International
Pedro Sánchez will visit a Palestinian refugee camp on his tour of the Middle East
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will visit a Palestinian refugee camp on his tour of the Middle East to learn first-hand about their situation and symbolize Spain’s full support for the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
Sánchez begins this Tuesday a trip that will take him to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to address with the leaders of those countries the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the need for a ceasefire to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe that Gaza is experiencing.
The objective of the trip, according to the Government, is to transfer Spain’s willingness to serve as a bridge between the EU and the Arab countries to advance in the search for definitive solutions that Sánchez considers can only go through the coexistence of two states, Israel and Palestine.
The tour will also have an economic component, especially in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to probe new investments from those countries in Spain and the opportunities they offer to Spanish companies.
In that economic context, the announcement of the Saudi company STC to take over 9.9% of Telefónica is framed, an issue that, according to government sources, Sánchez does not plan to raise in Saudi Arabia on his own initiative but could be addressed if the Saudi side does.
Nor is it planned to discuss with the Saudi authorities on this trip respect for human rights, which the cited sources emphasize is constantly done by Spain in the appropriate forums.
Sánchez will arrive in Amman on Monday night, but his agenda in Jordan will not begin until Tuesday and he will do so with that visit to the Palestinian refugee camp of Jabal el Hussein.
It is one of the four camps established after 1948 to accommodate refugees from Palestine who left as a result of the war between Arabs and Israelis.
The camp was established in 1952 for 8,000 refugees in an area of 421,000 square meters northwest of Amman, but currently, according to official figures from the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the population is almost 30,000 people.
In that camp, Sánchez plans to have a chat with a group of Palestinian children and then meet with refugees living in this camp.
The visit, emphasizes the Executive, aims to give visibility to the work carried out by UNRWA, which it considers irreplaceable in the region in support of Palestinian refugees, as well as Spain’s support for this UN body.
The president of the Government will then visit the Citadel of Amman, rebuilt with funds from Spanish cooperation, and will then meet with the king of Jordan, Abdalah II.
Sánchez will move on Tuesday to Yeddah, the city of Saudi Arabia where he will develop his agenda in this country, where he will first see a group of Spanish businessmen and then he will be received by the crown prince and strong man of the country, Mohamed bin Salman.
The trip will conclude in Doha on Wednesday with a meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who will invite Sánchez to the ‘iftar’ of that day, the moment when the fast is broken in the period of Ramadan.
The Government emphasizes precisely the fact that the three countries have shown their willingness to visit Sánchez in the middle of Ramadan.
In Doha there will also be a meeting of Sánchez with Spanish businessmen, a meeting with women from Qatar who stand out in various areas of society and an interview with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
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King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
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