News from April 18, 2025 at 2 PM

On April 17, a mass shooting occurred at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. The suspect, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, son of a Leon County sheriff's deputy, opened fire at the Student Union building on campus, killing two people and injuring four others. Police shot and apprehended the gunman after he failed to comply with orders to surrender, and all injured parties were taken to the hospital. The university has over 42,000 students. This incident marks the second shooting on the FSU campus in 11 years.

US Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Ábrego García, who was mistakenly deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration. Despite a federal judge's order, the administration has refused to return him to the US. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele stated that the detainee would remain in the country. The White House accuses Mr. Ábrego García of being a member of the MS-13 gang, a claim his lawyer denies. A federal court later ruled against the Trump administration, potentially leading to officials being deposed over the deportation. The Supreme Court has ordered the US government to 'facilitate' his return. Senator Van Hollen posted on social media about meeting Mr. Ábrego García and passing a message to his wife.

On April 18, 2025, a cable car crash near Naples, Italy, resulted in four fatalities, including a British couple. The accident occurred when a supporting cable snapped, causing the cabin to plunge to the ground. The UK foreign office stated it was in contact with local authorities but had not confirmed the identities of the victims. The deceased are believed to include three passengers and the 59-year-old driver, Carmine Parlato. One person was critically injured and airlifted to a hospital, where they are now in stable condition. Authorities in Torre Annunziata have launched an investigation into the crash. Sixteen people were rescued from a second cabin on the line. The mayor of Castellammare di Stabia, where the cable car is located, said a traction cable had snapped. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences to the families of the victims.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held talks in Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the meeting was a significant step forward in Russia-Qatar relations. Russia welcomes Qatar's mutual desire to develop bilateral relations globally. Putin and Tamim had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Syria. Russia is concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and supports efforts to achieve peace in the region as soon as possible.

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex. The judges clarified that the term 'woman' in the Equality Act refers to a biological woman, and 'sex' means biological sex. This means that if a space or service is designated as women-only, a person born male but identifying as a woman does not have the right to use it. The ruling will prompt many public bodies to review their gender policies, including cases like that of nurse Sandie Peggie, suspended for refusing to share a changing room with a transgender doctor. The decision also provides a clearer framework for debates in sports over transgender women's participation. The court emphasized that transgender people already have protections under the Equality Act, but concerns arise about the legal weight of gender recognition certificates.

On April 17, 2025, a series of Israeli strikes in Gaza resulted in at least 37 deaths, mostly in areas where displaced civilians had set up tents. Witnesses reported that tents were rapidly engulfed in flames following an explosion, causing the deaths of dozens of Palestinians, including children. The Israeli military did not immediately comment but said it was investigating the reports. UNICEF's executive director, Catherine Russell, expressed horror at images of children burning in makeshift tents. Hamas formally rejected Israel's latest ceasefire proposal, demanding the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war. Gaza's civil defence spokesman said two missiles hit tents, killing at least 16 people, mostly women and children, with 23 others wounded. Video footage showed the charred remains of the camp, with survivors describing the chaos and despair following the explosion. Since the resumption of hostilities on March 18, Israeli attacks have killed 1,691 people and displaced about 500,000 Palestinians.

On Thursday, a U.S. citizen hijacked a small Tropic Air plane in Belize at knifepoint, injuring three people before being shot and killed. Police Commissioner Chester Williams identified the hijacker as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a U.S. military veteran. The plane circled between northern Belize and Belize City, running low on fuel. Taylor stabbed three individuals, including the pilot and a passenger who shot him with a licensed firearm as the plane landed outside Belize City. Both the injured passenger and Taylor were rushed to the hospital, where Taylor died from his wounds. It remains unclear how Taylor boarded with a knife, highlighting security gaps at smaller airstrips. Taylor had been denied entry to Belize over the weekend and was supposed to fly from Corozal to San Pedro. Belizean authorities have sought assistance from the U.S. embassy, which has no details on Taylor's background or motives. Taylor was reportedly a teacher and former football coach in the U.S.

Moldova's opposition Party of Socialists stated on Friday that the disruption of Archbishop Markel of Balti and Falesti's trip to Israel for the Holy Fire on the eve of Easter constitutes an 'act of spiritual terror.' On Thursday, Moldova's Canal 5 reported that Bishop Markel was detained at Chisinau airport and failed to board his flight to Israel after a thorough check. The party expressed extreme indignation in a Telegram statement, accusing President Maia Sandu's regime of deliberately sabotaging the canonical Orthodox Church of Moldova, the country's largest religious denomination. The party demanded immediate public explanations from the Moldovan Border Guard Service and an official apology to the archbishop. The Orthodox Church of Moldova, a self-governing part of the Russian Orthodox Church, unites 70% of Moldova's residents and its breakaway region of Transnistria. Recently, Chisinau airport has conducted hours-long checks under armed police supervision, particularly targeting opposition figures and public figures returning from Russia.

Puerto Rico experienced a massive power outage on Wednesday due to the unexpected shutdown of multiple energy plants across the island. The territory has long struggled with frequent power outages, including a blackout on New Year's Eve, amid crumbling infrastructure. Power generator Genera stated it was activating backup units and investigating the cause of the incident. Energy distribution company LUMA Energy reported that the outage began around 12:40 p.m. local time. As of 2 p.m., all plants in the U.S. territory remained offline, according to real-time data from Genera's website. Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez pledged to provide updates on the outage cause and service restoration timeline as soon as more details become available.

The Trump administration on Thursday ordered a social media vetting for all U.S. visa applicants who have visited the Gaza Strip since January 1, 2007. The directive applies to both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants, including NGO workers and those in official or diplomatic capacities. If the social media review uncovers potential security risks, a security advisory opinion must be submitted. This move is part of the administration's broader effort to tighten screening of foreign travelers. Previously, the administration has revoked hundreds of visas under a 1952 law, including those of some lawful permanent residents. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated he may have revoked over 300 visas. Critics argue this policy infringes on free speech rights.