Pro-Trump lawyer Aberaldo de la Espriella pulled ahead as a leader in Colombia’s race for the presidency in the first round of elections over the weekend, capitalizing on a growing appetite for heavy-handed crackdowns on criminal groups across Latin America. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Christopher Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow on the Americas at Chatham House, says that "this is really again a part of what's unfortunately called the 'Donroe' doctrine asserting itself in partisan politics in Latin America".

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Michelle MORGAN, Marilyn Monroe biographer. Author of The Seven Year Itch, and the Birth of an Unlikely Feminist. One hundred years after the birth of Marilyn Monroe, the actress remains one of the most recognisable cultural figures of the twentieth century. Yet, as biographer Michelle Morgan argues in this centenary interview, the enduring fascination with Monroe often obscures the complexity of the woman behind the image. Far from being merely the glamorous "dumb blonde" immortalised by popular culture, Monroe emerges as a determined, intellectually curious, and surprisingly modern figure who challenged the limitations imposed upon her by Hollywood and society alike.

Colombians are heading to the polls Sunday. With current president Gustavo Petro stepping down, the search for his successor is seen as a referendum on his leftist social policies and response to growing violence in the country. Left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda, who says he will continue pursuing peace accords with armed groups, is leading in the polls. But he faces stark opposition from the more hawkish right. Trump-loving millionaire lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, who comes from one of Colombia's most important conservative dynasties, both favor harsher crackdowns on guerrilla groups. Details by Caroline Baum.

In Peru, hundreds of demonstrators marched through Lima on Saturday to protest against Keiko Fujimori’s candidacy and her family's political dynasty. They fear that, if elected, she will continue her father’s authoritarian regime. Keiko Fujimori came out on top in the first round of the presidential election and will face left-wing candidate Roberto Sánchez in the second round on June 7. Details by Eliza Herbert.

Pentagon head Pete Hegseth - has said that Washington could restart the war with Iran at any time if it wanted. His remarks follow days of talks and a two-hour meeting in the White House situation room - that has yet to produce a deal between the US and Iran. Analysis by FRANCE 24 international affairs editor, Shirli Sitbon.

Colombia is going to the polls this Sunday. The presidential election is set to determine Gustavo Petro’s successor. Violence is at the heart of this campaign: armed groups are stepping up their attacks, and each candidate has their own proposals for how to prevent it. Violence is an endemic problem in the country that has been ravaged by conflict for decades. Story by Eliza Herbert and Antoine Fenaux.

Nearly a month of anti-government protests and a blockade of the capital in Bolivia have pushed the country to a "breaking point", said the President, as demonstrators call for his resignation. Details by Antonia Kerrigan.

A judge has revoked the Kennedy Memorial Center board's decision to add Donald Trump's name to the institution, and close for 2 years of intense renovations. The President reacted in a lengthy tirade on his platform Truth Social, and angrily gave up his responsibility in the maintenance and management of the performing arts institution. Story by Antonia Kerrigan.

🎷 Sonny #Rollins, the fiercely inventive tenor saxophonist whose decades-spanning career helped define modern jazz and earned him the nickname "Saxophone Colossus," died Monday at his home in upstate #NewYork.

Sonny Rollins one of jazz's greats has passed away at age 95. Often called the 'Saxophone Colossus' after his groundbreaking 1965 album, Rollins left a lasting mark on jazz. Born in 1930, and raised in Harlem, Rollins took up the saxophone at age 8. By his twenties he was playing with the greats, and was known for practising on a New York Bridge for hours.

In another bid to quell the protests that have effectively blockaded the Bolivian capital, President Rodrigo Paz announced that he and his ministers would reduce their salaries by half on May 25. The demonstrations which have seen protestors clash with police are over the high cost of living in the country and the austerity measures put in place by the Paz government that tipped Bolivia's economy into the worst crisis in 40 years.

The U.S. military carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran on May 25, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely.” A delicate time, with the agreement possibly being days away. But Trump is now moving towards Iran's line regarding the destruction of enriched uranium. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson tells us more.

Sonny Rollins, the "Saxophone Colossus" and the last in a golden era of jazz greats, died on May 25. Aged 95, he was one of a handful of saxophone players who defined the instrument, a pantheon that includes Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane. Rollins' often marathon, hard-blowing solos earned him a reputation as the greatest jazz saxophone improviser. FRANCE 24's Samy-Vicente Lacerda looks back on Rollins' life.

US President Donald Trump's administration has announced the creation of a $1.776 billion ​fund for Americans deemed to be victims of political "weaponization," like January 6 Capitol riot defendants. But the announcement has brought in a lawsuit from a coalition of Trump critics adding to mounting backlash over the fund, seen as an additional act of corruption. FRANCE 24's Douglas Herbert looks at why.