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
Bill Gates to testify before Congress over Epstein connections
Bill Gates is set to testify on June 10 before a congressional committee in United States investigating links connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Tuesday.
The Microsoft co-founder is among several high-profile figures named in documents released by the Department of Justice, which detail alleged close associations, questionable financial dealings, and private photographs involving Epstein.
According to a spokesperson cited by Politico, Gates “welcomes” the opportunity to appear before the committee. The representative emphasized that Gates “never attended or participated in any illegal activities with Epstein” and is prepared to answer questions to support the investigation.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
In late February, Gates told members of his foundation’s board that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake.” He has consistently denied any involvement in the financier’s criminal activities. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.
“I did nothing illegal. I saw nothing illegal,” Gates said, according to a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
Gates acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
A draft email written by Epstein and released by the Department of Justice referenced alleged extramarital relationships involving Gates. The message, which was apparently never sent, claimed that Epstein had helped “Bill” obtain medication related to encounters with Russian women.
Gates admitted to having had two extramarital affairs but denied any involvement with Epstein’s victims.
International
Former Trump allies call for removal, cite 25th Amendment amid Iran threats
One of the most prominent voices was former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who invoked the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a mechanism to remove the president from power.
“25th Amendment! Not a single bomb has fallen on the U.S. We cannot annihilate an entire civilization. This is evil and insanity,” Greene wrote on social media platform X.
Greene, once a leading figure within Trump’s political movement during his first term, broke with the president last November over disagreements on foreign policy and his handling of controversial cases.
Another former supporter, controversial commentator Alex Jones, also raised the possibility of applying the constitutional provision during his show, in a conversation with attorney Robert Barnes.
Barnes explained that invoking the 25th Amendment requires the support of two-thirds of Congress, making it a more complex process than impeachment.
Section 4 of the amendment, ratified in 1967, establishes that the vice president, together with a majority of the cabinet, can declare the president unable to perform the duties of the office, a decision that must then be confirmed by both chambers of Congress.
The statements come amid rising international tensions and increasing domestic political pressure on the president.
International
Trump pauses strikes on Iran, extends ultimatum by two weeks
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a temporary suspension of attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks, extending the ultimatum he had imposed on Tehran just hours before its deadline.
According to the president, the measure is conditional on Iran allowing the “full, immediate, and secure” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump stated that the decision would involve a reciprocal ceasefire between both parties.
The announcement was made through a message on his social media platform, where he emphasized that the pause in military actions is intended to create space for de-escalation in the region.
He also noted that the decision followed a conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, who requested a two-week extension of the ultimatum.
The move comes amid heightened global tensions, marked by escalating threats and concerns over the potential impact of the conflict on key international energy trade routes.
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