International
At least 7 dead, including three children, in the fire of a building in Nice that could have been caused
At least seven people have died, including three children, in a fire in the French city of Nice that is being investigated as a provoked act.
“The criminal clue is under consideration,” prosecutor Damien Martinelli briefly declared next to the damaged building.
Martinelli also revealed that an investigation has been initiated on the charge of voluntary arson causing deaths.
For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, praised the action of the firefighters on the social network X: “the rapid action of the firefighters has undoubtedly made it possible to avoid numerous victims. The police services will clarify the circumstances of this frightening drama.”
The prosecutor did not detail what indications point to a voluntary authorship, but he did say that experts from the Marseille police laboratory “will come to perform examinations at the crime scene.”
The deputy mayor of Nice, Anthony Borre, pointed directly to drug trafficking as the possible source of the fire, as he said in a statement to the France Info station.
“If it is due to drug trafficking, as I think, a strong and unprecedented response from the State will be needed,” he said.
The fire began around 3:00 a.m. on the seventh and last floor of a residential building in the Les Moulins neighborhood, “a neighborhood that is traumatized by this drama, which is very concerned about drug trafficking,” he added.
The accident was “very powerful” and caused six deaths in the apartment, including three children. In addition, two people threw themselves out the window to flee the flames, one died and the other is hospitalized, the deputy mayor explained.
“The firefighters have done an admirable job and have saved dozens of inhabitants” from the high floors of the building thanks to their long stairs, he said.
The authorities have set up a psychological help device for the neighbors, and even “the national police are also affected by what they have seen,” the politician said.
Borre explained that the Les Moulins neighborhood is an area that was being renovated since 2009 but that in the last two years drug trafficking groups have been installed that use young people “as labor,” which has forced the use of even private security guards in some buildings.
The mayor of the city, Christian Estrosi, spoke by phone with the Minister of the Interior, who was asked to “mobilize the security forces in order to guarantee the safety of the inhabitants and avoid new acts after this drama,” he said in a message in X.
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.
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