International
U.S. Congress reveals a budget that cuts aid to UNRWA and strengthens the border
A group of legislators from the US Congress revealed on Thursday a budget agreement valued at $1.2 trillion that cuts aid to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and strengthens the border with Mexico with more agents and funds for surveillance.
The budget package amounts to that amount because it aims to finance for the rest of the fiscal year, until September 30, such important departments as Defense, to which 886 billion dollars would be allocated, 3% more than last year.
Legislators are now entering a race against the clock to give the green light to the project before midnight on Friday, when the deadline for approving a new budget expires.
If it does not reach enough votes, the Administration must cease its activities, when it runs out of funds, something that in the United States is known as the “government closure.”
The legislative text reached after intense negotiations between leaders of the Republican party and the Democrat of both Houses and includes concessions to conservatives, such as the increase in the budget for “border security” and the withdrawal of United States funds from UNRWA until March 2025.
At the end of January, Washington “temporarily” paused funding to the UN agency, after Israel denounced that some of UNRWA employees were allegedly linked to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
The United States is the main donor of this UN agency, which provides assistance to the inhabitants of the Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the withdrawal of funding from the agency was described as “inhuman” by the Secretary General of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard.
The agency opened an investigation to investigate these complaints and after a preliminary report was known, where it was concluded that the agency respects the “neutrality” principle, while Canada and Sweden decided to restore their financial support, which they had removed following the U.S. decision.
One of the points to reach the budget agreement was the financing of the Department of Homeland Security, because migration has become an important issue.
The project includes an increase in the capacity of detention centers for migrants, up to 42,000 beds, as well as money to hire more workers of the Border Patrol, increasing the staff by about 7,000 agents.
In turn, he proposes to reduce federal aid to non-profit organizations that help migrants by 20%, an idea that came from Republican legislators, who accuse these groups of “incenting” migration.
The text also indicates granting 12,000 special visas for Afghan citizens who have collaborated with the U.S. Government during the war in this country.
On the other hand, the agreement increases the salary of the military by 5.2% and allocates 300 million dollars in military aid to Ukraine, through the Pentagon’s Security Assistance program.
To be approved, the project needs the support of two-thirds of the Lower House. Members of the ultra wing of the Republican party, called Caucus de la Libertad, have said that they disagree.
International
Seven bodies found with signs of torture in Sinaloa
Mexican authorities discovered seven lifeless bodies on Wednesday, showing clear signs of torture, in the rural area of Culiacán, Sinaloa, just one day after the same number of bodies was found in several municipalities in the western state of Mexico.
Six of these seven victims were found along the side of the highway that connects Culiacán to Mazatlán, near Laguna de Canachi, according to local media reports, which also noted that messages addressed to a criminal group were found near the bodies.
This brings the total number of violent deaths in the region to seven within just 24 hours. On Tuesday, authorities reported more victims found in the municipalities of Culiacán, Elota, and Mazatlán.
Among the victims identified was a local cattle rancher named Ramón Velázquez Ontiveros, as well as a police officer from Mazatlán, who was killed by a motorcyclist outside his home in San Marcos.
International
Málaga paralyzed by new storm as torrential rains hit Spain
Thousands of people were evacuated and trains were suspended as torrential rains once again struck Spain on Wednesday, following the devastating floods that killed at least 223 people two weeks ago, most of them in the Valencia region.
The national meteorological agency (Aemet) issued a maximum, red-level alert for the Andalusian province of Málaga in the south, and for Tarragona in the northeast, due to the new DANA (isolated depression at high levels), also known as a cold drop.
The city of Málaga appeared to be the hardest hit by the rains, with more than 3,000 people evacuated from 1,000 homes near rivers, flooded streets, and the suspension of urban transport and train services to Madrid.
“Today Málaga is paralyzed,” said Andalusia’s regional president, Juan Manuel Moreno, to reporters. “I know it is a problem for citizens not being able to take their children to school or go to work, but after what we saw in Valencia, we need to ‘prevent’ and minimize the impact in terms of loss of life,” he added.
The storm also led to the postponement of a match between Spain and Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup women’s tennis competition, which was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Málaga.
International
Hezbollah launches explosive drone strike on Israel’s defense headquarters
The Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah claimed on Wednesday that it launched an attack with explosive drones against the Israeli army’s headquarters in Tel Aviv.
The Iran-backed organization reported in a statement that it had carried out “an aerial attack with a squadron of explosive drones” targeting the site that houses Israel’s main defense institutions.
Hezbollah later stated that it also fired a barrage of rockets at the Glilot military intelligence base in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.
The Israeli military indicated that “sirens sounded in several areas of northern and central Israel following the launch of projectiles from Lebanon.”
It later clarified that “five projectiles were identified over the territory, and some were intercepted.”
Seven bodies found with signs of torture in Sinaloa
Málaga paralyzed by new storm as torrential rains hit Spain
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