THIS is the moment a brave presenter stays calm and soldiers on as an earthquake shakes the studio mid-broadcast.

France 24’s Spanish-language TV news was airing live from Bogota, Colombia, when a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on Sunday morning.

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Helena Lozano, right, was speaking to a correspondent when the earthquake hit[/caption]

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The France24 presenter remained calm – even as she realised the quake was more than a slight tremor[/caption]

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Entire buildings collapsed when the magnitude 6.5 quake shook their foundations[/caption]

Presenter Helena Lozano was in the studio, wrapping up a report from a correspondent in Beirut, when the building began shaking.

The screen behind the desk wavered around and the camera footage wobbled unsteadily.

Lozano puts her hands on the table to steady herself, but doesn’t miss a beat.

At first, she described the disruption as a “slight tremor” – before quickly realising the quake was more intense.

She said: “We are currently witnessing a slight tremor in the France 24 studios.”

Then, moments later, she admitted: “It’s not slight, it’s quite strong.

“The studio lights and cameras are shaking. We urge everyone to remain calm. We will return shortly.”

Despite the obvious danger, Lozano carried on speaking clearly and professionally – even having the composure to advise people to evacuate if necessary.

The clip went viral on social media, with many praising her guts for keeping a cool head.

One impressed viewer wrote on X: “How calm and professional the presenter is – I almost died of fright at home.”

Another wrote: “My respects to her professionalism.”

The quake’s epicentre was located about 150km from Bogota, and just 10km beneath the surface, which made its effects more violent.

Tremors were felt widely across central Colombia and reportedly left four people injured after striking just after 8am local time.

The capital was spun into panic by the tectonic shudders, with sirens blaring around the city and locals fleeing their homes out onto the street.

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The walls of this lean-to-style building were decimated by the quake[/caption]

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Aerial view of the damage caused in the town of Paratebueno outside Bogota[/caption]

It was one of the strongest quakes the country has seen in years – and was followed up by a 4.0 magnitude aftershock 12 minutes later.

Large areas of shanty neighbourhoods were razed to the ground, with ramshackle homes left crumpled in piles.

Pictures emerged of huge paving slabs which had split and buckled under the enormous force in Bogota.

The last time Colombia was rocked by an earthquake stronger than this was 2016, when a 7.8 magnitude killed almost 700 people.

And in 1999, almost 2,000 were wiped out by a 6.1 magnitude quake.

AMSTERDAM may soon have a mega Dutch brothel that will span over five floors and house hundreds of sex workers.

Incredible plans have been revealed for Erotisch Centrum – a multi-million dollar building with multiple bars and erotic entertainment venues – including a strip club.

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The Moulin Rouge Bar and sex shop in Amsterdam’s red light district[/caption]

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A concept photo shows the five-story mega-brothel that is being planned to replace the city’s red light district[/caption]

Amsterdam City Council has long been planning to build a massive brothel to relocate prostitutes away from the city’s current red light district.

And from this week, residents will be able to respond to the plans that are being backed by the city’s mayor herself.

According to Femke Halsema, the space will ensure safer working conditions, reduce criminality and tackle human trafficking.

Concept designs revealed in 2020 showed two towers in red and black with spiral ramps.

It comes as part of Dutch attempts to clear their capital’s reputation and improve its image as a historical city.

The city eventually plans to shut down the centuries-old red light district, which is popular for its neon-lit windows where sex workers stand and try to attract customers.

But many residents – and prostitutes – have already voiced their concerns about the plans.

In December 2023, Mayor Halsema proposed that the building should be built in Zuid – an affluential district in the south of the city.

The plans for a building solely dedicated to sex work were supposed to provide safe working conditions.

But it has attracted a wealth of criticism claiming that it does the exact opposite.

Some sex workers have decried being pushed out of the historic centre of prostitution, De Wallen, saying that other areas are prone to stigma and they could be at risk when travelling to and from work.

During a public discussion on the planning, former sex worker Mariska Majoor, said: “A prostitution window on the street is very different from one in a closed erotic centre.

“The location is dark at night. There will be more stigma and more danger.

“I’m worried they will be waited for on the paths by people with nefarious plans.”

While another sex worker added: “Sex workers have moved from doorways to windows…and now into a segregated centre pushed to the edge of town, out of sight, out of mind.

“Keep your laws off our bodies and no erotic prisons.”

Over 40 people spoke out against the plans during the public discussion – with some even going as far as to compare the brothel to a 16th century “spinning house” that marked “fallen women”.

The European Medicines Agency, who moved to the Zuid district in 2019, have said that they are “extremely concerned” by the plans.

A spokesman for the agency said: “EMA is very concerned that this will create safety, security and nuisance issues.

“The change of the location of the red light district is motivated by concerns of nuisance, drug-dealing, drunkenness and disorderly behaviour.

“Locating the Erotic Centre in close proximity to EMA’s building is likely to bring the same negative impacts to the adjacent area.

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A sex worker standing infront of a mirror in the red light area[/caption]

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Amsterdam’s red-light district at night[/caption]

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The plans for a building solely dedicated to sex work was supposed to provide safe working conditions[/caption]

“(We will be taking this to the) highest appropriate political and diplomatic level to ensure a safe working environment.

“EMA’s work is essential for the protection of public health in the EU, and this should not be jeopardised by fears of staff and EU experts coming to EMA’s building.”

So far, only seven people have spoken out in favour of the plans – among them, a male sex worker called Richard Jones.

Jones believes that the mega brothel could create more space for sex workers from minority groups.

He said that these sex workers are currently working in homes, either their own or their clients, and that this poses a big safety risk.

Jones went on to argue that if they had access to a large space, tailor-made for sex work, these minorities would be much safer.

He also added: “People who say they don’t want it in their neighbourhood don’t realise it is already happening…with their husbands, their friends, with them themselves.

“At the moment, your houses are our workplaces.”

BRITAIN’S top defence brainboxes have unveiled a Bond-style underwater drone designed to stop Putin’s cable-cutting saboteurs in their tracks.

The super sub can hunt out and destroy sabotage threats lurking on the seabed – by blowing them to smithereens.

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The underwater drone can prevent adversaries from sabotaging undersea cables and pipelines by disarming or removing threats[/caption]

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The high-tech robot has already been trialled Portsmouth’s Horsea Island, Portland Harbour, South Wales and Norway[/caption]

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The sub targets any potential saboteurs by blowing them to smithereens[/caption]

Developed by the MoD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), it is armed and ready to protect the UK’s vital undersea cables and pipelines.

Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), Dstl’s boffins have added cutting-edge sensors, cameras, and explosive systems to high-tech underwater robot.

That way, operators are able to spot unexploded bombs, place charges remotely, and safely neutralise the threat — without risking Royal Navy divers.

John, a Dstl explosives engineer, said: “This technology would be a valuable toolset for keeping our Armed Forces safe whilst providing the public with value for money.

“This unique capability with its sensors, tools and cameras will give operators a real time ability to deal with these underwater hazards in a safe, effective and efficient way.”

The underwater drone goes deeper than any diver can, staying down for far longer and working tirelessly.

It can be launched from a ship or even a shoreline, sending back sonar and video feeds to operators who remain at a safe distance while disarming explosives or fending off hostile actions.

Crucially, it’s reusable. Once a threat is neutralised, the drone sub lives to dive another day – cutting costs while keeping seas safe.

The project is also a win for British industry, supporting specialist jobs through partnerships with firms like Alford Technologies, Atlantas Marine, Sonardyne and ECS Special Projects.

Trials have already taken place in Portsmouth’s Horsea Island, Portland Harbour, South Wales and as far afield as Norway.

The Royal Navy is now developing tactics and techniques to make full use of the new tech.

The Ministry of Defence hailed the innovation on social media, calling it a leap forward in protecting sailors and vital undersea cables.

The new underwater drone arrives amid warnings about Russian undersea activity in UK waters.

 In April, it was revealed that Kremlin spy sensors had been found close to British territory — believed to be tracking the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines.

The sensors, reportedly deployed using Russian oligarchs’ luxury yachts, were discovered washed ashore and picked up by Navy minehunter ships.

Officials fear the covert operation could be part of a wider “greyzone” campaign to gather intelligence and target undersea infrastructure.

Royal Navy and RAF assets were scrambled last November when the suspected Russian spy ship Yantar was seen “lurking around pipelines and internet cables” in the Irish Sea.

Around the same time, RAF fighter jets intercepted a Russian warplane over the North Sea, and unmanned Russian underwater vehicles were also detected near communication cables.

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The Minehunter HMS Cattistock (R) shadowing Admiral Vladimirsky through the English Channel[/caption]

One senior source told The Sunday Times:  “It’s a bit like the space race. This is a world clouded in secrecy and subterfuge… but there’s enough smoke to suggest something is on fire somewhere.”

In March, HMS Cattistock and a Wildcat helicopter were sent to monitor the Admiral Vladimirskiy, a so-called research ship revealed in 2023 to be a spy vessel suspected of probing Britain’s power supply and internet links.

HMS Somerset and other Royal Navy units were also deployed multiple times to escort Russian vessels including a beach landing ship returning from the Mediterranean.

