International

Trump’s proposal for Gaza is “steroid imperialism,” according to UN rapporteur

The UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, condemned on Wednesday as “steroid imperialism” President Donald Trump’s proposal to expel the Palestinians from Gaza and called it “illegal and immoral madness” that will make the situation “even more draconian” and “coverturn” the system of international law.

In a meeting with a group of journalists in the Dutch city of The Hague, including EFE, Albanese warned that Trump’s proposal is “grotesque and insulting.”

And he does, he added, that “suddenly, something that the Palestinians have experienced for decades, is no longer just an Israeli policy that has led to catastrophic results and international crimes.”

Trump proposes that the US take and rebuild Gaza as a real estate project under the name of the “Middle East River”, expelling Gazans to neighboring states such as Jordan and Egypt.

“What authority does the United States have for this? Let’s go back to what’s really happening: this is steroid imperialism (…) It’s not new, but it’s now completely exposed. It’s crazy, but it’s also illegal, it’s immoral. And it arrives in the middle of genocide. It is irresponsible, and will not bring stability to the region,” he warned.

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The Italian lawyer said she was “very concerned about the legal implications of what Trump is saying” because “what he has said includes deportation, forced displacement, aggression” which, according to her, “will become the foreign policy of the United States from now on.”

Trump announced his plan for Gaza, Albanese said, while he was with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is “seeked and arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity” for the war in Gaza.

“When the president of the United States, instead of condemning him, moving away, embraces him… So, what do we have left? The implications in Gaza for the Palestinians will continue to be tragic,” he lamented.

Gaza is “part of the territory occupied” by Israel and is “part of the territorial unity of the State where there is international consensus that the Palestinians have an exclusive right over their land,” he said.

In this sense, he assured that the two-state solution for Palestine and Israel has been an “opportunity” for the latter to “distract attention from the continuous annexation of Palestinian lands (…) by taking land, displacing people to its extreme consequences.”

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“What is happening to the Palestinians is not only an announced tragedy, but it is the result of impunity. And it will continue to be. The system is collapsing in our hands, and living in a world without laws, where force makes law, is not going to protect any of us,” he warned.

Albanese is visiting the Netherlands this week, where he is giving speeches and participating in round tables. However, both the government and the country’s parliament rejected a formal meeting with her because of their criticisms of Israel, but several deputies will receive it informally.

In this sense, he regretted that representatives of the Netherlands “do not want to listen to a lawyer, an expert in international law, who has been appointed by the UN, while listening to pro-Israeli organizations that are financed by who knows who.”

Albanese explained that “there are a small number of States that have broken the chains of control,” while other countries are “waiting to see where the wind blows” and others “are becoming even more accomplices of this lack of legality.”

“I think that, ultimately, this is also an opportunity for us in the West to do better. To take the opportunity to demonstrate that we can be fairer without giving lessons to others about human rights,” he said.

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And he concluded: “The genocide is not only the concentration camps: it is the lack of food and medical care, health conditions, induced famine.”

International

Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza

Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.

Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.

“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.

Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”

Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..

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“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”

She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.

Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.

International

Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions

Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.

“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.

The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.

Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.

The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.

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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.

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“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.