International
Russia and China veto the first resolution in which the US called for a ceasefire in Gaza
Russia and China vetoed this Friday the first UN Security Council resolution in which the United States called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, after almost six months of war that has cost the lives of 32,000 people.
The resolution was also rejected by Algeria, while Guyana abstained and the other eleven countries voted in favor.
Nine votes in favor are enough to approve a resolution, but the negative votes of two countries with the right to veto (in this case Russia and China) prevented its approval.
It is the fourth time that a Member State has vetoed a resolution in this regard. On the previous three occasions the United States did so, arguing in those cases that Israel’s right to defend itself was not included and they actually allowed the rearmament and reorganization of Hamas.
The resolution rejected today, which had been negotiated for a month and required at least six drafts, was rejected for its ambiguous vocabulary, because, in the words of the Russian ambassador, Vasily Nebenzia, prior to the vote, he considered that it did not clearly call for a ceasefire, but was limited to considering “an immediate and sustained ceasefire imperative to protect the civilians of both sides.”
Nebenzia said that the resolution presented by the United States. The United States was “a hypocritical initiative designed to disorient the international community,” he regretted that Russian proposals to amend the text have been systematically rejected by Washginton and also considered that the text voted today “in fact assumes the green light for Israel to carry out a military operation in Rafah.”
As for Algeria’s ambassador, Amar Bendjama, he said that his rejection not only represented his country, but “the entire Arab world,” and stated that the text of the U.S. resolution. The United States on Gaza “does not convey a clear message of peace, but tacitly allows civilian victims to continue (falling) and lacks safeguards for a future escalation” of the conflict.
The Chinese ambassador, Zhang Jun, also considered the text voted today “ambiguous”, because “it does not clearly call for a ceasefire” and because it “deviates from the consensus of the members of the Council and is far from the expectations of the international community,” in addition to setting conditions for that ceasefire.
At this time, another resolution is being negotiated at the same time in the Security Council with a clearer language on the ceasefire, and while Russia and China have said that it will support that other resolution, it remains to be seen what the attitude of the United States will be, which could veto it.
At the same time, the United States sponsors other indirect negotiations in Doha (Qatar) between Hamas and Israel with a view to an exchange of prisoners between the two parties and an eventual truce.
Also yesterday, the European Union called for an “immediate humanitarian break” that “leads to a sustainable ceasefire,” the first common position in this regard in the European club, where Israel has solid allies such as Germany or the Netherlands.
All this political and diplomatic activity has intensified after a dramatic UN report was announced on Monday that assured that 1.1 million people in Gaza are about to enter “catastrophic food insecurity,” the most serious degree of famine.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
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