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Search and rescue teams are racing against time across western Colombia after a powerful earthquake killed at least 132 people and left thousands missing, authorities say.

The magnitude 7.4 quake struck on Monday, rattling Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and dozens of other cities and towns. About 1,600 buildings have been reported damaged or collapsed, with soldiers, emergency crews and residents working side by side, passing chunks of concrete by hand as they search for survivors under the rubble.

Families are posting details of missing relatives on citizen-run websites; by Monday night more than 2,700 people had been reported missing. In El Cairo, near the epicentre in San Jose del Palmar, local officials say 80 percent of the town, home to about 7,000 people, has been damaged. Many of its traditional houses, made of sticks and mud, crumpled in the tremors.

President Abelardo de la Espriella, facing his first major crisis since taking office on Friday, has deployed “the entire military and police apparatus”, sending engineers, rescue teams and search dogs into the worst-hit areas. The US has pledged $15.5m in emergency aid, as regional governments also offer support to one of Colombia’s poorest and most isolated regions.

Photo of the Guri Hydroelectric Plant posted by the US Embassy on August 3

In the last few days, a sight that had become unusual in Venezuela for years took place in multiple parts of the country: street protests over electricity. The blackouts are increasing in frequency and duration without any warning, along with several strong brownouts. This recent uptick has even reached the capital, which the chavista government usually tries to protect from the chronic power deficit, at the expense of the rest of the nation.

In Carabobo state, people in Valencia and its surrounding cities reported both prolonged cuts and swift interruptions, which have taken their toll on their daily routine. Local authorities say that the full recovery of the thermoelectric plant Termocarabobo (directly affected by the earthquakes just like Planta Centro, close to the epicenter of the first quake) will help alleviate the problem.

Next door, in Aragua state, things are not much better. People in Maracay report daily double cuts of four to five hours, hitting the city’s commercial sector despite the use of power plants. In the smaller towns of Villa de Cura and San Mateo, citizens held peaceful protests to complain as governor Joana Sánchez blamed current electricity woes on the June 24 earthquakes.

The increase in power outages has reached both the east and west of Venezuela. In the western Lara state, an unannounced blackout right after midnight on July 31 left large parts of the state in the dark, in addition to the lengthy daily rationing that reaches up to five hours. Local NGO Activos por la Luz, which monitors the effects of the electric crisis in the region, released in response a very scathing statement on social media:

Protests spanning affluent Lechería and impoverished El Callao spell bad news for Delcy Rodríguez’s promise of economic recovery. 

“This has stopped being just an electrical problem. This is a systematic destruction of our mental health, our emotional stability, of our dignity and of our hope as people. It’s not normal to live under constant stress, without knowing when the power goes out, how long the blackout will last or how you will go to sleep, work or just survive the heat and the burnout. We have been pushed to a permanent state of anxiety, frustration and impotence…”

Very bad mood in Oriente

Meanwhile in the eastern cities of Maturín and Anaco, people made their voices heard in front of the offices of State-owned electricity Corpoelec without incident. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in Guayana, as a public gathering in the road to enter the town of Guasipati on July 28^th was dissolved by a group of unidentified men using firearms. The following day, the nearby town of El Callao witnessed a civic strike protesting six-to-seven hour power cuts and the collapse of other public services caused by increasing mining activity in the area and the growing population influx.

Such is the level of exasperation that the mayor of Lechería, Manuel Ferreira, publicly called Corpoelec to establish a proper scheduling of the electrical cuts. “Without schedules, without timetables and without respect: that’s how our neighbors have been treated. We understand the climate variables or the structural system failures, but if the rationing is unavoidable, the least we demand is respect and dignity. People have the right to know when the service is taken off so they can prepare.”

To better understand the relevance of this: both Guasipati and El Callao belong to the region covered by the Mining Arc, where there is a documented presence of gangs (hence the recent killing of Tren de Aragua’s leader in nearby Kilometro 88), and the military is currently deploying intense control over the population. The gold industry in the region is vital for the regime’s interests and has recently fallen under the eye of the Trump administration and the international mining companies the White House aspires to attract to Venezuela. Lechería remains an enclave for the privileged, the ones who built or preserved a comfortable life during the worst years of the country’s economic decline. The fact that both regions are witnessing protests of this scale is more bad news for Delcy Rodríguez’s promise of economic recovery. 

