International
Brazil police open investigation of Indigenous ‘genocide’
January 24 | By AFP |
Brazilian federal police are investigating a “genocide” against the Yanomami people after it emerged that nearly a hundred children from the Indigenous group had died, the Justice Ministry said Tuesday.
The announcement came after a government report revealed Saturday that 99 Yanomami children living on Brazil’s largest Indigenous reservation — all under the age of five — died last year from malnutrition, pneumonia and malaria.
“I decided yesterday to open a new police investigation to find out (if there has been) a genocide,” Justice Minister Flavio Dino told CNN Brasil.
“We are considering that there are very strong indications of neglecting nutritional and health assistance for these Indigenous populations, there was intention,” he added.
The probe will consider the actions — and failures to act — by authorities and public health officials on Yanomami land, including possible environmental crimes.
Authorities also found several more cases of children with serious malnutrition, malaria, respiratory infections and other health complications during a visit last week, the ministry said.
Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva described an “inhumane” scene after himself visiting the community in the northern Amazonian state of Roraima.
According to Dino, the aid infrastructure for the Yanomami is “very precarious.”
Yanomami territory, home to more than 30,000 Indigenous people, stretches 37,000 square miles (96,000 square kilometers) between Roraima and Amazonas states.
Lula’s government has set up a department to address the community’s concerns, in a pivot from far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who maintained a hostile relationship with Brazil’s Indigenous peoples.
Before the genocide investigation announcement, a health crisis had already been declared in the are.
Conditions on the Yanomami reservation have become increasingly violent, with illegal miners regularly killing Indigenous residents, sexually abusing women and children and contaminating the area’s rivers with the mercury used to separate gold from sediment, according to complaints from Indigenous organizations.
And the increase of illegal mining in the Amazon has driven the spread of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and Covid-19, according to experts.
International
Iran Faces Mounting Economic Pressure as US Prepares ‘Toughest Sanctions in History’
Iran, already weakened by years of sanctions and a devastating military campaign by the United States and Israel, is facing another major challenge as President Donald Trump moves to intensify economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.
The United States is preparing a new package of measures that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has described as “the toughest sanctions in history.” The measures are expected to be unveiled at a news conference Monday, as negotiations aimed at ending the six-month war remain stalled and Iran continues to disrupt commercial shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, contributing to economic pressure around the world.
Iranian officials have acknowledged that the country is struggling under the combined impact of the conflict and economic restrictions.
“We regret that these problems exist, as we are caught up in a large-scale economic, military and security war,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to state media.
The Iranian president said his government was working to address inflation, public services, livelihoods, employment and the broader economic outlook.
“As a government, we are doing everything in our power to steer inflation, public problems, people’s livelihoods, jobs, the future and people’s lives toward dignity and pride,” Pezeshkian added.
Signs of the economic strain have also emerged in major Iranian cities. Videos shared on social media last week showed nearly empty markets in Tehran and Karaj, with vendors complaining that they were unable to sell fresh produce.
Residents and business owners told CNN that the economic pressure has become increasingly difficult to withstand.
Nima, a 36-year-old Tehran resident, said the cost of living has surged while access to essential goods has also become increasingly difficult.
“Not only is everything expensive, but some of the important things we need, such as certain medicines, are not even available,” she said.
The latest US measures could further deepen the economic challenges facing Iran, particularly as the conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect global trade and energy markets.
International
U.S. Revokes Nearly 900 Visas in Crackdown on ‘Birth Tourism’
The United States has revoked nearly 900 temporary visas as part of measures promoted by President Donald Trump’s administration against so-called “birth tourism,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
“Nearly 900 visas have already been revoked just since this task force was established. And that is in addition to the actions we have taken since the beginning of this administration to dismantle birth tourism networks around the world,” Pigott said in an interview with Newsmax.
The visa revocations are the result of coordinated efforts between the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify people who allegedly use tourist visas to enter the United States with the intention of giving birth there.
The measures are part of Trump’s broader immigration policies. In January, the president signed an executive order describing birth tourism as a practice that undermines the integrity of the U.S. immigration system in an effort to obtain what the administration considers permanent immigration benefits.
The directive stated that some people enter the country through temporary visas issued for tourism, education, cultural exchanges or temporary employment, and later seek to benefit from the U.S. citizenship their children acquire by being born on American soil.
Trump targets birthright citizenship
The latest actions are also part of Trump’s broader efforts to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States.
The country has traditionally followed the principle of jus soli, under which citizenship is generally granted based on birth within U.S. territory, rather than solely on parental nationality, as is the case in other legal systems.
The administrative measures come after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship through executive action, ruling that the policy raised constitutional issues involving the Fourteenth Amendment.
The visa crackdown represents another step by the administration to target practices it associates with the use of temporary immigration permits to obtain long-term immigration benefits.
International
Sinaloa Governor Returns to Office Amid Political Backlash and Cartel Allegations
Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya returned to office on Friday after taking more than three months of leave while facing an investigation into allegations by the U.S. government that he has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Rocha has denied the accusations.
His return has drawn criticism from Mexico’s federal government and the ruling Morena party, which have accused the governor of putting personal interests ahead of the public good.
Although she did not mention Rocha by name, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the situation Saturday in a post on X, warning about the dangers of placing personal ambitions above the interests of the country.
“Power without principles becomes arrogance,” Sheinbaum wrote.
The president stressed that no personal interest should take precedence over the interests of the Mexican people and the nation, particularly when the objective is not public well-being but the pursuit of power for its own sake.
“Mexico deserves public servants who understand that positions are temporary, but responsibility before the nation is eternal,” Sheinbaum said.
She added that public officials should prioritize the dignity, future and hopes of the Mexican people over individual names, political groups or personal interests.
Later Saturday, while attending the inauguration of new agricultural services facilities in Mexico City, Sheinbaum told reporters that she learned of Rocha’s return through the governor’s social media post.
The president said she would provide further comments on the matter during her daily press conference on Monday.
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Iran Faces Mounting Economic Pressure as US Prepares ‘Toughest Sanctions in History’
U.S. Revokes Nearly 900 Visas in Crackdown on ‘Birth Tourism’
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Virginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
Argentina’s Milei Links Low Birth Rates to Abortion and Feminism
Pilot killed and two Pennsylvania state troopers injured in mid-air collision
U.S. Revokes Nearly 900 Visas in Crackdown on ‘Birth Tourism’
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Sinaloa Governor Returns to Office Amid Political Backlash and Cartel Allegations
Bukele Announces Education Investment Exceeding 8% of El Salvador’s GDP
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Central America5 days agoHonduran Lawyer and Protected Witness in Angie Peña Case Shot Dead
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International5 days agoVirginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
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International4 days agoArgentina’s Milei Links Low Birth Rates to Abortion and Feminism
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International4 days agoPilot killed and two Pennsylvania state troopers injured in mid-air collision
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International1 day agoU.S. Revokes Nearly 900 Visas in Crackdown on ‘Birth Tourism’
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International2 days agoSinaloa Governor Returns to Office Amid Political Backlash and Cartel Allegations
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International3 hours agoIran Faces Mounting Economic Pressure as US Prepares ‘Toughest Sanctions in History’