International News Briefs for Monday, May 19, 2025
HAVANA TIMES – Here are some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Monday, May 19, 2025.
Israel Kills Hundreds More Palestinians Over the Weekend as It Orders Expulsion from Khan Younis
May 19, 2025
Israel is escalating its war on Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians over the weekend, including at least five journalists. On Sunday, Israel killed at least 160 Palestinians, including 36 people in the al-Mawasi area, where Israeli warplanes bombed a tent camp housing displaced people. Multiple hospitals have also come under attack.
Earlier today, Israel ordered the forced evacuation of Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city. On Sunday, Israel announced the start of what it called a new “extensive ground operation” in Gaza named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” The prominent Israeli reporter Gideon Levy said a more apt name for the offensive would be “Chariots of Genocide.” Residents in Jabaliya say Israel’s attacks have been relentless.
Imad Naseer: “They were bombing houses, and the people got scared. What should we do? This is the reality of the occupier. What can I say? They treat us as if we are animals, not as humans. It was an extremely terrifying night. Many people were killed, and many were wounded. It’s a savage army, despicable Zionists. They do not treat us as human beings. It was a horrific night, children and women torn to pieces, hundreds of houses bombed. And as you can see, this is why we are going.”
Israel Says It Will Allow Limited Food into Gaza as Over 2 Million Palestinians Face Famine
May 19, 2025
On Sunday, Israel announced it would begin allowing what it called a “basic amount of food” into Gaza following an 11-week blockade on all food, aid and medicine. Last week, a key hunger monitor warned one in five Palestinians in Gaza are facing starvation.
In more news on Gaza, NBC News reports the Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently remove 1 million Palestinians from Gaza and transfer them to Libya. On Friday, U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said Israel’s actions in Gaza are “tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
Italian Lawmakers Protest Gaza Blockade at Rafah Crossing; 100,000 Dutch Protesters Take to Streets
May 19, 2025
On Sunday, a group of Italian lawmakers took part in a protest on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border with Gaza. This is Laura Boldrini, the former speaker in the Italian Parliament’s lower chamber.
Laura Boldrini: “We are here to break the silence on what’s happening in Gaza: the extermination of the Palestinian people. We cannot accept what’s happening there.”
Major Palestinian solidarity protests were held this weekend in London and The Hague, where as many as 100,000 protesters, many wearing the color red, called on the Dutch government to draw a red line and stop supporting Israel.
Joe Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Cancer Amid Mounting Uproar over His Failed 2024 Candidacy
May 19, 2025
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer just months after leaving the White House. On Sunday, his office said the cancer has spread to his bones. In a statement, Biden’s office said, “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.” Biden is 82 years old.
The diagnosis comes amid growing scrutiny of former White House aides accused of concealing Biden’s deteriorating health in recent years. On Tuesday, CNN journalist Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson are publishing a book on the issue titled “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.”
House Republicans Slash Medicaid, Food Stamps to Give Tax Cuts to the Richest
May 19, 2025
On Sunday, the House Budget Committee passed a bill to give tax breaks to the rich while slashing funding for Medicaid, food stamps and subsidies for clean energy. One estimate shows nearly 14 million people could lose health coverage under the plan. In an earlier vote, on Friday, a group of far-right Republicans rejected the bill because they sought even bigger cuts.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Sen. Chris Murphy: “Well, what we’re standing in the way of is the most massive transfer of wealth from the poor and the middle class to the rich in the history of the country. This budget bill is an absolute disaster. It is going to kick over 10 million people off of their healthcare — Medicaid covers about a quarter of all Americans — in order to pass along a new trillion-dollar tax cut for the richest 1%. Nobody in this country is asking for that.”
SCOTUS Blocks Use of Alien Enemies Act to Expel Venezuelan Immigrants
May 19, 2025
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Trump from using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to expel a group of Venezuelans detained in Texas. The justices said the detained individuals are entitled to “constitutionally adequate notice prior to any removal.”
In related news, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired two top officials who authored a report that determined the Venezuelan government is not directly backing the Tren de Aragua gang. The report contradicted a key part of Trump’s rationale to invoke the Alien Enemies Act.
Meanwhile, on Friday, dozens of demonstrators rallied outside a Maryland federal courthouse demanding the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland father who was mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador. Ama Frimipong is legal director at CASA.
Ama Frimipong: “What is happening to Kilmar is all part of Trump and the administration’s bigger strategy to erase Black and Brown people from this country and inch us closer and closer to white supremacy.”
AG Pam Bondi Sold Up to $5 Million in Trump Media Shares as Trump Announced Tariffs
May 19, 2025
New disclosure forms show U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares of President’s Trump media company on April 2 — the same day Trump unveiled his plan for sweeping global tariffs, leading to stock prices plummeting.
FBI Investigating Perished “Anti-Natalist” Suspect in Palms Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing
May 19, 2025
In California, FBI officials have identified the suspect in the bombing of a Palm Springs fertility clinic Saturday as 25-year-old local resident Guy Edward Bartkus.
Akil Davis: “The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility. Make no mistake: We are treating this, as I said yesterday, as an intentional act of terrorism.”
