International

Mexico suspends quarantine due to avian flu cases in Sonora

Photo: EFE

November 26 |

The Mexican authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) lifted on Friday the zoonotic quarantine implemented last October due to the presence of high levels of pathogenicity of the AH5 avian influenza virus in the state of Sonora, after verifying the absence of the disease.

The agency said in a statement released to that effect that the moratorium on the breeding and marketing of poultry products was lifted “after verifying that in the last 25 days there have been no more cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (flu) AH5N1 in the state”.

After completing the quarantine, Sader began an emergency vaccination process in strategic areas, the first stage of which is expected to cover areas of high animal health risk and farms where there are parent hens, for which it has a supply of 36.1 million doses.

In order to compare the genome of the current virus with that of 2022 and verify the effectiveness of the drug used against it, scientists from Senasica’s Mexico-United States Commission for the Prevention of Foot and Mouth Disease and other Exotic Animal Diseases (CPA) carried out the primary isolation of the AH5N1 virus.

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Sader explained that the outbreak in Sonora involved two production farms, for which they were forced to cull 144,000 birds at the end of their production cycle “which represented less than 0.1 percent of the national flock” without affecting the commercial supply of chicken and eggs in the country.

The avian influenza virus, as with the virus that affects humans, is one of the pathogens with the greatest capacity for genetic changes, which means that year after year, when the migration season of wild birds from the north of the continent arrives, the type and subtypes of the virus present must be characterized.

On October 27, the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (Senasica) declared a quarantine in several poultry farms in the state of Sonora after detecting the virus in two of them. In addition, traces of the pathogen were found in wild birds in Jalisco, Veracruz and Baja California.

International

Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza

Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.

Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.

“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.

Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”

Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..

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“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”

She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.

Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.

International

Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions

Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.

“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.

The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.

Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.

The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.

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International

Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.

Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.

“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”

The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.

He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.

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“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.

So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.

Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.

Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.