International
Biden rules out sending rocket systems ‘that can strike into Russia’ to Ukraine
AFP
US President Joe Biden said Monday he would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that could hit targets well inside Russian territory, despite urgent requests from Kyiv for long-range weapons.
“We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia,” Biden told reporters in Washington.
Pro-Western Ukraine has received extensive US military aid since Russia invaded its neighbor in late February, but says it needs long-range rockets equivalent to what Moscow’s forces use.
Kyiv has asked the United States for mobile batteries of long-range rockets, the M270 MLRS and the M142 Himars, which can launch multiple rockets at the same time with a range of up to 187 miles (300 kilometers), eight times or more the distance of artillery in the field.
This could give Ukrainian forces the ability to reach, with great precision, targets far behind Russian lines, though it is unclear if that is their intent.
“If the West really wants Ukraine’s victory, maybe it is time to give us long-range MLRS?” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s advisor Mykhailo Podoliak tweeted recently.
“It is hard to fight when you are attacked from a 70 km (43 miles) distance and have nothing to fight back with.”
The United States earlier in May announced another $40 billion assistance package amid speculation it included such weapons.
Since failing to capture Kyiv in the war’s early stages, Russia’s army has narrowed its focus, hammering cities with relentless artillery and missile barrages as it seeks to consolidate its control.
Moscow’s forces have continued a push in the eastern Donbas region, upping the pressure on the twin cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.
Ukrainian forces pushed back over the weekend in the southern region around Kherson as Zelensky seeks to crank up already hefty international pressure on Moscow.
International
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Seven out of ten Mexicans born into poverty remain poor throughout their lives, highlighting an urgent need for public policies focused on promoting social mobility through equal opportunity, according to civil society organizations.
The 2025 Social Mobility Report in Mexico, published by the Espinosa Yglesias Center for Studies (CEEY), reveals that 73% of individuals born into the bottom 20% of income households in Mexico — Latin America’s second-largest economy — continue to live in poverty based on income.
The report signals a worrisome stagnation in social mobility, defined as the ability of individuals to improve their socioeconomic standing compared to that of their parents. This lack of upward movement indicates that one’s economic origins are largely inherited, according to CEEY.
Geographically, disparities are stark:
-
In northern Mexico, 37% of those born in poverty remain there.
-
In the south, that number rises dramatically to 64%.
Gender gaps are also evident. Among those born in wealthier households, women experience less upward mobility, with a rate of 47% compared to 53% for men.
The report also notes that 48% of economic inequality in Mexico stems from inequality of opportunity — placing Mexico among the top ten countries with the highest opportunity inequality across 50 nations analyzed globally.
International
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Spain registered a record-breaking temperature of 46°C (114.8°F) on Saturday, June 28, in El Granado, Huelva — a southern town near the Portuguese border — marking the highest temperature ever recorded in June in the country, according to Spain’s national meteorological agency, Aemet.
The temperature was officially recorded at 4:40 p.m. local time, surpassing the previous June record of 45.2°C (113.4°F)set in Seville back in 1965, also in the Andalusia region.
Like many parts of Southern Europe, Spain is experiencing a severe heatwave, with large areas of the country facing temperatures above 40°C even though summer has just begun.
As one of Europe’s countries most vulnerable to climate change, Spain has endured its three hottest years on recordfrom 2022 to 2024, marked by repeated heatwaves and temperature extremes.
Climate scientists have long warned that global warming is amplifying the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts — trends now evident across the Iberian Peninsula and the broader Mediterranean region.
International
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
The Republican administration of Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday against Los Angeles officials, challenging the city’s sanctuary policies as illegal amid an intensifying federal immigration crackdown.
The Department of Justice accused the Democratic-led city of interfering with federal immigration enforcement, arguing that its sanctuary policies have contributed to “violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement” recently seen in Los Angeles.
“The sanctuary city policies were the cause of violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in an official statement.
The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, names Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and the entire City Council as defendants.
While Los Angeles had long been considered a sanctuary city for immigrants, the City Council officially adopted the designation through a municipal ordinance in November last year, following Trump’s election to the presidency.
The legal action seeks to limit local authorities’ cooperation with federal immigration agents under Trump’s policies.
With over one-third of its population being immigrants, Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in the battle against Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, which began with his campaign promise to deport millions.
Tensions in the city escalated earlier this month after an increase in workplace immigration raids, sparking mass protests downtown. The situation further intensified when Trump overrode California Governor Gavin Newsom and ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area.
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
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
-
Central America5 days agoHonduras and U.S. strengthen cooperation on migrant rights and border security
-
International5 days agoWhite House claims challenged as most ICE arrests in LA involve non-criminals
-
Central America5 days agoCosta Rican president Rodrigo Chaves faces new campaign finance accusation amid political tensions
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras secures IDB loan to improve access and quality of education in vulnerable areas
-
Internacionales4 days agoJalisco’s grim discovery: drug cartel mass grave found in construction site
-
International3 days agoProtests erupt over Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant jail in the Everglades
-
International5 days agoPope Leo XIV calls for fraternal priesthood, rejecting individualism
-
International5 days agoNetanyahu and Trump vow to expand “Circle of Peace” amid Middle East ceasefire
-
International4 days agoU.S. targets families of sanctioned drug traffickers with new Visa restrictions
-
Central America3 days agoMigrants stranded in Panama amid US Policy crackdown and Darién gap barriers
-
International5 days agoMpox cases decline in Africa as vaccination efforts continue
-
International2 days agoTikTok sale advances as Trump reveals deal is in place
-
International5 days agoMexican authorities arrest 17 linked to ‘Mayos’ Cartel in major operations across Sinaloa
-
International5 days agoHeat dome to bring record-breaking temperatures across southwestern Europe
-
Central America2 days agoCastro to address FfD4 in Spain as Global Financial Reform takes center stage
-
International21 hours agoEcuador’s former VP Jorge Glas sentenced to 13 more years for corruption
-
International21 hours agoTrump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
-
International20 hours ago7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
-
International21 hours agoSpain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave