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Colombia buries assassinated presidential candidate

Colombia buries assassinated presidential candidate
Former Colombian Presidents Cesar Gaviria, Ernesto Samper Pizano, and Juan Manuel Santos attend the funeral of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, who died after being shot in the head during a campaign event, at the Primada Cathedral in Bogota, Colombia. (Reuters)
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Updated 14 August 2025

Colombia buries assassinated presidential candidate

Colombia buries assassinated presidential candidate
  • Miguel Uribe was shot in June while campaigning in the capital, Bogota, and died this week of his injuries
  • Uribe’s wife vowed at the funeral that his death at the hands of a suspected 15-year-old hitman would not be in vain, and that his young son and stepdaughters would live a life filled with love

BOGOTA: Colombia buried murdered presidential candidate Miguel Uribe on Wednesday, with his widow tearfully warning that the country must shake its dark and long history of political violence.

The 39-year-old conservative senator was shot in June while campaigning in the capital, Bogota, and died this week of his injuries.

“Our country is going through the darkest, saddest, and most painful days,” Maria Claudia Tarazona told a packed cathedral funeral service as she prepared to bury her husband.

Police have blamed Uribe’s murder on left-wing guerrillas who shunned 2016 peace accords. Six people have been arrested in connection with the alleged plot.

For most Colombians, the assassination represented a shocking spasm of political violence after years of relative peace.

Four presidential candidates were assassinated during the 1980s and 1990s, as drug cartels and various armed groups terrorized the country.

Uribe’s own mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in a botched 1991 police operation to free her from cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel.

On Wednesday Uribe’s father, Miguel Uribe Londono, remembered the day 34 years ago when she was killed.

“With all the pain in my soul, I had to tell a little boy of barely four years old the horrendous news of his mother’s murder,” he said at the service.

“In this same holy cathedral, I carried Miguel in one arm and the coffin of his mother, Diana, in the other.”

“Today, 34 years later, this senseless violence also takes from me that same little boy,” he said.

As Colombia reels from the assassination, conservative lawmaker Julio Cesar Triana, a vocal critic of the government, escaped unharmed after his vehicle came under fire in the southern Huila region where dissident members of the defunct FARC guerrilla group are operating.

Uribe’s wife vowed at the funeral that his death at the hands of a suspected 15-year-old hitman would not be in vain, and that his young son and stepdaughters would live a life filled with love.

“Miguel, I will love you every day of my life until my time comes to meet you in heaven,” she said.

“I promise to give Alejandro and the girls a life full of love and happiness, without hatred and without resentment.”

Colombia will hold elections in 2026 to replace incumbent leftist leader Gustavo Petro, who is constitutionally barred from running again.

President Petro, himself a former guerrilla, said he chose not to attend Wednesday’s funeral at the family’s request.

“We’re not going, not because we didn’t want to,” he posted on social media. “We simply respect the family and we avoid the funeral of Senator Miguel Uribe from being taken over by supporters of hate.”

It was expected that some of those marking their respects may have booed the president, who has taken a conciliatory approach to armed groups.

That stance has been strongly criticized by those on the right wing of Colombian politics.

Former presidents Juan Manuel Santos, Ernesto Samper, and Cesar Gaviria attended the funeral.


US says two dead in strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in Pacific

US says two dead in strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in Pacific
Updated 58 min 51 sec ago

US says two dead in strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in Pacific

US says two dead in strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in Pacific
  • The strike brings the total number to at least eight, leaving at least 34 people dead
  • “There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed,” Hegseth said

WASHINGTON: A new US strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat killed two people, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday, announcing Washington’s first such attack on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean.
The strike — which Hegseth announced in a post on X that featured a video of a boat being engulfed in flames — brings the total number to at least eight, leaving at least 34 people dead.
“There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed and no US forces were harmed in this strike,” Hegseth said of Tuesday’s action in the eastern Pacific.


“Just as Al-Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness — only justice,” he wrote.
President Donald Trump’s administration has said in a notice to Congress that the United States is engaged in “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, describing them as terrorist groups as part of its justification for the strikes.
“The president determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States,” said the notice from the Pentagon, which also described suspected smugglers as “unlawful combatants.”
But Washington has not released evidence to support its assertion that the targets of its strikes are drug smugglers, and experts say the summary killings are illegal even if they target confirmed narcotics traffickers.

- Regional tensions -

There were survivors of a US strike for the first time last week, but Washington chose to repatriate them rather than put them on trial for their alleged crimes.
Ecuador released one after finding no evidence that he had committed a crime, while authorities in Colombia said the other — who “arrived with brain trauma, sedated, drugged, breathing with a ventilator” — would face prosecution.
The US military campaign — which has seen Washington deploy stealth warplanes and Navy ships as part of what it says are counter-narcotics efforts — has fueled tensions with countries in the region.
This is especially the case with Venezuela, where the buildup of US forces has sparked fears that the ultimate goal is the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington accuses of heading a drug cartel.
The United States has not specified the origin of all the vessels it has targeted, but has said that some of them came from Venezuela.
Meanwhile, a public feud between Trump and Colombia’s leftist leader Gustavo Petro intensified in recent weeks over the Republican president’s deadly anti-drug campaign.
Trump on Sunday vowed to end all aid to the South American nation — a historically close US partner and the world’s leading cocaine producer — and branded Petro, who has accused the US president of murder, as an “illegal drug dealer.”
But just days later, the Colombian president met with the top US diplomat in his country to discuss counter-narcotics efforts, with Bogota’s foreign ministry saying the two sides “reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to improve drug fighting strategies.”


