International
John intensifies into a category 2 hurricane and anticipates its impact in southern Mexico
The newly formed tropical storm John has intensified to a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale in the Mexican Pacific, and reduces its distance with the coasts of the southern states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, where it could touch land on the date, the National Meteorological Service (SMN) reported.
The center of the cyclone, the second of the Pacific season that would pass over Mexican territory, was in the last report 90 kilometers (km) south of Punta Maldonado, in the state of Guerrero, and 155 km west-southwest of Puerto Escondido, in Oaxaca.
According to the forecasts of the organization of the National Water Commission (Conagua), John could intensify to category 3 and make landfall in the next six hours.
If the current trajectory is maintained, it would be expected that the center of Hurricane John will touch land between Santiago Pinotepa Nacional (Oaxaca), and Copala (Guerrero), tonight or early Tuesday, the SMN warned.
The phenomenon has sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gusts of 195 km/h and moves north at a speed of 9 km/h.
The current category 2 hurricane will cause extraordinary occasional rains in Oaxaca and Guerrero; torrential in Chiapas; intense in Veracruz and Puebla; very strong in Tabasco, Michoacán and Morelos; as well as strong in the State of Mexico.
The SMN also predicted winds with gusts of up to 120 km/h and waves between three and five meters high on the coasts of Oaxaca, and gusts of between 40 and 60 km/h with waves up to three meters high on the coasts of Guerrero and Chiapas.
In addition, he reported that he established a prevention zone for the effects of Hurricane John from the east of Acapulco, in Guerrero, to Bahías de Huatulco, in Oaxaca.
The Mexican Meteorological Service asked the population to take extreme precautions, which included maritime navigation, as well as to heed the recommendations issued by the authorities of the National Civil Protection System.
John is the second cyclone of the Pacific season that would land in Mexico, where last week the storm Ileana hit in the state of Sinaloa, in the northwest of the country, where it left minor damage.
While three cyclones have hit Mexico through the Atlantic: Hurricane Beryl and Storm Chris, which left a blank balance in July, and Storm Alberto in June, when it left six dead in Nuevo León, a state on the northern border of Mexico.
Mexican authorities predicted in May up to 41 named cyclones in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, of which at least five would hit the country, a figure above the average in both cases.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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