International
Macron travels to New Caledonia in the face of the wave of riots
he French president, Emmanuel Macron, will travel this afternoon for a “mission” of dialogue in the territory of New Caledonia, which has been suffering a wat of riots for nine days.
The presidential trip was announced by the Government’s spokeswoman, Prisca Thevenot, after the weekly Council of Ministers, in which the situation in that autonomous French archipelago of the South Pacific was discussed, where a clear improvement has been observed in recent days, although without the calm having been totally restored.
Macron’s decision comes after the requests of regional leaders and legislators of overseas territories, who had asked the head of state for a process of dialogue to try to close the cause of the riots, which is the reform of the electoral census of the territory.
The riots were widespread on Tuesday of last week after the National Assembly approved the opening of that census, which has been blocked since 1998, the date of the Numea agreements.
As prosecutors Yves Dupas denounced today, those riots were planned. So far, about 400 companies and shops have been destroyed or damaged in the capital, Nouméa, and its surroundings, have caused 6 deaths and destroyed or damaged.
“The chain of events suggests a preparation, an organization and a planning in terms of logistics and media,” said the prosecutor, in an interview published on Tuesday by a local newspaper.
He also points out that, despite the progressive reduction of violence after the sending of a reinforcement of a thousand police and gendarmes, “there are still hot spots of violence” fed by “decided” people who continue to shoot at the security forces.
Following the beginning of the protests, Macron proposed to postpone the entry into force of the census reform and initiate political dialogue between all parties, something that he will predictably do on his trip to Numea, the duration of which has not yet been specified.
The Numea agreements established the organization of three self-determination referendums, which were held in 2018, 2020 and 2022. In the first two, the rejection of independence won by a decreasing margin (56.67 and 53.26%, respectively).
The third was celebrated with controversy, since the independence fighters boycotted him after asking for his postponement due to a wave of coronavirus. In those circumstances, the ‘no’ achieved 96.5% but with a participation of 43.87%.
The territory, made up of three very separate archipelagos, is also characterized by strong social inequalities and faces an economic downturn due to the fall in the international price of nickel, the main source of income.
Tourism is not as developed as in the other French territory of the Pacific, Polynesia.
International
Trump plans permanent federal cuts amid partial government shutdown
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is planning permanent cuts to the federal government as a result of the partial shutdown caused by disagreements between Democrats and Republicans.
The Republican administration also stated that it intends to slash billions of dollars in federal funding to several Democratic-led states. Trump shared on his social media platform Truth Social that he held a meeting with Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to discuss the planned cuts.
Approximately 750,000 federal employees have been affected since October 1 due to the government shutdown. “I will meet today with Russ Vought to determine which of the many Democratic agencies—most of which are political scams—should be cut, and whether these cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote.
“I cannot believe the far-left Democrats have given me this unprecedented opportunity,” he added, referring to the Congressional deadlock.
During the political crisis, Trump has adopted a mocking tone, targeting opponents such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their quiet and swift way of wanting America to be great again,” he added.
The partial government shutdown began Wednesday, following the end of the U.S. fiscal year without a budget extension. Republicans are pushing to continue public spending until November 21.
International
Trump administration warnings prompt Bad Bunny to skip U.S. stops on World Tour
Puerto Rican rapper and reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, one of the most-streamed artists in the world, recently announced that his world tour will not include the United States due to concerns over potential immigration raids during his concerts.
The warning comes after a U.S. government official indicated on Wednesday that immigration authorities could conduct raids during the next year’s Super Bowl, following the announcement that Bad Bunny will headline the halftime show.
Since returning to office in January, former President Donald Trump has launched a strict immigration agenda, promising to deport millions of undocumented individuals residing in the United States.
“There is no safe place for those who are in this country illegally. Not at the Super Bowl, not anywhere else,” said Corey Lewandowski, advisor to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “We will find them. We will arrest them. We will detain them and deport them,” he added during a podcast on Wednesday with conservative influencer Benny Johnson.
Due to these risks, Bad Bunny confirmed that his U.S. dates are canceled, prioritizing the safety of fans and concertgoers who could be affected by immigration enforcement.
International
Trump pledges to restore ‘Warrior Spirit’ of U.S. military in rare meeting with Top Officers
President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to “revive the warrior spirit” of the U.S. armed forces that “won and built this nation,” during a speech before top military leaders outside Washington, D.C.
“Together, in the coming years, we will transform our armed forces into something stronger, tougher, and faster,” Trump told U.S. generals and admirals gathered at an unusual meeting in Quantico, Virginia.
Earlier, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth said at the same meeting that the U.S. military must be reformed to end “decades of decline,” which he attributed to diversity policies.
In this rare gathering of senior commanders summoned from bases around the world, Hegseth declared the end of “ideological trash,” citing concerns about climate change, harassment, “toxic” leaders, and promotions based on race or gender as examples.
“We will end the war on warriors,” emphasized Hegseth, using the new terminology adopted by the Trump administration.
According to Hegseth, this new “warrior mindset” means the military will return to recruitment and training standards based on physical endurance.
“I want to be very clear: this is not about preventing women from serving,” he insisted. “Our female officers are the best in the world, but when it comes to jobs requiring physical power for combat, standards must be neutral and high,” he explained.
“If women can achieve it, excellent. If not, that’s just how it is,” he added.
Trump plans permanent federal cuts amid partial government shutdown
Trump administration warnings prompt Bad Bunny to skip U.S. stops on World Tour
Trump pledges to restore ‘Warrior Spirit’ of U.S. military in rare meeting with Top Officers
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
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