International

USA: At least 16 dead in Maine shooting; police search for assailant

Photo: AP

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Maradona’s daughter accuses medical team of “horrible manipulation” in court

One of the daughters of Diego Maradona testified in court this Tuesday, breaking down in tears as she denounced what she described as “absolute and horrible manipulation” by her father’s medical team, during an emotional hearing in Argentina.

Gianinna Maradona stated that she and her siblings agreed to home hospitalization after doctors presented it as the best option following the neurosurgery Maradona underwent on November 3, 2020.

The football icon died on November 25 of that year, and the ongoing trial seeks to determine whether the conditions of his home care were appropriate.

According to Gianinna, what the family found at the residence where Maradona was recovering did not match what had been promised. She testified that there was no adequate medical equipment, constant monitoring, or even an ambulance available, despite assurances of continuous care.

“The manipulation was absolute and horrible,” she said during the hearing in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires.

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She accused members of the medical team, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, and psychologist Carlos Díaz, of misleading the family.

“I trusted these people, and all they did was manipulate us and leave my son without a grandfather,” she added.

Later in her testimony, recalling that six years have passed since her father’s death, she became emotional and said she struggled deeply with grief in the aftermath.

International

Trump extends Iran ceasefire after Pakistan mediation request

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday that he will extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire on Wednesday, following a request from Pakistan.

In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump said the truce will remain in place until Iran presents a proposal and negotiations are concluded, regardless of the outcome.

“I will extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and negotiations are completed, whatever the result,” the U.S. leader stated.

Trump justified the decision by claiming that Iran’s government is “deeply divided” and noting that Pakistani authorities, acting as mediators, requested a pause in military action until Iranian leaders and representatives submit a unified proposal.

International

Venezuelan opposition demands election date and minimum wage increase

A group of opposition members from the Zulia Humana and former political prisoners on Tuesday demanded that authorities set a date for elections in Venezuela and increase the minimum wage, which has been frozen since 2022 and is currently worth just a few cents per month according to the Banco Central de Venezuela.

During a press conference in Maracaibo, Professor Eduardo Labrador stressed the urgency of establishing an electoral timeline. “We demand that a date be set for elections so Venezuelans can have free and transparent voting. It is essential to have that date now,” he said.

Economist Rodrigo Cabezas, who served under the late President Hugo Chávez, also called for an increase in the minimum wage, arguing that it is feasible through economic policy measures, although he did not specify an amount due to limited public data.

Cabezas warned that Venezuela experienced “galloping inflation” between March of last year and March 2026, a stage that precedes hyperinflation—a phenomenon the country has already faced. However, he clarified that Venezuela is not currently in hyperinflation, expressing hope that it will not return.