International

In US, student debt plan a relief to those struggling with loans

AFP

When Roman De La Cruz learned that some of his student debt could be forgiven, he breathed “a huge sigh of relief.”

The 27-year-old, who like millions of Americans borrowed heavily to finance his college education, worried he would have to live from one paycheck to another to pay back the $27,000 he owed.

But because he makes less than $125,000 a year, De La Cruz will see $10,000 wiped off his debt under a plan announced by US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

“I was a little worried,” De La Cruz told AFP. “I was barely going to make it.”

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The debt forgiveness is intended to ease the burden on tens of millions of young Americans. US universities can charge anywhere from $10,000 to $70,000 a year, leaving graduates with a heavy burden as they start their careers.

De La Cruz, who graduated from Appalachian State University in 2019 and is now a geologist living in suburban Washington, estimates that his college education cost him about $55,000.

“I was mainly worried that I was going to have to live paycheck by paycheck. And no one wants to live that way,” he said.

The proposed debt relief falls far short of some Democrats’ goal of securing complete forgiveness, but is opposed by Republicans who argue that shaving any amount from loans is unfair to those who have already spent years saving to pay off their own debts.

There was also immediate debate over whether effectively giving millions of people a cash injection will stoke already rampant inflation.

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At Howard University in the US capital, students broadly welcomed Biden’s plan, but some want him to go further.

“I definitely think that college should be free,” said Amarie Betancourt, a 20-year-old journalism student.

– ‘Anxiety and hesitation’ –

Vivian Santos-Smith, who is studying political science, said debt weighs on students.

“It definitely does allow anxiety and hesitation,” the 20-year-old said. “I want to get a PhD, but on a side note, what I have to think about is how much money that education costs.”

Americans still in college are less directly affected by the debt forgiveness, but some could still benefit from it if their parents meet certain income requirements.

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On Howard’s campus, talking about debt is common among students, Betancourt said.

“A lot of us are struggling to pay tuition. People set up GoFundMe, people have to drop out, take semesters off,” she said.

Without a scholarship, a year of study at the university costs $40,000. With such a high price tag, Theodora Nkwogu, 19, has to borrow $15,000 per year.

“You do all this education and you kind of want, like, some assurance that it’s not going to waste and that you’re not going to be, like, completely broke when you leave college,” said the second-year student.

“When you graduate, it’s like you got your certificate, your diploma and you’re… done, and you’re going on to a career and moving on in life, but with the student loan, you’re still tied back to here.”

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International

Germany says football bodies alone will decide on possible World Cup boycott

The German Football Association (DFB) and FIFA will decide with full “autonomy” whether to boycott the upcoming World Cup, which will be hosted mainly by the United States in six months, following threats made by former U.S. president Donald Trump, the German government told AFP on Tuesday.

Trump has threatened to seize Greenland and impose higher tariffs on European countries that oppose the plan, raising political tensions between the United States and Europe.

“This assessment therefore lies with the relevant federations, in this case the DFB and FIFA. The federal government will respect that decision,” Sports State Secretary Christiane Schenderlein said in a statement emailed to AFP.

AFP had asked the German government about the possibility of a boycott of the World Cup to be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

“The federal government respects the autonomy of sport. Decisions regarding participation in major sporting events or possible boycotts fall exclusively within the responsibility of the relevant sports federations, not the political sphere,” said Schenderlein, a member of the conservative CDU, the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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International

Daily Mail publisher insists reports relied on legitimate sources amid privacy trial

Two British tabloids accused of phone hacking and other forms of “unlawful information gathering” against Prince Harry and six other individuals, including singer Elton John, insisted on Tuesday that their reporting relied on legitimate sources.

Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, sought to rebut allegations of privacy violations through illegal methods on the second day of trial at London’s High Court, following a lawsuit filed by the seven claimants.

Prince Harry, 41, who attended court hearings on both Monday and Tuesday, could be called to testify starting Wednesday in a trial expected to last up to nine weeks.

Lawyers for the claimants said the alleged illegal activities took place between 1993 and 2011, with some incidents reportedly extending as late as 2018. They argue that the tabloids hired private investigators to intercept phone calls and obtain confidential information, including detailed phone records, medical histories, and bank statements.

However, Anthony White, counsel for ANL, told the court that the trial would show the company presents “a compelling account of a pattern of lawful source acquisition” for its articles.

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White added that the claims would require the court to believe that journalists and staff at the tabloids had engaged in widespread dishonesty, which the company strongly denies.

International

Death toll from southern Spain train crash rises to 40

The death toll from the train accident that occurred on Sunday in southern Spain has risen to 40, according to investigative sources cited by EFE on Monday afternoon.

Since early Monday, search operations have focused on the damaged carriages of a Renfe train bound for Huelva, which collided with the last derailed cars of an Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid after it left the tracks.

The crash has also left more than 150 people injured. Of these, 41 remain hospitalized, including 12 in intensive care units at hospitals across the Andalusia region.

More than 220 Civil Guard officers are working at the site, searching the railway line and surrounding areas for key evidence to help identify victims and determine the causes of the accident.

The tragedy has revived memories of the deadliest railway disasters in Europe in recent decades. In Spain, the most severe occurred on July 24, 2013, when an Alvia train derailed near Santiago de Compostela, killing 80 people and injuring 130 others.

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At the European level, the worst rail disaster took place on June 3, 1998, in Eschede, northern Germany, when a high-speed train struck a bridge pillar at 200 kilometers per hour, resulting in 98 deaths and 120 injuries.