International
At least 29 Maoists killed in a confrontation in central India before the elections
At least 29 Maoist insurgents were killed and three members of the security forces were injured on Tuesday in a confrontation in the state of Chhattisgarh, in central India, three days before the start of the general elections.
“After receiving specific intelligence information, an operation was launched by the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) and the District Reserve Guard (DRG). While the operation was underway, members of the Maoists opened fire and the BSF troops responded,” a spokesman for the border guards said in statements to the Indian Express newspaper.
The Inspector General of the Police of Bastar, Sundarraj, told the media that the security forces found after the confrontation the bodies of 29 Naxalite fighters, named because the movement was born after a revolt in the Bengali village of Naxalbari in 1967.
“There was also a large number of weapons and ammunition from the area. Three soldiers were injured in the confrontation and are out of danger,” Sundarraj added.
Active for half a century, especially in the so-called ‘red belt’ of India, a strip of territory that runs through the center and east of the country, Maoists seek to impose an agrarian revolution.
At least thirteen Maoist insurgents died in a confrontation with the security forces in the state of Chhatisgarh, in central India, a police source said on Wednesday, a clash that comes weeks before the general elections.
The confrontation comes just two weeks after at least thirteen Maoist insurgents died in another clash in the same region, and three days before the start of the general elections in India.
Next Friday, the Asian country will hold the first of the seven phases of a mammoth elections whose result is expected on June 4.
The powerful Indian Minister of the Interior, Amit Shah, said last Sunday during a rally in Chhattisgarh that if the current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, obtains a third consecutive term in the elections “he will eradicate Naxalism in three years” in the region.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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