At least 11 internet cables in the Baltic Sea have been damaged in the past 15 months — some suspected to have been dragged by Russian ships — while surface vessels like the Admiral Vladimirskiy have continued probing waters near the UK.

In response, military chiefs are drawing up Operation Atlantic Bastion — a sweeping new patrol mission using air, land and sea forces to defend UK and Nato interests in the North Atlantic.

AN iconic Harley-Davidson dealership has closed its longtime location – but it’s not all bad news for fans.

The owner of the historic outlet on Route 66 in St. Louis has purchased one of its local competitors, merging the two into a single location under a new name.

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An iconic Harley-Davidson dealership has closed its longtime location – as its merging with anothet outlet[/caption]

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The combined dealership will now operate as St. Louis Harley-Davidson[/caption]

Doc’s Harley-Davidson, founded in 1955 and located at 930 S. Kirkwood Road, owned by Evan and Dina Schipper, a couple from Indiana who own several Harley dealerships in the Midwest.

And they’ve leveled the playing field with their most recent acquisition – Gateway Harley-Davidson – which was one of Doc’s primary rivals.

Now, the two dealerships have now been combined at Gateway’s former location.

According to Biz Journals, the combined dealership will now operate as St. Louis Harley-Davidson, having opened last Tuesday at the Gateway Harley-Davidson location.

Updates to signage and plans for renovations are expected in the near future.

The decision to consolidate the dealerships, a decision that was supported by Harley-Davidson themselves, comes as St. Louis is viewed as having too many Harley-Davidson dealerships.

The area, known for its large Harley following and loyal customer base, is what attracted him to own a dealership in St. Louis in the first place, he said.

Other local dealership options include Green Mount Road Harley-Davidson in O’Fallon, Illinois; Ted’s Motorcycle World in Alton; St. Charles Harley-Davidson in St. Charles; and Gold Star Harley-Davidson in Festus.

“To successfully navigate the current business conditions and financial constraints with the economy, there’s challenges for both businesses that ultimately resulted in us coming together to merge the two stores,” Schipper said.

“Finally we were able to get the pieces and the stars in alignment to make it happen.”

He also hopes that longtime customers of both locations will give the new dealership a chance.

“I can’t say that it’s the physical location that makes the dealership,” he added.

“In my opinion, it’s the people that work there and the relationships that are built between the customers of the St. Louis area and the employees that work at the location.

“So they’re going to see those same great faces from Doc’s Harley-Davidson, they’re going to see those same great faces from Gateway Harley-Davidson, at the new St. Louis Harley-Davidson.”

All of Doc’s employees made the move to the new location, and all but five Gateway employees who chose to leave are staying on, resulting in roughly 40 combined employees.

Schipper hopes that the combined dealership will streamline operations and grow the business to a point where he can eventually hire more employees.

SOME Americans are receiving checks worth up to $1,500 from a guaranteed income program.

Those who qualified will get money sent to them monthly for years.

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The “Breathe” program is part of an effort to alleviate poverty in Los Angeles County, California.

The county is giving out thousands to more than one thousand individuals.

HOW IT WORKS

Guaranteed income programs are designed to give people regular cash with few, if any, strings attached.

Advocates say these programs are more effective than welfare, which can be pulled if the beneficiary starts making “too much” money to qualify.

LA County’s Breathe program started in 2022, and aimed to give 1,000 residents $1,000 monthly for three years.

In 2023, the program was expanded to provide 200 former LA County foster children $1,000 monthly for two years.

Then, in August 2024, the program was expanded to over 2,000 foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21.

However, this wave of the program is only paying $500 monthly or $1,500 quarterly.

Those who qualified will get money for 18 months.

The application period has now closed.

For more details on who qualifies and other resources for those looking to help themselves out of poverty, check the county’s website.

HAND-UPS

The program has released a series of videos sharing testimonies from Breathe recipients.

One official working for the program said they don’t call the payments “handouts,” but rather “hand-ups” to help people improve their lives.

Darien, a single mother of five, was one of the hundreds selected for payments.

“I don’t get a lot of help,” she said. “For the next couple of years that I get it, I’m able to save up.”

She said she ultimately plans to open a food truck.

Single mother Jackie was sleeping in her car with her 10-year-old daughter when she joined the program.

“We weren’t living anymore, we were just trying to survive,” she said, adding that she now plans to return to school using the money.

MORE MONEY

The U.S. Sun has tracked a variety of programs paying people directly.

A similar program in Sacramento is paying some Americans $850 monthly.

The program is reserved for those with children under five.

Some families could be eligible for $2,000 monthly.

Another program, run by a non-profit, is set to pay some Illinois residents $500 per month.

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