Colombia: 57 soldiers kidnapped in rebel area
57 Colombian soldiers have been seized by civilians and armed rebels in the Micay Canyon area, a vital cocaine-producing area in the southwest. The first group was captured on 21 June during an army operation in El Tambo; then another platoon was surrounded by roughly 200 residents near El Plateado. General Federico Alberto Mejía called the incidents a ‘kidnapping’ by rebels who infiltrate local communities, acting under the command of a FARC dissident group that refused the 2016 peace accord. President Gustavo Petro, committed to peace, announced that the release of the soldiers is ‘imperative’ as tensions rise. The government is struggling to regain control of rural areas as splintered armed groups move to dominate territories abandoned by FARC after the peace agreement. This crisis has reignited fears across Colombia, evoking memories of the bloody cartel violence and political assassinations which plagued the nation in the 1980s and 1990s.
USA: Surprise result in New York mayoral primary
Zohran Mamdani, a 33‑year‑old state lawmaker and self‑described socialist, has won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani, focusing sharply on rising living costs, promised free buses, free childcare, affordable housing, and a higher minimum wage, financed by taxing the wealthy. If elected in November, he would be the city’s first Muslim and Indian mayor. His victory reflects growing progressive momentum. Cuomo, seeking a comeback after a sexual harassment scandal, conceded defeat, stating, ‘Tonight is his night’. Critics question Mamdani’s experience, fearing he may be ill‑prepared for crisis management. Current mayor Eric Adams, indicted on corruption charges, announced he will run as an independent.The outcome of the primary, held amid sweltering temperatures, and the outcome of this race could indicate the type of leader Democrats are looking for during Donald Trump's second term.
Woman Meets Jesus During Shocking NDE*: ‘I Was Preparing to Die’
Vanessa Joy Lancellotti was a newlywed in 2016 when she suddenly suffered a ruptured arteriovenous malformation in her brain. Unaware she even had this condition, the terrifying incident occurred while having tea with her sisters. As her pain intensified, she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, fearing she was about to die. En route in the ambulance, she prepared to meet Jesus, repenting and reviewing her life. Then, unexpectedly, she experienced what she believes was a supernatural encounter: pain and fear vanished, and she found herself in a place of pure peace and radiant light. There she encountered Jesus, who embraced her lovingly and told her, “It is not yet your time.” Though never clinically dead, Vanessa believes she was taken to paradise. Her miraculous survival transformed her spiritually, igniting a deeper relationship with Christ and a new understanding of the Holy Spirit’s power. Today, she shares her story through her book, Miracles Really Do Happen, encouraging others with the hope and reality of Christ’s love and healing presence. * Near Death Experience
'A huge victory': Christian leaders react to Supreme Court's Skrmetti ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Tennessee’s law banning gender transition surgeries and hormone treatments for minors, ruling 6-3 that the law does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The decision in Skrmetti v. United States establishes a precedent allowing similar legislation in over 20 states to remain in effect. Christian leaders have welcomed the ruling as a decisive step in protecting children. Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel called it a “victory for children everywhere,” arguing that experimental procedures should not be allowed under the guise of equality. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council praised the affirmation of FRC’s “SAFE Act” model. Brent Leatherwood of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission emphasised that the state has a duty to protect children from harmful and irreversible decisions. However, progressive voices such as Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush of Interfaith Alliance criticised the ruling as religious overreach. The case marks a pivotal moment in defining the boundary between child protection and personal medical autonomy in U.S. law.
