities into a health collapse.
Tension on the roads intensified because of picket activity, and local press reported acts of sabotage in areas such as Caserta, including placing truck tires on highways to force heavy transport to brake.
In response, Italian police escorted convoys of commercial vehicles and deployed operations that resulted in 71 people reported and 242 sanctioned.
Minister of Enterprise Adolfo Urso recalled in the Chamber of Deputies that blocking the passage of trucks was a crime punishable by prison sentences.
In the north, Milan prepared special security measures ahead of new and massive student and youth demonstrations scheduled for Saturday, framed by discontent over the cost of living and the deterioration of public services.
Italy’s Council of Ministers approved on October 20 a new youth security decree that extended preventive detention to minors, until then reserved for adults, and created the crime of violent participation in demonstrations, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to 20,000 euros for anyone who, within a group of five or more people, throws stones, sticks or objects that endanger third parties.
Manifestare è un diritto, devastare le nostre città no. Ecco le misure che abbiamo approvato per contrastare la violenza e tutelare la sicurezza dei cittadini. pic.twitter.com/kqk51X8YZa
More than 37,000 people have been affected by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck Panama on October 9, the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) reported.
Housing assessments carried out by emergency teams covered 37,210 people, according to the preliminary report from the National Emergency Operations Center. The epicenter was 39 kilometers northwest of Tonosí, in Los Santos province, at a depth of four kilometers.
The assessment identified impacts in 10 provinces — especially Coclé, Herrera, Veraguas and Los Santos — and the Ngäbe Buglé comarca, the report said.
Local authorities continued damage assessments and assistance to affected families amid recovery efforts after one of the strongest seismic events recorded in the country in decades. Humanitarian aid has also been received from other nations, mainly Venezuela, Costa Rica and the United States, the report said.
Venezuela extiende su solidaridad
Desde el Aeropuerto Internacional Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía, el Gobierno Bolivariano envió un cargamento de ayuda humanitaria hasta el Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen.
— Ministerio de Comunicación e Información (@mippci_ven) October 22, 2026
Panama has opened 126 active shelters housing 5,628 people as part of the humanitarian response. Logistically, 171,190 pounds of cargo were moved by air and 365 tons were dispatched by land transport to support assistance operations.
Most of the country’s water treatment plants have restored operations, while security and emergency agencies maintain monitoring in affected areas, Sinaproc reported.
The earthquake occurred at 12:56 local time on October 9, according to the report. The United States Geological Survey raised the magnitude from 7.6 to 7.7, while the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama put it at 7.5.
Haiti’s government said Thursday that rescuing four Salvadoran soldiers kidnapped by armed gangs last Sunday on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince is its absolute priority.
The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement that the government is fully mobilized and intends to assert state authority with the greatest firmness against armed groups. It called the soldiers’ release an absolute priority and said all necessary resources are being mobilized to achieve that goal.
The prime minister met with competent authorities to assess the situation comprehensively and to determine, in close collaboration with the Salvadoran Gang Suppression Force (GSF), measures to reinforce ongoing operations against the armed gangs that attacked the vehicle carrying the Salvadorans.
Haitian security forces and the GSF have conducted an intense search since Sunday for the four Salvadoran aviation technicians, with whom contact was lost after the ambush in the Santo area of the Croix-des-Bouquets commune, within the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.
#Haiti | The UN Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the Gang Suppression Force despite armed attacks and the kidnapping of four Salvadoran personnel. Rescue efforts continue as international forces maintain their security mission.#UnitedNations#teleSUREnglishpic.twitter.com/kKX5oDtQ0i
In its first official statement on the attack, the Prime Minister’s Office said that given the seriousness of the act, the State reaffirms its authority and determination, and that security forces are continuing operations firmly to secure the soldiers’ release and protect human life.
The GSF reported Tuesday that several members of the gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince were killed and others wounded in clashes with forces searching for the Salvadoran military personnel. The GSF also reported that four of its own personnel were wounded during the operation and received medical care.
Argentina’s Chambern of Deputies approved the Disability Emergency Law in the early hours of Thursday, after more than a year of protests against Javier Milei’s austerity policies.
The final text passed with 237 votes in favor, 9 against and 4 abstentions from left-wing sectors, in a session that began Wednesday afternoon.
The law maintains non-contributory pensions, compatibility with formal employment and access to health benefits. It also establishes specific budget items to finance the system and mechanisms to prevent arbitrary removal of beneficiaries.
Among its central points are new conditions for accessing non-contributory disability pensions, the possibility of keeping the benefit while working within certain income limits and a control system based on cross-referencing data between public agencies. It also sets obligations for budget transparency, training for service providers and deadlines to complete pending compensations.
#Argentina | Human rights groups filed a criminal complaint over a police crackdown on university protesters in Buenos Aires that reportedly left more than 550 people injured or affected. The complaint seeks accountability for alleged excessive force during demonstrations… pic.twitter.com/yrEWJjPhA7
The law stipulates the return of all funds owed to providers for more than a year, settling the accumulated financial deficit, and sets strict peremptory deadlines for the Executive Branch to make these obligations effective.
The changes were incorporated after weeks of negotiations and set aside the cuts that the Executive Branch had included in the 2027 Budget for the disability area.
Hundreds of Spanish students gathered at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) to protest the visit of far-right Argentine President Javier Milei, who was scheduled to participate in a forum during his stay in Madrid.
Various organizations of people with disabilities in Córdoba denounced not having been convened to the legislative debate, and expressed skepticism about the Government’s real willingness to comply with what was voted.
The approval comes after more than a year of permanent protests, marches and mobilizations led by people with disabilities and their families, who expressed in the streets their rejection of Milei’s adjustment policies. During that period, the affected sectors suffered neglect, mistreatment and harsh episodes of police repression near the legislative palace, images that were widely disseminated and generated deep repudiation in society.
A key factor in unblocking the legislative scenario was intense lobbying by Pastoral Social Argentina, whose representatives went directly to Congress to dialogue deputy by deputy. Added to this was strong international pressure from Vatican diplomacy, after a monsignor gave various interviews in local media to warn about the Holy See’s deep concern for the health and quality of life of the group.
Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez received Thursday at the Miraflores Palace Jorge Rodríguez, head of the government delegation, and Dinorah Figuera, coordinator for the 2015 National Assembly, for the political dialogue table, seeking institutional rapprochement and consensus between the State and the sectors represented.
The meeting presented the balance and details of the third cycle of conversations held in Caracas, a process that included six working sessions structured in two plenary sessions and fifteen meetings. On Wednesday, the delegations held the final plenary of the third cycle, focused on reviewing compliance with agreements on institutional matters and renewal of the judicial system.
The acting president contrasted that willingness with the actions of small groups that insist on blocking streets and violence, and said the majority of the country supports joint work, as demonstrated by mobilizations of Venezuelan women during breast cancer awareness month. She said that when common interests such as women’s health and lives unite people, that is the Venezuela she recognizes.
The formal negotiation process began on August 12, when both parties agreed on a working methodology and installed technical tables to address care for victims of the June earthquakes, democratic strengthening and judicial reforms. The third cycle was installed on Wednesday the 14th with the central goal of advancing renewal of the Supreme Court of Justice and setting participation guarantees for political organizations.
As part of the commitments, the installation of the new Table 4 on Political, Economic and Social Guarantees was formalized, highlighting mediation and conciliation mechanisms under the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence and the start of discussions to create an Ombudsman for Political Guarantees and Citizen Participation. A deep review was also agreed of key legal instruments, including the Law on Political Parties, Public Meetings and Demonstrations; the Liberator Simón Bolívar Organic Law; the Organic Law against Organized Crime and Financing of Terrorism; and the Organic Law of the Comptroller General and the National Fiscal Control System, to evaluate matters related to political disqualifications.
In the institutional and judicial sphere, the work of the Preliminary Commission of the Judicial Nominations Committee was recognized after it interviewed 127 candidates from different sectors. It was announced that the next National Assembly session will appoint the 12 members of the nominations committee, allowing publication of the constitutional schedule and subsequent activation of the Credentials Review Council.
On economic and patrimonial matters, the parties reaffirmed the urgency of recovering Venezuela’s international reserve assets at the Bank of England, the Venezuelan gold, to assist the population affected by the June 24 earthquakes. They agreed to form a parity delegation to manage these actions and promote economic and social prosperity in health, education, food and workers’ income.
International diplomats maintain that the GSF mission objectives will continue in Haiti even though international forces confront mounting casualties and kidnappings.
On October 18, 2026, an explosive ambush in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, targeted an armored vehicle with four Salvadoran Air Force aviation technicians attached to the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force.
Forced to evacuate after their vehicle caught fire, the four support personnel were kidnapped by Haitian armed groups operating near the capital.
In response, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced a military rescue operation led by Task Force Libertad II, threatening an expanded offensive against Haitian gangs if the hostages are not safely returned.
