International
Helene rises to category 4 and produces floods in Florida and blackouts in the southeast of the United States
The heavy rains and winds of Hurricane Helene, which in the course of the date reached category 4, have already flooded parts of Florida and have left more than 200,000 homes and offices in this state, as well as Georgia and North Carolina, without power.
The hurricane has strengthened in recent hours and, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), is heading towards the west coast of Florida with maximum winds of 215 kilometers per hour (130 miles), that is, as a major hurricane (category 3, 4 or 5).
Helene is expected to make landfall tonight in northwest Florida, in the Big Bend region, however its effects have already begun to be felt on the Gulf of Mexico coast of this state.
Strong winds and high tide for Helene in Florida
The US media begin to spread the first images of strong winds and high tide in coastal areas of this southern US state, while streets in Tampa Bay are already registering floods due to the rains, which can reach up to 50 centimeters in certain areas.
Likewise, more than 173,000 homes and offices on the west coast of Florida are without electricity this afternoon after the impacts of the hurricane’s external bands, according to the specialized website PowerOutages.
Classes are canceled
Helene, the eighth system with a name in the current hurricane season in the Atlantic, threatens with strong winds, storm surges and floods to a wide coastal strip of Florida facing the Gulf of Mexico.
Schools in all counties, except those in southern Miami-Dade, have canceled classes today as a foresight in the face of the imminent arrival of Helene, whose center was located mid-morning today 405 kilometers (255 miles) southwest of Tampa, in West Florida.
The airport of this city was closed today, as was that of the capital of Florida, Tallahassee, and that of St. Pete-Clearwater, and hundreds of flights have been canceled in this state.
Danger of tornadoes
The US National Meteorological Service has warned today about the possibility of tornadoes forming during the day, a warning that covers about 17 million people and large cities such as Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers.
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, reported today that there are “tens of thousands” of operators ready to restore the power supply, given the forecast that many localities will be left in the dark due to the impact of Helene, which is estimated to touch the ground well into tonight as a category 3 or more on the Saffir-Simpson scale, of a maximum of 5.
“There will be bad weather during the last part of the day here in the state of Florida,” warned DeSantis, who has declared a state of emergency, as have his counterparts from Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
DeSantis said that more than 130 electric generators have been sent to gas stations to ensure the supply of fuel once the hurricane passed, and asked residents to act with caution during the passage of the hurricane.
International
Three Die During World Cup Celebrations in Mexico City After Mexico’s Victory
Three people died in Mexico City while celebrating Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, local authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
According to the city’s Health Secretariat, the victims—a 44-year-old man, a 48-year-old woman, and a 19-year-old woman—died from asphyxiation following the post-match celebrations.
Emergency services were dispatched to the Juárez district after reports that three people had lost consciousness shortly after Tuesday night’s match.
Paramedics, firefighters, and police officers responded to the scene, where the victims received first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before being transported to a hospital for specialized medical care. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, all three were later pronounced dead.
“We are in contact with their families to provide all the support they need,” Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada Molinasaid in a statement posted on social media.
“With my hand on my heart, I extend my deepest condolences to their loved ones. We once again call on everyone to celebrate with responsibility, care, and empathy,” she added.
Mexico’s victory over Ecuador sparked massive celebrations at the Estadio Azteca and across the capital. Goals from Raúl Jiménez and Julián Quiñones secured the hosts’ place in the Round of 16, where they are set to face either England or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who meet on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Should Mexico advance to the quarterfinals, the team would face either Brazil, coached by Carlo Ancelotti, or Norway.
International
Families Sue Nicolás Maduro in U.S. Over Alleged Extrajudicial Killings
The families of five young Venezuelan men have filed a 44-page civil lawsuit in a U.S. federal court, accusing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of ordering extrajudicial executions carried out by the country’s former Special Action Forces (FAES) between 2017 and 2020.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, alleges that the victims were among thousands of people killed under Maduro’s administration by security units, including the FAES, which were dissolved in 2021 following widespread allegations of human rights abuses, including criticism from the United Nations.
Maduro is currently being held in a New York detention facility awaiting trial on U.S. drug trafficking charges after he was removed from power during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela in January.
The complaint argues that the killings followed a well-documented pattern of extrajudicial executions allegedly carried out during Maduro’s presidency, which lasted from 2013 to 2026. Throughout his time in office, Maduro faced repeated accusations from international organizations of using state repression to maintain power.
According to the lawsuit, FAES officers arrived at the victims’ neighborhoods before dawn, dressed entirely in black and wearing face coverings. The agents allegedly separated the men from their families before fatally shooting them.
The complaint further alleges that authorities later fabricated official reports claiming the victims had “resisted arrest” in an effort to justify the killings.
“Maduro used the FAES as a political instrument and a mechanism of social control to violently suppress dissent, terrorize low-income communities, and eliminate political opposition,” the lawsuit states.
It also describes the FAES as being “widely regarded as a death squad or extermination group.”
The plaintiffs argue that Venezuela’s judicial system has failed to provide accountability for the killings, preventing the victims’ families from obtaining justice.
For security reasons, the identities of the families remain confidential. They are seeking financial compensation from Maduro under the U.S. Torture Victim Protection Act.
According to The New York Times, Maduro is expected to argue that he is entitled to head-of-state immunity in the civil proceedings.
In the separate criminal case pending against him in the United States, in which he is charged alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, Maduro has described himself as a “prisoner of war.”
He has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and weapons-related offenses.
International
Salvadoran National Arrested in New Jersey with Over 70 Machine Gun Conversion Devices
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of 21-year-old Salvadoran national Erick Márquez Cruz after authorities allegedly discovered more than 70 machine gun conversion devices and other firearm-related components during a search of his residence in North Bergen, New Jersey.
According to the Justice Department, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on June 25 at Cruz’s home, where they recovered a 3D printer that was allegedly being used to manufacture firearm components. Investigators also seized 17 3D-printed firearm frames, magazines, and more than 70 machine gun conversion devices (MCDs).
Federal authorities explained that the conversion devices, which are classified as machine guns under U.S. law, are designed to convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Cruz has been charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross financial gain resulting from the offense, whichever is greater.
Three Die During World Cup Celebrations in Mexico City After Mexico’s Victory
Families Sue Nicolás Maduro in U.S. Over Alleged Extrajudicial Killings
Salvadoran National Arrested in New Jersey with Over 70 Machine Gun Conversion Devices
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
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