International

Thousands of Mexicans are unable to vote in the United States in front of an overflowing electoral body

Thousands of Mexicans living in the United States were left without being able to vote, despite long lines at the consulates throughout the day, due to the deficiencies of a slow electronic system and the lack of enough boxes to be able to vote, which evidenced the failures of an overflowing National Electoral Institute (INE) of Mexico.

The twenty operating consulates in the country, in which it has been possible to vote in person for the first time on the same day of the elections, have been overtalken by the thousands of citizens who wanted to exercise their right to vote in the largest elections in history, with 97 million people called to the polls.

According to the INE, 258,461 people will be able to exercise their vote from abroad in these elections, the majority residing in the United States. Outside the country, there are only three operational consulates in which it has been possible to vote today: Madrid, Paris and Montreal.

Despite the fact that it was possible to vote by mail and electronically in the previous weeks, there have been many who have preferred to approach the consulates of cities such as Los Angeles, New York or Washington, which have been completely overwhelmed, as EFE found.

In the US capital, the doors closed at 8:00 p.m. local time, 6:00 p.m. Mexican time, the same time they closed in the Latin American country, among the booing of people who demanded that voting hours be extended.

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A request that did not materialize. “By INE regulations we can’t extend ourselves any longer,” explained the president of the box, Daniel Álvarez, in front of a row of people who could not vote and who were going around the block.

The problems have been several. The main one, explained this morning to EFE the representative of the INE in the US capital, Ricardo Sánchez, the slowness and difficulty of some people to use the recently released electronic system, with tablets as the only option to vote.

With half an hour to go before the closure of this consulate, which only had five tables installed, 640 people had voted, 255 who had already registered and 385 not registered.

That has been another of the problems, which the population was encouraged to go to vote despite not being registered and the influx has been much greater than expected.

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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.