International
The Israeli Army confirms the incursion into the Shujaiya neighborhood, in Gaza, due to the “presence” of militiamen
The Israeli Army confirmed this Friday in a statement its incursion into the Shujaiya neighborhood, in the northern city of Gaza, already besieged last December, due to the “presence” of militiamen and military infrastructure, after receiving information from its intelligence.
“Simultaneously with the entry of the troops, fighter planes attacked dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites in Hamas,” the Army details in the note about this operation that, he says, began on Thursday morning and maintained this morning.
Palestinian sources confirmed yesterday to EFE the entry of Israeli tanks into the Shujaiya neighborhood and aerial bombings that occurred in parallel, causing the death of at least seven Palestinians and leaving about thirty injured.
Before launching this operation, Israeli forces attacked other points in the northern Strip where they “eliminated dozens” of fighters who, they say, were hiding in UNRWA schools, according to their statement.
“During this past night, our planes also attacked a Hamas terrorist in an area of Deir al Balah (central Gaza), which was operating from within a humanitarian zone,” they add in the statement.
On the other hand, Gaza medical sources reported the death of at least 11 people and more than 40 injured in the humanitarian zone of Al Mawasi, in the western part of Rafah, south of the Strip, after an Israeli bombing last night.
Most of the Gaza people who took refuge in Rafah, the city on the border with Egypt, moved to the coastal area of Al Mawasi, by order of Israel, after the start of the Israeli land invasion of this southern city last May.
The official spokesman for Civil Defense in Rafah, Ahmad Redwan, denounces that hundreds of Gaza families slept on the street last night after the incursion and attack by Israeli troops on this camp considered supposedly a safe area by Israel.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa also reports Israeli air and artillery attacks in the early hours of this morning against homes in central Gaza that left at least four civilians dead, including a woman and a child.
In almost nine months of war, the Israeli offensive has already left more than 37,700 people dead, mostly women and children, and another 86,429 injured; in addition to schools, hospitals and residential buildings destroyed.
The Israeli Security Cabinet approved this morning to legalize five outposts (inities of illegal settlements) in the occupied West Bank and to impose new sanctions on the Palestinian National Authority (ANP) at the proposal of the Minister of Finance, the far-right, Bezalel Smotrich.
“These are measures that protect the State of Israel and convey a clear message: We will never establish a terrorist state in the Land of Israel! The actions against the State of Israel and in favor of the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State received an appropriate Zionist response!” Minister Smotrich wrote in his X account.
The president of the Yesha Council, Israel Ganz, the body that brings together all the settlements of the occupied West Bank, welcomed this decision that assured “strengthens the State of Israel.”
“In these difficult days, when we are at war for our home, strengthening the communities in the land of our ancestors is the appropriate Zionist response,” Ganz said.
The five legalized settlements are Evyatar, Givat Assaf, Sde Efraim, Heletz and Adorayim.
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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