Man taken into custody after driving his car into security gate outside White House, authorities say

Man taken into custody after driving his car into security gate outside White House, authorities say
Updated 22 October 2025

Man taken into custody after driving his car into security gate outside White House, authorities say

Man taken into custody after driving his car into security gate outside White House, authorities say
  • The man was immediately arrested by officers from the Secret Service’s uniformed division
  • Investigators searched his car and deemed it to be safe

WASHINGTON: A man was taken into custody late Tuesday after driving his car into a security barrier outside the White House, authorities said.
The US Secret Service said the man crashed into the security gate at a White House entrance at 10:37 p.m. on Tuesday.


The man was immediately arrested by officers from the Secret Service’s uniformed division, the agency said.
Investigators searched his car and deemed it to be safe, Secret Service officials said in a statement.
The man, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, according to a Secret Service spokesperson.
He is expected to be charged with unlawful entry and destruction of government property, the spokesperson said.


During cold and flu season, the youngest kids really are the germiest

During cold and flu season, the youngest kids really are the germiest
Updated 22 October 2025

During cold and flu season, the youngest kids really are the germiest

During cold and flu season, the youngest kids really are the germiest
  • “Young children can have up to 10 respiratory viruses a year as their immune systems are introduced to different infections for the first time,” said Dr. Goldman, a pediatrician
  • Preventing illness in children at school or at home can be tough, experts acknowledge

BEIRUT: Forget colorful leaves. Any caregiver knows that the real signs of fall are kids with coughs, sneezes and sniffles.
Autumn marks the start of respiratory virus season, when colds, flu and other bugs start circulating — especially among the very young.
A recent study confirmed what many families intuitively know: The littlest students harbor the most germs.
Children in pre-kindergarten and elementary school showed highest rates of virus detection compared with older students and staff, according to research published in the journal Pediatrics.
“Young children can have up to 10 respiratory viruses a year as their immune systems are introduced to different infections for the first time,” said Dr. Jennifer Goldman, a pediatrician at Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, who co-led the study.
Younger kids were more likely to have virus detected
Goldman and her colleagues analyzed nasal swabs and symptom reports from more than 800 students and staff in a large school district in Kansas City from November 2022 to May 2023.
They found that overall, more than 85 percent of all participants had at least one respiratory virus detected during that time and more than 80 percent had an episode of acute respiratory illness — though not necessarily at the same time.
More telling, 92 percent of pre-K and elementary school kids had a virus detected, compared with about 86 percent of middle school students, about 77 percent of high school students and 76 percent of staff.
The pre-K kids, ages 3 to 5, had the highest rates of actual illness, too, the study found.
Most of the viruses were the kinds that cause the common cold, including rhinovirus, which was found in 65 percent of participants, and types of seasonal coronavirus detected in about 30 percent. The virus that causes COVID-19 was found in about 15 percent of those studied.
Study confirms the experiences of pediatricians who are parents
The new study provides a baseline look at the burden of viruses in school settings, Goldman said.
It also confirms the real-world experience of pediatricians who are parents, like Dr. Nicole Torres of the University of Miami Health System.
“I can say this for my own children, who are now in their teens: They were sicker when they were younger,” she said.
The study also squares with older research that found that young kids play a key role in spreading respiratory viruses at home. Dr. Carrie Byington was co-author of a University of Utah study, published in 2015, that recruited 26 households to take nasal samples from everyone living in a home, every week, for a year.
That study found that children younger than 5 had virus detected for half of the weeks of the year, recalled Byington, who is now with the University of California, San Diego.
“And if you live in a household with multiple children, that proportion just goes higher, so it can appear as if someone is always sick,” she said.
How to prevent illness — or at least try to
Preventing illness in children at school or at home can be tough, experts acknowledge.
Being up to date on vaccinations for COVID-19 and influenza is important, they said. So is frequent handwashing, learning to cover coughs and keeping hands away from the eyes, nose and mouth. Cleaning and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces and objects and optimizing fresh air are also key.
When little ones do get sick, the best treatment is often supportive care like extra fluids and rest. In serious cases, medical providers may recommend medications to reduce fever or antiviral drugs.
It can take a couple weeks, however, for lingering symptoms like coughs to completely resolve. By then, the child may well have another cold.
“I do tell parents of younger children to expect them to be ill once every month, every month and a half,” Torres said. “It’ll seem that way.”


Russia holds scheduled nuclear drills, week after NATO

Russia holds scheduled nuclear drills, week after NATO
Updated 22 October 2025

Russia holds scheduled nuclear drills, week after NATO

Russia holds scheduled nuclear drills, week after NATO
  • The Russian maneuvers come with efforts faltering to solve the Ukraine war
  • Russia’s drill involved a mock intercontinental ballistic missile launch from a submarine in the Barents Sea

MOSCOW: Russia held planned strategic nuclear drills on Wednesday, a week after NATO began similar annual exercises, as tensions in Europe over the Ukraine war run high.
“Today we are conducting planned, I would like to emphasize, planned, nuclear forces training,” Russian President Vladimir Putin told generals in a televised meeting.
NATO began similar annual nuclear exercises focused on the North Sea region last Monday.


The Russian maneuvers come with efforts faltering to solve the Ukraine war, and after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday shelved planned peace talks with Putin.
Russia’s drill involved a mock intercontinental ballistic missile launch from a submarine in the Barents Sea, next to the Western bloc’s borders.
Another mock rocket was launched from a cosmodrome in northern Russia, while strategic bombers carried out air missile strikes, the Russian military said.
Videos released by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed the launches from ground, sea and aerial carriers.
Russia’s recent air incursions in Poland and Estonia, and a string of unexplained drone flights, have rattled NATO members and renewed calls to beef up the alliance’s defense.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to secure US long-range Tomahawk missiles on his last visit to Washington, despite weeks of calling for them.
Moscow has repeatedly criticized potential supplies of the nuclear-capable missiles, promising a serious escalation if they were to become reality.


A Cuban man deported by the US to Africa is on a hunger strike in prison, his lawyer says

A Cuban man deported by the US to Africa is on a hunger strike in prison, his lawyer says
Updated 22 October 2025

A Cuban man deported by the US to Africa is on a hunger strike in prison, his lawyer says

A Cuban man deported by the US to Africa is on a hunger strike in prison, his lawyer says
  • “My client is arbitrarily detained, and now his life is on the line,” David said
  • Civic groups in Eswatini have also taken authorities to court to challenge the legality of holding foreign nationals in prison without charge

CAPE TOWN: A Cuban man deported by the United States to the African nation of Eswatini is on a hunger strike at a maximum-security prison having been held there for more than three months without being charged or having access to legal counsel under the Trump administration’s third-country program, his US-based lawyer said Wednesday.
Roberto Mosquera del Peral was one of five men sent to the small kingdom in southern Africa in mid-July as part of the expanding US deportation program to Africa, which has been criticized by rights groups and lawyers, who say deportees are being denied due process and exposed to rights abuses.
Mosquera’s lawyer, Alma David, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that he had been on a hunger strike for a week, and there were serious concerns over his health.
“My client is arbitrarily detained, and now his life is on the line,” David said. “I urge the Eswatini Correctional Services to provide Mr. Mosquera’s family and me with an immediate update on his condition and to ensure that he is receiving adequate medical attention. I demand that Mr. Mosquera be permitted to meet with his lawyer in Eswatini.”
An Eswatini government spokesperson referred the AP, which requested comment, to a correctional services official, who didn’t immediately respond to calls and messages.
Mosquera was among a group of five men from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen deported to Eswatini, an absolute monarchy ruled by a king who is accused of clamping down on human rights. The Jamaican man was repatriated to his home country last month, but the others have been kept at the prison for more than three months, while an Eswatini-based lawyer has launched a case against the government demanding they be given access to legal counsel.
Civic groups in Eswatini have also taken authorities to court to challenge the legality of holding foreign nationals in prison without charge. Eswatini said that the men would be repatriated, but have given no timeframe for any other repatriations.
US authorities said they want to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Eswatini under the same program.
The men sent to Eswatini were criminals convicted of serious offenses, including murder and rape, and were in the US illegally, the US Department of Homeland Security said. It said that Mosquera had been convicted of murder and other charges and was a gang member.
The men’s lawyers said they had all completed their criminal sentences in the US, and are now being held illegally in Eswatini, where they haven’t been charged with any offense.
The US Department of Homeland Security has cast the third-country deportation program as a means to remove “illegal aliens” from American soil as part of US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, saying they have a choice to self-deport or be sent to a country like Eswatini.
The Trump administration has sent deportees to at least three other African nations — South Sudan, Rwanda and Ghana — since July under largely secretive agreements. It also has a deportation agreement with Uganda, although no deportations there have been announced.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said that it has seen documents that show that the US is paying African nations millions of dollars to accept deportees. It said that the US agreed to pay Eswatini $5.1 million to take up to 160 deportees and Rwanda $7.5 million to take up to 250 deportees.
Another 10 deportees were sent to Eswatini this month and are believed to be held at the same Matsapha Correctional Complex prison outside the administrative capital, Mbabane. Lawyers said that those men are from Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Cuba, Chad, Ethiopia and Congo.
Lawyers say the four men who arrived in Eswatini on a deportation flight in July haven’t been allowed to meet with an Eswatini lawyer representing them, and phone calls to their US-based attorneys are monitored by prison guards. They have expressed concern that they know little about the conditions in which their clients are being held.
“I demand that Mr. Mosquera be permitted to meet with his lawyer in Eswatini,” David said in her statement. “The fact that my client has been driven to such drastic action highlights that he and the other 13 men must be released from prison. The governments of the United States and Eswatini must take responsibility for the real human consequences of their deal.”