International
Trump begins to design his first decrees and his possible team in the White House
The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has begun to shape the decrees he will sign on his first day in power, including one on immigration on the border with Mexico, and the team that will advise him in the White House and in his cabinet.
As reported this Thursday by The Washington Post and Politico newspapers, Trump’s campaign is already in transition mode after the US elections this Tuesday, in which he won a second term that will begin on January 20.
Closure of the border
Trump plans to enact on his “first day” two decrees to “close” the border with Mexico and promote oil drilling to lower prices, Jason Miller, advisor to the president-elect, told Politico.
The advisor did not give details about what this alleged “closure” of the border would imply, if it would mean closing the legal ports of entry or increasing security in that porous border area, which covers more than 3,000 kilometers.
That plan of the former US president between 2017 and 2021 has generated fears in the government of the current president, Joe Biden, that there may be a swege of migrants trying to enter the country through the southern border before the transition, NBC News network reports this Thursday.
Trump already announced this week that “on the first day” of his mandate he will threaten Mexico with tariffs of 25% on all its imports if not for the “arrival of criminals and drugs to the country”, something that could mean a violation of the T-MEC trade treaty.
Trump’s team has not specified what its decrees on energy matters will consist of either, but the former president’s commitment to fossil fuels has generated concern among advocates of a green transition to tackle the climate crisis.
Marco Rubio, among the candidates for secretary of state
Meanwhile, the campaign of the president-elect began this Wednesday to seriously debate possible names to form his government team, with Republican Senator Marco Rubio among the favorites to become Secretary of State, according to the Washington Post.
The Hispanic legislator for Florida, of Cuban origin, had a remarkable influence in politics towards Latin America during Trump’s first term, given his power in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and this year he was among the aspiring vice president in the Republican campaign.
Former director of national intelligence Rick Grenell, very close to Trump and who was ambassador to Germany between 2018 and 2020, and Senator Bill Hagerty, who was ambassador to Japan, also sound like possible heads of US diplomacy, according to Politico.
The influence of Elon Musk
For the position of Secretary of the Treasury, the names of billionaire investor John Paulson, known for having amassed a huge fortune by anticipating the 2008 financial crisis, and the current economic advisor to the president-elect, the investor Scott Bessent, indicates the Post.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton could become Secretary of Defense, while independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine stance, is expected to have a role related to health or regulation of medicines and food in the country.
Billionaire Elon Musk and television presenter Tucker Carlson spent the day with Trump in Mar-a-Lago (Florida) this Wednesday, so they could influence those first measures and the selection of their cabinet, for whose confirmation no obstacles are expected, thanks to the Republican majority in the Senate.
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
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