International
US lawmakers threaten reprisals to the ICC if it issues orders against Israel
The president of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has described as “shameful” and “illegal” the arrest warrants of Israeli officials that are allegedly prepared by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and several Republican Party legislators work in retaliation by the legislative way against the court.
That international court, based in The Hague (Netherlands), has been investigating since 2014 the allegations of war crimes committed by Israel’s military forces and Palestinian militias and could issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials for his role in the death of civilians in the Hamas offensive in Gaza.
Johnson, in a press release, advocated that the Government of President Joe Biden oppose those orders, which he considers “shameful” and “illegal,” and that he “use all available instruments to prevent such an abomination.”
The Louisiana legislator maintained that if the U.S. Government does not oppose the alleged arrest warrants, “the ICC could create and assume unprecedented powers to issue arrest warrants against U.S. political, diplomatic and military leaders.”
The chairman of the Committee of the Lower House for Foreign Affairs, Republican Michael McCaul, assured Axios that they are working on a bill to sanction ICC officials investigating the United States and its allies in this international court that pursues serious violations of international humanitarian law.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday that Biden’s government does not support the ICC investigation and does not believe that that court has jurisdiction in this situation.
The ICC, founded in 2002 under the Rome Statute, has more than 123 members and in 2000 the Government of then Democratic President Bill Clinton signed the statute, but did not submit the pact to Senate ratification.
In 2002, the Government of Republican President George W. Bush withdrew the signature and indicated that he would not proceed with the ratification of the Rome Statute.
Representative Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, was quoted by the Axios platform saying that “the United States should consider whether we continue as signatories” of the Rome Statute.
“We have to think about discussing with some of the countries that have ratified (the Statute) and see if they want to support that organization,” he added.
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.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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