International
The US and Morocco agree on the importance of promoting the peace proposal for Gaza
The United States and Morocco agreed on Monday on the importance of continuing to closely coordinate efforts to promote peace and security in the Gaza Strip and ensure the release of all the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke today with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, about the truce agreement that was announced on Friday by President Joe Biden, and which was criticized by members of the government of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Blinken told Bourita that the proposal would “enormously” benefit both Palestinians and Israelis, allow an increase in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the return of the displaced and the start of international reconstruction efforts, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The Secretary of State reiterated that Hamas should accept the proposal “without further delay.”
Hamas responded, a day after the proposal was announced, that it had valued it “positively,” while the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that he “fervently hopes” that the proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza “lead to an agreement between the parties for a lasting peace.”
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday and expressed his support for the proposal, which also has the support of the G7, the seven largest industrialized economies.
The group urged Hamas to accept the proposal for the cessation of hostilities, which have been extended for seven months.
Netanyahu, who has insisted that he wants a “total victory” over Hamas, avoided committing to the truce proposal on Monday and assured that the plan is incomplete.
Miller admitted today at a press conference that although Hamas remains “a threat” to Israel’s security because it continues to launch rockets against its territory, “this situation cannot be addressed only with a military response, but a political proposal is needed.”
Blinken also expressed to Bourita his gratitude to King Mohammed VI for Morocco’s humanitarian contributions to Gaza and stressed the importance of supporting this proposal as a means to build a “more integrated, peaceful and stable” Middle East region, Miller said.
He referred to the 40 tons of food aid sent to Gaza through an “unpublished” land route in the middle of this month and that was achieved thanks to good relations with Israel as a result of the rapprochement between the two countries in recent years and the normalization of their bilateral relations.
The Moroccan monarch took over with his personal resources a large part of the aid sent, especially that intended for babies and young children.
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.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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