International
Mexico to give temporary visas to Central Americans to work in public works
May 23 |
The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announced this Monday that his government will grant one-year temporary visas to Central Americans to work in the country’s public works, such as the Mayan Train, one of the most emblematic constructions of his administration.
“This week I am going to present a program for our Central American brothers with the purpose that they can have temporary visas to work in public works in Mexico, that they can be legally in our country with temporary work visas,” informed the president in his daily press conference.
“Wages are also increasing in our country, in the Mayan Train operators, drivers, workers, are already earning better, because there is more demand for employment, so companies are paying more. These are attractive salaries to come, work for 15 days and return,” he explained.
Last Saturday, López Obrador continued, he received a letter from his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, congratulating him for the work done on the immigration issue and expressing his commitment to invest more in Central America and the Caribbean.
“We are working together,” the Mexican president assured about this type of immigration policies, which he said still need to be “fine-tuned”.
“It is not right to be rejecting migrants when there is a need for labor force. If not, how will there be growth? There are places in the United States where there are no workers,” he added.
López Obrador admitted that the public works promoted during his six-year term, among which the Mayan Train and the inter-oceanic corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec stand out, are also in need of labor.
“We need many ironworkers, welders, even engineers, professionals,” he stressed.
For the Mayan Train, which will run through the southern region of Mexico and is scheduled to be inaugurated next December, he added that the government is sending drivers or mechanics to Europe for training.
The public works, which López Obrador has turned into the flagship projects of his Administration, have been surrounded by controversy due to the role of the Armed Forces in their construction and management, framed in a series of strategies that have boosted the militarization of the country.
The environmental impact and the impact on the indigenous communities that the Mayan Train will have has also been criticized, effects that the Government has denied.
Regarding potential workers coming from Central American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, from where many migrants arrive to Mexico in search of crossing to the United States, López Obrador did not clarify the procedure they will have to follow to obtain a temporary work visa.
International
Florida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
Unprocessed milk from a farm in Florida has sickened at least 21 people, prompting state authorities to issue a public health alert, U.S. media reported Monday.
The 21 cases include six children under the age of 10, all diagnosed with infections caused by E. coli and Campylobacterbacteria linked to raw milk from the farm in the southeastern U.S. state. Local authorities have also warned about the dangers of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Seven people have been hospitalized, two of whom have suffered complications, according to multiple reports.
The Florida Department of Health has urged the public to avoid raw milk consumption and blamed the outbreak on the farm involved—without naming it directly—citing poor sanitary practices.
Florida law prohibits the sale of unprocessed milk for human consumption, although it can be sold if labeled for pets. Pasteurization, which involves heating milk to kill harmful bacteria, is required under U.S. federal regulations for any dairy products sold across states.
Despite these regulations, sales of raw milk have been increasing in recent years, fueled by online promotion from wellness influencers and advocates of unprocessed foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that raw milk can contain potentially deadly bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella, which can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea, vomiting, and indigestion to severe complications like kidney failure.
International
Massive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
Hundreds of firefighters battled on Wednesday to contain a massive wildfire in southern France that has left one person dead and nine others injured.
The blaze, which broke out Tuesday in the Aude department, is the largest recorded in France during the current summer season. Authorities have deployed 1,800 firefighters in an effort to bring it under control.
An elderly woman died in her home in the town of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, while two others were injured—one in serious condition due to burns—according to the local prefecture. Seven firefighters suffered smoke inhalation injuries, and one person remains missing. The wildfire has already scorched an estimated 12,000 hectares of land.
“The fire is spreading very quickly due to unfavorable weather conditions. This is one of the driest areas of the department, and strong winds are fueling the flames,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. Rémi Recio, subprefect for the city of Narbonne, added, “The fire is still spreading and is far from being contained or under control.”
The A9 motorway, which runs along the Mediterranean coast between France and Spain, has been closed in both directions between Narbonne and Perpignan, along with numerous secondary roads.
In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, the smell of smoke lingers over the charred hectares. A helicopter was seen drawing water from the river below the village and dropping it several kilometers away, AFP reporters observed.
A campsite and at least one village were partially evacuated, with 25 houses and around 35 vehicles damaged, according to a preliminary assessment.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced he will visit the affected area on Wednesday.
International
Japan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
Japan observed a minute of silence on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a solemn reminder to the world of the horror it unleashed, amid heightened tensions between nuclear powers the United States and Russia.
At exactly 8:15 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT), the moment when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, the city paused to remember.
The bombing claimed an estimated 140,000 lives, not only from the devastating blast and fireball but also from the deadly radiation that followed. Three days later, another bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 74,000 more. Japan’s surrender on August 15 marked the end of World War II.
On a sweltering morning, hundreds of students, survivors, and officials dressed in black laid flowers at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The city’s mayor, Kazumi Matsui, warned of “an accelerating trend toward military buildup worldwide,” citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that Japan has a mission “to take the lead toward a world without nuclear weapons.”
Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, yet the skeletal remains of one building still stand at its center as a powerful reminder of the tragedy.
Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by representatives from around 120 countries and regions, including delegates from Taiwan and Palestine for the first time.
Among the attendees was 96-year-old Yoshie Yokoyama, who arrived in a wheelchair accompanied by her grandson. She told reporters that her parents and grandparents were victims of the bombing.
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