Colombia Earthquake Kills at Least 132; Five Cities on Red Alert

At least 132 people were killed and more than 700 injured after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, and search efforts were underway with many people still trapped under rubble.

The worst-hit cities include Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales and Armenia, all of which remain under "red alert," the country's highest disaster threat level. The epicenter was reported in the municipality of San José del Palmar.

Seven airports have suspended operations, and hospitals, roads, transportation, aqueducts, energy service and telecommunications have been disrupted in the hardest-hit areas, according to Colombia's nonprofit Association of Capital Cities.

Hottest month on record in the U.S.

Separately, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said July was both the hottest July ever recorded and the hottest month in the agency's 132 years of record-keeping. The average temperature in the contiguous United States was 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average, and almost every part of the country experienced heat waves. The month also brought widespread drought, wildfires and heavy rainfall in nearly every corner of the country.

Iran's focus turns to the Strait of Hormuz

A U.S. military intelligence assessment says Iran's strategic priority has shifted from its nuclear program to the Strait of Hormuz, according to two U.S. officials. Military officials have told President Donald Trump that the United States could try to take the strait by force but that it would be a long, deadly and very costly campaign, with no certainty of victory.

Iran and Oman have been negotiating terms of a potential deal on the strait, with the United States on the sidelines. Although Trump insists the U.S. Navy controls the waterway, talks appear to be at an impasse. Iran has made new demands in recent days, including that the United States permanently end the war and compensate Iran for war damages, according to Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Voters, meanwhile, go to the polls Tuesday in primaries in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Carolina, Vermont, Connecticut and Alabama, contests that test both progressive Democrats and Trump's endorsements.