Colombian officials declared a national disaster Wednesday after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least 254 people and injured more than 2,500. The quake, centered in the western department of Chocó, is the country’s strongest of this century. It caused widespread destruction across the coffee-growing region, particularly in the cities of Cali and Pereira, where nearly 200 deaths were reported.
Search and Rescue Operations Continue
Search-and-rescue teams, soldiers, and volunteers continued digging through the rubble of hundreds of collapsed or damaged buildings Tuesday. Aftershocks rattled the region, further damaging roads, communications, and utilities that complicated efforts to reach isolated communities. Authorities warned that the death toll is likely to rise as rescuers reach areas that remain cut off.
Ebola Outbreak Spreads Rapidly
Meanwhile, the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to spread faster than health officials can track and contain it. As of Tuesday, there were 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths. The outbreak, the fastest-growing on record, reached 2,000 deaths nearly three times faster than the devastating 2014–2016 West African epidemic.
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Complicating containment efforts is the fact that no vaccines or treatments have been approved for the rare Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak. Armed conflict, overwhelmed health services, supply shortages, and mistrust of health workers are also hampering response efforts. The virus has spread across five Congolese provinces and into neighboring Uganda.
Analysis: The simultaneous occurrence of a catastrophic natural disaster and a rapidly escalating health crisis in the same region places immense strain on international aid networks, often forcing a difficult trade-off between immediate physical survival and long-term disease containment.
Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus Sentences Former Officials
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced former President Bashar Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and his maternal cousin Atef Najib to death for murder, torture, and crimes against humanity committed during Syria’s nearly 14-year conflict. The verdicts are the first against Mr. Assad or members of his inner circle since his regime fell in December 2024.
The Assad brothers, who were tried in absentia, fled to Russia following the collapse of the regime, while Mr. Najib was captured by Syrian authorities and tried in person. Mr. Najib, the former political-security chief in Daraa, became notorious after forces under his command arrested and tortured schoolboys who had painted anti-government graffiti in 2011, helping trigger the uprising that developed into the civil war. Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia. Roughly 500,000 people died in the conflict.
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Solar Eclipse Crosses Europe and North America
Millions of Europeans will experience a rare celestial spectacle Wednesday evening as the first total solar eclipse over mainland Europe since 1999 sweeps across the continent. Totality will be confined to a band crossing northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, northern and central Spain, and a small portion of Portugal. Much of western Europe will experience a substantial partial eclipse.
In London, where as much as 92% of the sun will be obscured, the eclipse will begin at 18:17 BST, reach its maximum at 19:13, and end at 20:06. In Spain, totality will occur between ca. 20:26 and 20:33 local time, shortly before sunset. Viewers should never look directly at the partially eclipsed sun without proper eclipse glasses, as ordinary sunglasses offer no protection against permanent eye damage.
The solar eclipse will also be visible as a partial eclipse across portions of the United States, with the best views in Alaska and parts of the Northeast. Fairbanks will see roughly 37% of the sun obscured, followed by Anchorage at 28% and Juneau at 17%. In the Northeast, Bangor, Maine, will see 24% and Boston 16%.