International
The Court urges the judge to continue proceeding in the case of Obiang’s son
The National Court has urged Judge Santiago Pedraz to carry out a series of pending proceedings in the open investigation of a son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang, and two other members of his government for the alleged kidnapping and torture of four opponents in November 2019.
The second section of the Criminal has considered the appeal of relatives of the victims, which was adhered by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Movement for the Liberation of Equatorial Guinea-Third Republic (MLGE3R), against the order of the magistrate who refused to practice those proceedings having ceded jurisdiction to Guinea.
In its order, to which EFE has had access, the court recalls that that decision to cede jurisdiction has already been revoked, so that in the same way the denial of evidence agreed by the judge must be understood to be revoked.
And he specifies that these evidentiary proceedings requested by the accusations “had already been previously admitted” by the judge and therefore “must be practiced” unless, “for a reason other than the revoked transfer of jurisdiction, they were not considered necessary.”
Among the proceedings requested are the statements of several members of the working group on arbitrary arrests of the UN or that of a former UN rapporteur against torture.
The order of the Chamber, dated April 19, arrives a few days after the magistrate declared the summary concluded and raised it to the Criminal Chamber.
Judge Pedraz adopted that decision after the Chamber, also when resolving an appeal from the relatives of the opponents, warned him that he, as an investigating judge, was not competent to cede jurisdiction in this case to Guinea as he had agreed in January, but responded in “exclusively” to the Criminal Chamber itself.
In addition, last February, the Chamber forced him to issue European and international arrest and prison orders against those investigated.
These are the son of Obiang, current Secretary of State for the Presidency of Equatorial Guinea; the director of Presidential Security, Isaac Nguema; and the Minister of State, Nicolás Obama.
According to the complaint filed with Pedraz, the four victims, the deceased Julio Obama, Martín Obiang, Bienvenido Ndong and Feliciano Efa, left on a trip in November 2019 from Madrid to Juba (South Sudan), but were arbitrarily detained and transferred to Equatorial Guinea on a presidential plane to be imprisoned and tortured. EFE
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
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
