International

Death toll rises to five due to weather phenomena in Mexico

Photo: EFE

October 12 |

The death toll from the double whipping of cyclones Lidia and Max rose to five on Wednesday in Mexico after the death of two people was reported in Jalisco, a state in the western part of the country.

Among the damages caused by tropical storm Max in Mexico, it is reported the collapse of a part of the road to Acapulco, as well as more than 200 people affected by the meteorological phenomenon and several injured.

The passage of tropical storm Max along the Mexican Pacific coast caused on Monday the death of at least two people and injured another in Guerrero, in the south of the country, informed on Tuesday the Secretary of Integral Risk Management and Civil Protection of the state government.

On the other hand, a person died while crossing a river in the municipality of Pihuamo, according to the governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro, on his social networks, while the Army reported the death of another person from a heart attack in Autlán after the evacuation of the regional hospital, which was flooded by the rains.

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Meanwhile, a man died after a tree fell on his car during the storm near the Punta Mita tourist center, informed Miguel Ángel Navarro, governor of the state of Nayarit, to the north of Jalisco.

The national coordinator of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez, informed that hurricane Lidia, which hit mainly Jalisco, Nayarit and Colima, and which on Tuesday was classified as category 4, decreased its intensity during the early hours of the morning, but heavy rains will continue in some entities.

Lidia was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm and is moving over land to the north of Baja California Sur, informed the National Meteorological Service (SMN).

It maintains intense rains and strong winds over the Baja California Peninsula, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima, in addition to high waves on the coast of these states.

Lidia and Max are the twelfth and thirteenth named cyclones of this season in the Pacific, where Adrian, Beatriz, Calvin, Dora, Eugene, Fernanda, Greg, Hilary, Irwin, Jova and Kenneth have also formed.

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International

Spain’s irregular migrant population rises to 840,000, study finds

The number of migrants living in Spain without legal residency status continues to rise and has reached 840,000 people, with 91% originating from the Americas, particularly Colombia, Peru and Honduras, according to a report by the Spanish think tank Funcas (Foundation of the Savings Banks).

An estimated 17.2% of the non-EU foreign population living in Spain is in an irregular administrative situation. The estimate is based on the gap between the number of foreign residents effectively living in Spain, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), and those who hold a residence permit, benefit from international protection, or are in the process of obtaining it.

The data, as of January 1, 2025, point to a notable and sustained increase in irregular migration since 2017, when the estimated figure stood at around 107,000 people, representing 4.2% of the non-EU population residing in Spain.

By origin, migrants from the American continent stand out, totaling around 760,000 people, or 91% of all irregular migrants. Colombians account for nearly 290,000, followed by Peruvians with almost 110,000, and Hondurans with about 90,000. Migrants from Africa (50,000), Asia (15,000) and Europe (14,000) trail far behind.

The figures predate Spain’s latest immigration regulation reform, which came into force in May 2025 and introduces measures to ease access to legal status through residency ties. According to Funcas, the reform would, in principle, tend to reduce the number of migrants in an irregular situation.

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International

Historic snowstorm paralyzes Toronto after 60 centimeters of snow

Toronto, Canada’s largest city and the fourth most populous in North America, was largely paralyzed on Monday after a historic snowstorm dumped up to 60 centimeters of snow and sent temperatures plunging to -15 degrees Celsius, authorities said.

Late Sunday, as the scale of the snowfall became clear, city officials declared a climate emergency, triggering extraordinary measures including parking bans on several major streets to facilitate snow removal operations.

Toronto’s public transit authority reported that while some buses remain immobilized, subway and streetcar services are operating with relative normality, though localized disruptions may occur.

A similar situation is affecting the city’s commuter rail network, which remains operational but is experiencing significant delays on its main routes due to the severe weather conditions.

International

Venezuela frees at least 80 political prisoners, NGO says

At least 80 political prisoners were released on Sunday across Venezuela, human rights group Foro Penal reported, as the broader process of detainee releases continues at a slow pace under the interim government.

Foro Penal’s director, Alfredo Romero, wrote on social media platform X that verified releases took place nationwide and that the figure could rise as more confirmations are completed.

Attorney Gonzalo Himiob, also from Foro Penal, said the excarcelations occurred during the early hours of the day and emphasized that the number is not yet final pending further verification.

The releases are part of a series of steps announced by Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, who took power after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026. Rodríguez has pledged a significant number of liberations but has been criticized by opposition groups and rights organizations for the slow and nontransparent nature of the process.

So far, the Venezuelan government reports that 626 detainees have been freed since December, though independent counts by human rights groups suggest the number of actual political prisoner releases is lower and that many remain behind bars.

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Families of those still detained have maintained vigils outside prisons, hopeful for further releases even as broader concerns about political imprisonment and due process persist.