A makeshift pyrotechnics factory near Bogota, Colombia has exploded, killing four and injuring at least 30 more. The blast tore through both floors of the house and also damaged nearby buildings and vehicles.

Several gas cylinders exploded around 1pm in a house in the La Estrada neighborhood of Engativà, a town west of Bogota, according to Cablenoticias news agency, which reported the building was being used to manufacture wicks and gunpowder for “tejo,” a game that involves throwing a metal disc at packets of gunpowder.

At least 16 of the injured were minors, according to district health authorities, who said most of the injuries were caused by the shock wave from the blast.

Authorities have ruled out a deliberate attack but are still investigating what caused the explosion.

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The Houthis have offered to withdraw their forces from three key ports in Yemen starting this weekend, according to senior United Nations official in charge of monitoring the move.

The UN “welcomes the offer and intention of the Ansar Allah to undertake an initial unilateral redeployment from the ports of Al-Hudaydah, Salif and Ras-Issa,” said Michael Lollesgaard, chair of the UN’s Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), which oversees some of the peace talks between the warring parties in Yemen.

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Ansar Allah (Supporters of God) is the official name for the military arm of the Houthis, who have been in conflict with a coalition led by Saudi Arabia since early 2015.

Al-Hudaydah (Hodeidah) is a major port on the Red Sea, which has been under siege by the Saudi-led coalition forces since June 2018. Salif and Ras-Issa are a salt mine and oil terminal north of the port.

According to the UN, the Houthis have pledged to turn control of all three to the Yemen Red Sea Ports Corporation, a governmental body that manages some of the country’s commercial shipping.

The Houthis agreed in principle to vacate the ports when they met to negotiate in Sweden last December. The resulting ‘Stockholm Agreement’ saw a number of setbacks since then as the fighting continued.

The gesture of goodwill by the Houthi rebels did not sit well with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.

The Yemeni information minister, Moammar al-Eryani, has castigated the proposal as “innacurate” and “misleading,” arguing that any withdrawl of forces that does not envisage “joint verification” by the parties is “elusive and manipulative.”

The conflict in Yemen has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and put millions on the brink of starvation in what was already the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula. Fighting has choked off much of the aid entering the ports, and with the coming redeployment the UN hopes the flow of food and other goods entering Yemen will increase, helping alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called his former intelligence chief a mastermind behind the recent botched coup attempt, claiming Caracas has proof that he was recruited by the CIA over a year ago.

During a televised speech on Friday, Maduro unleashed an attack on General Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, former director general of Venezuela’s National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), who defected from Maduro’s side in the wake of the failed military coup on April, 30. The coup attempt fizzled out within hours as it failed to attract broad support from the military, having been orchestrated by a small group of soldiers.

Maduro said that investigators were able to determine that Figuera was the driving force behind the attempt, and was apparently doing it at the behest of Washington.

“Investigations have succeeded in proving that General Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera has been recruited by the CIA for more than a year,” Maduro said, adding that justice would be served on the “traitor” Figuera “sooner rather than later.”

After the coup flopped, opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized as ‘interim president’ of Venezuela by the US and 50 other countries, lamented that the opposition did not have enough manpower and supporters within government circles.

While the opposition seemed to have been poorly prepared for a decisive push to topple Maduro, it might be explained by the fact that Figuera was apparently in a hurry to rush the coup before his imminent arrest.

Maduro revealed that he was given a heads-up by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, Supreme Court chief Maikel Moreno, and chief of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, Iván Hernández Dala, about Figuera’s “strange behavior” in the run-up to the coup attempt.

Figuera was going to be fired and arrested at 9:00am on April 30, and that is what apparently prompted him to set the coup in motion, Maduro said.

The president also accused the former spy chief of spreading false rumors about Padrino and Moreno’s intent to join the opposition, both considered “honorable patriots” by Maduro.

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Figuera became one of the most senior officials to switch sides and join the Guaido-led opposition. In a letter circulated after he broke ranks with Maduro, he wrote that his decision was prompted by his desire to “rebuild the country” and fight rampant corruption.

His defection earned lavish praise from US Vice President Mike Pence, who cited Figuera’s example as a rallying call for those Venezuelan serviceman who don’t want to suffer under US sanctions. Pence personally announced the lifting of all sanctions from Figuera on Tuesday, commending him for “taking a stand for the Bolivarian constitution and libertad.”

