International

Venezuela says that none of the US deportees has links to the Aragua Train

Venezuela denied on Wednesday that there are people linked to the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua – born in a prison in the Caribbean country – among the 190 deportees from the United States who arrived on Monday on two flights to Caracas, as previously communicated by Washington, according to the Administration of Nicolás Maduro.

“There is not a single one (…) with a history of being linked to the Aragua Train, (…) only 17 of those who came have (…) some pending account with the Justice,” said the head of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, in his weekly television program broadcast by the state channel VTV.

He indicated that most of the cases of those 17 people were recorded about facts between 2010 and 2018.

Cabello assured that the deported Venezuelans were received “as human beings” at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, which serves Caracas, where “the first thing they did was sing the national anthem” and then give their testimonies.

“Some told us (…) ‘thank you for getting us out of hell’,” said the also first vice president of the Chavista United Socialist Party (PSUV), and added that the oldest of the deportees is 32 years old.

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On the other hand, he pointed out that the compatriots also told “how much they paid the coyotes (human traffickers)” and “who they were”.

On Monday, before the arrival of the flights, the Venezuelan Communication portfolio reported that the US government notified it that “some people” traveling back “are allegedly linked to criminal activities, or would be involved in the actions” of the Aragua Train.

At the end of January, US President Donald Trump sent his special representative Richard Grenell to Caracas, where he met with Maduro – invested by the Chavista National Assembly (AN, Parliament) for a third term, after his questioned re-election in 2024 – after which the release of six Americans detained in the country was announced and that Venezuela would accept deported migrants.

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.