International
The federal president of Austria commissions the far-right Herbert Kickl to form a government
The federal president of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, commissioned on Monday the far-right Herbert Kickl, leader of the liberal party FPÖ, to form a new government after the collapse of negotiations between conservatives, social democrats and liberals.
After meeting this morning for an hour with Kickl, the head of state said that he has instructed him to negotiate with the popular party ÖVP on the formation of a government coalition.
“Mr. Kickl has the necessary confidence to find viable solutions within the framework of government negotiations, and he wants to assume this responsibility, so I commissioned him to enter into talks with the ÖVP on the formation of a federal government,” Van der Bellen said.
“I have not taken this step lightly, I will continue to ensure the correct compliance and observance of the principles and rules of our Constitution,” added the president, who in the past had been against a government led by Kickl.
It is the first time in the history of Austria that the far-right FPÖ, winner of the elections of last September 29 with about 29% of the votes, is commissioned to form a government.
“The ÖVP has reversed its categorical rejection of cooperation with Kickl. That’s the new situation,” Van der Bellen said about the change of position announced on Sunday by the new conservative leader, Christian Stocker.
He succeeded yesterday the hitherto federal foreign minister and conservative leader, Karl Nehammer, who had announced his resignation on Saturday after failing the negotiations for a tripartite government between the ÖVP and the social democratic party SPÖ and the liberal Neos.
Nehammer was against a coalition with the FPÖ under Kickl, which he accuses of being a danger to the country’s security for his xenophobic, pro-Russian and critical positions of the European Union (EU).
Who is Kickl?
Kickl is a former Minister of the Interior (2017-2019) in a government led by former conservative foreign minister Sebastian Kurz.
In June 2021, he assumed, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the presidency of the FPÖ and radicalized the tone and discourse of the party.
He not only rejects the measures taken by the then conservative-ecologist government against the coronavirus, but also Western support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, the cooperation of neutral Austria with NATO, and is critical of the EU.
One of Kickl’s main allies is the Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultra-nationalist Viktor Orbán, with whom he formed the “Patriots for Europe” faction, the third group of the European Parliament.
In addition, the FPÖ maintains close relations with Alternative for Germany (AfD), in which there are elements who are being investigated by the German justice as right-wing extremists.
The FPÖ is a party founded after World War II by former Nazi hierarchs and to this day brings together the most extremist and right-wing circles in the country.
International
Powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes Honduras and the Caribbean
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Honduras and several Caribbean nations on Saturday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Although the United States Tsunami Warning System initially issued a tsunami alert for the Caribbean, it later reported that the threat had passed.
The powerful tremor was recorded at approximately 5:23 PM local time and occurred about 298.1 kilometers (185 miles) north-northwest of Puerto Lempira, in the Gracias a Dios department, near the Nicaraguan border, according to Honduras’ Permanent Contingency Commission (COPECO).
International
Milei’s government moves forward with privatization of Belgrano Cargas
he Argentine government has issued a decree this Saturday approving the full privatization of the state-owned railway freight company Belgrano Cargas y Logística S.A., government spokesperson Manuel Adorni announced.
“President Javier Milei has just signed the decree that begins the process of fully privatizing Belgrano Cargas y Logística S.A. The state will no longer operate freight railway services or manage any of its infrastructure, including rolling stock, tracks, workshops, and properties,” Adorni stated on his social media account X.
The government had previously announced in October its plan to privatize the company, labeling it as “obscenely unprofitable.” According to official reports, the state had to inject $112 million to keep the company afloat.
International
Mexico’s Sheinbaum urges U.S. to target cartels on its own soil
Under orders from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice has directed the “total elimination” of drug cartels.
Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has made the “complete eradication” of organized crime cartels a top priority. In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged Washington on Friday to begin operations against these groups within U.S. territory.
On Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department released a memorandum in which Bondi called for a review of national security and anti-narcotics strategies to achieve the swift dismantling of all cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
“This public policy requires a fundamental shift in mindset and approach.
We must do more than just try to mitigate the enormous harm these groups cause in the United States. It is not enough to stop the wave of deadly poisons, such as fentanyl, that these organizations distribute in our country,” the memo states.
Powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes Honduras and the Caribbean
Milei’s government moves forward with privatization of Belgrano Cargas
Mexico’s Sheinbaum urges U.S. to target cartels on its own soil
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