International

TPS holders at risk in the upcoming U.S. presidential election

The U.S. presidential election is less than a month away. And there are many immigrants, mostly Salvadorans, who will risk staying in the U.S. Since they do not have the right to vote.

For over two decades now, many TPS holders have been waiting on a permanent solution to their immigration status. They demand, among many things, the right to apply for a permanent residence or citizenship. These issues had a decisive setback last September, when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted President Donald Trump’s administration permission to end TPS.

The TPS program, created in 1990 by the U.S. Congress, grants permits to citizens of nations affected by war, violence or natural disasters to stay in the country.

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Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was originally created as a temporary relief, as its name implies. But it has been extended over the years, leaving its holders with an irregular immigration status. So much so it disqualifies them from pursuing any legal status and often even from traveling to their home countries because of the risk of not being able to enter the U.S. again.

Following the election (regardless of its outcome), hundreds of people will demand permanent U.S. residency for TPS holders. After the court’s ruling in September, a group of “TPS holders” boarded a bus named ‘La Libertad’ (‘Liberty’ in English) that had the message “Residency Now” written on it. The bus plans to travel to 54 cities in 32 states until it arrives in Washington, D.C. in the first weeks of November.

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This tour, called “Journey for Justice” by its organizers, is supported by the National TPS Alliance, made up of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). And it brings TPS holders from El Salvador and Honduras together.

According to information from Telemundo and news agencies, this tour has three messages. The first one is permanent residency for TPS holders; the second one is to raise awareness on the reality of the Coronavirus, that people have to be careful; the third one is “vote, vote, vote” and choose the people who best represent the working-class and immigrant interests in the United States, because the future is in the hands of those who have the privilege to choose: U.S. citizens.

Sources: Telemundo and agencies

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International

Hiroshima survivor who embraced Obama dies at 88

The emotional embrace between Barack Obama and Hiroshima survivor Mori—who was eight years old when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945—resonated around the world.

According to Asahi Shimbun and other local media, Mori died on Saturday at a hospital in Hiroshima.

Mori, known for his research on the fate of American prisoners of war in Hiroshima, was thrown into a river by the force of the explosion on August 6, 1945, during the atomic bombing of the city.

In a past interview with AFP, ahead of his meeting with Obama at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 2016, Mori recalled the chaos and desperation that followed the blast.

He described how, after emerging from the water, he encountered injured civilians seeking help amid the devastation, an experience that stayed with him throughout his life.

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In 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he paid tribute to the victims of the first atomic bomb used in warfare. During the visit, Mori was visibly moved as he met the president, sharing a brief but powerful moment that symbolized remembrance and reconciliation.

The bombing of Hiroshima resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people, including those who succumbed to radiation exposure in the aftermath.

Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people and contributing to the end of World War II.

International

Colombia seeks ‘total suffocation’ of armed groups with regional support

Colombia is advancing a strategy aimed at the “total suffocation” of illegal armed groups, seeking to corner them in border regions with the support of Ecuador and Venezuela, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview with AFP.

According to the minister, coordinated pressure from neighboring countries—backed by United States—aims to dismantle criminal networks that use cross-border routes to traffic Colombian cocaine toward North America and Europe.

For decades, armed groups involved in Colombia’s internal conflict have relied on border territories as strategic rear bases to evade military operations and maintain logistical support.

However, Sánchez said that dynamic is beginning to change.

“We expect a total suffocation between both nations so they have no spaces where they can live or feel safe […] to close off any room they might have,” he stated during the interview in Bogotá, less than five months before the end of President Gustavo Petro’s term.

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Regional developments have reinforced this strategy. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation, Washington has increased its influence in Caracas, where interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has implemented a renewed anti-narcotics policy.

Meanwhile, in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa—a key U.S. ally in the region—has launched a two-week security plan under strict curfews to combat criminal gangs, with U.S. support.

Sánchez argued that these combined efforts leave illegal organizations with fewer escape routes and operational spaces, effectively placing them in a “dead end.”

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.