International

González Urrutia offers María Corina Machado the position “that she wants” in the eventual government

The presidential candidate of the majority opposition of Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia, offered the anti-chavista leader María Corina Machado the position she wants, in case of winning the elections, for which he appears as the contender to be defeated by the ruling party, according to most polls.

“I want to tell you that the position she wants will be occupied (by her) in the next government,” the standard-bearer of the Democratic United Platform (PUD), the largest opposition coalition, told journalists in the state of Zulia (west, border with Colombia).

The former ambassador thus responded to the question about the position that Machado would have in his eventual government, since the former deputy was elected as the original candidate of the PUD for these elections, but could not register with the National Electoral Council (CNE) due to a disqualification of the Comptroller’s Office.

González Urrutia made this brief statement minutes before leading a caravan in Maracaibo, capital of Zulia, where thousands of supporters filled several streets of the city to show their support for this candidacy, when there are two days of campaign left.

The candidate offered this press conference with Machado and, later, both led the caravan aboard a truck, from which they greeted the crowd that chanted slogans such as “this government is going to fall,” in reference to Chavismo, in power since 1999.

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In Sunday’s elections, González Urrutia will face the current ruler, Nicolás Maduro – who seeks his second re-election – and eight other contenders with no numerical possibility of triumph at the polls, according to opinion studies of traditional firms.

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.