The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, announced on Tuesday a reorganization of the State Department to reduce bureaucracy by eliminating about 700 jobs and more than 130 offices from its headquarters in Washington.
The cut is in line with the plans of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tycoon Elon Musk, whom President Donald Trump instructed to drastically reduce the federal Administration’s public spending.
“In the last 15 years, the Department has experienced unprecedented growth and costs have skyrocketed. But far from seeing a return on investment, taxpayers have seen a less effective and efficient diplomacy,” Rubio said in a statement.
The head of US diplomacy said that his plan will “modernize” and “strengthen” the Department, in addition to eliminating “redundant offices and programs that do not fit the national interests of the United States.”
According to CNN, which quoted an anonymous senior official, it is expected to cut about 700 jobs and reduce the Department’s internal offices from the current 734 to 602.
Advertisement
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
Offices focused on the study of war crimes and global conflicts are some of those affected by the closure.
Rubio already announced last week the closure of the Center for Global Participation, which was in charge of combating misinformation promoted by countries such as Russia, China or Iran.
The Government also dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest cooperation agency in the world, and its functions were absorbed by the State Department.
At a press conference, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce clarified that this reorganization only affects the headquarters in Washington and does not address, for now, the situation in embassies and consulates.
According to The New York Times newspaper published last week, senior officials are considering closing at least ten embassies, such as those in the Central African Republic, Lesotho, South Sudan, Luxembourg and Malta; and 17 consulates, most of them in European cities.
The broad plan of cuts promoted by Musk within the Government has generated some suspicions and resistance from some federal agencies.
Advertisement
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
Bruce made it clear at the press conference that Marco Rubio is the one who leads the reorganization of the State Department, although he also said that he has “learned” from the work of the DOGE led by Musk.
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.
Advertisement
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
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.
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.
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.
Advertisement
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
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.
