International
Yemen’s Houthi rebels dismiss 39 ministers and leave a government without women
The Houthi rebels of Yemen announced on Monday an important reorganization of their internationally unrecognized government – in which the female presence completely disappears -, consisting of the dismissal of 39 ministers and the reduction of the number of ministries from 42 to 21.
Two days after the appointment of a new prime minister, the head of the Supreme Political Council of the Houthi, Mahdi al Mashat, issued a decree in which he appoints the members of the new government, which will be headed by the newly appointed prime minister, Ahmad al Rahawi, and whom he asked to form a new Executive after leaving the ministerial portfolios in the middle, reported the Houthi news agency Saba.
Sheikh Mohamed Muftah, who heads the Huti National Committee to Support Al Aqsa, was appointed first deputy prime minister in this remodeling in which only the Deputy Prime Minister of Defense and Security, Jalal al Rowaishan; the Minister of Defense, Mohamed al Atifi, and the Minister of the Interior, AbdulKreem al Huti, retained their positions in the new cabinet, according to this decree.
Among the ministers who were dismissed is the Minister of Education, Yahya al Huti, brother of the leader of the group, Abdulmalik al Huti. The female presence of the previous Government, which included a Minister of Human Rights and two Ministers of State without a portfolio, disappears completely.
This reorganization of the cabinet meant the merger of some portfolios, including those of Justice and Human Rights, Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Public Service and Administrative Development, Transport and Public Works.
The portfolios of Economy, Industry and Investment, Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Education and Scientific Research, Electricity, Energy and Water, Health and Environment, Culture and Tourism were also affected.
The new government was abolished the portfolios of International Planning and Cooperation, Technical Education and Vocational Training, Legal Affairs, Religious Guidance, Local Administration, as well as the positions of Ministers of State.
The formation of the new government shows the determination of the Houthis to rationalize spending and control inflation in the administrative structure of their government in the midst of their operations in the Red Sea framed by the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, the appointment of politicians from the southern provinces for some government portfolios indicates an attempt to please the Southerners, whose areas are under the control of the internationally recognized government and the Southern Transitional Council backed by the United Arab Emirates, both rivals of the Houthis.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
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
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