Senator Miguel Uribe was hosting a presidential campaign meeting in a public park in Bogota when he was shot. AFP
Senator Miguel Uribe was hosting a presidential campaign meeting in a public park in Bogota when he was shot. AFP
Senator Miguel Uribe was hosting a presidential campaign meeting in a public park in Bogota when he was shot. AFP
Senator Miguel Uribe was hosting a presidential campaign meeting in a public park in Bogota when he was shot. AFP

Aspiring Colombian presidential contender Miguel Uribe fighting for life after being shot


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Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, an aspiring presidential contender, was shot in Bogota on Saturday, according to the government and his party, with his wife saying he was fighting for his life in hospital.

Mr Uribe survived an initial operation but remained in intensive care, his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona said.

The senator, 39, who was hit during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Centre party founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related.

According to a party statement, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighbourhood of the capital when “armed subjects shot him from behind”.

The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details about Mr Uribe's condition.

His wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on Mr Uribe's X account that her husband was “fighting for his life”.

Colombia's Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said a suspect had been arrested and that authorities were investigating whether others were involved. Mr Sanchez said he had visited the hospital where Mr Uribe was being treated.

The government is offering $730,000 as a reward for information on the case.

candles the ground as people gather outside Santa Fe Foundation hospital, where Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe is being treated in Bogota. Reuters
candles the ground as people gather outside Santa Fe Foundation hospital, where Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe is being treated in Bogota. Reuters

Colombia's presidency issued a statement saying the government “categorically and forcefully” rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation.

President Gustavo Petro sympathised with the senator's family in a message on X, saying “I don't know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that Washington “condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination” of Mr Uribe, blaming Mr Petro's “inflammatory rhetoric” for the violence.

Mr Uribe, who is not yet an official presidential candidate for his party, is from a prominent family in Colombia. His father was a businessman and union leader. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by an armed group under the command of the late cartel leader Pablo Escobar. She was killed during a rescue operation in 1991.

Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between left-wing rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government.

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The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

The finalists

Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho

Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson

Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)

Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola

Indoor Cricket World Cup

Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

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Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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How Filipinos in the UAE invest

A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.

Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).

Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

Updated: June 08, 2025, 8:50 PM`