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Rutte and Trump discussed in Florida the issues of “global security” facing NATO

The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, and the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, met on Friday in Florida (USA) and addressed a “range” of issues on “global security”, the Alliance reported on Saturday.

The meeting took place in “Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday (November 22)” and “discussed the range of global security problems facing the Alliance,” NATO said on its website.

“The secretary general and his team also met with Congressman Mike Waltz and members of the president-elect’s national security team,” the Alliance added in a brief statement accompanied by a photo of Rutte and Trump smiling very much.

Last week, the US president-elect appointed Waltz, a Republican congressman for Florida, as a future national security adviser, and then stressed that he is an expert in “threats from China, Russia, Iran and global terrorism.” “He will be a tremendous champion in our search for peace through force,” he said when announcing his appointment.

Pre-appointment meeting of Trump

Rutte flew to Florida on a government plane from the Netherlands to meet with the future US president, Dutch media announced on Friday.

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Rutte, former Dutch minister, used an aircraft of the Dutch government to fly to Palm Beach airport, near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to public television NOS.

NATO is responsible for the costs of the flight, since the Alliance does not have its own aircraft for the Secretary-General’s travel and regularly uses Member State aircraft for travel.

The reason for the trip was to hold a meeting with Trump, who was very critical of the Atlantic Alliance during his first term, and who will take office as the new president of the United States at the end of January.

The head of NATO previously mentioned that he had exchanged text messages with the Republican and assured that, during his first term, when Rutte was Dutch prime minister, the cooperation between the two “was positive.”

Trump, who already ruled the country between 2017 and 2021, was during his first term very critical of NATO and criticized his partners in the Atlantic Alliance who do not allocate enough money to collective defense.

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During the last election campaign, he even suggested that he would encourage Russia to do what it wanted with European countries that do not increase their defense spending and, in addition, questioned the sending of US military aid to Ukraine.

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International

Colombia Earthquake Leaves at Least 22 Dead as Rescue Efforts Continue

At least 22 people were killed and dozens more were affected by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday, with the epicenter located near the municipality of San José del Palmar in the northwestern department of Chocó, authorities reported in a preliminary assessment.

The city of Pereira has so far recorded the highest number of fatalities. Mayor Mauricio Salazar told local media that 18 people had died in the city and warned that a large number of buildings had been damaged.

“The situation is critical, and we are moving forward with assessments while assisting people who remain trapped,” Salazar said.

Authorities in Manizales reported two additional deaths, while two more fatalities were confirmed in the department of Valle del Cauca. Several people were also injured, and structural damage was reported in different communities.

“We are just beginning to establish radio communication with the hospitals. We know that we have three injured people in El Cairo, two deaths in Zarzal, the collapse of an academic structure in Calima Darién, and minor structural damage in Cali,” said María Cristina Lesmes, Valle del Cauca’s health secretary.

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Emergency teams were continuing rescue and assessment operations as authorities worked to determine the full extent of the damage and update the number of casualties.

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International

Record 230 Migrants Cross English Channel to UK in Single Boat

A record 230 migrants crossed the English Channel overnight Sunday aboard a small inflatable boat bound for the United Kingdom, according to French maritime rescue services and British media, highlighting the growing number of people being packed onto vessels attempting the dangerous crossing.

More than 20 children were among those aboard the inflatable boat when it departed from the northeastern French coast on Sunday night amid chaotic scenes, France’s maritime rescue service SNSM said in an online statement.

The figure surpasses the previous record for the number of people aboard a single boat, set last month when 165 migrants successfully crossed the busy maritime route.

The latest incident comes just days after an inflatable boat carrying more than 150 people capsized in the Channel after its engine caught fire, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation.

Britain’s Home Office did not confirm the exact number of people aboard Sunday’s vessel but condemned what it described as the “reckless and dangerous tactics” used by criminal gangs facilitating the crossings.

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A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham described images of the operation as “shocking,” particularly those showing very young children being placed aboard boats that were not suitable for the journey.

The United Kingdom has spent years attempting to curb these dangerous and politically sensitive Channel crossings. Tens of thousands of migrants have reached the southeastern English coast annually in recent years, keeping the issue at the center of the country’s immigration debate.

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International

Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Has Spread to His Bones, Son Hunter Reveals

Former U.S. President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has worsened and spread to his bones and other parts of his body, his son Hunter Biden revealed in a recent interview with the BBC.

Biden disclosed in May 2025, just four months after leaving office as the oldest sitting U.S. president in history, that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones.

The former president subsequently began treatment, including radiation and hormone therapy. In July, while announcing the publication of his memoirs, Biden said the treatment was going “really well.”

However, in an extensive interview broadcast Friday night on the BBC’s Newsnight, Hunter Biden said his father’s condition had progressed despite treatment.

“The cancer has spread and metastasized to his bones and other places,” Hunter Biden said.

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He added that the illness has been “very painful” and, in many ways, “very debilitating,” but said his father continues to remain active.

“He’s still out there. He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter Biden said, emphasizing that his father remains deeply committed to the United States.

The former president’s diagnosis has remained a subject of public attention since it was first announced, particularly because of his age and his decision to continue a public life after leaving the White House.

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