LATIN AMERICA

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Health authorities in Brazil are monitoring two patients for possible Ebola infection in the country's two biggest cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. 

A man, 37, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) "exhibited symptoms such as fever", São Paulo's state government said.

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A newly separated Brazilian mom of three was allegedly run over by her estranged husband outside her birthday party.

Content creator Leidiane, 39, had been celebrating with her friends at her Curitiba home Sunday, April 12, before getting into a confrontation with her ex-hubby Clair, whom she had recently separated from after five years together, Brazilian outlet Record reported.

The couple had a history of alleged domestic violence, according to the outlet, and clashed again after Clair accused his ex of having his cellphone.

The fight spilled out onto the street outside the party and the estranged husband allegedly jumped behind the wheel of his car and sped toward her, according to the outlet.

Leidiane was sent flying and was rushed to intensive care with a fractured femur, according to her aunt Elisangela Markuetti.

“She’ll have to have a pin inserted, she’s very distressed,” Markuetti added.

An attempted femicide investigation is underway and her family is calling for justice.

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Polls have closed in Colombia's presidential election.

The vote is being held after months of public recrimination between current left-wing President Gustavo Petro and his US counterpart Donald Trump over a number of issues including drug trafficking and American intervention in the region.

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A Brazilian judge has halted a project to build a zipline connecting Rio de Janeiro’s Sugarloaf Mountain to a nearby hill, Morro da Urca. The development, which began four years ago, aimed to allow tourists to travel 755 meters at speeds of up to 100km/h. However, the court blocked the project following sustained protests from locals and environmentalists who claimed the construction was causing permanent damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll, one of the activists who had led the campaign against the zipline, told AFP news agency that the ruling was "a huge victory".

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The Brazilian bodybuilding influencer and content creator, 22, was found dead in the kitchen of his São Paulo apartment on Saturday, May 23, with police treating the case as a suspicious and sudden death. He had amassed more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram, 1.3 million on TikTok and 403,000 subscribers on YouTube.

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Over 10 million individuals have experienced power outages in their homes and businesses throughout Cuba following the collapse of the national electrical grid for the second time in a week. The country's energy ministry announced via social media that there has been "a total disconnection of the National Electrical System." They also indicated that "protocols for restoration are already beginning to be implemented." Cuba's grid operator, UNE, reported that efforts to gradually restore electricity are underway, with a focus on prioritizing essential facilities such as hospitals and water systems.

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Colombia's Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a record reward of 5 billion pesos ($1.4m) for information leading to the capture of rebel leader "Marlon." The suspect, whose real name is Iván Jacob Idrobo Arredondo, is accused of ordering Saturday's bomb attack on the Pan-American Highway, which resulted in 20 deaths. Sánchez confirmed this is the highest bounty ever offered by the Colombian government for a single individual.

The attack is one of the deadliest targeting civilians and comes just over a month before presidential elections scheduled for 31 May.

The defence minister accused "Marlon" of being behind Saturday's attack as well as a series of others in the provinces of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, in south-western Colombia, over the weekend. No evidence or details have been released.

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The United States and Venezuela have agreed to restore diplomatic relations, marking a significant change in a long-standing adversarial relationship, the State Department announced on Thursday.

The decision follows multiple visits by officials from the Trump administration to Venezuela after a U.S. military operation in January that removed former President Nicolás Maduro from power. Since then, officials from Washington have increased pressure on those now governing to adopt the administration’s approach for the oil-rich nation.

Diplomatic ties between the two countries were cut off in 2019 during the first Trump administration when Maduro ended relations after the U.S. expressed support for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who at that time claimed to be interim president. That move led U.S. diplomatic staff to relocate to neighboring Colombia.

In a statement, the State Department said talks have been “focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”