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News Making International Headlines: 9th May 2022

TRUDEAU AND JILL BIDEN VISIT UKRAINE


INTERNATIONAL: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Sunday 8TH May.

Trudeau announced new weapons and equipment for Ukraine and addressing a news conference after talks with Zelenskiy also said Canada was imposing new sanctions on Russian individuals and entities in connection with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Trudeau visited the town of Irpin outside Kyiv, the focal point of fierce battles between Ukrainian and Russian troops before the Russians withdrew late in March.

He said Canada was reopening its embassy in the Ukrainian capital.

Canada was also providing $25 million to the U.N.'s World Food Programme as part of efforts to uphold food security and would remove trade tariffs on all Ukrainian imports to Canada for next year.

U.S. first lady Jill Biden made an unannounced trip to Ukraine on Sunday (May 8) to show support for its people amid Russia's invasion, visiting a school that is serving as a temporary shelter and meeting Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska.

"I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine," Biden said during her meeting with Zelenska.

The school is serving as a shelter for 163 displaced Ukrainians, including 47 children, the report said.

Biden, who had been traveling in neighboring Slovakia, gave flowers to Zelenska, who was making her first public appearance since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, according to a U.S. official.

Zelenska said Biden was courageous for making the trip.

"We understand what it takes for the U.S. first lady to come here during a war when the military actions are taking place every day, where the air sirens are happening every day even today," she said through an interpreter, according to the report.

"We all feel your support and we all feel the leadership of the U.S. president, but we would like to note that the Mother's Day is a very symbolic day for us because we also feel your love and support during such an important day."

U.S. President Joe Biden has been leading efforts to impose economic sanctions on Russia and pressure President Vladimir Putin to end the war. The U.S. president has not been to Ukraine since the invasion, but other top U.S. officials have: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Kiev in the last two weeks.

Jill Biden returned to Slovakia after her trip across the border.


Women in Mexico City march to protest femicides and gender violence


INTERNATIONAL: Dozens of protesters marched in Mexico City on Sunday (May 8), angry at violence against women and demanding justice for femicide victims.

Women took to the streets to denounce the prevailing impunity in cases of gender violence in the country.

Relatives of femicide victims, gender violence survivors, organizations, and feminist collectives organized and marched through the iconic Reforma Avenue to the Mexican presidential palace.

According to think tank Mexico Evalua, five million women in Mexico were victims of sexual violence in the second half of 2020 alone, including cases of harassment, sexual abuse, and rape, the vast majority of which did not get reported.

Around 10 women are killed each day in Mexico, according to official data, where gender violence regularly sparks protests.


At Least 27 Killed In Havana Hotel Explosion.


INTERNATIONAL: As of Saturday, at least 27 people been confirmed dead and more than 81 others injured after a powerful explosion ripped through Hotel Saratoga in Havana Friday morning, according to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health.

Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos Garcia said that the explosion happened during the unloading of a tanker truck carrying about 10,000 liters of liquefied gas.

The victims in the blast included four children, a pregnant woman and a Spanish man.

At present, rescue efforts continued as firefighters and emergency workers, equipped with heavy machinery, were removing the rubble and searching for survivors.

The hotel is divided into five floors on the ground and two floors underground. So far, the investigation on the ground has ended, and the search and rescue operation is mainly focused on the two floors underground.

According to Cuban state TV, 19 people are still missing.

Located opposite Cuba's National Capitol building, the five-star hotel was preparing to reopen on Tuesday as part of the country's bid to revive tourism.

About 300 students were attending classes at a school just across the street from the hotel at the time of the explosion. The blast caused the doors and windows of the school to shatter, causing minor injuries to five students.

Workers are reinforcing the walls of the school to ensure the safety of the building.



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