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The SpaceX Crew Dragon has apparently brought a party spirit along with supplies on its very first visit to the International Space Station (ISS). Russia has sent a complaint to NASA about the strange delivery.

The incident occurred early in March, when the Crew Dragon arrived at the ISS, head of the Cosmonaut Training Centre Pavel Vlasov told RIA Novosti on Friday. As it was a test flight, the ship was unmanned and brought a load of supplies and a dummy astronaut instead of an actual crew.

On March 3, the station crew noticed a strong alcohol odor and ran some tests, discovering an unusually high concentration of isopropyl alcohol in the air – some 6 milligrams per cubic meter. Before the arrival of the Crew Dragon, the concentration was only a fraction of milligram, according to Vlasov. The cosmonauts had to employ air purification systems, managing to bring concentration to 2 milligrams, and it fell even further after the departure of the SpaceX ship.

In addition to the mysterious alcohol, the ship also set off an alarm in the Russian part of the station during the docking. While that might have signaled a malfunction in the station oxygen systems, it was deemed to be a false alarm. It remains unclear whether the alarm was actually linked to the arrival of the SpaceX vessel.

Russian space authorities have filed a complaint with NASA about the isopropyl issue, however. The US space agency has acknowledged the issue, describing the incident as “interesting,” yet not dangerous to the station and its crew. SpaceX is cooperating with the investigation of the mysterious alcohol affair as well, according to NASA.

While the direct connection between the spirits abroad the ISS and the Crew Dragon is yet to be established, the alcohol affair adds to the string of mishaps plaguing the SpaceX vessel. Back in April, a Crew Dragon was obliterated in a powerful blast during engine tests. While both SpaceX and NASA initially downplayed the incident, describing it as an “anomaly,” it was officially acknowledged this week that the ship did in fact undergo a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”

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The Crew Dragon, also known as Dragon 2, is a reusable, manned spacecraft designed to bring up to seven people abroad the ISS and back. It is an upgraded version of the Dragon-type transport vessel, employed for bringing supplies to the station.
With its development already behind schedule, the recent mishaps with the Crew Dragon threaten NASA’s plans to have its own means of bringing astronauts to the ISS and back. Since the iconic Space Shuttle program was canceled back in 2011, the US has had to rely on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to get astronauts into space.

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The US is sending a battery of Patriot missiles to join the carrier strike group and bomber task force currently “protecting” American interests in the Middle East from Iran, still insisting the buildup is merely defensive.

The missiles and transport ship USS Arlington are being deployed to the region “in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against US forces and our interests,” according to a Pentagon statement.

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While the Pentagon continues to insist it “does not seek conflict with Iran,” it is “postured and ready to defend US forces and interests in the region,” according to the statement.

The latest round of heavy weaponry joins the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and an Air Force bomber task force, both of which arrived in the Central Command region this week to send an “unmistakable message,” in the words of National Security Advisor John Bolton, that the US is prepared to unleash “unrelenting force” in response to any provocation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed the threat on Thursday, promising a “swift and decisive” response to an attack by Iran – or its proxies.

Details about the “intelligence” used as a pretext for the military buildup have been scarce, though multiple reports suggest the tip came from Israel’s Mossad, which is far from a neutral source when it comes to Iran. A CNN report on Friday claimed “intelligence has shown” Iran is “likely” loading short-range ballistic and cruise missiles onto boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which President Donald Trump conveniently declared a terrorist organization last month. The US military, CNN said, “believes that cruise missiles could be launched from the small Iranian boats.” 

“We have been very clear that we have no interest in escalation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told Al Jazeera earlier this week, adding that Iran would not “permit the US to threaten the Persian Gulf.” Last month, he warned Trump that the more hawkish members of his administration might conduct a false-flag attack to push the US into war with Iran. On Friday, the US Maritime Administration issued a warning that “Iran or its proxies” may target commercial and military vessels in the area, advising commercial ships to alert the US’ Fifth Fleet several days in advance before accessing the Strait of Hormuz.

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US President Donald Trump says he does not view recent short-range missile launches by Pyongyang as a violation of his trust, telling Politico that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are still on good terms.

In an extensive interview on Friday, Trump briefly gave his take on North Korea’s increased missile activity. 

In stark contrast to his saber-rattling of two years ago, Trump seemed to be pretty laid-back when speaking about Pyongyang’s recent series of short-range missile tests, the latest of which took place just a day earlier. Early Thursday morning, the DPRK test-fired two short-range projectiles from its Sino-ri launch site, which flew 260 and 170 miles.