The electric transition hasn’t started either

Back in May, as the national power grid was stretching thin because of high temperatures and rising demand, the Electricity Minister Ronald Alcalá and the US Chief of Mission John Barrett met to discuss plans to rebuild the country’s power grid.

In the early days of June, the National Assembly apparently advanced in the drafting of a partial reform to the Electric System and Service Organic Law, allowing the private sector to participate in the electricity service but still keeping the State mostly in control of it. Some have criticized the changes as insufficient.

After that, the interim government signed two memorandums of understanding in June. The first one with Argentinian company IMPSA, which involves two hydroelectric plants in Guayana: repairing the Macagua Dam and finishing the long-delayed and unfinished Tocoma Dam. 

IMPSA was formerly a State-owned company which won the contracts in 2008 when Cristina Kirchner was in charge but stalled around 2013-14 as the Maduro government stopped paying.

With the arrival of Javier Millei to La Casa Rosada, IMPSA was privatized and later sold to US consortium Industrial Acquisitions Fund (IAF), which decided to pick up the pending projects in Venezuela again right after the events of January 3rd, with Washington’s help.

The second MoU was with GE Vernova, a major US energy company which was once part of the famous conglomerate General Electric until its breakup in 2024. In the agreement, GE Vernova would assist with improving Venezuelan energy supply to one gigawatt in the first 24 months and more than five gigawatts over the course of four years. The company also committed to properly train personnel and transfer technology to modernize the infrastructure.

The second reading and final passing of the electricity reform is now on hold as the Rodríguez-controlled National Assembly says it is focused on more urgent, disaster-related matters.

Days after those preliminary agreements were announced and signed, the earthquakes occurred and some of the set priorities took a backseat. For example, the grid was heavily hit in places like La Guaira and power had to be restored in parts of Falcón. As mentioned earlier, Carabobo’s generation plants were also affected.

As those short-term fixes are on the top of the list, some of those positive developments from June have gone down on the to-do list, as the CEO of GE Vernova Scott Strazik admitted to Bloomberg: “Practically speaking, if not for the earthquake that had taken place that took us off track, we could be very close to a contract today…” The company is optimistic to start working this year.

In a similar vein, the second reading and final passing of the electricity reform law is now on hold as the Rodríguez-controlled National Assembly says it is focused on more urgent disaster-related matters. But the earthquakes deepened the many issues the national grid had been carrying for long, as this Runrun.es report indicates:

Letters of intent that the government signed with international consortiums to recover turbines in the Caroni (River) or to rehabilitate trunk transmission do not accelerate engineering times. Therefore, specialists insist that stabilizing the system is a complex process that’ll take years.

Until those projects materialize, the interior of the country will keep paying the cost of the system that works to its limits. The seismic doublet of June not only shaken distribution lines of those who usually don’t lose the light; for the rest of Venezuela, the true earthquake is day-by-day in the darkness of a structural crisis that is not solved with speeches.

The official response from Delcy Rodriguez is to simply throw the ball back and ask them to keep carrying that weight as she just announced a brand new plan to save electricity and water. The pretext: the effects of El Niño are being felt around the world and the solar radiation phenomenon that caused the original declaration of electric emergency in March is returning later in August.

For the record, there have been previous precedents of planned power rationing timetables like in 2016, when there was a situation similar to the current one. However, a rationing plan like the one announced for the summer of 2026 is the first in years. Corpoelec chose instead to send SMS messages of questionable accuracy. 

In the meantime, she can at least count on the Trump administration giving her a little help-out, thanks to the visit of John Barrett to Guri, along with experts from the US Energy Department.

Tehran launched strikes against several countries across the Gulf and wider region overnight as the United States military raised its attacks on Iran.

Reports on Friday morning said that Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, as well as Jordan and Syria, had been forced to take defensive action against Iranian missiles and drones, amid a sixth night of US strikes on Iran.

The escalating US air campaign targeted civilian infrastructure in the south of the country, including telecommunications networks, railway systems, and the Bandar-e Khamir bridge in Hormozgan province, where local media reported on Thursday night that at least seven people were killed.

Tehran has justified its strikes against Gulf and other states by saying it is targeting US facilities in the region, insisting that Washington has used its bases there as launchpads to strike Iran.

In Qatar, which hosts major US military facilities, the security threat level was elevated as loud explosions were heard across parts of the capital, Doha, early on Friday morning.

Warning sirens sounded as residents received security alerts on their mobile phones. Qatar’s security threat level was raised again after the initial alert, but the situation later returned to “normal” after the threats were cleared.

The Qatari Ministry of Interior confirmed on Friday morning that a child who was injured by falling shrapnel during the assault is now receiving medical care. Earlier, Qatar rejected Israeli reports that it was planning to join military action against Iran.

Iran’s army said it targeted US helicopters and reconnaissance aircraft at the Sakhir airbase in Bahrain, according to a report from the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed early on Friday to have successfully targeted US monitoring assets in Oman.

In a statement, the military said it destroyed a US air control radar in the northern Ghanim region and a maritime surveillance radar positioned on rocks in the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC declared that the critical shipping waterway – which has become the key issue in the latest outburst of conflict between the US and Iran – “remains in the hands of the IRGC Navy’s admirals”.

The IRGC also reported that it hit a US military base in Kuwait early on Friday. It said that the attack targeted a missile defence radar, several key weapons depots and two HIMARS surface-to-surface missile launchers.

In northern Iraq, Kurdish counterterrorism forces reported that US coalition forces shot down eight explosive drones over the city of Erbil, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). No casualties were reported.

The Jordanian army announced its air defence systems shot down three Iranian missiles transiting its airspace on Friday morning. No casualties were reported as engineering teams dealt with falling debris.

The IRGC also claimed to have attacked a US special operations command centre at the al-Tanf military base in Syria, according to a Tasnim news agency report.

Call to return to ‘hard-won’ deal

As hostilities between the US and Iran continue to escalate, threatening to spread across the region and curb the global economy, efforts to convince Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations are accelerating.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar called on Friday for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue, hoping to save the tentative ceasefire agreed upon last month.

Both countries have sought to mediate in the months-long conflict, which rekindled with renewed fighting over the Strait of Hormuz a month after the signing of a preliminary deal aiming to end the war.

That agreement was “hard-won”, Wang said, adding: “Peace is before our eyes, [we] cannot fall at the last hurdle and even more so cannot lose what we have gained.”

Iran has said 38 people have been killed, and more than 400 injured, in the US attacks since the two sides met in Switzerland on June 22 for talks to end the war through a 60-day negotiation period, the AFP news agency reported.

World Meteorological Organization forecasts more likelihood of heatwaves, droughts and heavy rainfall due to El Nino.

The United Nations’ weather watchdog is warning governments and humanitarian organisations to brace for “extreme weather events” including heatwaves, droughts and heavy rainfall due to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a statement on Friday that El Nino conditions had already set in and are “forecast to strengthen rapidly” between July and September.

El Nino typically peaks between November and February.

The UN agency has activated climate information services and early warning systems to help governments and humanitarian agencies prepare support plans for farmers and vulnerable communities.

“El Nino conditions are already under way and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event – as accurately anticipated by WMO forecasts,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“This will intensify the chances of drought and heavy rainfall and the risk of heatwaves on land and marine heatwaves in many regions of the world.”

Saulo added that “advanced seasonal forecasts and early warnings are vital to save lives and cushion the impact on our economies and our communities.”

El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

El Nino events typically occur every two to seven years and usually last between nine and 12 months. Not all regions of the world are affected.

Conditions oscillate between El Nino and its opposite La Nina – both phases of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) – with neutral conditions in between.

Even when ENSO is neutral, extreme weather can still occur.

On Thursday, the WMO reported that global ocean temperatures hit a new high in June, partly driven by El Nino.

The last El Nino contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the all-time high, at about 1.55 degrees Celsius (2.79 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

The Allied Democratic Forces, a militant armed group operating in the volatile borderlands of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have sacked 12 villages in the Bambodi sector of Tshopo province, displacing hundreds of people. 

