International

Chavismo rejects the opposition’s call for a “serious negotiation”

Chavismo rejected this Thursday, again, the call for a “serious negotiation” by the main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), which claims to have won the presidential elections of July 28, in which Nicolás Maduro has been proclaimed re-elected president.

The president of the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), Jorge Rodríguez, responded in a press conference – broadcast by the state channel Venezolana de Televisión – that Chavismo will maintain a “political dialogue” exclusively through the Chamber, which opened this Thursday a process of consultations without the participation of the PUD, despite having been invited.

“We are not going to accept tables, private meetings, secret meetings, chaplants, or anywhere other than the Federal Legislative Palace,” said the deputy, who called the flag bearer of the PUD in the presidential elections, Edmundo González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since September 8.

In this way, Rodríguez, one of the leaders of Chavismo, responded to the appeal of the opposition, which reiterated its invitation to the Government to start a direct dialogue for January 10, when the next presidential period begins.

“Here (in the AN), on January 10, the president-elect on July 28, 2024 will be sworn in, so that it is clear to them. Stop thinking about stupid things and nonsense. That’s going to happen, write it in stone,” remarked the Chavista, who presides over a Chamber controlled by deputies related to Maduro.

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Sectors of the opposition interested in dialogue with Chavismo?

He also assured that some parties that make up the PUD, whose identities he did not reveal, considered the possibility of participating in the “political dialogue” that began this Thursday, with which the Parliament hopes to adjust the electoral laws, but – he said – the opposition leader María Corina Machado, the main advocate of González Urrutia, imposed the decision not to answer the call of the Legislature.

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.

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.

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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.