Internacionales

“A great honor for our country”: Trump congratulates Pope Leo XIV

President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo XIV, the first-ever pope from the United States, in a message posted Thursday on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has just been named pope. It is a tremendous honor to know he is the first American pope. What a thrill, and what a great honor for our country,” Trump wrote.

“I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a great moment!” he added.

Later, Trump spoke briefly to reporters outside the West Wing about the new pope, who hails from Chicago and also holds Peruvian nationality.

“What greater honor could there be? We’re a bit surprised but very happy,” Trump remarked.

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When asked by a reporter whether he regretted posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as pope — which he shared less than a week after attending Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome — Trump ignored the question.

Last week, he jokingly said he would like to succeed Pope Francis: “I’d like to be pope — that would be my number one choice,” he quipped.

During the conclave, the Republican politician had expressed certain preferences and hinted at support for a New York cardinal, presumably Timothy Dolan, whom he described as “very good.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a conservative Catholic, also reacted to the election of the new pontiff.

“The United States looks forward to deepening its enduring relationship with the Holy See under the first American pope,” Rubio said in a statement.

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President Trump had a complicated relationship with the previous pope.

Internacionales

Major winter storm threatens “catastrophic” ice and snow across much of the U.S.

A major winter storm is threatening to blanket large portions of the United States with a dangerous mix of freezing rain and heavy snowfall, potentially creating “catastrophic” conditions across areas home to nearly 160 million people.

Several U.S. states have declared a state of emergency as the Arctic blast advances from the California coast across much of the continental United States, affecting central regions, including the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, according to forecasts.

The National Weather Service warned the storm could cause a “catastrophic accumulation of ice,” leading to prolonged power outages, widespread tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions.

Meteorologist Ryan Maue cautioned that “the next 10 days of winter will be the worst in 40 years in the United States.”
“Think about where you can go, what you can do, and who may need even more help to survive the coming week. This is not an exaggeration or a joke,” Maue said.

He urged residents to prepare for temperatures dropping below -18°C (0°F).

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More than 1,500 weekend flights had already been canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware, including numerous flights in Texas.

In the southern state, many residents still recall the devastation caused by a similar storm in February 2021, which resulted in more than 200 deaths linked to hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and traffic accidents.

Texas authorities have assured the public that the power grid, which suffered widespread failures during that storm and left millions without electricity, is better prepared to withstand the extreme weather this time.

Internacionales

Juan Orlando Hernández’s family takes time to decide next steps after surprise U.S. release

Ana García, the wife of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned on Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump after being sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking and firearms charges, told EFE on Wednesday that the family has not yet decided whether he will return to Honduras.

“We have not made any decision about that yet. Everything is still very recent, and as a family we are going to take the time to reflect carefully and make wise decisions thinking about the well-being of Juan Orlando, our children, and all our families,” García said at her residence in Tegucigalpa.

García wore around her neck her husband’s wedding ring, which she has kept since Hernández was held at a special police detention facility known as the ‘Cobras’ on the day of his arrest, February 15, 2022.

“We are still deciding many things. He has just been released, it has not even been 48 hours since he got out. So we are taking things calmly,” she reiterated.

She also explained that since she does not have a U.S. visa — revoked after her husband was requested for extradition following the end of his presidency in January 2022 — she has not been able to see him, but said she is “awaiting some form of communication from the United States” in order to do so.

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García declined to reveal where in the United States her husband is currently located, although she stressed that she is confident she will have an opportunity to reunite with him.

Internacionales

One killed, 188 evacuated as wind-driven blaze rips through Kyushu neighborhood

One person died and 188 residents were evacuated after a massive fire swept through at least 170 buildings in a residential area on the island of Kyushu, southern Japan, authorities reported on Wednesday.

The regional government confirmed one fatality. Public broadcaster NHK reported that police, who had been searching for a missing 76-year-old man, found a body inside his home.

Footage recorded on Tuesday night showed firefighters spraying water on towering flames engulfing homes, while residents were escorted to an improvised evacuation center.

“The flames rose so high they turned the sky red. The wind was strong. I never imagined it would spread so far,” a man told NHK.

“I was shaking with fear. I had never seen a column of fire like that,” another witness said.

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The fire broke out late Tuesday, with at least 170 buildings affected. According to NHK, the blaze spread rapidly, likely fueled by a lack of rainfall, dry air, and the tightly packed wooden houses characteristic of the area.