International
Argentine president Milei’s cryptic hebrew post hints at new legislation amidst political turmoil
Argentine President Javier Milei posted a message in Hebrew on his social media accounts this Friday, hours before his appearance before the Legislative Assembly, suggesting the possibility of introducing new laws to Parliament following the failed processing of the so-called ‘omnibus law.’
On his X social media account, the libertarian economist posted a message with his well-known slogan “VIVA LA LIBERTAD CARAJO” (Long live freedom, damn it) written three times, accompanied by a text in Hebrew.
“God said to Moses: Write on two new tablets (like the first ones) the laws that I gave you on the first tablets that you broke,” reads the text from the book of Exodus (Old Testament) 34:1, shared by Milei a few hours before his speech to the Assembly.
This quote, referring to the Ten Commandments, alludes to another passage from the same book (32:15), in which God had given Moses the original tablets. Moses threw them on the ground and broke them when he saw that the people were worshiping the golden calf as a deity.
Possible Allusion
This biblical imagery could be an allusion by Milei to his Basic Principles and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines Law project, better known as the ‘omnibus law,’ which failed to gain sufficient support in parliamentary proceedings and returned to square one. It may also hint at the idea of being able to send future reforms to Parliament.
The president himself stated that he would prefer not to reprocess it rather than “dismantle it,” which he claimed was what the opposition intended to do.
The Freedom Advances, a far-right party led by Milei, has 38 deputies and 7 senators (the third parliamentary minority), while none of the 24 regional government leaders (23 provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires) belong to his party.
This situation forces the libertarian to seek support from other opposition forces to advance his bills, a task that has become complicated in recent times due to his direct confrontation with provincial governors over the reduction of funds that the state must send to their territories.
Several of these local rulers recently requested “dialogue” to reach possible agreements, although they demanded “respect” in the treatment of the Argentine president towards them, following some derogatory or dismissive comments shared on social media.
Milei will speak this Friday at 9:00 p.m. (00:00 GMT on Saturday) in his first appearance before the Legislative Assembly less than three months after assuming the presidency on December 10. On that day, he chose to deliver his inaugural speech on the street rather than inside the Congress.
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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