International
Rubio highlights to the Israeli president Trump’s “deep commitment” to the hostages
The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, assured this Sunday to the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, that Donald Trump is “firm and deeply committed to the goal of each and every hostage returning home.”
“And don’t rest, don’t shut up, don’t forget until they all return home,” Rubio said with Herzog to the media, shortly before the meeting between the two began at the presidential residence in Jerusalem.
Rubio highlighted as a priority the joint work of the US Administration with the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the hostages back, although he also highlighted among the regional challenges to face the situation in southern Lebanon, where Israel maintains its troops, that of Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad and, above all, the relationship with Iran.
“We have always sought peace and we have always wanted peace in our region. And I think that your visit here, as well as your ability to change and influence our region are enormous and can bring great hope to our people and the peoples of the region,” Herzog said.
The Israeli president also emphasized Israel’s efforts to return the 73 remaining hostages in Gaza (70 captured by Hamas in the October 7 attack and three who were previously in the enclave) to return to Israeli territory.
“We are screaming, suffering, praying, working tirelessly to bring each and every one of our hostages back home. This is our greatest hope as a nation and as individuals and I want to thank you for this effort and for carrying out this sacred mission,” the Israeli politician continued.
In his statements, however, Rubio focused on the Iranian regime, assuring that behind groups such as Hamas or the Shiite group Hezbula in Lebanon, as well as Assad in Syria or the Houthis of Yemen, is Iran.
“It is still a fundamental challenge that we have before us, but know that there has not been a stronger defender of the State of Israel in the White House than President Trump, to whom I have the honor of serving as his secretary of state,” he said.
The US Secretary of State also held meetings this Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar.
In the first, Netanyahu claimed that he works “in total cooperation” with Trump, with whom he also values the resumption of the war if the hostages are not released.
However, negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza have not yet begun (they should have done so on February 3), according to EFE Hamas sources, despite the fact that it is during this stage when the release of the rest of the living hostages is proposed, in addition to the definitive end of the war.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
International
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
A U.S. federal judge ruled this Monday, December 22, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from re-detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador earlier this year during the administration of President Donald Trump.
During a hearing in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must remain free on bail through the Christmas holidays, concluding that his initial detention lacked a legal basis. The ruling follows a request from his legal team for a temporary restraining order to prevent ICE from carrying out a new arrest.
Earlier this month, on December 11, Judge Xinis ordered his release from a Pennsylvania migrant detention center after determining that the government had detained him without a formal deportation order. In 2019, an immigration judge had already ruled that Ábrego could not be returned to El Salvador because his life was in danger.
Despite that protection, Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 following a raid by the Trump administration. Officials argued at the time that he was a gang member, and he was sent directly to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador. In June, he was returned to the United States to face a new trial for alleged human smuggling—a charge he denies.
On Monday, Judge Xinis also temporarily invalidated a new deportation order issued by an immigration judge following Ábrego’s recent release, granting him legal protection through the coming weeks. His trial is scheduled to begin in Tennessee in January 2026.
International
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.
Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.
“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.
Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.
The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.
As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
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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