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Colombian president asks Trump to suspend tariffs
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs to help Colombia recover from a devastating earthquake.
The 7.4 magnitude quake struck Monday, killing at least 289 people and injuring nearly 4,000.
De la Espriella, who took office earlier this month, emphasized his connections with Trump, thanking him for $26.5 million in U.S. aid.
The quake destroyed thousands of homes, including in western cities like Pereira and Cali. The government declared it a natural disaster, with at least143 people missing and extensive damage reported. Rescue efforts continue despite the challenging conditions.
Blacks, Latinos to have early
say in 2028 Dem primaries
AUSTIN, Texas -- Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination in 2028 will need to prove themselves early on in states where black and Latino voters and union members are key supporters.
An election-year calendar approved Saturday makes South Carolina's primary the first, followed by Nevada. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia round out the early states, throughout February 2028.
The primary lineup endorsed by the Democratic National Committee pushes Iowa from the traditional top spot. Some potential candidates in what is expected to be a large field have visited early-voting states such as South Carolina.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon
kill at least 11, test truce
BEIRUT -- Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 11 people, marking the deadliest attacks since a truce with Hezbollah began in June. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that one airstrike on the village of Ansar killed seven people, including three children. Another strike on Deir al-Zahrani killed four. On June 26, Israel and Lebanon announced a framework agreement for Israeli forces to withdraw in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized the new airstrikes, calling for an end to the escalation. Israel's military said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure.
Thieves steal four works
of Renaissance painter
MILAN -- Thieves have stolen four works attributed to Sicilian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from a regional museum in the city of Messina in Sicily.
The theft occurred on Saturday during the Italian Ferragosto holiday. That's according to the news agency LaPresse.
The thieves bypassed alarm systems in the evening, taking three panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych and a double-sided panel of the Virgin Mary and the dead Christ.
The museum was closed on Sunday while investigators gathered evidence. The theft follows the recent recovery of three stolen artworks by Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse in the Italian city of Parma.
Five people have been detained in connection with that case.
Wildfires in Europe spread
to Belgium and Greece
BAELEN, Belgium -- Firefighters are battling wildfires in Belgium and Greece, with a massive blaze scorching a nature reserve in eastern Belgium.
A fire on a Greek island has killed two people. The blaze in Belgium has burned about 30 square kilometers in the High Fens, one of the country's worst wildfires in recent history.
Authorities evacuated about 600 residents and tourists as smoke spread through the area.
BBC seeks help in getting
testimony from Trumps
LONDON -- The BBC has asked a U.S. court for help getting documents and testimony from U.S. President Donald Trump's family in connection to his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster.
Trump filed the lawsuit in December, accusing the BBC of defamation and deceptive practices. The case centers on a 2024 documentary that allegedly misrepresented a speech Trump gave on Jan. 6, 2021.
Lawyers for the BBC argue that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr. have relevant knowledge of Trump's intentions in giving the speech. The BBC apologized for the edit but denied defamation. A trial is provisionally set for February.
The Associated Press