International
Brazil begins first operations to protect Amazon
January 20 | By AFP |
Brazil this week began the first operations against Amazon deforestation since veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office, the Ibama environmental agency said Friday.
On the campaign trail before his October election victory — when he defeated far right climate change skeptic Jair Bolsonaro — Lula promised to end deforestation by 2030.
The Amazon rainforest suffered during Bolsonaro’s four-year presidency as the former army captain repeatedly enacted laws favoring agriculture and mining in the forest at the expense of that critically important ecosystem. Reducing deforestation is key to slowing climate change.
“The deployment of teams for the start of inspection operations began on January 16, 2023,” Ibama told AFP.
Average Amazon deforestation soared by 75 percent during Bolsonaro’s presidency, compared with the previous decade.
“The environmental team put in place by the federal government has, since the beginning of the transition period, been working to build a plan capable of inverting the rate of deforestation seen these last few months,” added Ibama.
On Wednesday, Lula told the Globo News television channel that he wanted to create a federal police force to “act in a stronger manner” to protect forests.
He also said he wanted to arrange a meeting with the other South American countries that share the Amazon to discuss a continental preservation policy.
Lula said he would fight deforestation “by any means” and added: “I will need the armed forces, I will need the federal police force.”
Since taking office on January 1, Lula has signed a series of decrees pertaining to the protection of the Amazon.
He also reactivated an Amazon protection fund that had been frozen since 2019 due to a disagreement between the Bolsonaro government and major donor countries Norway and Germany over how to spend the money.
And Lula revoked a Bolsonaro decree authorizing mining exploitation in Indigenous areas and protected zones.
International
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Seven out of ten Mexicans born into poverty remain poor throughout their lives, highlighting an urgent need for public policies focused on promoting social mobility through equal opportunity, according to civil society organizations.
The 2025 Social Mobility Report in Mexico, published by the Espinosa Yglesias Center for Studies (CEEY), reveals that 73% of individuals born into the bottom 20% of income households in Mexico — Latin America’s second-largest economy — continue to live in poverty based on income.
The report signals a worrisome stagnation in social mobility, defined as the ability of individuals to improve their socioeconomic standing compared to that of their parents. This lack of upward movement indicates that one’s economic origins are largely inherited, according to CEEY.
Geographically, disparities are stark:
-
In northern Mexico, 37% of those born in poverty remain there.
-
In the south, that number rises dramatically to 64%.
Gender gaps are also evident. Among those born in wealthier households, women experience less upward mobility, with a rate of 47% compared to 53% for men.
The report also notes that 48% of economic inequality in Mexico stems from inequality of opportunity — placing Mexico among the top ten countries with the highest opportunity inequality across 50 nations analyzed globally.
International
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Spain registered a record-breaking temperature of 46°C (114.8°F) on Saturday, June 28, in El Granado, Huelva — a southern town near the Portuguese border — marking the highest temperature ever recorded in June in the country, according to Spain’s national meteorological agency, Aemet.
The temperature was officially recorded at 4:40 p.m. local time, surpassing the previous June record of 45.2°C (113.4°F)set in Seville back in 1965, also in the Andalusia region.
Like many parts of Southern Europe, Spain is experiencing a severe heatwave, with large areas of the country facing temperatures above 40°C even though summer has just begun.
As one of Europe’s countries most vulnerable to climate change, Spain has endured its three hottest years on recordfrom 2022 to 2024, marked by repeated heatwaves and temperature extremes.
Climate scientists have long warned that global warming is amplifying the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts — trends now evident across the Iberian Peninsula and the broader Mediterranean region.
International
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
The Republican administration of Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday against Los Angeles officials, challenging the city’s sanctuary policies as illegal amid an intensifying federal immigration crackdown.
The Department of Justice accused the Democratic-led city of interfering with federal immigration enforcement, arguing that its sanctuary policies have contributed to “violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement” recently seen in Los Angeles.
“The sanctuary city policies were the cause of violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in an official statement.
The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, names Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and the entire City Council as defendants.
While Los Angeles had long been considered a sanctuary city for immigrants, the City Council officially adopted the designation through a municipal ordinance in November last year, following Trump’s election to the presidency.
The legal action seeks to limit local authorities’ cooperation with federal immigration agents under Trump’s policies.
With over one-third of its population being immigrants, Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in the battle against Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, which began with his campaign promise to deport millions.
Tensions in the city escalated earlier this month after an increase in workplace immigration raids, sparking mass protests downtown. The situation further intensified when Trump overrode California Governor Gavin Newsom and ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area.
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras and U.S. strengthen cooperation on migrant rights and border security
-
International4 days agoWhite House claims challenged as most ICE arrests in LA involve non-criminals
-
Central America5 days agoKristi Noem discusses border security, migration, and TPS in Honduras
-
Central America5 days agoCosta Rican President accuses Electoral Tribunal of censorship ahead of october elections
-
Central America5 days agoPanama Canal traffic surges 30% in early fiscal 2025 amid recovery
-
Central America4 days agoCosta Rican president Rodrigo Chaves faces new campaign finance accusation amid political tensions
-
Internacionales3 days agoJalisco’s grim discovery: drug cartel mass grave found in construction site
-
International2 days agoProtests erupt over Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant jail in the Everglades
-
Central America3 days agoHonduras secures IDB loan to improve access and quality of education in vulnerable areas
-
International4 days agoPope Leo XIV calls for fraternal priesthood, rejecting individualism
-
International4 days agoNetanyahu and Trump vow to expand “Circle of Peace” amid Middle East ceasefire
-
International5 days agoEcuador’s most wanted criminal ‘Fito’ recaptured and set for extradition
-
International5 days agoGunmen attack San Juan celebration in Guanajuato, leaving 11 dead
-
International3 days agoU.S. targets families of sanctioned drug traffickers with new Visa restrictions
-
International1 day agoTikTok sale advances as Trump reveals deal is in place
-
International4 days agoMpox cases decline in Africa as vaccination efforts continue
-
International5 days agoArmenian cleric accused of plotting bombings to overthrow government
-
International4 days agoHeat dome to bring record-breaking temperatures across southwestern Europe
-
Central America2 days agoMigrants stranded in Panama amid US Policy crackdown and Darién gap barriers
-
International4 days agoMexican authorities arrest 17 linked to ‘Mayos’ Cartel in major operations across Sinaloa
-
Central America1 day agoCastro to address FfD4 in Spain as Global Financial Reform takes center stage
-
International1 hour agoEcuador’s former VP Jorge Glas sentenced to 13 more years for corruption
-
International1 hour agoTrump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
-
International1 hour agoSpain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
-
International1 hour ago7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds