International
Colombia journalist killed by gunmen on motorcycle
| By AFP |
Gunmen on a motorbike shot dead a Colombian journalist, local authorities said Tuesday, the latest killing in the country which has seen a rise in murders of reporters. The prosecutor’s office wrote on Twitter that it had “learned of the death of the journalist and social leader Wilder Alfredo Cordoba” in the southwestern town of La Union.
La Union Mayor Fabian Echeverria told AFP that gunmen on the back of a motorbike had shot Cordoba, who was “around 40 years old,” three times as he traveled in a rural area on Monday afternoon.
Cordoba was the director of a local television channel who “published information criticising local government and about insecurity in the region on his Facebook page,” the Colombian Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) wrote on Twitter.
The organization urged authorities to look into Cordoba’s journalistic work “in connection with his murder.”
Echeverria has offered a reward of $4,000 “for information leading to the identification and arrest” of those responsible.
The prosecutor’s office said they had dispatched investigators to the crime scene.
According to FLIP, violence against journalists in the country has been on the rise, with nearly 770 falling victim to some form of aggression in 2021.
The International Press Institute said it was “alarmed and deeply saddened” by the fourth killing of a journalist in Colombia since August.
In October, a journalist was killed in a similar fashion by gunmen on a motorbike in the northern municipality of Montelibano.
International
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
A U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, marking the latest in a series of attacks in international waters.
The United States has deployed ships to the Caribbean and sent fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a large military force that Washington says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known to our intelligence for being involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,” Hegseth stated on X. “Three narcoterrorists were aboard the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters,” he added.
Experts argue that the attacks, which began in early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, even if the targets are known traffickers.
Washington has yet to publicly provide evidence that the targeted individuals were actively smuggling drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Hegseth said the U.S. would continue “hunting… and killing” suspected traffickers. He also shared video footage of the strike, showing the vessel being hit and engulfed in flames. As in previous videos, sections of the ship were blurred, making it impossible to verify the number of people on board.
The United Nations called on Friday for Washington to halt its attacks.
International
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
At least 23 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a supermarket in Hermosillo, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local authorities reported on Saturday.
“So far, there are 23 confirmed deaths and 11 injured, including minors,” said Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo in a video message. He added that the injured are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the city.
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and assign responsibility where appropriate,” Durazo said.
The explosion occurred at a Waldo’s store in downtown Hermosillo. Local authorities confirmed that the incident was not an attack nor related to any violent act against civilians.
Meanwhile, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X, offering sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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