International
The US Congress forces Biden to send a shipment of weapons to Israel
The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a bill that forces the White House to send to Israel the shipment of weapons that Joe Biden’s government paralyzed last week.
The bill was approved with 224 votes in favor and 187 against. Sixteen Democratic congressmen supported the bill that seeks to override Biden’s criteria despite the fact that the party’s leadership had promoted the contrary vote.
Biden has already announced that in the event that the text goes beyond the legislative procedure – which also requires the approval of the Senate, with a Democratic majority – he will use his veto power to stop it.
“We strongly oppose attempts to restrict the president’s ability to deploy U.S. security assistance in accordance with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” the White House said.
It is most likely that Biden will not have to use that power since the leader of the majority in the Senate, Democrat Chuck Schumer, said that he has no intention of submitting the text to a vote.
In a press conference before the vote, the president of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, said that “it is clear that Biden and Schumer have turned their backs on Israel.”
“We want the president to hear this loud and clear: This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. Obviously, it is being done by political calculations,” Johnson said, accusing Biden of “defying the will of Congress.”
The Republicans, who control the Lower House, presented this project after it was known last week that the White House had stopped a shipment of weapons to Israel in order to avoid a military incursion into the enclave of Rafah.
The retained shipment consists of 3,500 bombs, mostly 2,000 pounds (907 kilos) and great destructive power. In an interview after the announcement, Biden admitted that civilians have died in Gaza as a result of the use of American weapons.
The measure was highly criticized by Republicans, questioning Biden’s commitment to Israel, but also by sectors of the Democratic Party aligned with the Israeli state.
In addition to forcing the Government to “promptly” deliver the weapons to Israel, the bill approved in the Lower House also provides for freezing the budgets of the Pentagon, the State Department or the National Security Council until the shipment becomes effective.
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
-
International5 days agoArsenal stun Real Madrid at the Bernabéu to reach Champions League semifinals
-
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
-
International5 days agoBogotá residents line up for yellow fever vaccine amid national alert
-
International5 days agoDeSantis’ immigration crackdown sparks alarm in Venezuelan Communities in Doral
-
Central America3 days agoUN complaint filed against Costa Rica over detention of migrant children
-
International5 days agoMexico refuses to restore ties with Ecuador while Noboa remains in office
-
International1 day agoThousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
-
Central America14 hours agoSenator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
-
International14 hours agoPope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom