International

Mahmud Abbas says that “the whole world is responsible” for Gaza for selling weapons to Israel

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said that “the whole world is responsible for what happens to our people in Gaza and the West Bank,” and demanded that the sale of weapons to Israel stop.

“Stond the genocide. Stop selling weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue,” Abbas said before the UN General Assembly when it is almost one year after the war in Gaza, which has already left more than 41,000 dead, most of them civilians.

Received with applause

Abbas, who was received with a long salvo of applause when entering the room – something rare – took advantage of the speech to criticize the United States, “the greatest democracy in the world,” for having vetoed on three occasions resolutions of the Security Council that called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“The US was left alone and said: ‘No, let the fighting continue’. He used his veto, and even worse, he provided Israel with deadly weapons that killed thousands of civilians,” he exclaimed, in a criticism also infrequent for his forcefulness towards the Washington Government, Israel’s main ally in the world.

Israel’s expulsion from the General Assembly

Abbas also announced that they will ask the General Assembly to take action to expel Israel from the United Nations, arguing that it has been in breach of United Nations resolutions itself since 1949.

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On the other hand, Abbas presented a twelve-point plan for the post-war period in Gaza, which includes the request for “international protection for the Palestinians”, the holding of elections soon (but did not give a date) and the extension of the Palestinian Authority to the two territories of the West Bank and Gaza (where Hamas governs).

He also called for an international conference sponsored by the UN to implement the solution of the two States, Israeli and Palestinian – he did not cite Spain’s proposal to host that conference – and ended up announcing an upcoming visit to his to the Gaza territory, for which he asked for international help and the UN itself in order to “impress the occupying government and not prevent this initiative.”

At the end of his speech, two Palestinians who were in the audience began shouting “Free Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea”.

International

Pilot killed and two Pennsylvania state troopers injured in mid-air collision

A pilot was killed and two Pennsylvania state police officers were injured when a Cessna 150 airplane collided with the helicopter they were traveling in during a routine training exercise at a regional airport in the state.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro identified the officers as Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, members of the Pennsylvania State Police aviation unit. Both are expected to recover from their injuries, according to ABC.

The county coroner’s office identified the pilot as 57-year-old Paul Sokoloski.

George Bivens, acting commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, said the collision occurred at around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday. The helicopter was flying several feet above a grassy area near a runway at Carlisle Regional Airport when the small plane approached from behind.

According to investigators, the Cessna suddenly veered to the right moments before the collision, striking the helicopter’s tail rotor before also hitting its main rotor.

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The airplane crashed a short distance away and broke into several pieces, while the helicopter lost its tail and other components before crashing on its side.

Police said Corporal Corman opened a window and helped Trooper Mills escape from the helicopter because they feared the aircraft could catch fire.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

International

Argentina’s Milei Links Low Birth Rates to Abortion and Feminism

Argentine President Javier Milei on Thursday blamed feminism and the legalization of abortion for the country’s declining birth rate, arguing that the demographic trend is creating economic and pension-system challenges.

“We are paying a very high price for the madness of the green scarves,” Milei said during a speech at the Council of the Americas in Buenos Aires, referring to the symbol associated with the feminist movement and the campaign for legal abortion in Argentina.

According to Milei, Argentina is failing to reach the population growth and birth rates needed to maintain demographic replacement.

He also linked the decline in births to future challenges for the country’s pension system and workforce.

“That passion for killing children in the mother’s womb is costing us in terms of growth and pensions. It is also costing us in terms of human capital,” the president said.

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Milei has consistently opposed abortion, which has been legal in Argentina since 2020. The law was considered a major victory for the feminist movement across Latin America at the time of its approval.

In February 2024, lawmakers from Milei’s La Libertad Avanza (LLA) party introduced a bill seeking to repeal voluntary abortion legislation.

Under Argentina’s current law, abortion is legal, safe and free of charge up to the 14th week of pregnancy. After that period, it is permitted when the pregnancy poses a risk to the woman’s life or health, or when it resulted from rape.

Milei has repeatedly criticized abortion

The Argentine president has also criticized abortion and feminism in international forums. During his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2024, he attacked the feminist movement and denounced what he described as the “bloody agenda of abortion.”

His latest comments come amid growing concerns over Argentina’s demographic outlook and the potential long-term effects of declining birth rates on economic growth, the labor force and social security.

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International

Virginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing

Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, 19, identified by federal officials as an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested in connection with the death of Carmen Lizet Puch, 42, who was found dead Monday, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

Authorities said Cedillos-Campos and Puch were coworkers and were also involved in an “intimate relationship.”

“Our victim suffered numerous stab wounds in a truly brutal and indescribable manner,” Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a news conference Wednesday.

Investigators said surveillance video showed Cedillos-Campos at the restaurant where he and Puch worked, allegedly taking a fixed-blade knife, a pair of black latex gloves and a bottle of water before leaving.

“He left with the intent to harm and kill the victim,” Davis said.

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Cedillos-Campos was arrested Wednesday morning in Maryland and confessed to the killing, according to Davis. He is awaiting extradition to Virginia. Authorities have not said whether he has an attorney representing him.

The Department of Homeland Security said Cedillos-Campos had previously been arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2024 after allegedly crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally near El Paso, Texas.