International
Mexican President delivers fifth government management report
September 1|
As mandated by the Constitution, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador presents this Friday a report on his actions for the year, the progress made by his government, as well as his future projects.
As a novelty this year, the president did not go to the Palace of San Lazaro (seat of the Legislative) to present it, but rather from Campeche, where as part of the advances in the Mayan Train project, Lopez Obrador will get on this means of transportation for the first time, in order to supervise the carriage that arrived to the southeast this month.
Since it is one of the emblematic works of his government, he intends his message to be significant by giving it from Campeche.
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According to the president, he decided “to deliver this report from Campeche because it is one of the towns and states that have contributed the most to national development”.
López Obrador emphasized that the key to Mexico’s economic growth was not allowing corruption, as well as the increase in the minimum wage and the sending of remittances from Mexicans abroad.
In this sense, he pointed out: “The key is not to allow corruption, it seems something elementary and even simple, but progress with justice in our country depends on it, nothing had damaged Mexico more than the dishonesty of the rulers, that is what the government’s success has consisted of”.
He also pointed out that the policy of Mexican humanism is effective and highlighted the increase in the minimum wage.
He also stated that “it is false that if those at the top do well, those at the bottom will necessarily do well”. He said, in this sense, that “our alternative project is based on the opposite in attending to the base of the social pyramid and this is what is generating better income for families”.
According to the president, Mexico is the country with the third lowest unemployment in the world and the economy increased 3 percent since the last report, a year ago.
López Obrador highlighted that now young people who were previously classified as “ninis” were not offered the possibility of working, but with social programs, they are now allowed to become apprentices in workshops, restaurants, companies and other activities.
In this sense, he pointed out that “While they are being trained, they receive the equivalent of a minimum wage, plus medical service in the social security system. As of today, 2,643,000 boys and girls have been trained (…) Do you know how much has been invested since we arrived until today, only in this program, 14 times more than all that was destined to young people in the six previous six-year terms”.
Regarding the judicial reform he has proposed and which he announced he will soon present, the President argued: “It is indispensable and urgent that judges, magistrates and ministers be directly elected by the people and not appointed by the elite of Mexico’s economic and political power”.
Further on, he praised the work of educators and pointed out that “The more the economy grows and salaries increase in general, teachers’ salaries must also increase” and regarding health, particularly the supply of medicines, he announced that “In two or three more months we will have a pharmacy where all the medicines in the world will be kept, there will be no shortage of them”.
In relation to the controversy over the new textbooks, the president said “They have scientific foundations and a humanist dimension” and thanked that the majority, “30 out of 32 governors, governors, supported the decision to deliver the free textbooks”.
He ratified that “the Mayan Train will be inaugurated in December, there will be 20 stations, 14 stops, towns will be connected, passengers and national and foreign tourists will be transported quickly through five states”.
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.
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Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
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International16 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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International16 hours agoMexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027