International
Antony Blinken says that the US continues to press and sees it “possible” to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said in Cairo that the United States continues to pressure the parties involved to reach a ceasefire in Gaza in the negotiations that will follow this week in Doha, an agreement that he sees as “possible.”
“The differences are narrowing and we continue to push for an agreement in Doha. There is still hard work to be done, but I still think it is possible,” Blinken said at a press conference along with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shukri, after a meeting with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and the head of the Palestinian Authority.
To reinforce his commitment to this truce, the head of American diplomacy reiterated that the United States will present a resolution to the United Nations Security Council in which for the first time it will specifically request an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, after having opposed three resolutions from other countries that requested it.
“I hope that all countries support this resolution,” said Blinken, who urged to increase and expedite the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip to avoid a crisis of serious proportions.
“Children should not die of malnutrition in Gaza or anywhere else because of these circumstances. 100% of the population in Gaza is experiencing severe levels of food insecurity. We can’t allow this. We must not allow this to happen,” he said emphatically.
In this sense, he stressed the importance of strengthening the delivery of humanitarian aid by land, sea and air, while showing his rejection of an Israeli land operation in the Palestinian town of Rafah, where more than one and a half million displaced Palestinians live overcrowded.
In his speech, Blinken again defended the creation of an independent Palestinian State with security guarantees for Israel with the aim of avoiding a new war like the current one and achieving peace in the region, with the Israeli state integrated with its neighbors.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister pointed out that it is necessary to “develop processes to implement these objectives in a new phase of political perspective through the two-state solution.”
“We have to address the current circumstances to break with the circle of violence that has marked numerous generations with blood and thirst for revenge,” Shukri added.
After reaching these assessments after the meeting with the six Arab countries, the US Secretary of State will travel to Israel this Friday to continue the round of talks that could culminate in integral peace in the region.
International
U.S. to Limit Visa Duration for Foreign Students and Journalists
The United States has announced new limits on the legal length of stay for foreign students and journalists, marking the latest tightening of immigration policies under President Donald Trump.
The changes, outlined in an administrative rule published on Thursday, are expected to take effect in September, unless Congress blocks the measure.
Under the new policy, holders of student visas will be allowed to remain in the United States for no more than four years.
Foreign journalists will be limited to 240-day stays—approximately eight months—with the possibility of applying for extensions of the same duration.
The policy imposes even stricter rules on Chinese journalists, whose visas will be capped at 90 days.
More than 100 international news organizations and press freedom groups, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), criticized the measure in an open letter, arguing that it would reduce both the quantity and quality of international coverage of events in the United States.
The Republican Party, led by President Trump, currently holds a majority in Congress and has pledged to curb both illegal immigration and certain forms of legal immigration.
Previously, the United States generally issued student visas for the full duration of an academic program, while foreign journalists could receive visas valid for up to five years.
Central America
Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Dispute
The Nicaraguan government announced on Thursday that it is severing diplomatic relations with Italy following criticism from the Italian government over Nicaragua’s long-standing decision to shelter Alessio Casimirri, a former member of the Red Brigades convicted in Italy for the 1978 kidnapping and murder of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized the administration of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo on Wednesday for continuing to provide refuge to Casimirri, who was sentenced in Italy to six life terms for his role in Moro’s abduction and killing.
In a statement issued Thursday, Nicaragua’s Foreign Ministry said it was ending all diplomatic relations with Italy, describing Tajani’s remarks as “unjustified, aggressive, and irresponsible.”
Tajani made the comments during a gathering of conservative leaders from Europe and Latin America held in Madrid.
“We have absolutely nothing in common with the positions of extremist governments such as Nicaragua, a country that continues to harbor dangerous Red Brigades terrorists like Alessio Casimirri,” Tajani said, according to Italian media.
The diplomatic break marks a new escalation in tensions between the two countries over the decades-old case involving Casimirri, who has lived in Nicaragua for many years despite repeated calls from Italy for his extradition.
International
U.S. Strikes Hit Areas Near Strait of Hormuz as Tensions With Iran Escalate
Several U.S. strikes targeted areas near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to Iranian state media citing local authorities, as hostilities between the United States and Iran intensified.
Officials in Iran’s Hormozgan Province said the island of Qeshm was struck multiple times by what they described as U.S. missiles during the evening. The reports were carried by the Iranian news agencies Fars and Tasnim.
Iranian state television also reported that the Bandar Abbas region, located on the Iranian coast overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, was the target of what authorities described as an “enemy U.S. air attack.”
According to local officials quoted by state television, no casualties have been reported following the strikes.
The reported attacks come amid renewed military tensions between Washington and Tehran, although U.S. authorities had not immediately commented on the reported operations.
U.S. to Limit Visa Duration for Foreign Students and Journalists
Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Dispute
U.S. Strikes Hit Areas Near Strait of Hormuz as Tensions With Iran Escalate
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