International
Ecuadorian eyes on Constitutional Court after cross death
May 18 |
All eyes in Ecuador are focused today on the Constitutional Court (CC) awaiting a pronouncement from that judicial body on the cross death decree.
After the declaration of this measure by the Ecuadorian president, Guillermo Lasso, on Wednesday morning, several social organizations and political parties described it as illegal for not being justified in one of the grounds provided by law.
According to the Constitution, the cross death can be applied if the National Assembly arrogates functions to itself, if the legislative body obstructs the National Development Plan, or due to a serious political crisis and internal commotion.
In this sense, former Assemblymen Esteban Torres, from the Social Christian Party, and Yeseña Guamaní, from Izquierda Democrática, filed a claim of unconstitutionality before the CC.
If the decree lacks legality, the Assembly will remain standing with the expectations of the Ecuadorians these two years, but if on the contrary the document has the validity of the CC, we will go to elections, reiterated Torres when formally delivering the document at the headquarters of the public institution.
On his part, the former president of the Parliament Virgilio Saquicela assured that the pronouncement of the CC is a matter of national urgency because the Legislative power was dissolved without the existence of the social commotion of which the Chief Executive spoke.
Likewise, the head of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), Leonidas Iza, reiterated that despite the fact that the decree of cross death is a mechanism established in the Constitution, in this context its application is not justified because it does not prove the existence of the cause of social commotion and political crisis, denounced the indigenous leader.
By the way, Conaie declared itself in permanent vigil in view of the recent political events in the Andean country and although it did not call for mobilizations, its members announced that they will be attentive to the decisions of the Lasso government and in permanent defense of the interests of the Ecuadorian people.
Meanwhile, the National Electoral Council has already announced that it will call for early general elections before May 24, that is to say, in seven days, as determined by the regulations for these cases.
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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