Trump administration restricts officials’ visas over special vote count

The Trump administration restricted visas for two leftist Honduran election officials, citing interference in the Central American country’s special vote count.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement late Friday it revoked the visa of Mario Morazán, a magistrate of the Electoral Justice Tribunal, and denied a visa application from Marlon Ochoa, a member of the National Electoral Council. Both belong to the leftist ruling LIBRE, or Liberty and Refoundation, party.

“The United States will not tolerate actions that undermine our national security and our region’s stability,” the statement said. “We will consider all appropriate measures to deter those impeding the vote count in Honduras.”

Nearly 20 days after the elections were held, Hondurans still do not know the results of the presidential race. Due to the narrow margin between the two leading candidates, electoral officials have carried out a special revision of 2,792 ballot boxes that show alleged inconsistencies and errors. Officials began the special vote count on Thursday after more than a week of the count being paralyzed.

Pope Leo summons world’s cardinals for a key assembly

Pope Leo XIV has summoned the world’s cardinals for two days of meetings to help him govern the church, the Vatican said Saturday, in the clearest sign yet that the new year will signal the unofficial start of his pontificate.

The consistory, as such gatherings are called, will be held Jan. 7-8, immediately following the Jan. 6 conclusion of the 2025 Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.

Leo’s first few months as pope have been dominated by fulfilling the weekly Holy Year obligations of meeting with pilgrimage groups and celebrating special Jubilee audiences and Masses. Additionally, much of his time has been spent wrapping up the outstanding matters of Pope Francis’ pontificate.

Hotel owner found liable for discrimination against Native Americans

The owner of a South Dakota hotel who said Native Americans were banned from the establishment was found liable for discrimination against Native Americans on Friday.

A federal jury decided the owner of the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City will pay tens of thousands of dollars in damages to various plaintiffs who were denied service at the hotel. The jury awarded $1 to the NDN Collective, the Indigenous advocacy group that filed the lawsuit.

“This was never about money. We sued for one dollar,” said Wizipan Garriott, president of NDN Collective and an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. “It was about being on record for the discrimination that happened, and using this as an opportunity to be able to really call out racism.”

Uhre posted on social media in March 2022 that she would ban Native Americans from the property after a fatal shooting at the hotel involving two teenagers whom police identified as Native American.

Court sentences former Prime Minister Khan, wife to 17 years in graft case

A Pakistani court convicted and sentenced imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Saturday to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, officials and his party said.

The couple pleaded not guilty when they were indicted last year. They were accused of selling the gifts — including jewelry from Saudi Arabia’s government — at prices far below their market value while he was in office.

Prosecutors said Khan and his wife declared the value of the gifts at a little more than $10,000, far below their actual market value of $285,521, allowing them to purchase the items at a reduced price.

— Denver Post wire services