International
Biden tells Netanyahu that the future of US support will depend on the protection of civilians in Gaza
US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that the future support of the United States for the war in Gaza will depend on the “concrete” actions he takes to minimize the damage to civilians in the Gaza Strip and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.
The two leaders spoke this Thursday by phone, in what is their first direct contact since the attack that on April 1 killed seven co-workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), the NGO founded by Spanish chef José Andrés.
According to the White House in a statement, Biden took advantage of the call to ask Netanyahu to announce and implement “a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address the damage to civilians, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.”
He then warned that his Government’s future policy regarding Gaza “will depend” on the actions that Israel takes to comply with those requests and considered that the attacks on humanitarian workers and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where 33,000 people have died, “are unacceptable.”
Biden also stressed to Netanyahu that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” and urged him to empower his negotiators to conclude an agreement without delay for the hostages to return home.
Biden’s words imply a hardening of tone, although already in recent months he has been critical of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza.
However, in practice, your Government has not modified the support it has provided to Israel since the beginning of the conflict.
In fact, this same Thursday, The Washington Post newspaper reported that the United States approved on Monday – the same day that the attack on WCK took place – a new weaponry package to Israel that includes 2,000 small and medium-diameter bombs.
The White House statement did not mention that delivery of weapons and it is only said that both also talked about Iran’s threats to Israel. In this regard, Biden made it clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have a ceasefire in Gaza to protect innocent civilians.
During today’s telephone conversation with Netanyahu, Biden told him that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” Blinken said at a press conference in Brussels, after having participated in a NATO ministerial meeting.
He also urged him to allow his negotiators to conclude “an agreement without delay to return home the hostages” kidnapped by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas after its attack on Israel on October 7, in which about 1,200 people also died.
“If we don’t see the changes we have to see, there will be changes in our policy,” Blinken insisted.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
International
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
The United States may soon carry out airstrikes on military facilities inside Venezuela as part of an escalating offensive against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, according to reports Friday from the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the Trump administration.
Airstrikes could take place “within days or even hours,” the Herald reported. The Journal noted that while the option is under serious consideration, President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on authorizing strikes on Venezuelan soil.
Potential targets allegedly include military-controlled ports and airports used in drug trafficking operations, such as naval installations and airstrips, officials told the Journal.
The Herald also quoted a source saying that “Maduro’s time is running out”, suggesting that more than one Venezuelan general may be ready to detain and hand him over. However, officials declined to confirm whether the Venezuelan leader would be among the military targets.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to block the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, following nearly two months of airstrikes against vessels in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Those operations have destroyed 15 boats and left 61 people dead and three survivors since September 1.
“We are finally waging a war against the cartels — a war like they’ve never seen before — and we are going to win that battle. We are already winning at sea,” Trump told U.S. troops during a speech in Japan.
The reports on possible airstrikes come on the same day the United Nations accused the U.S. of violating international law with its maritime operations, saying those killed at sea may have been victims of extrajudicial executions.
International
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
Pope Leo XIV announced on Friday that he will revive and update the Global Compact on Education, an initiative launched by the late Pope Francis aimed at deeply transforming global culture through education.
The announcement was made during an audience in St. Peter’s Square, held on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Educational World, which this week gathers more than 20,000 participants from 124 countries in Rome.
During his address, the pontiff — who is of U.S. origin and Peruvian nationality — emphasized the importance of restoring the value of educators and reinforcing the principles that support the pact.
“We must be careful: damaging the social and cultural role of educators means mortgaging our own future,” he warned before thousands in attendance. “A crisis in the transmission of knowledge leads to a crisis of hope.”
The Global Compact on Education, launched by Pope Francis, seeks an integral and long-term cultural transformation. It is structured around five pillars: dignity and human rights; fraternity and cooperation; technology and integral ecology; education for peace and citizenship; and culture and religions. To date, the initiative has been joined by over 553 schools and nearly 410,000 students, according to Catholic Schools data.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed concern over the widespread inner fragility affecting both students and teachers — many of whom feel overwhelmed by bureaucratic burdens.
He additionally addressed the role of artificial intelligence in education, warning that it may worsen emotional isolation among learners: “It can further isolate students who are already isolated, giving them the illusion that they do not need others — or worse, the feeling that they are unworthy of them,” he said.
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
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
-
International3 days agoJamaica faces widespread destruction as hurricane Melissa hits the island
-
International5 days agoColombian president Gustavo Petro denies alleged ties to criminal networks
-
International21 hours agoHurricane Melissa kills over 30, leaves thousands displaced in the Caribbean
-
International3 days agoMelissa leaves path of destruction in Caribbean, 735,000 evacuated in Cuba
-
International5 days agoMexican journalist reporting on drug cartels killed in Durango
-
Central America3 days agoNew dismembered bodies found in San Juan river days after mass killing in Palencia
-
Central America3 days agoFour guatemalan soldiers arrested for stealing weapons from Northern Air Command
-
International2 days agoHurricane Melissa leaves Jamaican residents homeless as recovery efforts begin
-
Central America5 days agoEl Salvador cracks down on narcotics: 24 tons confiscated in major anti-drug operation
-
Central America3 days agoArévalo accuses Porras and judge of undermining democracy in Guatemala
-
International3 days agoArgentina’s Milei opens dialogue with parties to push “Second-Generation Reforms”
-
International2 days agoUS Deputy Secretary criticizes Mexico’s call to end Cuba trade embargo at UN
-
Central America5 days agoEl Salvador’s FGR prosecutes 89,875 gang members under state of exception
-
International2 days agoVenezuela warns citizens who call for invasion risk losing nationality
-
International2 days agoTrump orders immediate U.S. nuclear testing, ending 30-year moratorium
-
International21 hours agoTrump sets historic low refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizes white South Africans
-
International2 days agoBrazilian president defends coordinated anti-drug operations after deadly Rio raid
-
International17 hours agoU.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
-
International2 days agoMexico advances continental shelf claims at UN Commission in New York
-
International2 days agoSimeón Pérez Marroquín, ‘El Viejo,’ detained for role in Miguel Uribe Turbay assassination plot
-
International21 hours ago
UNICEF: Over 700,000 children affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
-
International17 hours agoU.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
-
International17 hours agoPope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis