International
Harris and Trump commemorate the anniversary of the attack on Israel with symbolic acts
US Vice President Kamala Harris planted a pomegranate in her official residence on Monday, while Former President Donald Trump visited the grave of a prominent rabbi in New York, in acts of great symbolic content to commemorate the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack against Israel.
Both candidates sought to give a solemn air to the day with gestures that reaffirmed their commitment to Israel and, although they tried to maintain an institutional tone, the ceremonies acquired a clear political dimension less than a month before the November 5 elections.
“Today we plant a pomegranate in this garden because, in Judaism, it is a symbol of hope and virtue,” Harris said in statements to the press, in which she said she felt “devastated by the pain and loss” caused a year ago by the Hamas attack, which left 1,200 dead and took 251 hostages.
Trump and Harris star in symbolic acts for Israel
Harris reaffirmed his commitment that he will “always” ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, but also considered that the world must work to alleviate the “immense suffering” of the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, who have experienced “so much pain and so much loss during this year.”
In addition, in response to questions from the press, he said that he will not “surrender” in attempts to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages.
The vice president, like US President Joe Biden, has reiterated her support for Israel at all times, but has spoken with a firmer language about the suffering in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli offensive has already left more than 41,900 fatalities.
Trump visits the grave of a key figure for Orthodox Jews
For his part, Trump visited in New York the grave of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a prominent figure of Orthodox Judaism who led the Jabad-Lubavitch movement for more than four decades until his death in 1994.
Known as the “Rebe of Lubavitch”, Schneerson was the seventh leader of this religious current and some considered him a messianic figure, although the Jabad movement has officially denied any interpretation in this regard.
With a black kippá on his head, Trump, who belongs to the Presbyterian Church, deposited a stone on the tombstone of Schneerson’s tomb, following a Jewish custom. In addition, in front of the cameras, he broke into pieces a small piece of paper on which he had apparently left a message for the rabbi and left it inside the mausoleum.
Trump did not make statements to the press at that event, but he will address the media this afternoon in Miami.
In a statement, Karoline Leavitt, one of the Republican spokespeople, reiterated that if the former president had been in the White House, the Hamas attacks “would never have happened.”
Biden lights a candle to honor the victims
Meanwhile, Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, participated this Monday in a ceremony with a rabbi in which they lit a yahrzeit candle, used in Judaism to honor the memory of the deceased, and kept a moment of silence to remember the victims of Hamas.
The ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Aaron Alexander of the Adas Israel Congregation, a family friend of the American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage by Hamas and whose body was found at the end of August in a tunnel in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
Although Biden did not speak during the event, in the morning he issued a statement in which he reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself after the Hamas attacks, while reiterating his government’s determination to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that allows the release of the hostages.
Condolences from the United States
“We will not give up until we bring the hostages home,” he said in his statement.
In addition, Biden spoke on the phone on Monday with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, to express his condolences on the anniversary of the attack.
The president, however, did not call the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he has not spoken since August 21 and with whom he maintains an increasingly tense relationship after the failed attempts of the United States to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas that allows a ceasefire and release the hostages.
International
Donald Trump pledges strong borders and legal immigration at Univision Forum witv latino Voters
Presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump stated at a forum with Latino voters on Wednesday that he supports legal immigration and strong borders. He also reiterated the false claim that certain countries are sending their prisoners and emptying mental institutions to send them to the United States, a narrative he has used to criticize President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
Trump claimed at the Univision-organized forum that his immigration policies were “an unprecedented success” and that Biden should have maintained his strategy at the southern border, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which returns asylum seekers to Mexico while their applications are processed.
The Republican candidate alleged that countries like Venezuela “open their prisons and mental institutions” to send criminals and the mentally ill to the U.S., a generalization that stigmatizes undocumented immigrants and is not backed by data.
“Under me, immigrants came legally, and the system worked well (…) Let them come legally, and don’t release murderers, drug traffickers, and terrorists,” said Trump, who has promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
The former president repeated falsehoods and inaccuracies, such as claiming that “the world’s prison population is decreasing because they’re sending them to the U.S.” and that “Venezuela is emptying its prisons so they can come here.” He reiterated, “We want people to come, but not killers.”
Trump sought to win over Latino voters with promises to support small businesses, attract investment and new jobs, and reduce inflation by lowering energy prices and increasing oil and gas production.
“The Democrats don’t know anything about growth (economically). We will attract companies and end abuse and waste,” said Trump, adding that he now has the support of SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to help control federal government spending.
Trump has narrowed the gap in Latino voter support between Democrats and Republicans since the 2016 elections, an improvement that could be crucial in winning key states like Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania to secure the White House after the November 5 election.
International
Experts highlight role of public sector in advancing technology in Central America at EFE Forum
Representatives from the business sector, multilateral organizations, and the Government of El Salvador highlighted on Wednesday, during a forum organized by EFE for its 85th anniversary, the importance of the public sector in advancing technology in Central America, particularly in areas such as health, education, and the climate crisis.
Under the theme ‘Innovation and Development: Driving the Future in Central America,’ the forum held in San Salvador brought together the Minister of Economy, María Luisa Hayem, the CEO of Asesuisa, Ficohsa Group, Enzo Bizzarro, and the country representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Olga Gómez.
According to Hayem, the Central American region has a “window of opportunity” in integrating its innovation ecosystems to achieve greater multilateral investment.
“The greater the impact of these projects, not just from El Salvador, but from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica, the more we will attract the attention of investment funds,” said the Salvadoran official.
She noted that this conversation has already begun, at least with the Ministry of Economy of Guatemala.
For her part, Gómez pointed out that “disruptive technologies represent a significant opportunity for El Salvador and the region” by creating new opportunities.
She emphasized that these advances have important applications in health, education, businesses, and addressing the climate crisis.
“All these disruptive technologies will allow us better access to education, identify knowledge gaps, (…) and lead to major transformations,” she said.
The IDB representative added that “this is a revolution here to stay” and believes “the public sector’s role is crucial” in creating the necessary conditions.
International
Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies after tragic fall in Argentina
British musician and singer Liam Payne, former member of the band One Direction, has died after falling from a hotel in Palermo, Argentina, according to international media reports this Wednesday afternoon.
Payne, 31 years old, fell from one of the floors of an Argentine hotel, dying instantly. Argentine news outlets report that authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident.
Born in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, Payne was part of the iconic group One Direction, one of the biggest pop sensations in recent years, alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik.
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