Investigators believe the suspect — who may have belonged to a fringe online community that promotes anti-“natalism”, or the creation of new life — died in the attack. Four others were injured.
Trump and Putin to Speak After Turkey Peace Talks Last Week Yielded Little Progress
May 19, 2025
President Trump is set to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin today. In a post online, Trump said the call will focus on stopping what he called the “bloodbath” in Ukraine. Trump is also expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Last week, Ukrainian and Russian officials held talks in Turkey, but the fighting continued over the weekend, with Ukraine accusing Russia of carrying out its largest drone attack of the war.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, who resigned in April, has publicly criticized Trump’s policies, writing, “The policy since the beginning of the Trump administration has been to put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia.”
Meanwhile, at the Vatican, Pope Leo repeated his call for peace in Gaza and Ukraine and met with Zelensky on Sunday. Earlier today, the pope also held a meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Centrist Nicușor Dan Defeats Far-Right Rival in Romanian Elections
May 19, 2025
In Romania, the centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan has defeated his far-right rival George Simion. The election came almost five months after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the 2024 presidential election won by the far-right ultranationalist Călin Georgescu, who was then barred from running again.
Meanwhile, in Portugal, the ruling center-right Democratic Alliance has won a snap election but fell short of a majority. The far-right party Chega surged, winning a record 22% of the vote.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Steps Aside Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe
May 19, 2025
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has stepped down temporarily after staffers at the ICC accused him of sexual abuse and retaliation. Khan has denied the allegations. Khan made international headlines a year ago this week when he announced he was seeking war crimes charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as two leaders from Hamas.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that U.S. sanctions are hampering the ICC’s work. Microsoft disabled Khan’s email account. His bank accounts were frozen. Americans working with the ICC fear they will be arrested if they return to the United States.
El Salvador Arrests Prominent Anti-Corruption Lawyer, a Critic of President Bukele
May 19, 2025
One of the most prominent anti-corruption lawyers in El Salvador was arrested on Sunday night. Ruth López is the head of the anti-corruption and justice unit at Cristosal, a leading Salvadoran human rights group that has frequently criticized the policies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. In 2024, the BBC named Ruth López one of the 100 most influential women in the world.
Global Hunger Soared in 2024, Driven by War
May 19, 2025
A new U.N.-backed study has found global hunger reached a new high last year with more than 295 million people facing acute hunger — that’s twice the total from 2020. A leading driver of global hunger has been war and conflict. Acute hunger has soared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, the Sudan, South Sudan, Burma and Palestine.
Student Hunger Strikes for Gaza Continue; UCLA Activist Hospitalized After 9 Days Without Food
May 19, 2025
Image Credit: Instagram/guychristensen
A hunger-striking student at UCLA was hospitalized Sunday on the ninth day of her action. Maya Abdullah is one of a growing group of students at universities across the country who’ve launched hunger strikes amid the Israeli blockade on Gaza to demand their schools divest from Israel and protect free speech on campus. Hunger strikes are ongoing at Yale, Stanford and at California State University schools.
In the nation’s capital, a recent graduate of George Washington University delivered a blistering commencement speech in front of a roaring crowd.
Cecilia Culver: “I cannot celebrate my own graduation without a heavy heart, knowing how many students in Palestine have been forced to stop their studies, expelled from their homes, and killed for simply remaining in the country of their ancestors.”
That was George Washington University graduate Cecilia Culver. She called on fellow graduates to withhold donations until GWU discloses and divests from Israel.
Mahmoud Khalil’s Wife and Baby Accept “People’s Diploma,” Honor Students Who Speak Up for Palestine
May 19, 2025
Here in New York, the wife and newborn child of abducted Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil accepted a diploma on Khalil’s behalf during an alternative graduation ceremony held by the People’s University for Palestine. This is Dr. Noor Abdalla, who gave birth to the couple’s first child Deen last month.
Dr. Noor Abdalla: “Every day since Deen was born, I understand more and more why the struggle matters. I hope he grows up to be as brave as his father and as brave as every single student here who has risked so much — your education, your safety, even your futures — to speak up for Palestine. Today we honor not only Mahmoud, but all of the students who were wrongfully expelled and suspended for standing up in support of Palestinian rights.”
A whistleblower reported last week the Department of Homeland Security’s civil rights division had just opened a probe into Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest, when Trump moved to dissolve the office in March, putting officials on leave and halting ongoing investigations.
Tornadoes Sweep Through Missouri and Kentucky, Killing 28 People
May 19, 2025
At least 28 people died after powerful tornadoes swept through Missouri and Kentucky. The National Weather Service had to scramble to find forecasters to track the storm around the clock after the Trump administration eliminated a permanent overnight forecaster in Jackson, Kentucky.
New Jersey Transit Strike Ends After Tentative Deal
May 19, 2025
In labor news, a three-day New Jersey Transit strike has ended after a tentative deal was reached to give train engineers a pay raise. Train service is expected to resume on Tuesday.
Two Mexican Sailors Dead After Navy Ship Crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
May 19, 2025
Image Credit: Courtesy of @sammmsparks
In New York, a Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. Two crew members died and two dozen others were injured when the ship’s three masts broke off after hitting the underside of the bridge.