International
The United States and its allies will sanction Iran “in the coming days” for the attack on Israel
The US Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, said on Tuesday that the United States and its allies will sanction Iran “in the coming days” for the attack on Israel.
“We will take additional measures against Iran in the coming days,” he said at a press conference on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), which are being held this week in Washington.
Yellen said that he will use those meetings, attended by the Ministers of Economy and Finance from almost the world, to coordinate a new round of sanctions against Iran.
“We never give details of the sanctions before announcing them. But in the conversations I have had, all the options to interrupt Iran’s terrorist financing are still on the table,” he stressed.
The head of the Treasury did not offer details about what sanctions they will impose on Iran the U.S. and its allies; but, asked by the press, she mentioned the possibility of increasing controls to prevent Tehran from bypassing the US sanctions they already thought about its oil sector.
“Iran continues to export some oil. It is possible that something else can be done. I don’t want to advance anything about the sanctions that we could impose but, without a doubt, that is one of the areas that we could address,” he simply said.
In 2018, under the administration of Donald Trump, the United States again imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil sector and, since then, the Joe Biden Administration has tried to enforce those restrictions by imposing sanctions on companies from different countries that help Tehran export oil.
Despite these efforts, Iran continues to be able to evade US sanctions to export oil, China being one of its main customers.
The United States is studying with its G7 partners to impose more sanctions on Iran and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group after the attack on Israel.
Several countries have already designated the Revolutionary Guard, a branch of the Armed Forces of Iran created after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, as a terrorist group.
In 2019, the United States included the Revolutionary Guard on the blacklist of terrorist groups, while the Government of Canada said in January of this year that it was studying ways to include the Revolutionary Guard on its list of terrorist organizations.
For its part, the European Union (EU) is currently studying new sanctions against Iran to contain its drone and missile programs, according to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday.
These efforts by the United States and its allies to promote new sanctions against Iran occur while several countries in the West have urged Israel to show restraint and avoid a strong military response to Iran’s attack, at the risk of triggering a large-scale war in the Middle East.
The spring meetings of the WB and the IMF that are held this week in Washington will bring together the world’s leading finance and economic ministers.
In addition, in parallel with those events, it is planned that there will be meetings of the ministers of Economy and Finance of the G20 and also of the G24, a group that brings together developing countries, including Iran.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
International
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Pope Francis, still recovering from pneumonia, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Easter Sunday and, with a faint voice, wished a “Happy Easter” to the thousands of faithful gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
A month after being discharged from a lengthy hospital stay, the presence of the 88-year-old pontiff had remained uncertain, with the Vatican not confirming his attendance ahead of time.
Eventually, the pope made a brief appearance in a wheelchair shortly after 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) to deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (“to the city and to the world”).
Although no longer wearing an oxygen cannula, the Argentine Jesuit relied on a close aide to read his Easter message, which touched on major global conflicts.
Francis condemned the “dramatic and unworthy humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and called for a ceasefire, while also expressing concern over the “growing climate of antisemitism spreading across the globe.”
He further emphasized the importance of religious freedom and freedom of thought, stating that without mutual respect, “peace is not possible.”
International
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday (April 19, 2025) in major cities like New York and Washington, as well as in small communities across the United States, in a second wave of demonstrations against President Donald Trump. The crowds denounced what they view as growing threats to the country’s democratic ideals.
In New York City, demonstrators of all ages rallied in front of the Public Library near Trump Tower, holding signs accusing the president of undermining democratic institutions and judicial independence.
Many protesters also criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including mass deportations and raids targeting undocumented migrants.
“Democracy is in grave danger,” said Kathy Valyi, 73, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She told AFP that the stories her parents shared about Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany “are happening here now.”
In Washington, demonstrators voiced concern over what they see as Trump’s disregard for long-standing constitutional norms, such as the right to due process.
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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