International
The US Congress forces Biden to send a shipment of weapons to Israel
The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a bill that forces the White House to send to Israel the shipment of weapons that Joe Biden’s government paralyzed last week.
The bill was approved with 224 votes in favor and 187 against. Sixteen Democratic congressmen supported the bill that seeks to override Biden’s criteria despite the fact that the party’s leadership had promoted the contrary vote.
Biden has already announced that in the event that the text goes beyond the legislative procedure – which also requires the approval of the Senate, with a Democratic majority – he will use his veto power to stop it.
“We strongly oppose attempts to restrict the president’s ability to deploy U.S. security assistance in accordance with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” the White House said.
It is most likely that Biden will not have to use that power since the leader of the majority in the Senate, Democrat Chuck Schumer, said that he has no intention of submitting the text to a vote.
In a press conference before the vote, the president of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, said that “it is clear that Biden and Schumer have turned their backs on Israel.”
“We want the president to hear this loud and clear: This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. Obviously, it is being done by political calculations,” Johnson said, accusing Biden of “defying the will of Congress.”
The Republicans, who control the Lower House, presented this project after it was known last week that the White House had stopped a shipment of weapons to Israel in order to avoid a military incursion into the enclave of Rafah.
The retained shipment consists of 3,500 bombs, mostly 2,000 pounds (907 kilos) and great destructive power. In an interview after the announcement, Biden admitted that civilians have died in Gaza as a result of the use of American weapons.
The measure was highly criticized by Republicans, questioning Biden’s commitment to Israel, but also by sectors of the Democratic Party aligned with the Israeli state.
In addition to forcing the Government to “promptly” deliver the weapons to Israel, the bill approved in the Lower House also provides for freezing the budgets of the Pentagon, the State Department or the National Security Council until the shipment becomes effective.
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
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International3 days agoColombia sees deadliest surge in violence since FARC peace deal
-
International4 days agoNine dead after driver runs over crowd at Vancouver Street Festival
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala sees road blockades amid protests against lawmaker pay hikes
-
International3 days agoConclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
-
International4 days agoKing Charles III expresses deep sadness after Vancouver festival tragedy that left nine dead
-
International3 days agoSpain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
-
International3 days agoMexican activist who exposed pornography ring found dead in Veracruz
-
International3 days agoMadrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
-
International1 day agoVatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
-
International1 day agoKristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
-
Internacionales9 hours agoClashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
-
International9 hours agoMan arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka