
Colombian Senator Uribe dies months after campaign shooting
Uribe, a potential presidential candidate from the right-wing opposition, was shot in Bogota on June 7 during a rally and underwent multiple surgeries before his death.
"I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you," his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on social media. "Rest in peace, love of my life, I will take care of our children."
The death of Uribe adds further tragedy to his family's fraught history. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a botched rescue mission after she was kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel, headed by drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Uribe himself has enjoyed a rapid political rise, becoming a recognized lawmaker for the right-wing Democratic Center party and presidential hopeful known for his sharp criticism of leftist President Gustavo Petro's administration.
At 25, he was elected to Bogota's city council, where he was a prominent opponent of Petro, then the capital's mayor, criticizing his handling of waste management and social programs.
In the 2022 legislative elections, Uribe led the Senate slate for the Democratic Center party with the slogan "Colombia First," winning a seat in the chamber.
His family is prominent in Colombian politics. His maternal grandfather, Julio Cesar Turbay, was Colombia's president from 1978 to 1982, while his paternal grandfather, Rodrigo Uribe Echavarria, headed the Liberal Party and supported Virgilio Barco's successful 1986 presidential campaign.
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Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Husband of woman, 32, who died sacrificing herself to push daughter, five, out way of falling branch reveals desperate attempts to save her
The heartbroken husband of a woman who died sacrificing herself by pushing her young daughter out the way of a falling tree branch has revealed how he desperately tried to save his wife. Madia Kauser, 32, was tragically crushed to death while out on a family walk with her husband Wasim Khan, 33, and their two children near Witton Country Park in Blackburn, Lancashire, on Monday night. It's understood her five-year-old daughter was in a pushchair which Mrs Kauser managed to push away before taking the full force of the falling branch herself - so that her daughter survived unscathed. Mr Khan, 33, was playing football just yards ahead with the couple's nine-year-old son when the branch fell. Speaking of the moment he battled to save his wife as she lay injured, he said: 'I rushed to her. I tried to save her, she was still breathing.' He also revealed his wife's haunting last post on Snapchat - a picture of a tree which she had taken while they were leaving the park. Describing how the tragedy unfolded, Mr Khan told The Sun: 'I was playing football with my son and kicked the ball in the wrong direction and we were going after it. 'I heard a crack and the tree just came down. There was no wind, nothing. 'She was hit by a branch but it had the full weight of the tree behind it and that is why the council had to cut it all down.' Mr Khan described his wife as the 'most beautiful and loyal person'. Relatives told the Mail how Ms Kauser was a devoted mother who adored her children. One told the Daily Mail: 'Madia would have done anything for her children.' On Wednesday, Blackburn council had completely cut down what remained of the tree from which the branch fell as well as lopping off branches from several other nearby trees. The area was littered with sawdust. The accident happened just yards from the park's Big Cover wood where trees form the majority of the habitat. On Wednesday relatives from all over the country were gathering at Blackburn's Madina mosque where the family were hoping a funeral could take place sometime in the evening. Former mayor and still sitting councillor Zamir Khan MBE, an uncle in the tight-knit family, said Madia's body was still with the coroner. He said: 'Her little girl told me her mother pushed her out of the way as the branch fell. 'Madia was a loving, doting mother and a very caring person. 'The older boy was walking with his father in front and could not believe what happened. 'It is very hard for the children. I do not think they will ever walk in that park again. 'It is tarnished for them. Their father is not in a good way either. He and other members of the family have taken it very hard. 'People have come from all over the country - from Sheffield, Bradford, Birmingham, London and other places - to be at her funeral which we hoped to have this afternoon in accordance with Muslim tradition. 'But until her body is released by the coroner, we cannot move forward. We are hoping it will be released today. 'What happened was an act of nature but it is unbelievable.' In a statement, the council said it was 'deeply saddened' after the accident on Monday. The authority's chief executive Denise Park said: 'Our thoughts and heartfelt condolence are with the family and friends of the person who has lost their life at this very difficult time. 'Emergency services including paramedics and the air ambulance attended the scene. Council staff also supported by cordoning off the area to ensure public safety. 'As part of precautionary safety measures, the tree involved was being felled this morning. 'Witton Park is a much-loved community space, and the safety of everyone who visits is of the utmost importance to us. 'Our thoughts remain first and foremost with the family at this very sad time.' A Lancashire Police spokesman said the woman's death was not being treated as suspicious and a file would be prepared for the coroner. A cyclist who rides through the park every day said: 'I have seen loads of fallen branches before but it is mainly because of high winds. 'There wasn't even a breeze when this poor woman was killed. It is utterly heartbreaking. 'I shudder to think what her poor children and husband are going through.' Many people walking there today were unaware of the tragedy and thought the council were carrying out unnecessary tree work. One said: 'I was initially cross that they had cut the tree down until someone told me what had happened. It doesn't bear thinking about.' Local councillor Paul Marrow said: 'There have been concerns about ash dieback disease and the number of dead trees in Witton Park and across the borough.


