International
Russia protests before the US ambassador for a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with ATACMS missiles
Russia protested on Monday before the U.S. ambassador, Lynn Trace, for the use of ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs in the Ukrainian attack perpetrated on Sunday against the Crimean port of Sevastopol that resulted in four civilians killed.
“The United States (…) bears the same responsibility as the Kiev regime for this evil act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced in a statement.
According to Russian diplomacy, the United States “is waging a hybrid war against Russia and has become part of the conflict by supplying the Ukrainian Army with the most modern weapons, including ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs used against the population of Sevastopol.”
He also denounced that “the choice of objectives and the creation of flight missions (of missiles) is carried out by US military specialists.”
Foreign Affairs declared to the ambassador that “these actions of Washington, which are intended to encourage the pro-Nazi authorities of Ukraine to continue the war actions until the last Ukrainian, by allowing Russian territory to be attacked, will not go unpunished.”
“We will respond without fail,” Russian diplomacy warned.
This Sunday, Ukrainian forces launched five ATACMS missiles against Sevastopol, the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, four of which were shot down by Russian air defenses.
The fifth deviated from its course, according to Defense, and exploded on the coast of the peninsula, killing four civilians and injuring more than 150.
According to Telegram channels, a missile exploded on a beach where a large number of people rested on Sunday, taking advantage of the summer heat.
The Russian Ministry of Defense immediately blamed Washington for the attack for supplying Kiev with the ATACMS missiles launched by the Ukrainian Army and authorizing their use against Russian territory.
“The responsibility for this deliberate missile attack against the civilian population of Sevastopol lies above all with Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and also the Kiev regime, from whose territory this attack was launched,” he said on Telegram.
The government of US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission at the end of May to attack targets in Russian territory using weapons provided by the United States, but only if they were military targets in the Russian border area near the area of the northeastern Kharkov region.
However, this authorization, as confirmed to EFE by a US official, does not extend to long-range missiles such as the Army Tactical Missile System known as ATACMS and used on Sunday in Sevastopol, according to Russian authorities.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidential office Mikhail Podoliak said today, regarding the death this Sunday of four civilians in a Ukrainian attack on Crimea, that the peninsula is “a foreign territory (for the Russians) occupied by Russia in which there are hostilities and a large-scale war.”
“There are no no ‘beaches’, ‘tourist areas’ and other fictitious signs of ‘peaceful life’ in Crimea. Crimea is definitely a foreign territory occupied by Russia, where there are hostilities and a large-scale war. The same war that Russia unleashed with genocidal and invading purposes,” Podoliak wrote on his social network account X.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidency added that “Crimea is also a large military camp and warehouse with hundreds of direct military targets that the Russians try to hide and cynically cover with their own civilians.”
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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