In addition, the government of Haiti stated that it will work in conjunction with the United Nations Gang Suppression Force (GSF) mission to rescue the kidnapped Salvadorans.
While the Haitian government and international bodies coordinate security protocols, Bukele’s unilateral escalation in a foreign country projects his signature “iron-fist” stance against gangs onto the international stage, all with the backing of the United States.
The UN Security Council established the “Gang Suppression Force” that operates in Haiti. Created in October 2023 as the Multinational Security Support Mission following the Haitian government, the international force was reorganized in October 2025 into the Gang Suppression Force.
As of October 2026, the authorized strength of the Gang Suppression Force stands at 5,550 personnel, though deployed uniformed troops numbered 1,563 as of mid-October.
The Gang Suppression Force mandate focuses on assisting the Haitian National Police, protecting critical infrastructure, and restoring order across urban centers controlled by armed coalitions.
The region where the October 18 ambush took place, Croix-des-Bouquets, is controlled by several prominent armed groups. Security evaluations list the Chèn Méchan, Kraze Barye, and 400 Mawozo groups among the primary organizations holding territorial control over the corridor connecting Port-au-Prince to the Dominican border.
Key leaders of these groups, including Vitelhomme Innocent of Kraze Barye and Lanmo Sanjou of 400 Mawozo, are subject to active sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council and the U.S. government.
Data released by the UN indicates that between January and mid-September 2026, Haitian gang-related violence resulted in more than 5,700 deaths and injuries, alongside more than 230 reported kidnappings. Over 1.5 million residents remain internally displaced due to gang territorial expansion.
Foreign workers, international humanitarian staff, and local civilians have consistently been targeted for kidnapping as Haitian criminal groups use hostages for financial leverage or political concessions.
President Bukele addressed the Haitian gang leaders directly, publishing a message written in Haitian Creole on October 21, 2026. Bukele stated that the four technicians were non-combatant technical personnel and warned that current operations were minor compared to potential future actions.
Addressing the gang leadership, Bukele wrote: “We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too. Return our four compatriots alive and unharmed, and everything will return to how it was before the kidnapping. The decision is in your hands”.
Reactions from official international bodies followed the announcement of the rescue campaign. At a meeting of the UN Security Council, Mike Waltz, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, condemned the ambush and affirmed that international search efforts would continue.
Waltz stated that attacks on international contingents would not compel the Gang Suppression Force to withdraw from its mandate. Simultaneously, Salvadoran Ambassador to the UN Egriselda López formally requested international coordination to secure the location and release of the four kidnapped personnel.
The Haitian government also issued an official response regarding the crisis. In an executive statement, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé announced that securing the release of the four Salvadoran technicians was an absolute priority for the national administration.
Haiti: According to a statement issued on October 18 by El Salvador’s Armed Forces (@FUERZARMADASV), four Salvadoran aviation technicians from Task Force Libertad II were ambushed by armed gangs while returning to their camp in an armored vehicle. The vehicle was set on fire, but… pic.twitter.com/2R2TCCpkJP
The diplomatic and institutional responses to the kidnapping of the four Salvadoran technicians highlight the complex interactions between national military initiatives and international peacekeeping frameworks.
At the institutional level, the United Nations operates under structured protocols regarding force security and hostage negotiation. Officials within the UN framework maintain that search and rescue operations must adhere to rules of engagement established for the Gang Suppression Force to prevent operational conflict among contributing member states.
The Haitian government under Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has aligned its public stance with the international mission, declaring the recovery of the personnel a primary national objective.
However, the administrative capacity of the Haitian state remains restricted, as law enforcement agencies depend on foreign logistical, intelligence, and tactical support to operate within gang-controlled corridors like Croix-des-Bouquets.
Diplomatic representatives from key UN Security Council member states, including United States, have reinforced support for the mission while addressing the threats posed by armed groups. Statements issued during Security Council proceedings reaffirmed that attacks against international contingents will not alter the mandate or compel the withdrawal of the Gang Suppression Force.
To the gang bosses terrorizing Haiti, your days of operating with impunity are numbered. The Gang Suppression Force is coming for you. pic.twitter.com/lkkfJLmiO6
The armored vehicle transporting four aviation technicians from the Salvadoran Air Force was ambushed in Croix-des-Bouquets, a commune located near Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Following the explosion, the four Salvadoran technicians were forced to evacuate the vehicle and were subsequently kidnapped.
Initial search and rescue efforts of the four Salvadorans faced immediate armed resistance. On October 19, a search helicopter dispatched to locate the personnel was targeted by gunfire.
Subsequent joint counter-offensives conducted by the multinational security contingent and the Haitian National Police in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac area resulted in severe clashes, leaving several gang members dead and four multinational security personnel injured.
El Salvador deployed the missing personnel to Haiti as part of its specialized military contingent, known as Task Force Libertad II. El Salvador’s initial military involvement in Haiti began after the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly passed a decree on October 30, 2024.
That measure authorized the deployment of Salvadoran Air Force personnel, including pilots, air mechanics, and medical evacuation units, to support international security operations.
In early 2025, eight aviation technicians arrived in Haiti, followed by an additional 70 military personnel. On September 29, 2026, the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly voted to extend the military deployment through October 2027 and expanded the mandate.
The updated legislative mandate lets Salvadoran troops engage beyond medical evacuations, allowing them to deploy personnel based on operational requirements dictated by security needs in the field.
Task Force Libertad II operates under these expanded terms, providing technical aviation logistics, air support maintenance, and operational security inside the country.
The four Salvadoran kidnapped were serving as non-combatant aviation support specialists within Task Force Libertad II. Following days of uncertainty regarding their status, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele made a public statement on October 21, 2026, confirming that the kidnapping was executed by armed gangs from Haiti.
El Salvador prez announces MILITARY OP to rescue hostages kidnapped by gangs in Haiti
Aviation technicians 'kidnapped in a cowardly manner' — Bukele
'Today's attack is NOTHING compared to what is coming if we do not get all 4 hostages back alive' pic.twitter.com/7WkyhLvuoQ
President Nayib Bukele’s public declaration led El Salvador to escalate its physical military presence in Haiti. On October 22, 2026, the Salvadoran government deployed 100 special forces soldiers to Port-au-Prince to assist in locating and securing the release of the four missing aviation technicians.
This deployment brought additional tactical ground units to support the existing aviation support unit attached to Task Force Libertad II.
Before October 2026, the Salvadoran contingent operated primarily as an air support unit focused on logistics, maintenance, and medical evacuations. The introduction of dedicated special operations personnel expands the operational parameters of the mission, introducing direct combat and search-and-recovery capabilities alongside the Gang Suppression Force and the Haitian National Police.
The deployment of specialized personnel aims to mitigate these conditions through targeted intelligence collection and rapid-response capabilities.
Structural Security Challenges
While the deployment of specialized tactical units and the escalated military posture by El Salvador aim to address the immediate security emergency, long-term stabilization in Haiti depends on addressing broader structural issues.
The proliferation of heavy weaponry, sustained by international trafficking routes, continues to provide armed groups with substantial tactical capacity within urban sectors.
Furthermore, long-standing economic instability, institutional fragmentation, and high rates of poverty create conditions that enable armed organizations to maintain territorial influence despite international security deployments.
Military rescue missions and tactical escalations provide targeted responses to specific security threats, such as the kidnapping of Task Force Libertad II personnel.
However, international observers and analysts emphasize that sustainable security across Port-au-Prince and surrounding communes requires comprehensive institutional reform, economic development, and consistent administrative governance alongside law enforcement actions.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has launched a military rescue operation in Haiti following the abduction of four Salvadoran soldiers by local armed groups. In a stern statement on Wednesday, Bukele demanded the immediate, safe release of the personnel and warned of a severe… pic.twitter.com/QIQS18JGso
Sources: TeleSUR – Al Jazeera – DW – BBC – CNN – La Prensa Gráfica – elsalvador.com – EFE – El Diario de Hoy – RSF – El Faro – presidencia.gov.sv – Asociación de Periodistas de El Salvador – Dialnet – Resumen Latinoamericano.
Severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall and the rising Parana River has forced the evacuation of some 4,200 families in eastern Paraguay, with local authorities monitoring vulnerable areas to move residents into temporary shelters.
More than 1,000 severely damaged homes are concentrated in the municipality of Ciudad del Este, where the rising waters have swallowed entire parcels of land. Remansito neighborhood was hit hardest. Around 35 families who work in recycling had to abandon houses submerged under the floodwater.
The emergency extends beyond that city. In the department of Ñeembucú, severe flooding has been reported in the towns of Ayolas and Cerrito. Local authorities and rescue teams continue to watch the most exposed areas as they coordinate the transfer of affected residents to temporary shelters.
The scale of the crisis has grown quickly. Just days earlier, official figures put the number of affected households at 3,000, a count that has now risen above 4,200 as the river keeps climbing.
Residents along the riverbank say the situation worsens considerably each time the gates of the Itaipu Binacional hydroelectric dam open. They argue that releasing the reservoir’s excess water has an immediate and direct impact on homes built along the coastal strip.
#Paraguay | Families in La Rivera have been affected by flooding along the Paraná River, with rising water levels impacting homes and surrounding communities. Footage captures the extent of the flooding and the challenges faced by residents as they deal with its consequences.… pic.twitter.com/7GKTOoXEnB
Representatives of the hydroelectric facility defended the maneuver. The gate openings, they said, respond strictly to technical safety protocols established for operational contingencies. The dam’s administration rejected the claim that these operations are the main cause of the river overflowing in the region.
The dispute places technical necessity against lived experience. For the communities watching water pour into their streets, the relationship between the releases and the flooding feels direct. For the dam operators, the gates are simply doing what they were designed to do under extreme conditions.
The national weather agency has offered little relief. Projections from the Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology warn that rain will continue falling through the weekend across the country’s eastern zone. The agency urged the public and protection agencies to maintain precautionary measures amid the risk of new landslides.
Pictures show flooding along the Parana River after heavy rains and people travelling by boat through a flooded neighbourhood in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, October 21, 2026.
Solidarity has also moved through the affected areas. Neighbors in working-class sectors have organized to supply community kitchens and distribute donations of basic goods. That support network has become essential for families who left their homes with little more than what they could carry.
The flooding follows a pattern familiar to the region. The Paraná River, one of South America’s largest waterways, regularly swells after sustained rains, but the current emergency has outpaced local capacity to respond.
With the forecast showing no break in the weather, the number of displaced families could continue to rise. Shelters are filling, and the most vulnerable households, including those who earn their living from recycling along the riverbank, face an uncertain wait before the waters recede enough to return.
Pope Leo XIV confirmed his official visit to Argentina on Thursday, as he announced a four-day pastoral tour set to begin on November 8.
The Holy See press office released operational details of the journey after doctors cleared international travel, noting that the Pope requires no additional oncological treatment.
The Pope’s visit will include prisons, care homes for people with disabilities and meetings with workers’ organizations, reflecting an institutional intention to weigh in on debates over social justice, labor rights and the plight of the most vulnerable sectors.
His itinerary opens November 8 with a 4:30 P.M. local time arrival at Jorge Newbery Airport aboard a flight from Uruguay. From there he will pay tribute at the General San Martin Monument before attending a protocol reception hosted by President Javier Milei and meeting with diplomats.
The following day brings a packed schedule. Pope Leo will visit the Cottolengo in Don Orione, in Claypole, preside over a massive outdoor mass at the Monument to the Spaniards, meet with the labor sector at the Argentinean Catholic University, lead an interreligious gathering at San Martín Palace and dine with bishops at the Archbishopric.
During the welcoming session for newlyweds at the general audience, a couple said to Pope Leo XIV: “Papa, we’ll be waiting for you in Argentina!” The Pope replied enthusiastically: “Argentina—let’s go!” https://t.co/ut3jm7A7qB
On November 10 the tour moves inland to Cordoba province, where he will celebrate a liturgical ceremony at the Military Aviation School and walk through the of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Cathedral. He returns to Buenos Aires that night to preside over a youth vigil.
His final day, November 11, begins at the Federal Penitentiary Complex and continues with a mass at the of Lujan Basiliek. The trip concludes at 2:00 P.M. local time with a departure from Ezeiza International Airport bound for Lima.
Security and logistics teams from the Holy See are coordinating directly with Argentine authorities to finalize arrangements for the Pope’s movement at each public gathering on the schedule.
The visit unfolds in a political and social landscape shaped by the complex economic situation Argentina faces under the Milei’s administration. Structural tensions generated by fiscal adjustment policies and economic deregulation form the backdrop for a papal message that now carries deep political significance. The dignity of work and the protection of the vulnerable are expected to anchor his public remarks throughout the tour.
The confirmation also marks a decisive moment in the Pontiff’s recovery. Weeks after surgery, the international travel signals that his medical team considers the convalescence sufficiently advanced for the demands of a four-day, multi-city itinerary across two countries.
For Argentine faithful, the words delivered from St. Peter’s Square close months of uncertainty. The trip’s official schedule now stands, and preparations have shifted from speculation to logistics as November 8 approaches.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Xizang and Qinghai regions of southern China on Thursday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 32 others.
Seismological monitoringplaced the epicenter 202 kilometers north of Nagqu prefecture-level city in the Tibet Region, at a depth of ten kilometers.
The shallow focus amplified the tremor’s destructive force, sending shock waves across the autonomous region and into border areas of neighboring countries.
The quake’s reach extended well beyond China’s borders, underscoring the scale of the event in a mountainous zone near the Himalaya range. Residents across the Himalayan chain felt the shaking, with alerts reported among populations in India, Myanmar and Nepal.
Rescue brigades and Chinese government agencies deployed immediately to the ground. Teams began assessing possible damage to infrastructure and attending to communities near the epicenter, where access routes and basic services could have been compromised.
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County of Nagqu City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, at 10:33 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). #XinhuaNewspic.twitter.com/ewln8dGEvn
Local authorities are conducting technical inspections in the Nagqu area, a settlement of about 30,000 inhabitants, and in Lhasa, the second-closest locality to the quake’s center. Emergency crews are checking the network of basic services and road structures in rural counties to rule out major damage from possible landslides.
Early Warning Network
China’s natural disaster response committees remain deployed as a preventive measure to coordinate logistical assistance and protect families living in zones of high seismic risk.
That response now leans on infrastructure the country has spent years building. In July, China consolidated the deployment of the world’s most extensive earthquake early warning system, a scientific network capable of issuing real-time alerts within seconds of detecting the first seismic movements.
The mechanism exploits a basic principle of physics, radio waves travel faster than seismic waves. That gap allows notifications to be triggered from magnitudes as low as 1.0, buying precious minutes for people to seek protection before the shaking arrives. The system covers more than 90% of the key risk areas across Chinese territory and generates intensity reports within minutes. Officials describe it as essential technical support for decision-making in rescue operations.
🇨🇳 A 7.0-magnitude earthquake in China's remote Tibet region has killed at least 16 people and injured dozens more, state media reports, with hundreds of houses collapsed. pic.twitter.com/IAH9IzVSHh
Emergency management institutions maintain permanent monitoring in the most vulnerable areas, linking cutting-edge research with direct operational response to natural disasters.
The quake arrives against a backdrop of recent tragedy in the region. A flood in Nepal and Tibet left at least 1,143 people dead and the mountainous terrain now faces a new emergency demanding the same mobilization of rescue resources.
With the preliminary toll still being updated, the priority has shifted to reaching remote settlements where landslides may have cut roads and interrupted communications. The full extent of the damage will depend on how quickly those rural counties can be reached and assessed.
Former presidential candidate Luisa González denounced political persecution Thursday after security forces detained her in a predawn raid in Ecuador’s Manabí province, accusing the government of President Daniel Noboa of an authoritarian drift.
In her first written message since the arrest, Luisa González rejected the accusations against her and described the country’s institutional situation as “unsustainable.”
“Today it is my turn to be detained over an absurd accusation,” she wrote on X. “I will respond with the dignity of the Ecuadorian men and women who owe nothing and who are committed to achieving freedom for Ecuador and a better future for the country,” she added.
The leading figure of the Citizen’s Revolution movement also warned of mistreatment and torture inflicted on political prisoners held by the current far-right government of Daniel Noboa.
Faced with what she called a repressive escalation and a socioeconomic decline marked by violence and state corruption, González issued a call for unity to social organizations and leftist movements. “To my partners of the Citizen’s Revolution and all progressive forces, I say: it is time for unity, unity and unity to achieve freedom and democracy in the country,” she said.
She thanked communities across the country for their support and insisted that the people remain determined to overcome government censorship. González closed her statement by asserting that popular silence would eventually break the authoritarian siege and restore sovereignty and full democracy to Ecuador.
A Judicial Crackdown
Luisa González was detained in the early hours of Thursday in the Canuto parish of Chone canton, Manabí province. National Police officers and state prosecutors carried out the operation under the name “Labyrinth case,” an inquiry authorities describe as targeting alleged electoral financing during the 2023 campaign.
The police deployment included simultaneous raids in Manabí and Pichincha provinces and ended with three people detained for the purpose of formal charges.
After the procedure, relatives and allies of González denounced uncertainty over her whereabouts. Officials have not clarified whether she remains in Manabí or is being transferred to Quito for a court hearing, a situation her supporters describe as a grave violation of due process guarantees.
The arrest is part of a broader judicial offensive against the Citizen’s Revolution movement, which is currently suspended for nine months following rulings by the Electoral Contentious Tribunal that critics say were designed to block its participation in sectional elections.
That institutional push previously prevented González from registering as a candidate for the Manabí prefecture. Quito mayor Pabel Muñoz, meanwhile, faced raids on his offices in the middle of his reelection campaign.
