Military plane crash in Colombia leaves 77 hospitalized, one dead

A Colombian Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130 military transport carrying 125 people crashed shortly after takeoff in the southern Amazon, leaving one person dead and 77 others in hospital, officials said. President Gustavo Petro confirmed one fatality and said 77 people had been admitted to medical facilities following the accident. The defence ministry identified the aircraft as a Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 that went down during departure procedures. Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez said the plane went down as it lifted…

Socialists retain political power across France’s major urban areas

France's National Rally (RN) fell short of its ambition to capture Marseille and Toulon in yesterday's municipal ballots, a setback that offered a boost to embattled mainstream parties as they eye next year's presidential contest. In a separate high-stakes race, Socialist Party candidate Emmanuel Gregoire prevailed in the Paris mayoral contest, defeating conservative ex-minister Rachida Dati and keeping the French capital under left-wing control. These municipal votes were watched nationwide for signals ahead of the 2027…

Cuba Works to Restore Power After New Blackout

Authorities in Cuba scrambled to restore electricity across the island on Monday after the country suffered a second nationwide blackout in under a week, a failure officials blame on aging infrastructure and a US oil blockade that has tightened fuel supplies. While sections of Havana reported the return of power, other neighborhoods remained without electricity a day after the energy ministry said the nation’s electrical system experienced a "total disconnection" in the country of nearly 10 million residents. Energy and…

US heatwave moves eastward, shattering temperature records across country

A blistering heatwave that swept the western half of the United States has pushed eastward into the country’s heartland, delivering unusually warm conditions to locations that were at or below freezing only a week earlier. According to the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center, dozens of cities from California to Colorado logged their highest March temperatures on record. New March highs recorded yesterday included 33.3C in both Kansas City, Missouri, and North Platte, Nebraska, the agency said. Beyond those…

Four ambulances belonging to London Jewish group burned in fire

Police have launched an investigation into an anti‑Semitic hate crime after four ambulances operated by the Jewish Community Ambulance service were apparently set alight in London, the Metropolitan Police said. Officers were dispatched to Highfield Road in Golders Green at about 1.45am today following reports of a fire, the force added. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the incident is being treated as an anti‑Semitic hate crime, and the London Fire Brigade said there were no reported injuries. Superintendent Sarah Jackson,…

Israel strikes Tehran as Iran targets Gulf sites

Explosions echoed across Tehran early Monday as Israel launched another wave of strikes on Iran, even as the Tehran government threatened retaliatory attacks on critical infrastructure across the Gulf — a confrontation that has pushed energy markets into their worst crisis in decades. Iranian media reported blasts in the capital, while authorities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they intercepted incoming missiles and drones. International Energy Agency director Fatih Birol said at least 40 energy assets…

ICE deploys agents to U.S. airports amid federal budget standoff

Beginning tomorrow, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be reassigned to U.S. airports in a bid to ease mounting delays at security checkpoints, officials said, a rapid response to a budget impasse linked to President Donald Trump's mass deportation policy. Mr Trump announced the unusual deployment in a social media post early today, setting federal officials scrambling to finalize an implementation plan on short notice. Tom Homan, the president's senior border aide, told CNN that ICE personnel would be moved…

France pledges measures to ensure sustainable partnership with Africa

A major diplomatic and economic pivot is unfolding in Nairobi as France convenes more than 2,500 corporate leaders from 55 African countries for a two-day summit aimed at responding to the fallout from the United States-Israeli war and stabilizing a continent shaken by global shocks. The common goal: new perspectives on innovation, new business directions in the context of geopolitical threats. Based on Africa's untapped natural resources and human capital, communicating clearly with business executives and political…

Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli ‘Aggression’ Against Syria, Riyadh Says

Israel's strikes on Syrian army positions drew sharp rebukes from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with Riyadh labeling the operations "aggression" and Ankara urging the international community to intervene to halt what it called a dangerous escalation. Israel's military said it carried out strikes in southern Syria on Thursday in response to what it described as attacks targeting the Druze community in Sweida province. This was not the first time Israel has struck inside Syria amid sectarian bloodshed; last year it launched…