International

Hezbulá will continue with “the same war plan” against Israel, says its new leader

The new leader of Hizbulah, Naim Qasem, said on Wednesday in his first speech as head of the formation that the Lebanese Shiite group will continue with “the same war plan” against Israel drawn up by its predecessor, Hassan Nasrala, killed just over a month ago in a massive bombing of the Israeli Army.

“The work schedule is the same as with Hasán Nasrala. We continue with the same war plan,” Qasem said in a televised speech in which he appeared next to the flags of Lebanon, of Hizbulah and a framed photo of his predecessor, who always promised that the group would cease its attacks against Israel if a truce was reached in Gaza.

In a serene tone, the septuagenary clergyman said that the Strip, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East are facing “an Israeli, American and European war with all its power,” while denouncing that a “genocide” is being committed in the devastated Palestinian enclave and, now, in Lebanese territory.

“We always said that we do not want war, but we are prepared if it has been imposed on us and we will do it firmly and we will succeed, God willing,” insisted Qasem, who said that Hezbulla’s only objective “is to protect Lebanon” and “support Palestine.”

Israel’s “brutality” in Gaza and Lebanon

He also acknowledged that the group “has paid the price for the convictions of liberation,” in reference to the dozens of deaths of high-ranking officials in Hezbulá – including that of Nasrala – since the beginning of the clashes with Israel on October 8, 2023, one day after the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip.

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However, he insisted on the group’s “need” to respond to Israel’s “brutality” in Gaza and Lebanon.

“More than 43,000 martyrs do not move the world? 100,000 wounded don’t shake the world? Not even the murder of children? This crime must be addressed,” Qasem justified in reference to the deaths in the Palestinian enclave since the beginning of the war more than a year ago.

On the other hand, he acknowledged that Iran “supports” Hezbollah but insisted that the Islamic Republic “does not want anything” in return, only “the liberation of the Lebanese land.”

“We welcome any Arab, Islamic or world country if it wants to support us. We don’t say no to anyone who supports us in the world, be it Western, Arab or whoever. We will not say no,” insisted the clergyman, who was appointed on Tuesday as the new general secretary of the organization.

Naim Qasem said that the Shiite group has the ability to continue facing Israel “for months,” although he reiterated that the armed formation is willing to agree to a ceasefire “with conditions.”

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“We can continue for months, I won’t say more,” said the septuagenary clergyman in his first speech after being appointed yesterday as the new secretary general of Hizbulah to succeed Hassan Nasrala, murdered a month ago by Israel in a massive bombing against the southern suburbs of Beirut known as the Dahye.

During his speek, he asked for “patience” from the combatants and the Lebanese, while demanding to leave Lebanon the soldiers of Israel, which began an invasion of the southern Mediterranean country in early October: “Get out of our land to reduce your losses, if you stay you will see defeat,” he said.

“Will the war be prolonged? It seems that the US elections will be a turning point,” Qasem asked himself, who indicated that “there may be someone who inhibits (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu” to stop hostilities, he said.

“Indirect” negotiations

On the other hand, Qasem assured that Hezbulah is willing to hold “indirect” negotiations with Israel to reach a truce that ends more than a year of war, which has caused the death of more than 2,700 people and the displacement of more than 1.2 million others in Lebanon alone, in addition to the annihilation of much of the leadership of the Shiite armed formation.

“If the enemy decides (to agree) on a ceasefire, we will say yes, but with conditions. The way will be to hold indirect negotiations for this purpose,” said the cleric, who in early October – when he was the number two of Hezbullah – gave his support to some truce talks mediated by the president of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri.

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In this sense, he recalled that Berri, who also leads the Shiite group Amal, an ally of Hezbulá, is “the pillar of the negotiations,” although he regretted that “there is still no clear project that is consensual” to put an end to hostilities.

Berri, who has been president of Parliament for three decades, is a crucial figure who serves as the group’s communication channel with the rest of the Lebanese political spectrum.

Israel says the mandate of the new leader will be “temporary”

Shortly after the appointment, Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, targeted the septuagenary cleric and assured in a brief message on his official X account that his mandate will be “temporary” and “not for long.”

After a little more than a month of the assassination of Nasrala, the group has decided to choose the one who was the number two of the formation and who has been in charge of giving the three television speeches offered after the death of the previous head of Hezbullah, who was in charge for three decades.

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This decision has been made after last week Hizbula confirmed the death of Hashem Safi al Din, head of the Executive Council of the formation and considered one of the main candidates to head the group.

He has been considered one of the main spokesmen of the Shiite group and the highest level figure who has even given interviews to foreign media.

International

Winter Storm Fern Leaves 30 Dead and Over One Million Without Power Across the U.S.

The massive winter storm Fern, bringing polar temperatures, battered large portions of the United States for a third consecutive day on Monday, leaving at least 30 people dead, more than one million households without electricity, and thousands of flights grounded.

In the Great Lakes region, residents awoke to extreme cold, with temperatures dropping below -20°C. Forecasts indicate that conditions are expected to worsen in the coming days as an Arctic air mass moves south, particularly across the northern Great Plains and other central regions, where wind chills could plunge to -45°C, temperatures capable of causing frostbite within minutes.

Across the country, heavy snowfall exceeding 30 centimeters in roughly 20 states triggered widespread power outages. According to PowerOutage.com, nearly 800,000 customers remained without electricity on Monday morning, most of them in the southern United States.

In Tennessee, where ice brought down power lines, approximately 250,000 customers were still without power. Outages also affected more than 150,000 customers in Mississippi and over 100,000 in Louisiana, as utility crews struggled to restore service amid dangerous conditions.

International

Spain approves plan to regularize up to 500,000 migrants in Historic Shift

In November 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a reform of the country’s immigration regulations aimed at regularizing 300,000 migrants per year over a three-year period, in an effort to counter population aging in a country where births have fallen by 25.6% since 2014, according to official data.

Going against the trend in much of Europe, Spain’s left-wing government has now approved an exceptional migrant regularization plan that could benefit up to 500,000 people, most of them from Latin America.

The measure will allow the regularization of around “half a million people” who have been living in Spain for at least five months, arrived before December 31, 2025, and have no criminal record, Migration Minister Elma Saiz explained on public television.

The plan, approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers, establishes that applications will be processed between April and June 30, enabling beneficiaries to work in any sector and anywhere in the country, Saiz said.

“Today is a historic day for our country. We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration, and one that is compatible with economic growth and social cohesion,” the minister later stated at a press conference.

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The socialist government of Pedro Sánchez stands out within the European Union for its migration policy, contrasting with the tightening of immigration measures across much of the bloc amid pressure from far-right movements.

Central America

Honduras swears in conservative president Asfura after disputed election

Conservative politician Nasry Asfura assumed the presidency of Honduras on Tuesday with an agenda closely aligned with the United States, a shift that could strain the country’s relationship with China as he seeks to confront the economic and security challenges facing the poorest and most violent nation in Central America.

Asfura’s rise to power, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, marks the end of four years of left-wing rule and secures Trump another regional ally amid the advance of conservative governments in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.

The 67-year-old former mayor and construction businessman was sworn in during an austere ceremony at the National Congress, following a tightly contested election marred by opposition allegations of fraud and Trump’s threat to cut U.S. aid if his preferred candidate did not prevail.

Grateful for Washington’s support, Asfura—who is of Palestinian descent—traveled to the United States to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We need to strengthen relations with our most important trading partner,” Asfura said after being declared the winner of the November 30 election by a narrow margin, following a tense vote count that lasted just over three weeks.