International
Starmer condemns the far-right riots in England and promises to bring those responsible to justice
The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, condemned this Sunday the violent riots of the extreme right that broke out this weekend in several British cities and promised to bring those responsible “quickly” to justice.
“If people are attacked because of the color of their skin or their faith, then that is extreme right and I am willing to say it. This is violence, it’s not protest. It doesn’t matter what the reason is,” Starmer said in a statement, following the outbreaks of violence instigated by anti-immigration and anti-Islam groups registered in the United Kingdom.
The population of the United Kingdom wants to see “their safe streets and that is what I am determined to offer. They will regret it,” added the Labour leader and insisted that the troublemakers will face the full weight of the law and that the judicial response will be “quick.”
“We will do everything necessary to ensure that the message is absolutely clear: if you participate in this violence, you will regret it and you will be brought to justice as soon as possible,” he said.
“The people of this country have the right to be safe and yet we have seen Muslim communities attacked, attacks on mosques,” the prime minister said.
“Other minority communities attacked, Nazi greetings on the street, attacks on the police, unbridled violence along with racist rhetoric, so no, I will not be ashamed to call it by its name: extreme right-wing violence,” he said.
The violence instigated by far-right groups that broke out this weekend in British cities such as Liverpool, Bristol, Hull and Manchester has resulted in the arrest of more than 90 people while several officers were injured after being attacked with stones, beer cans, bottles and chairs.
Some protests continued today in some towns, including Rotherham, in the north of England, where a group of protesters threw stones and chairs at a hotel that houses asylum seekers.
The anti-immigration and anti-Islam protests organized in multiple towns and cities in the United Kingdom, supported by groups such as the English Defense League, ended in riots when many of the attendees assaulted the agents with all kinds of objects while some stores were looted and garbage cans were set on fire.
Although these groups have been organizing protests for weeks, the tension increased as a result of the July 29 stab attack on a recreational center in Southport (northwest England), in which three girls were killed and eight minors and two adults were injured.
The perpetrator of the attack, Axel Rudakubana, 17, born in Wales to Rwandan parents, has been accused of the murder of the girls and the attempted murder of the other ten people, but the discomfort of the far-right groups increased when false information was disseminated on social networks that the aggressor was an asylum seeker who had crossed the English Channel by boat.
The British Government will offer greater protection to mosques in the United Kingdom by virtue of a “quick response” measure for the violence that broke out in several cities in the country this weekend, the Ministry of the Interior reported on Sunday.
The measure is designed to address as quickly as possible the threat of new attacks against Muslim temples, which began in response to the attack in Southport.
In this weekend’s violence, more than 170 people were arrested after the agents were attacked with stones, bottles, beer cans, garbage cans or chairs.
In the town of Rotherham, in the north of England, a group of protesters, some masked and wrapped with the flag of England, today attacked a hotel that houses asylum seekers and also agents who were trying to control the disorder.
The ground floor of the hotel was set on fire when some troublemakers managed to break the police cordon and accessed the building while a police helicopter flew over the place.
Meanwhile, some protesters in Middlesbrough, in the northeast of England, destroyed windows of houses and cars and threw other objects while racist insults were heard.
These incidents followed similar scenes of riots seen this weekend in British cities such as Southport, Belfast, Hartlepool, Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Sunderland, all in reaction to the Southport attack.
International
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.
The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.
Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Security and border infrastructure
In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.
The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.
Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.
The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.
The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.
Migration and development
On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.
The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.
Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.
The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.
International
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.
“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.
The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.
About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.
The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.
The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.
Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
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International14 hours agoFrance to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
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International3 days agoActress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
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International2 days agoTrump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
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International2 days agoHeat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
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International2 days agoBrazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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International14 hours agoMexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
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International5 days agoLuigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
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International5 days agoICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns