International
EU countries agree to use profits from frozen Russian assets in defense of Ukraine
The ambassadors of the member states to the European Union (EU) reached an agreement on Wednesday in principle to use the benefits of frozen Russian assets to support “the recovery and military defense” of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression.
“The EU ambassadors agreed in principle on measures on the extraordinary benefits of Russia’s fixed assets,” the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU wrote in its profile of social network X.
He added that the money “will serve to support the recovery of Ukraine and military defense in the context of Russian aggression.”
The European Commission proposed last March to use the extraordinary benefits of Russian assets frozen by the sanctions in relation to the war in Ukraine, which amount to between 2.5 and 3 billion euros per year, to finance weapons and ammunition for that country mainly.
The first transfer of profits to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia is expected to take place in July.
Community sources detailed that 90% of the profits of fixed assets will go to the European Peace Support Fund (FEAP) for military support. The FEAP is an instrument through which EU countries co-finance the shipment of weapons to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
The other 10% will go to the macro-financial aid package to Ukraine from the general budget of the European Union. This year, the community club agreed on an aid of 50 billion euros to Ukraine that is part of the revised community budget, covers the next four years until 2027 and is disbursed in the form of loans (33 billion euros) and grants (17 billion).
Most of the frozen Russian assets are deposited in Euroclear, a Brussels-based body that owns about 192 billion euros.
Belgium keeps a part of the profits of those securities in terms of corporate taxes, a fact that has been criticized by other Member States.
That country argues that it is a “general tax, not something that has been invented for Ukraine” and that part of what is collected serves precisely to help Kiev with its weapons needs and to support refugees.
The sources specified that the tax revenues generated in Belgium by those profits will continue to be allocated to Ukraine in its entirety.
The corporate tax is 25% in Belgium and applies to all companies, according to the sources, who insisted that it is impossible to eliminate it.
However, they recalled that in 2022 Belgium decided to allocate all those extraordinary corporate tax revenues to support Ukraine and that in 2023 they created a specific fund for it.
For the fiscal year of 2024, an amount of 1.7 billion euros of national corporate taxes is expected from immobilized Russian assets, of which about 1 billion have already been allocated to Ukraine.
The new legislation will apply to the remaining extraordinary benefits after this mandatory taxation, according to the sources.
The ambassadors of the Member States decided that the rate that Euroclear will charge for handling the assets will be 0.3%.
Some States such as Austria, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus are reluctant to buy weapons for Ukraine because of their policy of neutrality and Hungary has repeatedly said that it does not support the idea.
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
-
Central America4 days agoNicaraguan Exiles to Mark 7th Anniversary of 2018 Protests with Global Commemorations
-
International4 days agoDominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
-
International3 days agoACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
-
Central America3 days agoUN complaint filed against Costa Rica over detention of migrant children
-
International2 days agoThousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
-
Central America1 day agoSenator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
-
International1 day agoPope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom