International

Bolsonaro says he suffers “endless persecution” after a new judicial setback

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro affirmed that the alleged political persecution he suffers has no end, after the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) of Brazil rejected an appeal that he filed against a conviction that was imposed on him and that left him ineligible for eight years.

“Endless persecution. They maintained the electoral disqualification and the fine of 425,000 reais (about 85,000 dollars or 78,370 euros),” said the leader of the far right in Brazil in a message he posted on his social networks after the new judicial setback was known.

The captain of the Army reserve thus reacted to the decision of the president of the High Electoral Tribunal (TSE), magistrate Alexandre de Moraes, who rejected the appeal filed by Bolsonaro’s defense against one of the two convictions that prevent him from running for any public office until 2030.

In a decision that was published in the Official Journal of Justice, the magistrate denied the request of Bolsonaro’s defense for that conviction to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

The leader of the far right seeks to reverse the sentence of October last year in which the Electoral Tribunal, by 5 votes in favor and 2 against, concluded that Bolsonaro and his candidate for vice president in the 2022 presidential elections, Walter Braga Netto, abused his economic and political power during the electoral campaign.

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The magistrates considered that the two candidates turned the official commemorations for the Bicentennial of the Independence of Brazil, held in September 2022 and financed and organized by the State, into an act of electoral proselytism from which they tried to benefit.

Moraes, in his sentence, said he rejected the appeal of the former president’s defense for procedural inconsistencies and affirmed that Bolsonaro was not curtaied of the right to proper defense nor was he violated any constitutional right that justifies the case to be brought to the Federal Supreme Court.

The defense, which can still file an appeal before the highest court for it to analyze the case even without the endorsement of the electoral court, announced that this will be its next step.

“We deeply respect the decision of the electoral court, but, because we do not agree with its content, we will present the appropriate appeal at the right time,” the lawyers said in a statement.

In addition to this conviction, Bolsonaro was also declared ineligible for eight years by another decision of the electoral court, in June 2023, in which he was found guilty of abuse of political power and misuse of state media.

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This conviction was for a meeting he convened with ambassadors from different countries, broadcast on state television, in which he questioned the reliability of Brazil’s electronic voting system.

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.

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“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.

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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.