EUA vetam apelo do Conselho de Segurança por "pausa humanitária" na guerra entre Israel e Hamas

Por Caitlin Hu e Richard Roth, CNN Atualizado às 14h41 EDT, quarta-feira, 18 de outubro de 2023

Os Estados Unidos vetaram um projeto de resolução no Conselho de Segurança da ONU que pedia uma pausa humanitária na Gaza sitiada, gerando mais críticas à paralisia política no poderoso organismo global.

O breve projeto de resolução, proposto pelo Brasil, condenou os ataques terroristas de 7 de outubro em Israel pelo grupo militante palestino Hamas, que mataram mais de 1.400 pessoas, e pediu a libertação dos reféns.

O documento também apelou a todas as partes para que cumpram o direito internacional e protejam as vidas civis na Faixa de Gaza, controlada pelo Hamas, em meio a uma feroz retaliação por parte de aviões de guerra israelenses. A comunidade internacional deve planejar "pausas humanitárias" nos combates para permitir a entrega de ajuda, afirmou.

Doze dos 15 membros do conselho aprovaram o projeto na quarta-feira, com a abstenção do Reino Unido e da Rússia, e o veto dos EUA.

Falando após a votação, a embaixadora dos EUA na ONU, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, explicou que os EUA queriam mais tempo para deixar a diplomacia americana em campo "se desenrolar". Os EUA já haviam adiado a votação da resolução.

Thomas-Greenfield também criticou o texto por não mencionar o direito de Israel à autodefesa — um ponto posteriormente ecoado pela representante britânica Barbara Woodward.

Desde os ataques do Hamas, Israel vem bombardeando Gaza, controlada pelo Hamas, com ataques aéreos. Também cortou o acesso de 2 milhões de pessoas aos enclaves, incluindo alimentos, água e eletricidade.

Mais de 3.000 pessoas morreram nos ataques israelenses — incluindo mais de 1.000 crianças e dezenas de trabalhadores humanitários — e especialistas da ONU estão alertando sobre um desastre generalizado se a água e a eletricidade não forem restauradas.

Em Nova York, vários membros do Conselho de Segurança expressaram decepção e frustração pelo fracasso de uma declaração conjunta sobre a importância da ajuda e da proteção civil.

“Infelizmente, muito tristemente, o conselho mais uma vez não conseguiu adotar uma resolução sobre esses conflitos. Mais uma vez, o silêncio e a inação prevaleceram. Sem o verdadeiro interesse de longo prazo de ninguém”, disse o Embaixador da ONU no Brasil, Sergio Franca Danese, após o veto.

O Conselho de Segurança "perdeu uma oportunidade", disse o representante francês Nicolas de Rivière à imprensa após a votação. "Lamentamos profundamente que este texto tenha sido rejeitado", disse ele.

Falando ao conselho, a embaixadora dos Emirados Árabes Unidos, Lana Nusseibah, disse que a resolução não era um "texto perfeito", mas que seu país votou a favor dela "porque ela declara claramente os princípios básicos que devem ser mantidos e que este Conselho é obrigado a reforçar e defender.

Na semana passada, a Rússia propôs outra resolução pedindo um cessar-fogo humanitário em Gaza, que também não foi aprovada.

(Adaptado de edition.cnn.com) 

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President Joe Biden predicted Thursday that student loan borrowers will start receiving relief – which is currently on hold over a court challenge – within weeks, projecting confidence that his administration will win the challenge. “We’re going to win that case. I think in the next two weeks you’re going to see those checks going out”, Biden told a TV news correspondent.

The Biden administration started taking student debt forgiveness applications on October 14 and officials have said it could take weeks to process and grant relief. Eligible borrowers won’t be receiving actual checks. Instead, they will see up to a $ 20,000 reduction in their student debt balances. The Department of Education has told borrowers who are eligible for automatic debt relief, without filing an application, not to expect the debt cancellation before November 14.

A federal appeals court put a temporary hold on the administration’s student loan forgiveness program last week, which barred the government from canceling loans covered under the new policy while the court considers a challenge brought by six Republican-led states. The Biden administration is also facing lawsuits from Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, and conservative groups such as the Job Creators Network Foundation and the Cato Institute.

Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, first announced in August, aims to deliver debt relief to millions of borrowers before federal student loan payments resume in January after a nearly three-year, pandemic-related pause.

The President made his comments during an interview with a local TV station network during his visit to Syracuse, New York, to tout a new deal on semiconductor manufacturing. With less than two weeks until the midterm elections Biden took questions on the economy, his message to voters, and the stalled student debt relief program. President Joe Biden is canceling some federal student loan debt, making a once pie-in-the-sky idea a reality. The application officially opened Monday, allowing low- and middle-class federal student loan borrowers to apply for up to $ 20,000 in debt relief.

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Brazil Becomes the Second Nation After the U.S. to Top

300,000 COVID-19 Deaths

Brazil topped 300,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, becoming the second country to do so amid a spike in infections that has seen the South American country report record death tolls in recent days.

The United States reached the grim milestone on Dec. 14, but has a larger population than Brazil.

On Wednesday, Brazil’s health ministry reported 2,009 daily COVID-19 deaths, bringing its pandemic total to 300,685. On Tuesday, the country saw a single-day record of 3,251 deaths.

According to local media reports, the latest coronavirus figures might be affected by changes in the government’s counting system. Newly appointed Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said in a press conference that he was going to check whether the numbers had been artificially reduced.

With daily death tolls at pandemic highs, state governors and mayors in Brazil have expressed fears that April could be as bad as March for the country’s overwhelmed hospitals.

Just in the past 75 days, Brazil has registered 100,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths, a spike health experts blame on a lack of political coordination in fighting the virus, new variants that spread more easily and a disregard for health protocols. 

President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday held a meeting with the heads of other government branches to coordinate anti-virus efforts. But he didn’t propose any policies to deal with the pandemic.

Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the severity of the pandemic, insisting the economy must be kept humming to prevent worse hardship, and he has criticized health measures imposed by local leaders.

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Lady Gaga's dogs found safe after armed robbery

Lady Gaga's two stolen French bulldogs have been found safe and handed in to police, according to officials.

The two dogs, stolen in an armed robbery, have been "reunited" with the singer's representatives, police said. Lady Gaga's dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot by two men who abducted the dogs in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on Wednesday. He is in hospital and his family said on Friday that he was expected to make a full recovery.

Details of how the dogs were recovered are unclear. The Associated Press said a woman had brought them to the Olympic Community Police Station in LA and the singer's representatives had confirmed they were hers. The woman appeared to be "uninvolved and unassociated" with the robbery, a police spokesman said.

Lady Gaga had offered $500,000 for their safe return but it is not clear if the reward has been claimed. The star - whose real name is Stefani Germanotta - is currently in Rome working on a new Ridley Scott film, Gucci. In her first public reaction to the attack, Gaga tweeted on Friday: "My heart is sick. I am praying my family will be whole again with an act of kindness. I will pay $500,000 for their safe return."

Footage has emerged showing one of the suspects firing at Mr. Fischer before making off with the dogs, Koji and Gustav. A third bulldog, named Miss Asia, ran away and was later recovered by police.

The dog walker was shot in the chest, according to reports in US media. His family released a statement on Friday praising the medical staff who had been caring for him and saying they were confident for his full recovery, according to US media: "We cannot possibly say enough to thank all of the first responders, nurses and doctors who have worked so tirelessly to care for Ryan," the statement said. They also said: "Of course, we also want to thank Lady Gaga who has shown nothing but non-stop love and concern for Ryan and our family right from the outset. Ryan loves Gustavo and Koji as much as Lady Gaga does; so we join in her plea for their safe return." 

Police said the attack happened at about 21:40 local time on 24 February, in the area of Sierra Bonita Avenue and Sunset Boulevard: "The suspects approached the victim in a white Nissan Altima four door. Two suspects exited the vehicle and demanded the victim turn over the dogs at gunpoint," the LAPD said in an updated statement on Friday: "The victim struggled with the suspects and was shot once by one of the suspects. The suspects took two of the three dogs and fled the scene in the suspect vehicle."

The statement said "the victim is in stable condition", and the two suspects are described as black males aged 20-25.

It is not clear whether Lady Gaga's dogs were specifically targeted in the attack.

No arrests have been made.

Adaptado de: BBC. 2021. Disponível em: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56218620. Acesso em: 29 mar. 2021.