International

Argentine government denies dictatorship claims regarding télam closure, announces company plan

The Argentine government has refuted allegations linking the closure of the state news agency Télam to dictatorship tactics, asserting that the move is in line with President Javier Milei’s campaign promises and announcing forthcoming plans for the company.

During a regular press briefing at the Casa Rosada (government headquarters), presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni addressed concerns about the initial steps taken towards Télam’s closure, including police cordoning off its offices and blocking its website. Adorni emphasized that the closure “is not part of a dictatorship,” stating that it solely aligns with the president’s campaign pledges.

“The closure of Télam has nothing to do with media pluralism or press freedom issues; it is merely fulfilling what the president promised during his campaign. The president has now ordered its execution. There is not much more to add,” remarked the spokesperson.

The Plan for Télam

Adorni revealed that Télam incurred losses of 20,000 million pesos (approximately 24 million dollars at the current official exchange rate) this year. He announced that this week, “the Government’s plan for the closure of the company and the fate of its workers will be unveiled.”

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He stated that “technical teams are analyzing different alternatives,” indicating uncertainty about whether the closure of the state media outlet “is a matter that should or should not go through Congress.”

As depicted by the official account of the workers’ assembly (Somos Télam) on the social media platform X, Télam’s premises were cordoned off at midnight on Sunday, while union delegates were present, describing it as “an attack on freedom of expression.”

Adorni suggested that the police presence was likely intended “to prevent any confusion” and ensure “security and assurance that no one who should not be there” was present, unrelated to the government or Télam.

Similarly, the agency’s website displays the national emblem and the message “page under reconstruction.”

All national and international media accredited for Monday’s press conference addressed the closure of the agency founded in 1945, which employs 700 workers and was intervened by the government on February 5th, along with other state media outlets, and signed a manifesto in support of its employees.

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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.