Once the U.S. Senate receives the articles of impeachment for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, it will decide whether he should be convicted and removed from office. But the impeachment trial of Mayorkas could be over almost as soon as it begins.

Washington

The U.S. Senate is poised to conduct an impeachment trial for Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, following the receipt of articles of impeachment. The proceedings will determine if Mayorkas should be convicted and removed from his position. Observers note that the trial could be brief and may conclude shortly after its commencement.



What to expect from the impeachment trial of Alejandro Mayorkas

The Senate is responsible for deciding whether Secretary Mayorkas should be convicted and removed from office, but the impeachment trial of the Homeland Security leader could be over almost as soon as it begins. After House Republicans formally present the impeachment articles to the Senate, the trial work can begin. But signs point to Senate Democrats quickly dealing with the articles against Mayorkas and allowing him to stay in office. We're going to try and resolve this issue as quickly as possible. It should never be used to settle policy disagreements. The Senate has three main options for avoiding a lengthy trial, and all of them would only require a simple majority vote. A motion to dismiss, which does exactly what it sounds like and dismisses the articles entirely. A point of order that could claim the articles are unconstitutional or they violate the Senate rules. Or send the issue to committee, which could delay any action for months. Democrats have long opposed the Mayorkas impeachment effort, but Republicans in the Senate would like to see a trial move forward. I don't think it's too much to ask that we look seriously at the charges the House has brought against one of the chief architects of the Biden administration's lax border security regime. Individuals so disconnected from the reality of the situation we face that he has repeatedly, publicly asserted that the border is secure. Experts have been tracking an increase in impeachment resolutions for decades. Impeachment has always been political. It's always going to be political. That's part of the political process. J.D. Racky from the Bipartisan Policy Center says the overuse of impeachment runs the risk of reducing accountability in government. We're noticing a trend over the past 30 to 50 years of more and more impeachments. And so I think the average American should be concerned about the trends we're seeing in Congress. Republicans will likely have to wait until after senators are sworn in as jurors to find out which path Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his fellow Democrats will choose. Stephanie Liebergen, Scripps News, Washington.

President Joe Biden publicly warned Israel for the first time that the U.S. would stop supplying weapons if Israeli forces make a major invasion of Rafah, a refugee-packed city in southern Gaza. Biden also acknowledged that American bombs provided to Israel have killed civilians in Gaza.

Biden vows to deny Israel weapons if Rafah attacked

New storms are forecast for Brazil's flooded Rio Grande do Sul region. Authorities say the expected rain will make rescue efforts difficult. More than 100 people have been killed so far by the devastating floods.

State of Rio Grande do Sul

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The final stop on President Xi's trip to Europe is Hungary. China has invested close to 10 billion dollars in manufacturing and infrastructure in the country and Prime Minister Viktor Orban is keen to maintain good ties with a major economic partner.

Budapest

Xi Jinping ends European tour in Hungary

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Canberra

Government predicts household incomes to improve

Bonza, the Australian airline that commenced operations in January last year, has initiated a significant step by deploying the first of its 737 fleet to Hawaii from Sunshine Coast Airport.

Council of the City of Sydney

Seized Bonza jets flown to Hawaii

A 45-year-old man has been arrested after a 39-year-old woman was stabbed in a gym car park in Sydney's inner south on Wednesday afternoon. The alleged attacker was the subject of an AVO order put in place last month to protect the woman.

Alexandria

Man arrested over gym car park stabbing

U.S. President Joe Biden has warned it will halt weapons shipments to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders an invasion of Rafah — one of the last refuges for more than a million Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel-Gaza War

Biden warns U.S. withholding weapons if Israel invades Rafah

Russia has launched more than 70 missiles and drones in one of its largest barrages against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia targets Ukraine energy infrastructure in barrage of attacks

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Cape York

Asylum seekers arrive on boat from PNG

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Brussels

Climate Crisis

Hottest April on record extends global temperature streak

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San Diego

Parents of Australian brothers open up on heartbreak

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Rafah

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Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, outlining the salacious details of her alleged sexual encounter with the former U.S. president and the payments she says she received for her silence.

New York

Stormy Daniels delivers explosive testimony in Trump hush money trial

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Gujarat

Millions vote in third phase of India's national elections

Ukraine says it thwarted a Russian plot to assassinate senior Ukrainian political and military figures, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. Two Ukrainian security officials were arrested for their links to Russia's Federal Security Service, which had aimed to carry out high-profile killings ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration.

Ukraine says it foiled Russian attempt to assassinate Zelenskyy

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Beijing

China blames Australia for mid-air military incident

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Moscow

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Israel claims control of Rafah crossing

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine, the defence ministry said Monday.

Putin orders nuclear drills near Ukraine

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Baja California

Grieving family arrives in Mexico to identify brothers' remains

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Seoul

Chinese fighter jet detonates flares near Australian helicopter

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Jerusalem

Israel strikes Rafah after evacuation order, residents say

Chinese President Xi Jinping awoke in Paris on Monday on his first visit to the region in five years, with trade and Russia's war with Ukraine on the agenda in talks with France's Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Paris

China's Xi Jinping pays state visit to France

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Israeli army orders Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah

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