International
Gustavo Petro visits the Galápagos Islands for bilateral talks with Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa
Colombian President Gustavo Petro arrived in the Galápagos Islands on Saturday afternoon, located about a thousand kilometers west of Ecuador’s continental coast, to meet with his Ecuadorian counterpart, Daniel Noboa, to discuss bilateral cooperation matters, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Quito.
Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld, representing President Noboa, welcomed Petro at the Baltra Island airport. Petro is on an official visit after accepting an invitation from the Ecuadorian president.
Both leaders will hold a meeting in the Enchanted Islands and discuss actions for bilateral cooperation, according to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Petro is accompanied on this visit by Laura Sarabia, the Director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia (Dapre).
The visit will last until Sunday, as confirmed by the Colombian Presidency in a statement.
It is planned that Petro and Noboa will tour the Galápagos National Park facilities and the Charles Darwin Research Station, located on Santa Cruz Island, in the center of the archipelago.
“This exchange will help identify cooperation opportunities for environmental projects and share successful experiences in biodiversity conservation,” stated the Colombian Presidency.
Petro and Noboa have a good relationship and met during the COP16 biodiversity summit held in October in the Colombian city of Cali, where they discussed energy cooperation and set this visit to the Galápagos Islands.
International
Trinidad and Tobago Education Minister Lisa Morris-Julian dies in house fire with her children
The Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago, Lisa Morris-Julian, tragically passed away in a fire at her home early Monday morning, along with her two children, local authorities reported.
Police stated that Morris-Julian died alongside her 25-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter after they were trapped as the fire engulfed their home in the Arima district, the main city in eastern Trinidad. Her husband and two other family members who were present at the time of the fire were injured and are currently under observation in the hospital.
“The Government of Trinidad and Tobago expresses its deepest condolences to her family, loved ones, and constituents at this time, and we keep them in our collective thoughts and prayers,” the government said in a statement.
Prime Minister Keith Rowley and other government officials visited the scene of the fire as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, police said.
Morris-Julian, who was also a Member of Parliament, had planned to seek re-election next year.
International
Nearly 40 dead in Istanbul after consuming contaminated alcohol in six weeks
Almost 40 people have died in Istanbul in the past six weeks after consuming adulterated alcohol, local authorities announced on Monday.
In total, “37 people lost their lives, 77 people were poisoned, with 17 still undergoing treatment due to the consumption of contaminated alcohol since November 1, 2024,” stated the Istanbul governor’s office on social media platform X.
At least 14 people have been arrested for distributing the illicit alcohol, authorities added. Alcohol poisoning is common in Turkey due to the surge in illegal production driven by rising taxes on alcoholic beverages.
In late 2021, at least 25 people died in several provinces within a few days. The previous year, around 40 people lost their lives from the same cause.
Rakı, the national alcoholic drink, costs around 1,300 Turkish liras ($37) per liter in supermarkets, in a country where the minimum wage is 17,000 liras ($489).
International
At least 12 injured in shooting at abundant life christian school in Wisconsin
Over 10 people have been injured following a shooting at a Christian school in Wisconsin, United States, according to international media reports on Monday afternoon.
The shooting took place at Abundant Life Christian School. So far, local authorities have confirmed 12 individuals affected, according to major news outlets.
The scene is still being processed by the State Police. It has also been reported that the shooter has been neutralized, though no details about their identity have been released. Authorities mention that the school caters to students from Kindergarten through Middle School.
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