International

Mexican government announces that mining conglomerate asks for dialogue

Photo: CUARTOSCURO.COM

October 20 |

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador applauded this Wednesday, during the usual morning press conference, that Grupo México is seeking a rapprochement with the Government to talk about the contamination of the Sonora River.

The Mexican federal government considers the mining conglomerate responsible for the environmental accident, and in recent days announced in the same space that they were taking criminal action against the company.

As a result of this, last Monday the Ministry of the Interior received a letter from Germán Larrea’s company “with the intention of establishing a dialogue to address several issues; one of them is to seek a solution to the problem of the contamination of the Sonora River”.

“If demagogy is put aside and the problem is addressed, I believe there is a way out. It is not a matter of cancelling concessions or anything like that, only that the company is not willing to do so. But on Monday, and I welcome this, they have already sought an approach”, said the President to the media present.

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According to what was known, Grupo Mexico “is asking that a table be established for a dialogue and a review of the studies made by the Environmental Secretary and to be able to remedy this serious situation of contamination of the river”.

The response from the Government was that “there is the best disposition to carry out this meeting, dialogue, the time required and, of course, that the representatives of the affected people of the Sonora River will also be invited”.

But on this occasion it is not possible to “simulate what was done last time, when they just went along because it was a tragedy,” said López Obrador. The president also added that “we must attend to all those who are sick. Regardless of the result, whether the company does it or not, we have to take care of the people. Health is a right, we are going to do it, we are doing it”.

The incident occurred nine years ago when the company spilled 40,000 cubic meters of acidified copper sulfate into the Tinajas stream, directly impacting the Sonora and Bacanuchi rivers.

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.