International
Israel reproaches in a video in X Spain’s policy of recognizing the Palestinian State
Israel again reproached Spain’s policy with the recognition of the Palestinian State, with a video published this Sunday on the account of X of the Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, accompanied by a mention of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and then the message “Hamás thanks him for his service.”
In the video, which lasts 18 seconds, it starts with the flag of Spain and some of the images of the attacks of the Palestinian group on October 7 appear, alternating with those of two people who imitate flamenco dancers, all the time with the phrase printed on “Hamás: “Thanks Spain.”
In the last few hours, numerous X accounts are distributing recordings without filters or warnings of the crudest moments of the October 7 massacre.
The circulation of these videos has intensified following the announcement by Spain, Norway and Ireland of their decision to recognize the Palestinian state on May 28.
With his message today, Katz again charges against the Spanish Government after its recent announcement that it will recognize the Palestinian State, after last Friday it banned the Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem to “provide services to the Palestinians” and ordered the connection between the Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Palestinians to be cut off.
Katz also criticized on Friday the vice president of Spain, Yolanda Díaz, for publishing the day after the announcement of the recognition of the Palestinian State a video on her social networks of support in which she stated “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea,” a slogan of the Palestinian cause that Israel considers anti-Semitic because they say that it implies the disappearance of its state.
“If this ignorant and hateful person wants to understand what radical Islam is really looking for, let him learn about the 700 years of Islamic rule in Al Andalus, in what is now Spain,” Katz wrote in a message on his X account this past Friday against Díaz.
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, considered “scandalous and execrable” the video published today by his Israeli counterpart in which he reproaches Spain for its imminent recognition of the Palestinian State and uses flamenco in a “huring” way.
“The video seems scandalous and execrable to me. It is scandalous because it is known to the whole world, especially to my Israeli colleague, that the Government of Spain has condemned Hamas terrorism from the first moment and in all its actions,” Albares said at a press conference in Brussels with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohamad Mustafa.
“I have said it many times and today I reiterate it here again, the people of Israel are a friendly people of the Spanish people, and Israel, of course, has the right to have its State,” said the head of Spanish diplomacy in his appearance before the press at the headquarters of Spain’s permanent representation before the European Union (EU), after meeting with Mustafa.
For Albares, the video is also “execrable for the use it wants, although it does not achieve it, hurtful, of one of the greatest symbols of Spanish culture such as flamenco.”
A symbol of Spanish culture of which he said he was “especially proud because I love it,” he said.
And, he added: “As soon as I have an hour free, I will go to see a flamenco show to vindicate it, because it is what the world needs right now, a universal art, an open music, a music that dialogues and, therefore, a universal language that brings us closer to all the peoples of the world and that inspires us.”
The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, assured this Saturday that what is happening in Gaza “is a real genocide” and has pointed out that the recognition of the Palestinian State “does not go against Israel,” whose embassy in Spain has regretted that it has made the story of Hamas its own.
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Spain have been tense since Sánchez’s last visit to the country, last November, in which he reproached the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that his offensive in Gaza was not respecting international humanitarian law.
Spain will formally recognize the Palestinian State on May 28, along with Ireland and Norway, which provoked the anger of Israel, which called for consultations with its ambassadors in those countries and summoned their respective representatives in Tel Aviv for a reprimand.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
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.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
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
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