International
A US flight to Haiti is deflected after being shot when approaching Port-au-Prince
A flight of the American company Spirit Airlines that covered the route between the airports of Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami (USA), and Port-au-Prince was diverted this Monday after being shot while approaching the Haitian capital.
Spirit Flight 951 took off this morning from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) bound for the Haitian capital, but had to abort its landing after receiving several shots, US media reported.
The incident caused the plane to be diverted to the Cibao International Airport in Santiago de los Caballeros (Dominican Republic), where it landed and a subsequent inspection confirmed damage to the fuselage by a firearm.
Apparently, a flight attendant suffered minor injuries and medical personnel evaluates him, but the airline confirmed that no passenger was injured.
The plane was withdrawn from service and Spirit is organizing the transfer of passengers and crew to Fort Lauderdale in another aircraft.
“The safety of our passengers and team members is our top priority,” the airline said in a statement.
Dominican president considers “terrorist act” shooting in Haiti
Dominican President Luis Abinader described the incident as a “terrorist act.” “The armed gangs that keep Haiti destabilized must be declared terrorists,” said the ruler, who called on the international community to qualify these groups as terrorists.
“That was a terrorist act, the countries that follow up and help Haiti must declare those armed gangs as terrorist groups,” Abinader reiterated during his usual Monday press conference at the National Palace.
The head of state said that for the Dominican Republic “already terrorists” those heavily armed groups that have occupied much of Port-au-Prince and other areas of Haiti, committing massacres, kidnappings, rapes and other crimes.
“A misfortune could have happened there, the plane received seven shots, there were people from Haiti and other nationalities, innocent people who tried to reach Haiti (…) We are treating them as terrorists and they know what is going to happen to them in this country,” Abinader said with a grumpy face.
Flights to Haiti suspended
Spirit Airlines has suspended its service to Port-au-Prince and Cape Haiti pending additional evaluation.
American Airlines and Jet Blue announced that they will also suspend flights to Haiti until Thursday.
Haiti is under political tension this Monday while waiting for businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime to take office as the country’s new prime minister after the dismissal of Garry Conille and amid the announcement of the armed gangs that violence will increase from today.
The attack on the Spirit plane occurs amid the violence of the armed gangs and the new threats of the main gang coalition, Vivre Ensemble, which yesterday announced new days of terror from today.
Between July and September alone, at least 1,223 people died and 522 were injured in Haiti as a result of violence and the fight against gangs, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in the Caribbean country (Binuh).
Added to this are the 3,900 victims between dead and wounded in the first half of the year, after 2023 closed with about 8,000 victims.
Passengers of the flight shot in Haiti wait in the Dominican Republic
The 48 passengers of the plane of the American company Spirit Airlines await the imminent arrival of another airline aircraft at the airport to which it was diverted in the Dominican Republic, sources from the terminal informed EFE.
Passengers wait at Cibao International Airport, in Santiago, the second city in the Dominican Republic, for the arrival of a plane that has already departed from Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami (USA), for its transfer, the sources added.
In statements to EFE, sources from the Dominican National Directorate of Drug Control (DNCD) present at the Santiago terminal indicated that the aircraft landed emergency, “without problems”, at the Cibao International Airport at 12:33 local time (16:33 GMT).
There, the arrival of another plane is expected which, they added, would leave today from the return to the United States.
International
Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza
Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.
Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.
“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.
Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”
Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..
“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”
She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.
Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.
International
Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions
Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.
“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.
The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.
Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.
The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
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Central America1 day agoArévalo Announces Overhaul of Guatemala’s Prison System Amid Security Crisis
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