International
The court of El Salvador postpones the preliminary hearing for the massacre of Jesuit parents in 1989
A court in El Salvador postponed on Monday the preliminary hearing of the criminal proceedings against 11 people, including former President Alfredo Cristiani, for the massacre of six Jesuit fathers, five of them Spanish, and two women in 1989 in the context of the civil war.
Gabriel Solorzano, one of the defense lawyers, told journalists that the postponement for next Wednesday, November 13, was due to the lack of a communication link with Spain, where one of the defendants is, and for some of the absent defendants to present themselves.
“We have notified defendants, but they have not appointed a defender,” he said and added that “they are technical (defense) issues that meant that the preliminary hearing was not held today,” he said.
Judicial detention
Solorzano pointed out that the judge of the case could make the decision to issue a judicial arrest warrant, in the event that not all the accused are presented.
According to the Attorney General’s Office in X, there is “abundant evidence for the defendants to be sent to the trial stage” for the crimes of murder, acts of terrorism, conspiracy for acts of terrorism, procedural fraud and cover-up.
The accused in this process are former President Alfredo Cristiani (1989-1994), former deputy and former legal advisor to the Ministry of Defense Rodolfo Parker.
In addition to the retired military Juan Rafael Bustillo, Juan Orlando Zepeda, Rafael Humberto Larios, Carlos Camilo Hernández, Nelson Iván López, Joaquín Arnoldo Cerna, Inocente Orlando Montano, Óscar Alberto León Linares and Manuel Antonio Ermenegildo Rivas Mejía.
Massacre in El Salvador
In the early hours of November 16, 1989, in the midst of the largest guerrilla offensive recorded during the Salvadoran civil war, an elite Army commando executed the religious and two women on the campus of the Jesuit Central American University (UCA).
The annulment of a 1993 amnesty law, by a constitutional ruling of 2016, allowed a peace court to order the reopening of the process in 2017 at the request of the UCA.
However, various appeals filed by the defense delayed the start of the investigation proceedings and in 2020 the Supreme Court Criminal Chamber closed the case.
It was in February 2022 that the Prosecutor’s Office filed a new criminal injunction against those indicated.
For this crime, only Colonel Guillermo Benavides is imprisoned in El Salvador, sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1991, while the National Court of Spain sentenced former Deputy Minister of Public Security Inocente Montano to 133 years and four months in prison in 2020.
The victims were the Spaniards Ignacio Ellacuría, Segundo Montes, Ignacio Martín-Baró, Amando López and Juan Ramón Moreno and the Salvadoran Joaquín López, the UCA Elba worker and her 16-year-old daughter, Celina Ramos, both Salvadorans.
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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International15 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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International15 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