Tryphen Mabikinyambey, a member of the provincial parliament representing Bafwasende, said the ADF militants are presently only two hours away on foot from these villages in Tshopo. For months, the ADF terrorists have been based in villages dominated by the Badumbisa people in Mambasa, close to the now-abandoned villages in Tshopo. Tryphen added that many civilians in Bambodi have sought refuge in Nia-Nia, Bafwasende Centre, and Kisangani.

“The ADF rebels feel at home there. They are at ease. We have already reported their presence, yet there has still been no appropriate response from the authorities. The population is being emptied from the tribal group. There is no response from the national, provincial or local authorities,” the parliamentarian said.

He noted that all schools have been closed and that no hospitals are operational in the deserted area. “Even individuals in mining camps have left. Life is becoming increasingly challenging for everyone who is living under constant threats,” he remarked.

The representative is urging the Congolese government to launch a comprehensive operation to protect the local populations. He stated that the ADF rebels are relocating from the Bapere tribal group in North Kivu, where they are being chased by a coalition of Congolese and Ugandan armed forces as part of the joint Operation Shujaa. Unfortunately, as the ADF is chased from one area, it seeks refuge in quieter zones, such as those in Mambasa and Bafwasende, which now pose significant risks to residents.

“When they are tracked down, they search for calm areas. And these places are in the Mambasa territory and Bafwasende,” he said, noting that the ADF terrorists have been sending tracts. “They send those they have ‘rescued’ with letters of threats against Bafwasende territory and Tshopo province.”

The terrorists have also recently killed scores in North Kivu, triggering a fresh trove of armed violence in the eastern DRC. On June 4, for instance, local civil society sources said four bodies were found in the Kingeste area and a fifth one near Ngite. 

“As it stands, 21 people are dead. We’ve found four bodies around Kingeste and one near Ngite. We want to see the military pursue the assailants to their hideout, as we will face extermination if no action is taken,” said Louis Kisaki, the president of the Batangi-Mbau civil society organisation in DRC.

The recent violent waves have instilled fear and panic in Mbau and its surroundings, as the population is anxious about a potential return of the attackers to cause chaos again. Since the ADF’s assault on Mbau, many families have avoided spending nights at home, with numerous households relocating to areas deemed safer, including Oicha, the chief town of Beni territory. Economic activities have also come to a standstill across Mbau and neighbouring areas.

In just three days, the ADF terrorists have killed 40 individuals in attacks on the town and territory of Beni. The attackers have also kidnapped several civilians, who remain in captivity with hopes of their release dwindling each day.

May 25 (UPI) — Israeli forces launched a renewed wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah on Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify attacks against the Iran-backed militia.

The strikes came as Israel and Lebanon have been engaged in U.S.-mediated talks, the first in decades between the two nations, aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The attacks were expected to further strain the already frayed negotiations.

Israeli warplanes launched more than 85 munitions, striking more than 70 sites across Lebanon, including about 10 Hezbollah headquarters and weapons storage facilities in Tyre, located in southwestern Lebanon on the Mediterranean.

Infrastructure used by Hezbollah to attack Israel was among the targets struck, the IAF said in a statement, adding the Israeli military “eliminated” alleged motorcycle-riding Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon where IDF forces were operating.

The IDF said earlier that it had hit sites in the northeastern Beqaa Valley and several other areas in Lebanon, though it was not clear if that was part of a separate operation.

Netanyahu vowed in a video statement on Instagram to intensify strikes targeting the Iran-backed militia, stating that they were in response to Hezbollah firing fiber-optic drones over the last few weeks at northern Israel.

“We are at war. We are not taking our foot off the gas — on the contrary. I said to press the gas in Lebanon. We will strike them,” he said.

In a sign of concern over potential Hezbollah retaliatory strikes, the IDF issued new, tightened restrictions for northern Israel residents on Tuesday, capping outdoor gathering limits from 200 to 50 people and indoors from 600 to 200.

Hezbollah initially attacked Israel a day after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023. The conflict halted 13 months later with a fragile cease-fire that was never fully observed.

In early March, Israel launched renewed attacks on Lebanon, involving ground troops. In April, a cease-fire was announced in the larger Iran war, with Israel claiming it did not apply to Lebanon, while Lebanon and Iran said it did.

In mid-April, amid the confusion, Israel and Lebanon held their first diplomatic talks since 1993.