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Blackburn mother killed by falling branch 'saved daughter's life'
A mother killed by a falling tree branch "saved her daughter's life by pushing her out of the way" just in time, a member of her family has Kauser, 32, was walking in Witton Country Park in Blackburn with her husband and two children on Monday when she was fatally struck, her great-uncle Zamir Khan Blackburn with Darwen councillor said Mrs Kauser's husband and nine-year-old son had been walking in front of her and their five-year-old daughter when the "one-in-a-million" tragedy Khan said her great-niece "loved her kids to bits" and would be remembered as a "very caring mum who died saving her daughter". 'Deeply saddened' "She was very kind-hearted and would go out of her way for anyone," he added."We are all devastated."Mr Khan said family members from all over the country had travelled to Blackburn to attend her funeral, which is due to take place later. Blackburn with Darwen Council, which owns the 480-acre (195-hectare) park, said it was "deeply saddened" and had since chopped down the beech tree from which the branch had local authority's chief executive Denise Park said: "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the family and friends of the person who has lost their life at this very difficult time."Lancashire Police said it was preparing a file for the coroner and said the woman's death was not being treated as services said they her unresponsive near the Buncer Lane entrance to the park just after 20:30 was pronounced dead at the scene. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Africa is much bigger than you think. Here's how you've been misled
The African Union is championing a drive to replace the 16th-century Mercator world map, arguing its widespread use by governments and international bodies inaccurately depicts Africa 's true scale. The projection, devised by cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation, distorts continent sizes, inflating areas near the poles like North America and Greenland, while shrinking Africa and South America. Selma Malika Haddadi, the deputy chairperson of the AU Commission, said the map's impact is significant. "It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not." She argued that the Mercator fosters a false impression of Africa as "marginal", despite it being the world's second-largest continent, with 54 nations and over a billion people. Such stereotypes influence media, education, and policy, she said. Criticism of the Mercator map is not new, but the 'Correct The Map' campaign – led by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa – has revived the debate, urging organisations to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which tries to reflect countries' true sizes. "The current size of the map of Africa is wrong," Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, said. "It's the world's longest misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it just simply has to stop." Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Speak Up Africa, said the Mercator affected Africans' identity and pride, especially children who might encounter it early in school. "We're actively working on promoting a curriculum where the Equal Earth projection will be the main standard across all (African) classrooms," Ms Ndiaye said, adding she hoped it would also be the one used by global institutions, including Africa-based ones. Ms Haddadi said the AU endorsed the campaign, adding it aligned with its goal of "reclaiming Africa's rightful place on the global stage" amid growing calls for reparations for colonialism and slavery. The AU will advocate for wider map adoption and discuss collective actions with member states, Ms Haddadi added. The Mercator projection is still widely used, including by schools and tech companies. Google Maps switched from Mercator on desktop to a 3D globe view in 2018, though users can still switch back to the Mercator if they prefer. On the mobile app, however, the Mercator projection remains the default. 'Correct The Map' wants organisations like the World Bank and the United Nations to adopt the Equal Earth map. A World Bank spokesperson said they already use the Winkel-Tripel or Equal Earth for static maps and are phasing out Mercator on web maps. The campaign said it has sent a request to the UN geospatial body, UN-GGIM. A UN spokesperson said that once received it must be reviewed and approved by a committee of experts. Other regions are backing the AU's efforts. Dorbrene O'Marde, Vice Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission, endorsed Equal Earth as a rejection of Mercator map's "ideology of power and dominance".