International

Chilean journalist dies after being shot during May Day protests

AFP

A journalist who was shot near May Day protests in the Chilean capital Santiago died on Thursday, a hospital official said, as the country’s president promised there would be no “impunity” in the case.

The death of 30-year-old Francisca Sandoval was also confirmed in a statement by the online community outlet that she wrote for.

“Francisca did not leave us. They killed her,” wrote the Senal 3 de La Victoria site, without elaborating on who it blamed for her death.

“We will miss you and we will do everything we can to tell the truth,” it added.

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Sandoval was shot in the head during violent clashes on the sidelines of a union demonstration organized to mark International Workers’ Day on May 1. Two other people were also injured by the gunfire.

In a statement, Daniel Rodriguez, the head of intensive care at the hospital where she was treated, explained that Sandoval had died from a cerebral hemorrhage caused by the gunshot.

Last week, three alleged perpetrators of the shooting were arrested and the person suspected of shooting Sandoval was placed in pre-trial detention for manslaughter and illegal possession of a firearm.

Left-wing President Gabriel Boric in a tweet Thursday afternoon expressed his condolences to Sandoval’s family, and pledged to “not allow impunity” for the crime.

Following the news of Sandoval’s death, several vigils took place in the capital, with candles and photos of the journalist.

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Following the news, some groups also set up barricades and cut off traffic in the Plaza de Italia, the epicenter of the “social outbreak” protest movement since 2019, in the heart of Santiago.

International

Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case

10 reported dead after explosion in Dominican Republic

A Dominican court on Monday postponed until March a preliminary hearing against the owners of a nightclub that collapsed last year, killing more than 200 people.

The roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed in the early hours of April 8, 2025, during a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died along with 235 other people.

Jet Set owner and manager Antonio Espaillat and his sister Maribel, who served as the club’s administrator, were arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter but were later released on bail after posting approximately $842,500.

Both appeared at the Palace of Justice, where they were met by a small protest from relatives and friends of the victims.

“Thirty years in prison is not enough” and “President, we want JUSTICE,” read signs held by demonstrators.

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The preliminary hearing determines whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to trial. The court decided to reschedule the hearing for March 16.

“We don’t want money and we’re not demanding anything else, only justice for those who died,” said Secundino Pérez, a 75-year-old shopkeeper who lost 12 friends in the Jet Set tragedy.

“Antonio and his family celebrated Christmas sitting at a table, celebrating their freedom,” said Edgar Gómez, who lost his daughter in the collapse.

The Dominican Republic’s Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the defendants “significantly altered” the structure of the nightclub. Prosecutors filed formal charges in November and requested that the case proceed to trial.

The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of three months to two years in prison.

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“May your conscience never let you sleep. I lost my son,” a woman shouted through tears before the hearing, while others chanted, “Murderers, murderers, murderers.”

International

Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he was “eager” to welcome the opposition leader, who left Venezuela clandestinely with U.S. assistance, to receive her Nobel Prize in Oslo.

Machado dedicated her Nobel Prize to Trump, who nevertheless showed a very cautious attitude toward including her in any potential political transition in Venezuela.

The opposition leader said on Monday, after an audience with Pope Leo XIV, that “the defeat of evil is closer” in Venezuela following the U.S. military operation that overthrew and removed President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country.

Trump has claimed that he is now in control of the South American nation, stating that the primary objective at this stage is to stabilize the country before considering elections.

Venezuelan oil is Washington’s main objective, Trump added after Maduro’s overthrow.

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International

Police hunt gunmen after fatal shooting in Corsica

A man was shot dead on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, local media reported. The victim was identified as Alain Orsoni, former president of local football club AC Ajaccio, according to sources close to the investigation cited by French news channel BFMTV.

Orsoni, 71, was killed in the town of Vero, near Ajaccio, the island’s capital, while attending his mother’s funeral.

He was also a former member of the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC), a nationalist organization that has long sought independence for the island, reports said.

BFMTV reported that the gunmen fled the scene and remain at large. Local police have opened an investigation into the shooting.