International
Two firefighters killed in Peru as plane hits airport fire truck

| By AFP |
Two Peruvian firefighters were killed Friday when a passenger plane collided with their truck during takeoff and then crashed on the runway, airport operators said.
The airline LATAM, which operated the domestic flight out of Lima, said 102 passengers were onboard at the time but “no passengers or crew members lost their lives”.
Footage taken by witnesses and broadcast by Peruvian television channels showed the plane — an Airbus A320, according to aircraft tracking websites — taking off at full speed and hitting the fire truck, also traveling at speed.
With its landing gear damaged, the plane continued its course with its right side dragging along the runway, sending up a trail of sparks. When it stopped, the aircraft emitted a cloud of smoke, with the rear of the plane badly burned.
As well as killing the two firefighters, the incident injured a rescuer who was in the firefighting vehicle and is “in critical condition due to head trauma,” according to security official Aurelio Orellana.
Lima Airport Partners (LAP) which operates the Jorge Chavez airport, said it “deeply regrets the loss of life of two members of the LAP Aeronautical Fire Brigade in the accident that occurred between a fire engine and the aircraft operating flight LA2213 from Lima to Juliaca.”
LAP added that its “teams are providing the necessary care to all passengers, who are doing well.”
“We are also investigating to determine the cause of the incident.”
The general manager of LATAM Peru, Manuel van Oordt, said he was surprised that firefighters were on the runway since the pilot of the plane had not reported any anomalies.
“No emergency was reported in the flight, it was a flight that was in optimal conditions to take off, he had permission to take off, and he found a truck on the runway and we do not know what this truck was doing there,” he said at a press conference.
The Lima fire department said it received an alert at 3:25 pm local time (2025 GMT) and four ambulances and rescue units were deployed.
The prosecutor’s office said it would launch an investigation into the “possible crimes of culpable homicide and culpable injuries.”
Airport operations have been suspended “until further notice,” the management company said.
Last month, a LATAM plane with 48 passengers onboard made an emergency landing in Asuncion, Paraguay after flying through a severe storm.
International
Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.
The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.
The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).
“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.
Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”
International
Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.
Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.
A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”
According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.
International
Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.
Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.
“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.
“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.
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