International
UN General Assembly president: Gaza situation “catastrophic, unthinkable, shameful”

The President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, described the situation in Gaza on Monday as “catastrophic, inconceivable, shameful,” with 30,000 deaths reported from bombings and fatalities now occurring due to starvation.
Francis spoke during the opening of a special session of the Assembly called for the United States to explain its latest veto on February 20th at the Security Council — the third since the Gaza war began — on a resolution demanding an unconditional and immediate ceasefire.
Expressing unequivocal support for the ceasefire, Francis said he was “shocked and horrified by the killing or injuring of hundreds of people” during a food distribution last week.
In his speech, he went beyond usual diplomatic balances and did not hesitate to name Israel: “Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian access (to Gaza) have dramatically reduced the flow of vital aid,” lamenting that assistance entry dropped by 50% from January to February.
Francis was responded to by U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Woods, who once again justified their latest veto, arguing that a resolution for a ceasefire would have jeopardized the “intense efforts” the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt are making for a “temporary ceasefire” conditional on the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour, displaying photos of emaciated Palestinian children due to lack of food, and ending his speech with a choked voice, protested that “Israel believes itself above the law, and until that belief is shattered, it will continue to act as a lawless state.”
Mansour lamented that there are people “with a much higher tolerance for Palestinian deaths than Israel’s” who consider Palestinians “an inferior race and find it difficult to see us as victims.”
“In the eyes of Israel, Palestinians have three options: displacement, subjugation, or death. Ethnic cleansing, apartheid, or genocide,” he concluded.
As for Israel’s representative, Gilad Erdan, he reiterated that the only acceptable terms for a ceasefire are “the elimination of Hamas: violators, mass murderers should never have free access to the UN.”
Furthermore, he attacked the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) as an instrument of Hamas and therefore stated that it “must be defunded and dismantled.”
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.
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.
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.
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