“They’re short-range and I don’t consider that a breach of trust at all,” the president said.

Possibly leaving a loophole for himself in case of a sudden change of heart, Trump said that “at some point” he may start considering the launches inappropriate.

“But at this point no,” he said, calling the tests “very standard stuff.”

Trump sounded equally ambiguous when talking about his supposedly “excellent” relationship with Kim. He said that for the moment, the two remain on friendly terms, adding that this too might change “at some point.”

Following their summit in Hanoi in February, the thaw between the two nations appeared all but over after the talks ended with no deal and were followed by strong rhetoric from Pyongyang questioning Washington’s willingness to mend ties with the North.

North Korea accused the US of using a strong-arm approach to the negotiations, urging it to drop “its current calculation method” and vowing to increase its own defensive posture in the meantime, including resuming missile tests.

The talks in Vietnam ended abruptly after the US reportedly refused to relieve North Korea of sanctions in exchange for it halting nuclear and ballistic missiles tests, while insisting on full and irreversible denuclearization.

In the wake of the short-range missile launches by Pyongyang, the US test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile and conducted a submarine missile test. The US military insisted that the timing of the tests is in no way connected to the North Korean launches.

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A senior Iranian cleric has warned the US against displays of power, saying that one missile could destroy a fleet worth billions of dollars. His words come as America sends an aircraft carrier group as a message to Iran.

Ayatollah Yousef Tabatabai-Nejad, who represents the Isfahan Province in Iran’s Assembly of Experts, said on Friday that the US’ “billion-dollar fleet can be destroyed with one missile,” according to the Iranian ISNA news agency. He did not elaborate, though, which particular missile he had in mind.

Earlier, a deputy head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps also made it clear he sees Washington’s muscle-flexing as empty bravado. The US “will not dare to launch a military action against us,” Yadollah Javani told Tasnim News Agency.

This week the US sent the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group as well as a bomber task force to “send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime,” as US National Advisor John Bolton put it. However, the move apparently failed to impress Tehran.

Bolton indeed admitted that the US “is not seeking war with the Iranian regime.” But he also stated that any attack on the interests of the US or its allies “will be met with unrelenting force.”

These statements come amid another spiral of tension in relations between Washington and Tehran. The US aircraft carrier deployment follows a fresh round of sanctions imposed against the Iranian nuclear energy sector.

The US has also spared no efforts in mounting pressure on Tehran following its own withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal a year ago. In April, the US lifted exemptions granted to the buyers of Iranian oil and designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group. Iran responded by adding the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to its own terrorist list.

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Two French soldiers were killed during a rescue operation to free four tourists kidnapped in the Sahel region of Africa, the Elysee Palace has confirmed. The operation took place on Thursday night into the early hours of Friday.

The two soldiers have been named as Cédric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello, both members of France’s special forces.

Two French hostages, captured in Benin on May 1, as well as a US citizen and South Korean national were successfully freed in the operation.

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In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the armed forces for successfully freeing the hostages and thanked the families of the deceased servicemen for their sacrifice. Macron also thanked the Beninese and Burkinabé authorities for their “perfect cooperation” and reaffirmed France’s commitment to fighting terrorism in the Sahel region.

There are no confirmed reports of casualties among the kidnappers.

France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly confirmed the deaths in an online statement and offered her condolences to the families of the dead soldiers.

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Donald Trump has hit China with billions of dollars in new tariffs because there’s been no breakthrough in talks on a trade deal. Is there anyone who doesn’t think this is just negotiating?

China has vowed to retaliate, because it’s negotiating as well, you might call it ‘The Art of the Deal”. However much the two biggest economies in the world posture and threaten, the likelihood is they’ll cobble something together because there’s a lot of money to be made.

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This week, ICYMI looks at the situation and makes its prediction.

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Fierce clashes broke out on the streets of Bogota, Colombia between student protesters armed with Molotov cocktails and police in armored vehicles deploying water cannon.

Violence erupted outside The National Pedagogic University as anti-government protests over education and state pension cuts proposed by President Iván Duque continue.

Police fired water cannon and launched tear gas to disperse the protesters who pelted the riot squad with stones and Molotov cocktails.

According to Colombian media, there were no arrests in connection with the violence which took place Thursday.

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