International

Former South Korean Defense Minister arrested for his role in martial law

South Korean police arrested former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Sunday by order of the South Korean Prosecutor’s Office, as part of the investigation into martial law decreed last Tuesday by the country’s president, Yoon Suk-yeol.

The arrest of Kim, whose resignation became effective last Thursday, came after his testimony with the Prosecutor’s Office within the investigations into the state of emergency that shok the country and before the suspicions that this measure was a crime of treason or sedition, among others.

The special investigation unit of the Prosecutor’s Office appointed for the martial law case announced today the arrest of the former minister and the confiscation of his phone, after Kim appeared a few hours earlier before the media to express his desire to cooperate with the South Korean authorities.

The martial law network in South Korea

The arrest comes after the motion to impeach the South Korean president in the National Assembly failed the day before, due to the boycott of the ruling Yoon party to the vote.

The prosecution has determined the arrest of Kim by emergency means considering that there is a risk of destruction of evidence on the possible crimes of treason or sedition, for which penalties such as life imprisonment are contemplated in the South Korean criminal code.

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Kim, a figure very close to the South Korean president, is one of the senior officials who suggested Yoon to resort to martial law and who led its application.

The former minister submitted his resignation to Yoon last Wednesday for his responsibility in the application of the state of emergency and the chaos triggered by it, and the president accepted it the next day, Kim being pointed out for the measure that has led to the greatest political crisis in South Korea in its recent history.

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.

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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.

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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.