International
Modi leads the count of the Indian elections with a smaller margin than expected
The preliminary results of the Indian general elections show the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in the lead but with a lower margin than expected.
The BJP leads the vote trend in 236 seats out of the 543 of the Lower House of Parliament or Lok Sabha in the running, according to data from the Electoral Commission of India (ECI), and with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) it leads it would stand at 282.
A political force requires 272 seats to win the majority, a result that the BJP achieved with ease in 2019, by obtaining 303 seats.
The same data from the ECI place the Congress Party (INC), the main formation of the opposition, with 99 seats.
The historic formation leads a coalition of opposition parties known as the National Inclusive Alliance for the Development of India or simply INDIA, with more than 200 seats.
The ECI does not specify what percentage of votes has been counted, so the trend could vary as the count progresses.
The Indian Electoral Commission began on Tuesday to total the votes of the general elections to the Lower House of the Indian Parliament, the largest votes in the world in which almost 650 million people participated over more than six weeks.
At the moment, the ECI only concludes the results of a constituency, in the city of Surat, in the western state of Gujarat, Modi’s home state.
The electoral authority attributed the victory directly to the BJP, being the only formation that managed to run for that region.
This is the only phase of the electoral process that takes place simultaneously in this country with almost one billion voters that required seven phases for voting, held between April 19 and June 1, convening groups of more than 100 million voters each.
The Hindu nationalist leader is looking for a third consecutive term and had set himself the goal of achieving 400 seats with his alliance.
Modi has made a fierce campaign in search of the two-thirds parliamentary majority that allow him to promote constitutional reforms.
At the same time, the result of these elections will offer a real look at the strength of opponents of Modi, a coalition that includes the historic Indian Congress Party, of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
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