International
USA: At least 16 dead in Maine shooting; police search for assailant
October 26 |
A man shot dead at least 16 people at a restaurant and bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday and then fled into the night, prompting a massive search by hundreds of officers as frightened residents remained holed up in their homes.
A police bulletin identified Robert Card, 40, as a person of interest in the attack who opened fire at the bowling alley at about 7:00 p.m. The man was described as a firearms instructor.
Card was described as a firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine.
The document, distributed to police said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition, but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base.
A phone number listed in Card’s public records was not in service.
Earlier, Lewiston police said in a Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley about 6.4 miles away.
A bowler, who identified himself only as Brandon, said he heard about 10 shots and thought the first was a balloon burst. He then saw a man with a gun and ran to hide in the bowling area on top of the machinery.
He and a group of survivors were driven to a high school in the neighboring city of Auburn to meet with family and friends.
Melinda Small, owner of Legends Sports Bar and Grill restaurant, said her staff immediately locked its doors and moved the 25 customers and employees away from the doors after a customer reported hearing about the shooting at the bowling alley nearby.
Soon, police flooded the road and a police officer eventually escorted everyone out of the building.
After the shooting, police, many of them armed with rifles, took up positions as the city descended into an eerie silence, punctuated by occasional sirens, as people took shelter in their homes. Schools are closed Thursday in Lewiston, Lisbon and Auburn, as are municipal offices in Lewiston.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office posted two photographs of the suspect on its Facebook page showing the shooter entering an establishment pointing a gun.
Two law enforcement officials told AP that at least 16 people were killed and the number was expected to rise.
However, Michael Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, declined to provide a specific estimate at a news conference, calling it a “fluid situation.” State police were scheduled to hold a mid-morning news conference Thursday.
The two officials also said dozens of people had also been injured.
On its website, Central Maine Medical Center said staff was “reacting to a mass casualty event and mass shooting” and coordinating with area hospitals to receive patients. The hospital was locked down and police, some armed with rifles, remained at the entrances.
Meanwhile, hospitals as far away as Portland, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) to the south, were on alert for possible victims.
The order for residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets of the city of 37,000 was extended Wednesday night from Lewiston to Lisbon, about 13 kilometers (8 miles) away, after a “vehicle of interest” was found there, authorities said.
Gov. Janet Mills issued a statement echoing instructions for people to take shelter. She said she had been briefed on the situation and will remain in close contact with public safety officials.
President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Mills and members of the state Senate and House of Representatives, offering “full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” according to a White House statement.
Maine does not require permits to carry guns, and the state has a long-standing culture of gun ownership that is tied to its hunting and sport shooting traditions.
International
Petro accuses top guerrilla leader of bribing officers to evade military strikes
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, said Saturday that the country’s most wanted guerrilla leader is bribing members of the security forces to obtain advance information and evade military operations.
According to the government, Iván Mordisco, a dissident leader of the now-defunct FARC, is currently on the run in the जंगल following an الجيش bombardment last week that killed six of his closest collaborators in the department of Vaupés.
Authorities believe the guerrilla commander had been at the site shortly before the operation. “He buys off the commanders who are supposed to capture him; that’s how he escapes the bombings, but leaves his own people to die. He is warned before every strike,” Petro wrote on social media platform X.
The six individuals killed in the strike were part of Mordisco’s security ring, according to Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Local media reported that one of those killed was a woman known as “alias Lorena,” who was allegedly Mordisco’s partner and the mother of his child.
After failed attempts to negotiate peace, Petro’s administration has shifted to a more aggressive military strategy against the guerrilla leader. In recent months, three of Mordisco’s brothers have been captured and now face charges including homicide, kidnapping, and arms trafficking.
Central America
Costa Rica urges China to halt actions against Panama-flagged vessels
The government of Costa Rica on Saturday called on China to halt retaliatory actions against vessels flying the Panamaflag, amid escalating tensions over control of two strategic ports linked to the Panama Canal.
In a statement shared on social media, Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry warned that the situation “puts global trade at risk” and expressed its “deep concern and strongest condemnation” over what it described as “arbitrary and unjustified delays and inspections in Chinese ports.”
The Costa Rican government urged “full respect for international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” while reaffirming its “unconditional support and solidarity” with Panama.
San José’s position aligns with growing international criticism from countries including Honduras, Peru, Paraguay, Israeland Ukraine.
Paraguayan authorities described the detentions as “unacceptable” and pointed to what they called “undue pressure” on the Panamanian government.
International
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
Mexico accounts for the highest number of urgent actions related to enforced disappearances worldwide, according to the latest report by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
The report, released by I(dh)eas, indicates that Mexico has accumulated 819 cases between 2012 and February 2026, representing 38% of the global total.
In the past five months alone, 40 new urgent requests have been recorded — more than one-third of all such actions worldwide during that period.
The report warns that this trend reflects a structural problem, as the urgent action mechanism — originally intended as an exceptional measure — has become routine in Mexico.
Although the Mexican state formally complies with response deadlines, the Committee identified significant shortcomings in the implementation of these measures. These include the lack of comprehensive search plans, delays in key investigative procedures such as video surveillance and phone data analysis, and insufficient inquiries into possible links involving state agents.
The report also highlights inadequate protection for relatives and individuals involved in search efforts, including cases of reprisals.
Among the most serious incidents documented is the disappearance of a father who had denounced alleged involvement of authorities in his son’s case in the state of Guanajuato.
The accumulation of cases could lead to the application of Article 34 of the Convention, which would allow for the launch of an international investigation into systematic enforced disappearances.
Geographically, the state of Chiapas accounts for 30% of the new urgent actions, many of them linked to collective disappearances of migrants.
Petro accuses top guerrilla leader of bribing officers to evade military strikes
Costa Rica urges China to halt actions against Panama-flagged vessels
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoSpain rebukes U.S. over euthanasia case as minister defends legal framework
-
International5 days agoNew York City lifts TikTok ban on government devices under new security rules
-
International3 days agoDevotees in Philippines mark Holy Week with extreme rituals despite rising costs
-
International3 days agoLe pape Léon XIV appelle à relancer le dialogue pour une paix au Moyen-Orient
-
Internacionales3 days agoEcuador extends state of emergency amid escalating violence and crime crackdown
-
International3 days agoMexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
-
Central America24 hours agoCosta Rica urges China to halt actions against Panama-flagged vessels
-
International24 hours agoPetro accuses top guerrilla leader of bribing officers to evade military strikes