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A Colombian army helicopter has crashed in a rural area of the country's north, killing 9 soldiers

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A Colombian army helicopter has crashed in a rural area of the country's north, killing 9 soldiers

An army helicopter carrying supplies to troops crashed in a rural area in northern Colombia on Monday, killing nine soldiers on board, the country’s armed forces said.

In a statement, the Colombian military said the helicopter was taking the supplies to the municipality of Santa Rosa del Sur, an area that has recently experienced fighting between the National Liberation Army guerrilla group and the drug trafficking group known as the Gulf Clan.

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The military statement described the helicopter crash as an accident.

Nine members of Colombia’s military lost their lives when their helicopter crashed in a rural area of northern Colombia. (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

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“I regret the death of the nine passengers on board the army’s helicopter” Colombian president Gustavo Petro wrote on X on Monday. “It was supplying troops…that were conducting operations against the Gulf Clan.”

The military said the helicopter crashed around 1:50 pm local time. It was an MI-17 Russian-built chopper that is often used to carry troops and supplies.

Two officers were among the victims of the crash, which also included two sergeants and three privates. None of the passengers on the helicopter survived.

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Live Updates: ‘Technical Failure’ Caused Helicopter Crash That Killed Iran’s President, State News Agency Reports

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The deaths of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and foreign minister left the country without two of its most influential figures at a moment of regional and domestic tumult. Funeral services will be held in three cities from Tuesday through Thursday, the state media said.

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Denmark turns to Kosovo to alleviate its overcrowded prison system in $217 million deal

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Denmark turns to Kosovo to alleviate its overcrowded prison system in $217 million deal

Kosovo’s Cabinet renewed efforts with a new draft law on renting a prison in the south of the country to Denmark to help it cope with its overpopulated prison system, an official said Monday.

The first draft of the law failed to pass at the parliament last week. But on Sunday, the Cabinet approved a draft law on 300 cells at the prison in Gjilan, 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the capital Pristina, to be rented to Denmark, based on a a 10-year agreement that the two governments signed in April and May 2022, government spokesman Perparim Kryeziu said.

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“The Cabinet approved it (the draft law) again yesterday (Sunday) so that it passes on to the Assembly (the parliament) to be voted on again,” he said.

An official in Kosovo says the Cabinet has renewed efforts with a new draft law on renting a prison in the south of the country to Denmark to help it cope with its overpopulated prison system. (Photo by Ferdi Limani/Getty Images)

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Last week, the draft law got 75 votes, not reaching at least 80, or two-thirds of the 120-seat parliament as required to pass.

Kosovo will be paid 200 million euros ($217 million) that will be spent on the country’s correctional institutions and renewable energy projects.

According to the plan, Denmark won’t be able to send inmates convicted of terrorism or war crimes, or mentally ill prisoners. A Danish warden will run the 300-cell facility, accompanied by an Albanian one and other local staff.

Kosovo’s prison system has a capacity of up to 2,800. It wasn’t immediately possible to find out the current number of vacancies.

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Neighboring Albania has agreed to hold thousands of asylum-seekers for Italy.

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'The new Ursula': How von der Leyen learned to stop worrying and love Meloni

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By embracing those who advocate for the erosion of democracy, VDL now aligns with figures who cloak themselves as quintessential Europeanists, ready to steer Europe through its future policy challenges. What could possibly go wrong, Giorgios Samaras writes.

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