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
Wildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says
More than 50,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires across France since the beginning of the year, nearly three times the area affected during the same period in 2025, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday in an interview with AFP.
Emergency crews are currently battling several major fires, including one near the popular Cap Ferret peninsula, where flames have already consumed more than 10,000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire of the season so far, according to the minister.
“Currently, we have 32 fires underway, which obviously do not all have the same level of importance,” Nuñez said.
“We have exceeded the threshold of 50,000 hectares burned since January 1 of this year. It is practically three times more than during the same period last year,” he added.
Despite the extensive resources deployed and the long hours worked by emergency teams — estimated to be two and a half times higher than last year — Nuñez said authorities remain “calm” and “determined” to contain the situation.
The minister acknowledged that the main concern is the fatigue affecting firefighters and emergency personnel who have been working under demanding conditions.
“The concern, if there has to be one, obviously lies in the state of exhaustion of the men and women who are committed. We have to hold on throughout the entire season,” Nuñez said.
France’s late spring and early summer have been marked by repeated periods of extreme heat, conditions linked by scientists to climate change and considered a major factor contributing to the increase in wildfire activity across the country.
International
Israel Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would represent a “historic breakthrough” toward achieving peace in the Middle East.
The statement came after the United States and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on Wednesday to establish a civil nuclear program in the kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump said the initiative would be linked to Riyadh’s decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would represent a historic breakthrough toward peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu’s office said following Trump’s announcement.
The statement added that recent developments, including joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Israel’s efforts against what it described as Iran’s “terror axis,” have created new opportunities to expand regional diplomatic ties.
“The joint U.S.-Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Tehran and Israel’s defeat of Iran’s terror axis have created the possibility of expanding the circle of peace,” the statement said.
A potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would represent a major diplomatic shift in the region, as Riyadh has long been viewed as one of the key countries whose formal recognition could significantly reshape Middle Eastern relations.
International
Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”
Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra on Wednesday described as “unjust” the legal proceedings in the United States against his father, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, following their capture in Caracas on January 3 by U.S. forces.
“Faced with the unjust trial taking place today, the people raised their voices with a single demand: We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady,” Maduro Guerra wrote on his Instagram account.
The lawmaker attended a rally in Caracas where supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)gathered to show support for the former president, who faces charges in the United States including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Flores is accused of crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.
The event was also attended by PSUV Vice President for Mobilizations and Events Nahum Fernández and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, according to photos shared by Maduro’s son.
The third hearing in the case against Maduro and Flores concluded Wednesday at a federal court in New York after lasting only about 18 minutes. During the hearing, the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the expected start date for the trial.
One of the main arguments from the defense will focus on immunity. Maduro’s lead attorney, Barry Pollack, who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the defense plans to request immunity for both defendants, arguing that Maduro was serving as head of state and Flores as first lady at the time of their detention.
Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance in New York on January 5.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture, has not yet commented on Wednesday’s hearing in the United States.
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