Connect with us

International

The Parliament of Portugal begins its new legislature with a predominance of right-wing deputies

The Parliament of Portugal began a new legislature on Tuesday after the selections of March 10, with a majority of right-wing deputies, of which 80 are moderates of the winning coalition Democratic Alliance (AD), 50 ultras of the Chega party and 8 of Liberal Initiative (IL).

The deputies arrived early in the morning at the unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Parliament), where they greeted each other and chatted in a relaxed way.

In the seats of the Government sat the appointed Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, leader of AD, and his collaborators, although the political leader has not yet announced his Executive, which will take office on April 2.

In the absence of a president of the chamber, the person in charge of opening the session was the head of the bench of the main formation that makes up the AD, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, who was sitting next to Montenegro.

In a brief speech, Miranda Sarmento welcomed the 230 deputies, “who now begin functions, without forgetting those who served this Assembly and the country in the last legislature, the 15th legislature, and who now do not resume their place as deputies, and thank those who have ceased their functions for the work they carried out in favor of the country and the Portuguese.”

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

He wished that when this legislature ends, “in September 2028, the country could be better, the country could be more developed, richer, more prosperous and also more just.”

Despite the fact that Miranda Sarmento spoke of the end of the legislature in September 2028, the truth is that there are doubts that Montenegro and its future Government can complete it due to its tight victory against the Socialist Party, which has 78 seats, and its refusal to agree with Chega.

Miranda Sarmento gave way to the deputy who has been in Parliament for the longest time, António Filipe, of the Portuguese Communist Party, to preside over this session, waiting for the candidate proposed by the PSD to be president of the chamber, José Pedro Aguiar Branco, to be voted on Tuesday afternoon.

Filipe rose from his seat to occupy the position of president of Parliament and joked that he would never have imagined when he first entered the assembly at the age of 26 that he would one day be in this situation.

Also elected the two temporary secretaries for this session, Filipe went on to present the first draft resolution of this legislature, supported by all the parliamentary groups, to constitute a provisional commission that verifies the powers of the elected deputies.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

After reading the names of the members of that commission, Filipe suspended the session until 3:00 p.m. local time (same time GMT), when the president of the chamber will be voted on.

After the absolute majority of the Socialist Party in the previous legislature, AD has 80 seats (78 of the PSD and 2 of the CDS-PP), followed by the socialists with 78 deputies and the far-right Chega, with 50.

The far-right formation was the party that grew the most in the elections of March 10, more than quadrupling its seats, which went from 12 to 50.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_300x250

International

Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday the departure of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, one of the key architects of the administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants.

Noem, who has been assigned a new role as a “special envoy” to Latin America, will be replaced starting March 31 by Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, the president said in a message posted on his social media platform Truth Social.

According to media reports, Trump made the decision after Noem’s recent hearings in Congress, during which she faced tough questions regarding the awarding of a major public contract.

Continue Reading

International

Young Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced Thursday that the young Mexican woman who proves to have the best ball control skills will receive her personal ticket to the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.

The left-wing leader had previously said she would not attend the tournament’s opening game on June 11 in the Mexican capital and instead planned to give away the ticket number 00001, reserved for her by FIFA.

During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum explained that women between 16 and 25 years old can participate by submitting a video through an official platform.

“What do they have to do? Keep the ball in the air for one minute,” she said, referring to the soccer juggling challenge that will determine the winner.

Among the judges selecting the winner will be Mexican striker Charlyn Corral, the world’s top female scorer who set a ball-control record in 2005, and professional referee Katia Itzel García.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

Sheinbaum also revealed that she plans to watch the opening match during a large public gathering with giant screens in the Zócalo, located in the historic center near the presidential palace.

“Very few people will be able to attend the opening. So I will watch it here with the people, and a young woman will represent me and the people of Mexico,” the president said.

Sheinbaum has previously commented on the high cost of World Cup tickets, as well as the difficulty of obtaining them in a metropolitan area with more than 20 million inhabitants.

In the 2026 tournament, jointly hosted by United States, Mexico, and Canada, Mexico will stage 13 matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.

The opening match will take place at the legendary Estadio Azteca, which previously hosted World Cup opening ceremonies in 1970 and 1986, occasions when the presidents in attendance were famously booed by the crowd.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow
Continue Reading

International

Claudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday rejected claims that the military operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was carried out under pressure from the United States government.

Sheinbaum explained that the deployment of federal forces was aimed at executing outstanding arrest warrants against Oseguera Cervantes, who was considered one of the most wanted criminals in both Mexico and the United States.

“That was not the objective (to ease pressure from the United States). It is very important, and I want to repeat it. This individual had an arrest warrant, or several,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the operation conducted on February 22.

According to the president, the initial goal was to capture Oseguera Cervantes, but military forces responded after coming under attack during the intervention.

“The operation was to detain him. The problem is that they were attacked — the Secretariat of National Defense — and they responded at that moment,” she said.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

The president insisted that the action was not carried out in response to external demands, although she acknowledged intelligence cooperation with the United States.

“It was not done in any way because of pressure from the United States, not at all. Of course, there was intelligence information from the United States that was used specifically,” she concluded.

Continue Reading

Trending

Central News