International
Thousands of Israelis protest in Jerusalem against Netanyahu and demand an agreement in Gaza
Thousands of people demonstrated in Jerusalem and other cities in Israel this Thursday against the Government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of “sabotaging the hostage agreement, leaving the north and making Israel fall into the abyss,” according to the call released this afternoon by the anti-government movement Banderas Negras.
After a black, red and white banner that reads “Netanyahu endangers Israel’s security,” thousands of people crossed the streets of the city on the way to Netanyahu’s residence on Azza Street, where the protest will conclude.
“We are running out of time: there is an agreement on the table!”, says one of the slogans disseminated by the Black Flags on their digital channels during the march, which demands that Netanyahu reach a pact with Hamas that guarantees the safe return of the 120 hostages that remain in Gaza (116 of them, kidnapped in the Islamist attacks of October 7, in which about 1,200 people died).
Also in Tel Aviv, the Israeli pro-democracy movement called a demonstration in which hundreds of people went to the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense.
Tonight, the Prime Minister will meet with his Cabinet to evaluate the proposal launched last night by Hamas in view of the ceasefire and exchange of hostages agreement, in which the organization claims to have taken a more “flexible” position in order to talk with Israel about the points of the agreement in which both parties clash.
“Today, and I say it cautiously, we are closer than ever” to the agreement, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the families of the hostages, according to information from Channel 12, the most popular Israeli television network.
Along with the protests in Jerusalem, the Black Flags called for another march in the coastal town of Caesarea (north), where the other private residence of the Likud leader is located.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz also picked up a protest against the war in Haifa, also on the northern coast, where four people were arrested after the police declared the meeting illegal.
The protesters also called for the call of early elections in the country, an option increasingly demanded among Israelis, as revealed in mid-June by a survey by the newspaper Maariv, which placed 57% of the population who want to go to the polls.
Along with the call for elections, the protesters call for the return of the thousands of Israeli evacuees to their homes, both in the south (near the border with Gaza) and in the north (next to the divide with Lebanon), where more than 60,000 people continue to live in hotels and other state-funded accommodation following the peak of hostilities with the Shiite militia Hizbulah.
The center of the protests today is the demand for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza that allows the return of the hostages who remain in the enclave. Of the 251 kidnapped on October 7, 116 captives remain there, at least 40 of them dead according to Israel – more than 70 according to Hamas – while there have been four other hostages for years, of them two dead.
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.
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.
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.
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.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
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
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