International
Demonstrations return in Peru to demand Boluarte’s resignation
June 15 |
Some 300 Peruvians marched Wednesday in Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and members of Congress, in a resumption of widespread protests from December to February that began in the Andes and left more than 60 dead.
The demonstrators moved peacefully through the streets of the capital’s historic center, where anti-government marches were banned in February by order of Mayor Rafael Lopez-Aliaga, an ultra-conservative and ally of the president.
Although the protests in the capital had calmed down, in the southern region of Puno, bordering Bolivia, marches have been recurrent.
A week ago, on local flag day, rural Peruvians marched with black and white flags to mourn the shooting deaths of 18 civilians in confrontations with police in early January.
Shirley Muñoz, a 51-year-old cosmetics saleswoman, waved a Peruvian flag alongside riot police on Wednesday. “If she is a mother, if she is a woman, let her think about the young people who have died and let her resign so she can be at peace with her conscience,” the woman said in reference to President Boluarte.
Angie Quispe, a 31-year-old domestic worker, was marching with her seven-month-old son Liam to demand the resignation of the president, but also to ask for an improvement in her salary. “Since Dina’s government began, there has been no improvement for workers,” she said.
The proposals to bring forward the presidential and parliamentary elections, which were debated at the beginning of the year in the midst of protests, do not seem to interest the Congress, which has sent to the file five plans that sought to shorten the mandate of Boluarte and the 130 legislators.
Both the unicameral Parliament and the president maintain high unpopularity ratings, according to all polls. The firm Ipsos Peru revealed a recent national poll in June where 81% of Peruvians reject the work of the Parliament, while 77% disapprove of the President’s administration.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations agreed in May that security forces used excessive force in repressing anti-government demonstrations that began after then President Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Parliament on December 7 to avoid being removed from office.
Hours later, on the afternoon of December 7, Congress removed Castillo for moral incapacity. He was succeeded by Dina Boluarte, who was vice president.
Demonstrations against his administration began in the southern Andes, where much of the country’s mining and tourist wealth is concentrated, and in areas with strong identification with Castillo, now in preventive prison for three years while he is tried for alleged crimes of rebellion and corruption.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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