International
Nine migrants drown in US-Mexico border crossing attempt
AFP
At least nine migrants drowned and dozens of others were rescued after attempting to cross the Rio Grande river from Mexico into the United States, officials said Saturday.
US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) said in a statement that the drownings occurred on Thursday, when a large group attempted to cross the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas.
Thirty-seven people were rescued but the bodies of nine migrants were found — three by Mexico authorities and six by US agents.
A total of 53 migrants were detained on the US side and Mexican officials on their side of the river picked up 39, CBP said in a statement.
No information was provided about the ages or nationalities of the migrants.
“The search continues for other possible victims,” CBP added.
A CBP official told the Washington Post that the mass drowning appeared to be the worst in years along the Rio Grande.
Eagle Pass lies within the CBP’s Del Rio region, where nearly 50,000 migrants were arrested last month, according to government data.
The city’s fire chief, Manuel Mello, told the New York Times that the migrants had been swept away by strong currents about a mile south of the International Bridge that links Eagle Pass with Piedras Negras, Mexico.
Mello noted that drownings had become frequent in the area, with as many as one per day.
Recent mass migrant deaths have highlighted the dangerous journey hundreds of thousands take each year trying to reach the United States from Mexico.
In June, over 50 people died after being abandoned in a scorching hot trailer in San Antonio, Texas.
International
Iran issues threat to Trump as conflict escalates over Strait of Hormuz
The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, threatened U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, warning him to “beware of being eliminated.”
The Republican president had warned on Monday that he would strike Iran “very hard” if the Islamic Republic blocked oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed since the war began eleven days ago.
“Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Others more powerful than you tried to destroy the Iranian nation and failed. Beware that you are not eliminated,” Larijani wrote on X.
Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards — the ideological military force of the Islamic Republic — also said their forces would move to block oil exports from the Gulf.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military offensive against Iran is far from over.
“Our aspiration is that the Iranian people free themselves from the yoke of tyranny; ultimately, that depends on them. But there is no doubt that with the measures taken so far we are breaking their bones, and we are not finished yet,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
International
Driver detained after suspicious vehicle incident near the White House
The driver was detained and no injuries were reported after an incident that occurred before dawn in Lafayette Square, just north of the White House.
The U.S. Secret Service, which is responsible for presidential security, said in a statement that it was “investigating a suspicious vehicle.” The driver of the car was taken into custody and is currently being questioned.
Washington remains under heightened security measures amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran.
Police closed several major streets around the White House. However, by about 8:30 a.m. local time (12:30 GMT), government employees and staff from nearby institutions were allowed to pass through the area with proper identification, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
Dozens of emergency vehicles with flashing lights responded to the location, while tourists and residents waited for authorities to reopen the streets.
International
Trump Raises Possibility of “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Deepening Crisis
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, reiterated Monday the possibility that Washington could pursue a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, amid the severe crisis facing the island following the oil blockade promoted by the U.S. government.
Speaking at a press conference in Miami, the president said that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently “negotiating” with representatives of the Cuban government, although authorities in Havana have repeatedly denied that such talks are taking place.
Trump suggested that Washington could play a more direct role in the island’s future.
“It may be a friendly takeover. It may not be a friendly takeover. It wouldn’t matter because they’re really down to, as they say, fumes. They have no energy, they have no money. They are in deep trouble on a humanitarian basis, and we really don’t want to see that,” the U.S. president said.
The president also argued that the Cuban government had long depended heavily on support from Venezuela, particularly oil supplies.
According to Trump, that support has been drastically reduced following measures adopted by Washington.
“They were living off Venezuela. Venezuela doesn’t send them energy, fuel, oil, money, or anything anymore. They couldn’t survive without Venezuela, they couldn’t have made it, and we cut everything off,” Trump said.
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