International
A forest fire destroys the town of Jasper in the Rocky Mountains of Canada
An out-of-control forest fire has destroyed much of the Canadian tourist town of Jasper, in the Rocky Mountains, Canadian authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The head of government of the province of Alberta, where Jasper National Park and the town of the same name are located, Danielle Smith, declared in tears during a press conference that the town will recover.
“Magic has not been lost and it never will. The Government of Alberta will provide the necessary support to families and communities to recover and rebuild stronger so that future generations can continue to experience this unique community,” Smith said.
Images on social networks show this Thursday the desolate streets of Jasper with all the buildings reduced to piles of ashes.
Early on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that he has authorized the deployment of military personnel in Alberta to help combat the 176 fires (54 out of control) that are currently active in the province, following the request made on Wednesday night by Smith.
Jasper National Park is one of Canada’s natural gems and one of its main tourist attractions. Last year, the park, which is located in the northern area of the Rocky Mountains of Canada, received 2.48 million visitors.
On Monday night, unexpectedly, the Canadian authorities ordered the evacuation of the town, in the heart of the park, after the change of winds pushed two forest fires towards the town where about 10,000 people reside in the summer.
The 10,000 residents of Jasper along with about 25,000 tourists had to leave the area on Tuesday although the Canadian authorities fear that there may still be people camping inside the park and that they have not received the order to evict the territory.
On Wednesday, the strong winds fueled the growth of the fires and at night the flames began to consume buildings in Jasper.
Also, western Canada is facing a wave of high temperatures that is fueling the appearance of hundreds of forest fires. The provinces of British Columbia and Alberta alone have 555 active fires this Thursday.
Throughout the country there are 983 active forest fires of which 410 are out of control. So far this year, the burned area in the country is 2.4 million hectares.
In addition, last year, Canada suffered its worst season of forest fires in history. Thousands of forest fires burned 17 million hectares of land, about 170,000 square kilometers.
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
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