International

Mexico prepares for heavy rains and flooding from tropical storm

AFP

Tropical storm Lester was carrying heavy rains and strong winds toward Mexico’s Pacific coast on Friday, with meteorologists predicting it will make landfall over the weekend, US and Mexican authorities said.

The storm is expected to trigger torrential rains in Mexico’s southwestern states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, as well as gusts of wind and high waves in coastal areas, according to Mexico’s National Meteorological Service.

“Heavy rains from Lester will reach portions of coastal southern Mexico during the next few hours, increasing in coverage and intensity Saturday and Saturday night, spreading farther west on Sunday,” the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a statement.

“This rainfall may produce flash and urban flooding, along with possible mudslides in areas of higher coastal terrain,” it added. Lester was 345 kilometers (214 miles) southwest of Mexico’s resort town of Acapulco as of 19:00 local time (0:00 GMT Saturday).

The storm had reached maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour, the NHC said.

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Authorities in Guerrero had set up about 600 emergency shelters in vulnerable areas and advised locals to be ready to evacuate, local media reported.

They also ordered ports to be closed as waves reached four meters (13 feet) high in some areas.

Mexico is regularly hit by tropical cyclones on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November.

In October 1997, Hurricane Pauline struck Mexico’s Pacific coast as a category 4 storm, leaving more than 200 dead, with the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero the worst affected.

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International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.