Iran demands unconditional ceasefire as Trump plays nuclear chess

An Iranian ultimatum and a two-week deadline mark the pulse of a crisis that could escalate.

Publicado 20 junio, 2025 el 20 de junio a las 15:43 | 2 mins reading |2,842 vistas | por Ana Rodríguez

The theater of the absurd in the Middle East: when peace sounds like a threat

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discovered warm water: the war with Israel will only end if… surprise! Israel stops attacking. Strategic genius or candidate for the Nobel Prize for the Obvious? In a statement worthy of a soap opera script, he demanded the “unconditional halt” of the Israeli attacks, as if he were asking for the latest discount on the Tehran bazaar. Of course, with “firm guarantees” included, because in this neighborhood, promises are worth what a monopoly ticket.

Trump and his diplomatic hourglass: two weeks to decide if he lights the fuse

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, in a fit of unusual restraint (or perhaps because someone reminded him that wars are expensive), gave a record deadline: two weeks to decide whether to get the US into this mess. Reason? According to his spokeswoman, there is a “substantial possibility” of negotiating with Iran. Wow, how specific. Could it be that he consulted his horoscope or is he simply waiting for Elon Musk to tweet a solution?

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, for his part, refused to dialogue with the US as long as Israel continues shooting. Something like “I won’t talk to you if your dog barks at me.” Of course, he found time to have a coffee in Geneva with Europeans and discuss the nuclear program. Because, of course, what better time for a diplomatic brunch than when bombs are falling 3,000 km away?

The funniest (or tragic) thing is that Iran insists that it “has always sought peace,” just after threatening “harsher and more regrettable” responses. A classic: the geopolitical “I wasn’t.” Is anyone else listening to Benny Hill’s theme in the background?

What’s next? An ultimatum written on toilet paper? A missile shaped like an emoji? In this circus, even the OPCW could put out a season of reality show.

Do you enjoy this desert version of Game of Thrones? Share this article and continue exploring how world leaders turn geopolitics into an episode of The Simpsons. Because laughing is better than crying (or having a bowel movement)!

International

Canada cancels ceremony with the US due to Trump’s tariff threats

Ottawa cancels joint event with Washington due to tariff tensions. The bridge opens on July 27.

Publicado 7 hours ago el 22 de julio a las 21:22 | 2 mins reading

The Government of Canada decided to cancel the joint ceremony with the United States for the inauguration of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects Windsor with Detroit. The measure responds to recent tariff threats from President Donald Trump.

“In light of the trade actions threatened by the United States this week, it would be inappropriate to move forward with a celebratory event between the two countries,” said Jenna Ghassabeh, spokesperson for Canadian Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson.

The binational event was scheduled for July 24 with authorities from both countries. However, Ottawa will maintain the opening date to traffic on July 27, with an exclusively Canadian celebration.

Commercial tension and key work

The decision comes after Trump announced 50% tariffs on various Canadian imports, arguing alleged discriminatory treatment of American cars, alcoholic beverages and dairy products.

The Gordie Howe Bridge required an investment of $4.7 billion. It is one of the most relevant infrastructure works in North America and seeks to relieve the flow of the Ambassador Bridge, through which 126 billion dollars in merchandise circulated during 2023.

Despite the suspension of the joint event, the border crossing will begin operating as scheduled.

International

The official number of deaths from earthquakes in Venezuela rises to 5,346

5,346 dead and 16,740 injured: new official balance after the earthquakes of June 24 in Venezuela.

Publicado 8 hours ago el 22 de julio a las 20:34 | 1 min reading

The Venezuelan authorities updated this Tuesday the official balance of the double earthquake registered on June 24. The death toll rises to 5,346 after adding 68 additional deaths in the last few hours.

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, reported that the injured remain at 16,740. A total of 17,265 people remain homeless, while 23,122 victims remain housed in 107 temporary camps. So far, authorities have provided care to 128,324 affected families.

Material damage and disappearances

The official report registers 856 buildings damaged and 190 collapsed. Civil society organizations estimate 29,460 people missing under the rubble, a figure that the government has not officially confirmed.

This new count is released 27 days after the earthquakes that generated a large-scale humanitarian emergency in the country. Rodríguez disseminated the data through his Telegram channel, where he detailed the progress in the care work for those affected.

The authorities maintain active search, rescue and humanitarian assistance tasks in the impacted areas. Thousands of people continue to depend on state aid and international cooperation to face the consequences of the tragedy.

International

The skeleton of a Triassic giant is restored in Poland

Volunteers restore a 6-meter-long prehistoric amphibian skeleton in Warsaw.

Publicado 9 hours ago el 22 de julio a las 19:06 | 2 mins reading

Volunteers restore the fossil of a prehistoric colossus in Warsaw

At the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw, a team of more than 2,000 volunteers is working on restoring the skeleton of a Mastodonsaurus, a giant amphibian that lived 240 million years ago. With chisels, brushes and protective glasses, they remove the rock that covers the bones millimeter by millimeter.

Visitors watch through a window as the work progresses. The skeleton measures almost 6 meters and weighs 1,300 kilograms. It will be the largest of its kind displayed in a museum in the world, according to Tomasz Sulej, a paleontologist at the Polish Academy of Sciences.

An experience open to citizens

The volunteers are not scientists, but managers, cleaning staff and tattoo artists, among others. They receive training and protective equipment before supervised two-hour sessions. “I imagine that those bones were underground for 240 million years and I am the first human being to touch them,” commented Tatyana Kozyk, team coordinator.

The specimen was discovered in southern Poland in 2023 by Sulej and Wojciech Pawlak. Unlike other finds in Germany and Russia, which measure 2 to 3 meters, this specimen offers new information about the species. “The structure of the body is different from what we knew,” Sulej said.

A message of natural resilience

Dorota Serafín, a 51-year-old manager, described the experience as “relaxing and philosophical, even mystical.” The Mastodonsaurus lived after the largest mass extinction on the planet, just before the rise of the dinosaurs. For Sulej, his story sends a message of hope in the face of climate change: “Nature and life always find ways to survive.”

The restoration will be completed in October or November. The skeleton will then be displayed to the public at the same center.