Ecuadorian Former President Rafael Correa denounced the detention of González in a separate statement, adding his voice to the growing criticism of the operation. The predawn arrest now places one of the government’s most prominent opponents at the center of a legal battle that her movement frames as political persecution rather than a legitimate investigation.
Venezuela’s National Assembly President reaffirmed sovereign control over the country’s oil revenues and reported 71 active energy agreements alongside 44 contracts under negotiation, framing the figures as evidence of a sector revival after years of financial restrictions.
The statements came amid what officials called a strategic reconfiguration of the Venezuelan hydrocarbon industry. After years of intense global financial restrictions, the gradual operational reactivation of agreements between state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and international firms aims to restore a steady flow of foreign currency into the national treasury.
“No foreign agency or international financial entity administers or safeguards the public funds that enter the country from hydrocarbon sales,” National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said.
Rodríguez detailed that the money enters the public treasury under the supervision of authorized national banks, and he ruled out any external trust or any management of accounts by third parties outside the country’s institutions. In this sense, he called autonomy over foreign currency “a non-negotiable principle” for the country’s macroeconomic stability.
71 agreements are currently in force, while another 44 contracts are being negotiated. For the government, that volume confirms an operational momentum geared toward diversifying investment across the country’s main extraction fields.
The National Assembly President presented this dynamism as the result of a deliberate push to reopen the sector to international capital without surrendering control. Over the past several years, sweeping financial measures limited Venezuela’s ability to sell crude, collect payments and maintain production infrastructure. The current wave of deals represents a step-by-step return to commercial activity.
#EnVideo📹 | Coordinador del diálogo por el Gobierno Nacional, Jorge Rodríguez, aseveró que Venezuela mantiene el control sobre los recursos financieros obtenidos a través de la comercialización de petróleo hacia distintos países del mundo. pic.twitter.com/MUoEuwKXQI
— Ministerio de Comunicación e Información (@mippci_ven) October 22, 2026
Text reads: “Coordinator of the dialogue by the National Government, Jorge Rodríguez, asserted that Venezuela retains control over financial resources obtained through the marketing of oil to different countries in the world.”
Each reactivated agreement carries a single objective, officials indicated, the capture of hard currency for the public coffers. That revenue is meant to fund the productive apparatus and national infrastructure rather than remain subject to outside oversight.
By spreading investment across the country’s principal extraction zones, the government seeks to reduce dependence on any single field or partner.
Sovereign Control Defended
Reaffirming sovereign control over monetary flows stands as a central pillar of the government’s message. The leadership projected institutional stability at a moment when Washington continues to review and adjust the licenses it grants for oil operations.
Rodríguez also denounced continuous pressure and unilateral coercive measures against the country’s financial system by foreign powers. He said that, despite what he described as an economic siege, the government has consolidated alternative mechanisms to receive payments directly for oil-product exports.
Against that backdrop, the government is working to shield energy agreements legally, dismiss any suggestion of foreign tutelage and guarantee direct financing for public budgets.
Official strategy insists that autonomous management of oil income is an indispensable guarantee for preserving fiscal balance, defending the national currency and sustaining social development programs.
For the Bolivarian government, legal protection of the energy agreements goes hand in hand with financing priorities. The revenue is meant to flow directly toward the productive apparatus and public infrastructure, a framework that Rodriguez described as essential to institutional stability.
MEPs called for more ambitious action to reduce emissions and avoid further increases in temperature.
On Thursday, the European Parliament called on the European Union (EU) to define a timetable to progressively abandon fossil fuels and assume a leading role in the COP31 negotiations, which will be held in November in Turkey.
The resolution was approved after the 27 member states adopted a common position for the climate summit, in which they recognize that the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees faces increasing difficulties.
MEPs called for more ambitious action to reduce emissions and avoid further increases in temperature, insisting on the need to accelerate the energy transition.
The text urges the EU to promote an international treaty on the non-proliferation of fossil fuels and to establish concrete timetables to gradually eliminate subsidies and production of oil, gas and coal.
The European Parliament also requested that the EU itself adopt a clear strategy to abandon these energy sources in all sectors of the economy and serve as an international reference.
Ahead of COP31 climate talks in Türkiye, Parliament calls for speeding up the global exit from fossil fuels, increasing climate financing and making it fairer for vulnerable countries, and delivering on adaptation and loss-and-damage pledges.
The parliamentarians stressed that dependence on fossil fuels represents a risk in a context of geopolitical tension and considered that decarbonization strengthens European strategic autonomy.
