International

Earthquake shakes the Panama-Colombia border

Photo: RT

May 25 |

Several earthquakes shook the border area between Colombia and Panama on Wednesday night, with the strongest of them registering a 6.6 magnitude quake.

The Colombian Geological Service reported that in less than an hour two perceptible earthquakes were recorded in several cities of the country, whose magnitudes were 6.6 and 4.6, with epicenter in the Caribbean Sea, at a depth of less than 30 kilometers.

“We clarify that, according to the Colombian Maritime Authority, this earthquake does not represent a tsunami threat,” according to a statement.

Although the authorities of the different municipalities are checking to verify possible damage. Videos disseminated on social networks show damages in commercial establishments, where products were left on the floor due to the strong tremor.

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Several users reported having felt the tremor in the Colombian departments of Valle del Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Santander and Antioquia.

The earthquake was felt most strongly in the municipalities of Acandí, in Chocó, and in Necoclí and Arboletes, in Urabá, Antioquia, the closest localities to the epicenter, although it was also felt in other departments in the north and northeast of the country, according to local media.

International

Brazil’s Supreme Court Rejects Bolsonaro’s Bid for House Arrest

Brazil’s Supreme Court has once again denied house arrest to former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of plotting a coup d’état. According to a ruling released Monday, the court determined that he is already receiving adequate medical care in prison to address his health conditions.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the case’s rapporteur at the Supreme Federal Court, rejected the request for “humanitarian” house arrest filed by Bolsonaro’s defense team.

His lawyers argued that the far-right leader suffers from multiple chronic conditions, including persistent hiccup episodes and severe sleep apnea, and therefore qualifies to serve his 27-year prison sentence at home.

However, Justice de Moraes stated that Bolsonaro receives “continuous and permanent medical care,” undergoes “physical therapy sessions and physical activities,” and has “comprehensive religious assistance and regular visits from his wife, children, lawyers, and other individuals.”

In this context, the justice — echoing the position of the Prosecutor’s Office — found no “exceptional requirements” to justify humanitarian house arrest.

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He also recalled repeated violations of precautionary measures imposed during the proceedings, including “concrete acts of attempted escape, such as tampering with electronic monitoring.”

Finally, the ruling cited the findings of an official medical examination, which concluded that the prison facility in Brasília where the 70-year-old former president is being held is fully equipped to meet his medical needs, “with absolute respect for his health and human dignity.”

International

Iran Reports 201 Dead, 747 Injured After U.S. and Israeli Strikes

The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported Sunday night (local time) that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured following attacks carried out by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.

A spokesperson for the humanitarian organization said more than 220 rescue teams have been deployed across affected areas and that relief operations are continuing without interruption. The official highlighted the difficulty of treating the large number of wounded and the urgent need for additional resources in impacted provinces.

Out of Iran’s 31 provinces, 24 have reported damage, according to a statement carried by the Isna news agency. This marks the first overall casualty toll released by Iranian state-affiliated media since the launch of the offensive.

Among the dead are 85 schoolgirls from a school in the southern city of Minab, according to the country’s judiciary. “The number of martyrs at the Minab girls’ school has risen to 85,” the local prosecutor’s office said, as quoted by the judiciary’s website, Mizan Online.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian described the attack as a “savagery” that “constitutes a new black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors.”

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Meanwhile, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely amid concerns about possible further reprisals and the broader impact on Middle East stability, energy markets, and global security.

AFP noted that it was unable to independently verify the casualty figures or the circumstances surrounding the events.

International

Pope Leo XIV Urges End to ‘Spiral of Violence’ in Middle East

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, following military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent retaliatory bombardments in the region.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I urge the parties involved to assume their moral responsibility and stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” the pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Speaking during the Angelus prayer, the U.S.-born pope said stability and peace cannot be achieved through threats or weapons. “Stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats or with arms that sow destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue,” he declared.

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics also called for diplomacy to “regain its role” amid escalating tensions.

In addition, the pope urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to urgently resume dialogue after several days of clashes between the two countries.