International

The UN denounces widespread arrests of young Iranians in the new campaign to impose the veil

The new campaign launched by the Iranian regime to impose the use of the veil or hijab is causing “widespread arrests and harassment of women and girls,” many of them adolescents, as denounced this Friday by the United Nations Office for Human Rights.

Many of the detainees and harassed are between 15 and 17 years old, office spokesman Jeremy Laurence said at a press conference, who added that the campaign has also led to the closure of hundreds of stores and businesses for not strictly applying the laws that require them to wear a veil.

In addition, surveillance cameras are being used to observe whether women comply with the rules on the hijab, stressed the spokesman for the office headed by High Commissioner Volker Türk.

“The High Commissioner urges the Iranian Government to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, reviewing or withdrawing harmful laws, policies and practices,” the spokesman said.

Laurence also summoned Türk to urge Iran to revoke the recent death sentence of Iranian rapper Tomaj Salehi, accused of “propaganda against the State” for criticizing the treatment of the authorities after his arrest in the protests unleashed by the death of Mahsa Amini.

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The spokesman, who asked for the immediate and unconditional release of the singer, recalled that nine men have already been executed in Iran in connection with the protests that began in 2022 after Amini’s death in custody, after being arrested for not wearing the veil properly.

The commissioner’s representative also expressed the United Nations office’s concern about bills in Iran that could involve prison sentences of up to 10 years and corporal punishment for not complying with the strict dress codes of the Islamic regime.

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.