International
Senator publishes unpublished video of the moments after the attack on Donald Trump
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley published on Wednesday a video recorded by a camera of a security officer in which the lifeless body of Thomas Crooks, the shooter who shot Donald Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
The senator said on network X that his intention is that the images serve to provide “transparency” and be held accountable for the security flaws that led the 20-year-old to parapetet on a roof of a building near the stage of the Trump rally without being detected and firing several shots, which killed an assistant and injured two others, in addition to the Republican candidate.
The video was recorded by an agent’s body camera on the roof where Crooks was and in it you can see a secret service agent discussing the details with several police officers of what had just happened to inform Washington.
Before being killed by the security forces, Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump (2017-2021), fired eight bullets, whose shells were found on the roof on which he was mounted.
This was reported on Wednesday by the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, in an appearance in a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives in which he offered some details about the attempted assassination of the former president that occurred on Saturday, July 13 at a rally in Butler (Pennsylvania).
Faced with questions from several legislators, Wray assured that the FBI will continue to work “tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened.”
“We are putting all the resources of the FBI at the service of criminal and national security. Now there is a lot of work going on and there is still a lot of work to be done and our understanding – of what happened and why – will continue to evolve, but we are not going to leave stone without moving,” he said.
“The assassination attempt of the former president was an attack on our democracy and our democratic process and we will not tolerate political violence of any kind, especially a despicable account of this magnitude,” Wray said.
Wray revealed that the shooter was flying the drone around the area, not on stage, but about 200 meters away, about two hours before the start of the rally and that helped him determine the best position to aim the weapon outside the security perimeter.
And about the explosive devices, Wray specified that a total of three explosive devices were recovered, two in Crooks’ vehicle and one from his residence. All of them had receivers that could have allowed them to be detonated remotely.
Grassley said today that the video and documents he has revealed after an official request provide more answers than the Secret Service has given to the American public to date.
Legislators of both parties were very disappointed with the evasion of the former director of the Secret Service, in charge of the security of presidents, former presidents and presidential candidates, Kimberly Cheatle, at a hearing on Monday.
Cheatle resigned yesterday due to the security flaws that led to the attack on Trump, who recovered from a bullet that slightly pierced her right ear.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
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
-
International4 days agoTrump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
-
International4 days agoBolsonaro misses appeal deadline, faces imminent prison order by Brazil’s Supreme Court
-
International4 days agoMan pleads not guilty in Liverpool parade incident that injured more than 130
-
Central America3 days agoPanama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
-
International4 days agoMacron to announce new voluntary military service amid rising security concerns in Europe
-
Central America3 days ago
Trump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections
-
Central America21 hours agoTrump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
-
International3 days agoArchbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
-
Central America3 days agoWashington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
-
International21 hours agoMeta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication