International
Venezuela’s electoral body calls the UN report on the presidential elections a “pamphlet”
The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela lamed this Wednesday a “pamphletary” the provisional report prepared by the panel of experts of the United Nations (UN), according to which the presidential elections of July 28 lacked the “basic measures of transparency and integrity that are essential to hold credible elections.”
In a statement, the CNE recalled that, as agreed with the UN, this document would have internal purposes, so its public disclosure violates the agreement and “demoverses the perverse political intentionality of such dissemination, composed of fallacious and disfigured arguments.”
“The content of this ‘report’ is a pamphlet document and its ‘expertise’ is absolutely crumbled in view of the poor and easily deniable arguments that they use to try to delegitimize the impeccable and transparent electoral process carried out on July 28,” says the election body.
In addition to repeatedly denying the document, the CNE insisted that since July 28 a “cyberterrorist attack” was carried out that continues and before which “the contingency protocols” were applied that allowed “to have a transmission of 80% of the minutes, with an irreversible result in favor” of President Nicolás Maduro.
In view of the lack of results disaggregated by voting center, which contradicts the established schedule, the CNE indicated that “the detailed disclosure could not be made” “for continuous attacks on the dissemination platforms, which are exposed to the internet,” in allusion to the institution’s website, which has been down for 17 days.
In the opinion of the CNE – whose majority of authorities are alike Chavismo – the UN experts “shamelessly try to endorse the scam” of the majority opposition, which published “83.5%” of the electoral records on a website to support their complaint of fraud and ensure that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the elections by a large margin.
The entity stressed that the UN group “was not authorized to carry out audits on alleged records that do not have any level of legality, since they were not provided by the electoral body,” so “the ‘experts’ incur an act of illegality, by giving as valid” the ballots disclosed by anti-chavismo.
“With their political agenda against the Venezuelan people, these characters question the credibility and reliability of the UN, while mocking the trust placed in them by the Member States,” the letter concludes.
In addition to this panel, the Carter Center – which was also invited by the CNE as a supervisor of the presidential elections – considered that the elections cannot be considered democratic for violating the established standards.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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