International
A 4.5 magnitude earthquake shakes the coast of the Aegean Sea in Turkey without leaving injuries or damage
An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 has shaken this Friday the Turkish province of Kutahya, located in the Aegean Sea about 350 kilometers south of Istanbul, without causing injuries or material damage but fear among the inhabitants of the area.
The tremor was recorded around 07.29 (05.29 GMT) and was followed shortly after by another of magnitude 3.9.
“Fortunately, there are no human or material losses. We have not received any negative report. Our investigations are ongoing. We will be able to offer more accurate information after new inspections,” the governor of Kutahya, Musa Isin, said in a message.
According to experts, this tremor is not related to the magnitude 6.2 that was recorded last Wednesday near Istanbul, and which caused more than 230 injuries, most of them mild, due to panic reactions.
After that tremor, the aftershocks also continued, as usual after a strong earthquake, with three of magnitude 4.
Turkish media report that many people left the Turkish metropolis for fear of an even greater tremor and that about 100,000 people went to spend the night in spaces enabled by the authorities in mosques, schools or warehouses, or even outdoors.
With 16 million inhabitants, Istanbul is the largest city in Europe and its location, just twenty kilometers from one of the main geological faults in Anatolia, has worried experts for decades, who predict as inevitable a tremor of great magnitude “soon”, although without being able to predict when.
International
Virginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
Alexis Antonio Cedillos-Campos, 19, identified by federal officials as an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested in connection with the death of Carmen Lizet Puch, 42, who was found dead Monday, the Fairfax County Police Department said.
Authorities said Cedillos-Campos and Puch were coworkers and were also involved in an “intimate relationship.”
“Our victim suffered numerous stab wounds in a truly brutal and indescribable manner,” Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a news conference Wednesday.
Investigators said surveillance video showed Cedillos-Campos at the restaurant where he and Puch worked, allegedly taking a fixed-blade knife, a pair of black latex gloves and a bottle of water before leaving.
“He left with the intent to harm and kill the victim,” Davis said.
Cedillos-Campos was arrested Wednesday morning in Maryland and confessed to the killing, according to Davis. He is awaiting extradition to Virginia. Authorities have not said whether he has an attorney representing him.
The Department of Homeland Security said Cedillos-Campos had previously been arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2024 after allegedly crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally near El Paso, Texas.
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.
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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
Virginia Police Arrest Salvadoran Man in Great Falls Woman’s Killing
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Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
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International2 days agoFrance to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
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International4 days agoActress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
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Central America18 hours agoHonduran Lawyer and Protected Witness in Angie Peña Case Shot Dead
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International2 days agoMexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027