By Son Tertsea, Abuja

A Catholic priest was crushed to death by a wooden crucifix that pressed him against the pulpit as it fell from the wall while celebrating Mass in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil on Saturday.

According to reports, shouts of “Father, Father! Call an ambulance!” people at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church could be heard shouting just before a livestreamed broadcast cuts out.

The graphic footage of the accident went viral Sunday on social media and was widely carried by news outlets.

The Archdiocese of Guayaquil mourned the death of the priest, Patricio Sanchez, in a statement and expressed its “solidarity, affection and love” for his family and friends.

Colombian police say the arrested Israeli suspect is wanted by authorities in the United Arab Emirates for fraud, money laundering, forgery, and the use of falsified private documents

Mikhael Mezrahi, the Israeli national, has been detained following an Interpol Red Notice issued against him. The 61-year-old Israeli national known by the nickname “El Banquero” (The Banker) was arrested at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, in a joint operation by Colombian police and Interpol, authorities said.

Following his arrest, he was transferred to Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office as extradition proceedings advanced. Investigators allege that Mezrahi was connected to an international network responsible for defrauding a bank identified as Khartoum in Dubai of approximately $16.7 million using fraudulent financial documents

The suspect reportedly carried four passports while traveling to Venezuela.
Colombian media reported that the suspect, identified in some reports by his full name, Mikhael Jaime Shamis Mezrahi, arrived in Bogotá on a flight from Madrid and was preparing to board a connecting flight to Venezuela.

According to the reports, he was carrying four passports issued by different countries. In addition to Israeli and Mexican citizenship, he reportedly also holds Canadian and Lebanese citizenship.

Alleged fraud network linked to international businesses and money transfers.
According to the reports, Mezrahi’s extensive business activities include securities companies in the United Kingdom and real estate and tourism projects in Canada and Mexico.

He was also reportedly the subject of previous investigations in Canada related to drug trafficking. Investigators allege that proceeds from the fraud were transferred, in part, to a company he owned called WYB AG General Trading.

Colombian police hail arrest as international law enforcement success
Col. Alver Vicente Alfonso Sanabria, director of the Interpol investigation unit within Colombia’s National Police, described the arrest as a significant achievement in international law enforcement cooperation.

“Mezrahi’s arrest is a significant result of the international police cooperation mechanisms led by Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Colombia,” Sanabria said.

“It demonstrates the country’s commitment to combating transnational organized crime,” he added.

Airbus Southern Africa, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), one of Africa’s top universities, and the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO) all signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to put together a strategic partnership linking advanced aeronautical training with aerospace manufacturing and design in South Africa.

University of the Witwatersrand Airbus Southern Africa, Wits University, and ISAE-SUPAERO signed a four-year memorandum of understanding to collaborate on advanced aeronautical training in South Africa.

The agreement aims to provide South African engineering students with internationally recognized qualifications and support the local aerospace industry.
Wits and ISAE-SUPAERO will align their aerospace engineering courses and facilitate lecturer exchanges between Johannesburg and Toulouse.
The partnership includes regular student and staff exchanges, giving Wits students access to specialized master’s programs and advanced research in France.

The deal, with a four-year timeline, is designed to provide South African engineering students with internationally certified qualifications to bolster local industrialisation and engender the growth of the country’s aerospace industry.

The agreement will ensure that Wits and ISAE-SUPAERO will review and align their aerospace engineering courses, with lecturers exchanging expertise between Johannesburg and Toulouse.

According to Airbus, it will also give Wits students access to advanced aerospace design and engineering knowledge, as seen on DefenseWeb.

Furthermore, the deal is to establish regular student and staff exchanges, allowing Wits students to gain specialised master’s programmes and receive exposure to advanced research methods in France, according to Airbus.

“This collaboration connects academic excellence with industrial expertise to empower the next generation of South African aeronautical engineers,” said Nam-Binh Hoang, Airbus Country Representative in South Africa.

“By combining the local expertise of Wits University, the world-class aerospace training of ISAE-SUPAERO, and Airbus’s operational footprint, we are building a sustainable talent pipeline that supports both local innovation and global aerospace standards,” Nam-Binh Hoang added.

“Partnering with global leaders like Airbus and ISAE-SUPAERO enhances our capability to deliver world-class engineering education.

“This agreement ensures our students gain access to advanced aerospace modules, international exposure, and practical research opportunities directly tied to industry needs.” Professor Lynn Morris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at Wits University, stated.