International

Israel closes schools and limits activities in the face of Iran’s threat

Israel announced on Saturday the closure of schools throughout the country and restrictions on public meetings for security reasons, following threats of attack by Iran.

From Sunday, the first day of the week in Israel, “educational activities, excursions and school and extracurricular outings” will be suspended,” said the army spokesman, Daniel Hagari.

As part of these restrictions, recreational centers will also be closed and excursions will be canceled.

In views of Passover, the Jewish Passover, outdoor gatherings will be limited to 1,000 people, with an even smaller number in the border regions, where the beaches will be closed.

Commercial activities will not be affected by the measures.

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Hagari asked the population to maintain their level of “surveillance and responsibility.”

“The defense and attack systems of the air force are on alert and dozens of planes patrol the skies, prepared and ready (…). We have an excellent air defense system, but the defense is not airtight,” he added.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz canceled a planned trip to Austria and Hungary with relatives of hostages held in Gaza by the Islamist Hamas movement since October 7.

Iran promised reprisals for the April 1st bombing against its consulate in Damascus, which it attributed to Israel. In that bombing, seven members of the Guardians of the Revolution, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, were killed, two of them with the rank of general.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that he foresaw Iran to retaliate “sooner than later.”

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Central America

Nicaragua revokes legal status of 10 more NGOs, bringing total to over 5,600

The Nicaraguan government canceled the legal status of 10 more non-profit organizations on Friday (March 28, 2025), including the Swiss Foundation for Development Cooperation, bringing the total number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) shut down since December 2018 to over 5,600.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Swiss Foundation for Development Cooperation, which had been registered since March 9, 2002, was found to be in non-compliance for failing to report its financial status for 2024 and for having an expired board of directors.

Among the 10 NGOs whose legal status was revoked were religious organizations, educational groups, consumer associations, and aquaculture organizations, all dissolved “voluntarily” or closed under similar reasons.

As of today, more than 5,600 NGOs have been dismantled following the popular protests that erupted in April 2018 in Nicaragua. In most cases, the assets of these organizations have been ordered to be transferred to the state.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.