Venezuela will declare a National Day of Celebration on the date set for the canonization of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, following its approval by Pope Francis on Tuesday, the National Assembly (AN) announced on Thursday. The chavista-controlled Parliament passed a resolution marking this occasion as a historic milestone.

According to the approved decree, this decision follows 75 years of anticipation from the Venezuelan people, who have long awaited the official recognition of the miraculous virtues of this revered figure.

The National Assembly also endorsed efforts to promote the life and legacy of Hernández, who will become Venezuela’s first saint. Additionally, a relic of the “Doctor of the Poor” (1864–1919) will be placed in the National Pantheon in Caracas, where Simón Bolívar’s remains rest.

The legislative body celebrated the upcoming canonization as a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to serving others, spreading a message of hope and love.

Ukraine has accepted an agreement with the United States for the exploitation of mineral resources within its territory and could sign it as early as this Friday, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding Ukraine grant access to its rare earth minerals in exchange for the billions of dollars in aid it received under President Joe Biden to address the Russian invasion.

The agreement would allow the United States to jointly exploit Ukraine’s mineral wealth. The proceeds would be allocated to a newly created fund that would be “joint for both Ukraine and the United States,” the senior Ukrainian official told AFP.

“Now government officials are working on the details… We are already considering a visit to Washington for Friday to sign the agreement,” the official added.

“I’ve heard that. I’ve heard he’s coming on Friday,” Trump said to reporters at the White House. “He’d like to come and sign it here with me, and I understand that: it’s a great deal, a very big deal,” he noted.

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CEL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Friday that Hamas will pay a heavy price for its “cruel violation” of the ceasefire, after claiming that one of the bodies handed over by the Palestinian group was not, as initially stated, that of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, who was of Argentine descent.

In its first response, a Hamas official, speaking anonymously, considered it “likely” that the body delivered, which was supposed to belong to Shiri Bibas, “was mistakenly mixed up with others found under the rubble” in Gaza, and announced an investigation.

On Thursday, Hamas handed over the bodies of four hostages, stating that they included those of Shiri Bibas and her two children, who were 4 years old and 8 months old when they were kidnapped, as well as that of retired Israeli journalist Oded Lifshitz. All of them were abducted during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

This escalation could jeopardize the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which has been in effect since January 19, following 15 months of devastating war triggered by the October 7 attack.