International
More hurricanes and more powerful and faster threaten the Atlantic this 2024
With one day left before the official start of a new season of expert hurricanes in the United States and authorities asked the population this Friday to be prepared for the increasingly powerful and frequent cyclones, which hit vulnerable areas of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico with special virulence.
The National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States, has predicted for this year in the Atlantic an active and above-average season, with between 17 and 25 named storms and 8 to 13 hurricanes, of them between 4 and 7 of the higher category.
However, and as the director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Michael Brennan, said this Friday at a press conference, there is no need for a major hurricane to generate devastating impacts and gave as an example the floods caused by the rains that carry the cyclones, which in the last ten years have been “the deadliest danger.”
“They have been responsible for more than half of the deaths” and it is almost unrelated to the strength of a cyclone, Brennan stressed. “It doesn’t matter the category, or if it’s a tropical storm or depression. What matters is how much it rains and how heavy the rains are in a certain location,” he said.
The director said that other water-related hazards, such as hurricane tide or hangover currents, are responsible for between 85 and 90% of the deaths left by each storm or hurricane that hits the United States.
Cyclones are not only more powerful and intensify faster, but also, as recent studies reveal, this “rapid intensification occurs more and more frequently the closer they get to the ground,” said today the chief scientist of the organization The Nature Conservancy, Katharine Hayhoe.
During a teleconference, the expert stressed that at present, cyclones carry “much more water vapor” than 50 or 100 years ago, and also their weakening process, even when they are already on land and far from their source of power (the hot waters of the ocean), is slower and therefore impact more.
Hayhoe said that to measure the degree of disaster that a hurricane or storm can generate, it is necessary to take into account the latent danger as well as the level of exposure, that is, the number of structures and people that can be left at the mercy of the cyclones.
And a third element is vulnerability, which has to do with how prepared and resistant the populations are, a component that is reflected with the different impacts that in 2016 caused the powerful Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, where it unleashed an outbreak of cholera, and in the Carolinas, states of the United States.
The deputy director of the organization’s Caribbean program, Shenique Albury-Smith, recalled this Friday that Hurricane Dorian of 2019, which reached category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (the maximum), has been the most powerful that has impacted the Bahamas, where 70 people died and generated losses of more than 3.4 billion dollars.
“People lost houses, cars, boats, businesses; assets that took them a lifetime to build and that were basically lost in a day, in a few hours,” said Albury-Smith, who also highlighted the psychological impacts that that hurricane unleashed on the affected populations.
“Hurricanes provide a very strong footprint of how human activity, specifically greenhouse gas emissions, are overloading our extreme climates, making them much more dangerous in a world that is getting hot,” Hayhoe said.
The scientist was questioned about the recent law signed by the governor of Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis, which eliminates most of the references to the climate crisis from state legislation and even ceases to be one of the priorities of the Government’s agenda.
“I can say that I don’t believe in gravity, but the truth is that if I jump from the precipice I will fall,” said the expert.
He added that not reacting to the information provided by science is an option. “But it is an option that increases our vulnerability instead of reducing it,” he stressed.
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.
“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.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
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