International
The Supreme Court of Mexico opens a debate to review the controversial reform of the Judiciary
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) of Mexico opened a controversy this Thursday to decide whether it has the power to review the constitutional reform to the Judiciary of the Federation (PJF), which seeks to elect judges and magistrates by popular vote.
The decision, which was given after a majority vote of eight votes to three, admitted one of the challenges of judges and magistrates against the aforementioned reform, to analyze whether the high court can review the constitutional amendment.
The controversial judicial reform, promoted by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024) and promulgated on September 15, has raised criticism from various international organizations that claim that the rule of law in the country is at risk.
The Plenary of the SCJN agreed to open a dispute of those provided for in the Organic Law of the PJF, originally created to resolve conflicts within said Power.
“For this Plenary, there is no doubt that fraction XVII of article 11 is the ideal way to process a petition such as the one that motivated this consultation, that is, one in which justice makers ask this Court to verify whether the reform of the Constitutional text published on September 15, 2024, is compatible or not with judicial guarantees and principles, including the division of powers, judicial independence, as well as those inherent to the Constitutional Rule of Law,” the judgment points out.
The aforementioned amendment will cause more than 1,600 judicial positions to be elected by popular vote, in elections, a system that leaves the members of the PJF in a situation of uncertainty.
Can the reform of the Judiciary in Mexico be reviewed?
Prime Minister Piña Hernández, rapporteur Juan Luis González Alcántara, Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo, Margarita Ríos Farjat, Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena, Luis María Aguilar Morales and Javier Laynez Potisek voted in favor of the project.
While ministers Lenia Batres, Yasmin Esquivel and Loretta Ortiz, related to former President López Obrador, voted against.
Batres defended that the Supreme Court “does not have the power to submit to review changes to the Constitution approved by the Legislative Branch because it would violate the principle of constitutional supremacy, as well as the division of powers and the Constitutional Rule of Law.”
The minister also said that the SCJN “is attempting a coup d’état,” it seeks to act in a tyrannical and despotic way since it intends to give itself the power to revise the Mexican Constitution.
Sheinbaum supports the reform
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, defended last Tuesday, during her inauguration, the reform of the Judiciary and pointed out that it is not “authoritarianism” but, in essence, it is democratic.
“How is a decision going to be authoritarian that, in essence, is democratic and allows the people to decide?” the president said during her speech in the Mexican Congress.
He said that the objective is to end corruption in the Judiciary and for this, he recalled, there will be a single call in addition to a selection committee of candidates to ensure that they meet the requirements.
“And who will decide? It will be the people,” he emphasized.
He also took the opportunity to tell the workers of the Judiciary that their rights and salaries “are fully safeguarded.”
International
Trump announces preliminary NATO agreement on Greenland, suspends tariffs on Europe
The President of the United States confirmed that the agreement will be beneficial for all members of the Atlantic Alliance and has halted the trade sanctions previously threatened against Europe.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday from Davos, Switzerland, a preliminary agreement with NATO regarding Greenland, describing it as “very good for the United States and all NATO countries.” He also confirmed the suspension of tariffs that his administration had warned it would impose on eight European countries starting February 1.
In a statement published on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the agreement followed a productive meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and establishes a framework for a future joint solution concerning Greenland and the Arctic region.
“This solution, if implemented, will be very beneficial to the United States of America and to all NATO countries,” the president stated, underscoring the strategic importance of the Danish autonomous territory, which has been at the center of heightened diplomatic tensions in recent weeks.
Trump added that the preliminary understanding also includes discussions related to the Golden Dome missile defense system, particularly in the context of Greenland. He noted that further details would be released as negotiations progress.
As a result of the agreement, the administration suspended the tariffs it had previously announced against countries such as Germany, France and Denmark, which Trump had criticized for conducting military exercises on the Arctic island without prior coordination with Washington.
The president assigned Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoffto lead the negotiations, stating that he will receive direct updates on their progress.
The announcement marks a new chapter in U.S.-European tensions over Arctic geopolitics, particularly regarding Greenland, a territory Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring for global security and strategic defense reasons.
International
Germany says football bodies alone will decide on possible World Cup boycott
The German Football Association (DFB) and FIFA will decide with full “autonomy” whether to boycott the upcoming World Cup, which will be hosted mainly by the United States in six months, following threats made by former U.S. president Donald Trump, the German government told AFP on Tuesday.
Trump has threatened to seize Greenland and impose higher tariffs on European countries that oppose the plan, raising political tensions between the United States and Europe.
“This assessment therefore lies with the relevant federations, in this case the DFB and FIFA. The federal government will respect that decision,” Sports State Secretary Christiane Schenderlein said in a statement emailed to AFP.
AFP had asked the German government about the possibility of a boycott of the World Cup to be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
“The federal government respects the autonomy of sport. Decisions regarding participation in major sporting events or possible boycotts fall exclusively within the responsibility of the relevant sports federations, not the political sphere,” said Schenderlein, a member of the conservative CDU, the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
International
Daily Mail publisher insists reports relied on legitimate sources amid privacy trial
Two British tabloids accused of phone hacking and other forms of “unlawful information gathering” against Prince Harry and six other individuals, including singer Elton John, insisted on Tuesday that their reporting relied on legitimate sources.
Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, sought to rebut allegations of privacy violations through illegal methods on the second day of trial at London’s High Court, following a lawsuit filed by the seven claimants.
Prince Harry, 41, who attended court hearings on both Monday and Tuesday, could be called to testify starting Wednesday in a trial expected to last up to nine weeks.
Lawyers for the claimants said the alleged illegal activities took place between 1993 and 2011, with some incidents reportedly extending as late as 2018. They argue that the tabloids hired private investigators to intercept phone calls and obtain confidential information, including detailed phone records, medical histories, and bank statements.
However, Anthony White, counsel for ANL, told the court that the trial would show the company presents “a compelling account of a pattern of lawful source acquisition” for its articles.
White added that the claims would require the court to believe that journalists and staff at the tabloids had engaged in widespread dishonesty, which the company strongly denies.
Trump announces preliminary NATO agreement on Greenland, suspends tariffs on Europe
Germany says football bodies alone will decide on possible World Cup boycott
Daily Mail publisher insists reports relied on legitimate sources amid privacy trial
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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