The resolution warns that Europe is the continent that is warming the fastest, which is why it considers it essential to maintain climate commitments and avoid a setback in environmental policies.
In addition, the European Parliament called for increasing international financing for climate adaptation, compensation for loss and damage, and support for the most vulnerable countries against the effects of climate change.
A delegation of fifteen MEPs will participate in COP31 to champion these priorities, which include strengthening climate finance and promoting greater protection of ecosystems and biodiversity.
From Greece to France: Education Protests Sweep Europe
Thousands of students, teachers, and public-sector workers marched through Athens and across Greece on Wednesday, demanding urgent funding for public education, filling teaching vacancies, and relief from a mounting housing… pic.twitter.com/ti3ovtByO3
Warnings coincide with reports of possible Israeli plans targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.
On Thursday, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that any military aggression against his country would come at a high cost and asserted that Tehran possesses sufficient capabilities to respond to an escalation of the conflict.
The Iranian official maintained that the country is prepared to face new stages of the conflict and considered that the evolution of the regional situation has favored certain strategic interests of the Islamic Republic.
Rezaei noted that Iran has not deployed all its resources in previous phases of the confrontation and has gradually incorporated new capabilities as regional tensions have increased.
On the economic front, he warned that a prolongation of hostilities could have significant consequences for international energy markets and perpetuate a “scenario of instability for several years.”
While emphasizing his country’s capacity to respond, Rezaei reiterated that Iran continues to prioritize the diplomatic route to resolve differences and prevent a further escalation of the crisis.
⚡️BREAKING: Iran has just Unveiled A New Long-Range One-Way Attack Drone
It is said to have a new navigation system and a 2x bigger warhead than previous generations and stealth characteristics pic.twitter.com/ksNbqnAgVB
His statements coincide with reports of possible Israeli plans targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, strategic infrastructure, and energy sectors, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Journalistic analyses have also circulated linking potential military actions to the evolving political landscape in the United States and to debates on security policy in the region.
Meanwhile, sources cited by Iranian media have expressed concern about possible coordination between the United States and Israel, while questioning the effectiveness of current diplomatic mechanisms for reducing tensions.
This warning comes as the trade war that began in late February between the United States, Israel, and Iran approaches its eighth month, impacting maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz and exerting continued pressure on international energy prices.
#Iran | The IRGC Navy warned of sanctions against vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz with identification systems switched off. The warning follows reports of an oil tanker striking a naval mine and catching fire, raising further concerns over maritime security.… pic.twitter.com/n3gt6aLNVS
The Executive plans to cut the budget in social areas such as public health and energy subsidies for vulnerable sectors.
On Thursday, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella dismissed Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara following the crisis triggered by the failure of the 2027 National Budget bill in Congress.
The controversy arose after the Senate and the House of Representatives approved different versions of the budget without reaching a consensus before the constitutional deadline for the legislative process.
Faced with the impossibility of passing the initiative through parliamentary means, the government decided to use a decree to implement the national budget for the next fiscal year.
Senator Esmeralda Hernandez criticized the procedure followed during the legislative debate and attributed the failure to irregularities and errors committed during the discussion of the bill.
According to complaints, the version of the budget decreed by the Executive includes cuts in social areas such as public health, energy subsidies for vulnerable sectors, and programs for senior citizens.
The Colombian Congress approved a 634.9 trillion peso ($201.14 billion USD) national budget for 2027, cutting funding for peace accord bodies while increasing debt service and defense allocations.#Newspic.twitter.com/FqIZRk6t8s
To replace Lara, the president appointed Alejandro Ordoñez, former Attorney General and former ambassador to the Organization of American States, as the new Minister of the Interior. Ordoñez is one of the most prominent figures in Colombia’s conservative sector.
He served as Attorney General from 2009 to 2016, a period marked by controversial decisions, including the dismissal of Gustavo Petro, then-mayor of Bogota, a decision later overturned by international bodies.
While his appointment is being formalized, the Ministry of the Interior will be led on an interim basis by Minister of Justice Ivan Cancino, amid concerns about the country’s projected fiscal deficit.
The government confirmed that it will use the mechanism provided for in the budget legislation to directly enact the 2027 budget, arguing that this measure will guarantee the functioning of the State following the failure of the legislative process.
#Colombia | Artists and cultural workers rallied outside the Culture Ministry in Bogotá against a proposed nearly 30% cut to the sector’s 2027 budget. Demonstrators demanded funding for cultural programs and payment for artistic work, warning the cuts are already affecting the… pic.twitter.com/lhtVLTRY0V
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