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.

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“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%.

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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

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.