International

Rifle of the alleged shooter who tried to kill Trump was legally bought by the father

The rifle that Thomas Matthew Crooks allegedly used to try to assassinate former President Donald Trump was legally acquired by the attacker’s father, investigative sources reported to Fox News.

Sources involved in the investigation indicated the AR-15 rifle that was found in the lifeless body of Crooks, 20 years old, was acquired by his father totally legally.

Other sources of local security forces indicated that they have found two devices with explosive material in the vehicle of the suspect in the assassination attempt, as well as at his home in Bethel Park (Pennylvania).

Crooks was killed by the Secret Service after shooting several times from an elevated position on a roof of a building on one floor near the stage where Trump participated in a rally in the town of Butler (Pennsylvania) about an hour away from his home.

One of the shots hit Trump in the right ear, but the former president left the stage walking, with his fist up and surrounded by Secret Service agents.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

In the shooting, a rally assistant died and two adult men were seriously injured.

Former Republican former and candidate Donald Trump assured this Sunday in a comment on the social network Truth Social that he is not “afraid” and will remain strong and “defiant” after the assassination attempt he survived last afternoon at a rally in Butler (Pennsylvania).

“Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers yesterday. It is as if it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will not be AFRAID, but we will remain strong in our faith and defiant in the face of evil,” said the former president, who is in New Jersey.

The president, as he did on Saturday, referred to the family of the fatal victim as well as the injured people, about whom he asked for his early recovery.

“At this moment, it is more important than ever that we stay united and show our true character as Americans, staying strong and determined and not allowing evil to win,” he added.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Trump pointed out that he hopes to be part of the Republican National Convention to be held in Wisconsin, which begins tomorrow and on Thursday he plans to make official his nomination as the party’s candidate in next November’s elections.

In a previous message on his social network, Trump explained that the bullet that the shooter shot pierced the top of his right ear.

“I immediately knew that something was wrong because I heard a buzz, gunshots and I immediately felt the bullet going through the skin,” he said.

International

Hiroshima survivor who embraced Obama dies at 88

The emotional embrace between Barack Obama and Hiroshima survivor Mori—who was eight years old when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945—resonated around the world.

According to Asahi Shimbun and other local media, Mori died on Saturday at a hospital in Hiroshima.

Mori, known for his research on the fate of American prisoners of war in Hiroshima, was thrown into a river by the force of the explosion on August 6, 1945, during the atomic bombing of the city.

In a past interview with AFP, ahead of his meeting with Obama at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 2016, Mori recalled the chaos and desperation that followed the blast.

He described how, after emerging from the water, he encountered injured civilians seeking help amid the devastation, an experience that stayed with him throughout his life.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

In 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he paid tribute to the victims of the first atomic bomb used in warfare. During the visit, Mori was visibly moved as he met the president, sharing a brief but powerful moment that symbolized remembrance and reconciliation.

The bombing of Hiroshima resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people, including those who succumbed to radiation exposure in the aftermath.

Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people and contributing to the end of World War II.

International

Colombia seeks ‘total suffocation’ of armed groups with regional support

Colombia is advancing a strategy aimed at the “total suffocation” of illegal armed groups, seeking to corner them in border regions with the support of Ecuador and Venezuela, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview with AFP.

According to the minister, coordinated pressure from neighboring countries—backed by United States—aims to dismantle criminal networks that use cross-border routes to traffic Colombian cocaine toward North America and Europe.

For decades, armed groups involved in Colombia’s internal conflict have relied on border territories as strategic rear bases to evade military operations and maintain logistical support.

However, Sánchez said that dynamic is beginning to change.

“We expect a total suffocation between both nations so they have no spaces where they can live or feel safe […] to close off any room they might have,” he stated during the interview in Bogotá, less than five months before the end of President Gustavo Petro’s term.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Regional developments have reinforced this strategy. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation, Washington has increased its influence in Caracas, where interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has implemented a renewed anti-narcotics policy.

Meanwhile, in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa—a key U.S. ally in the region—has launched a two-week security plan under strict curfews to combat criminal gangs, with U.S. support.

Sánchez argued that these combined efforts leave illegal organizations with fewer escape routes and operational spaces, effectively placing them in a “dead end.”

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.