International
NATO summit highlights the discomfort with Orbán due to its proximity to Russia and China
Different NATO countries expressed on Thursday their discomfort over the recent trips of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, to Moscow and Beijing coinciding with the beginning of his country’s presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
During the allied summit that concludes today in Washington, Orbán has been seen on different occasions isolated from the informal conversations between the leaders, or also during his participation in the gala dinner offered on Wednesday night at the White House by US President Joe Biden.
When asked about the possibility of Orbán traveling to Florida to meet with the Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency. The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said that what he does should do as a Hungarian Prime Minister and not as a representative of the Council of the EU.
“It has to be clear that what Mr. Orbán does he does as Hungarian Prime Minister and not on behalf of the Council of the EU,” Scholz said when asked about it by a German journalist upon his arrival at the NATO summit.
In past days, Scholz had expressed himself in similar terms regarding Orbán’s trips to Beijing and Moscow.
The Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, denied that there is division in the Atlantic Alliance over Ukraine and assured that Orbán is “in a frank minority.”
“But I fundamentally disagree with your approach and I will say it out loud. I don’t think it makes sense to have conversations with authoritarian regimes that violate international law,” he said.
He stressed that NATO is an alliance of values that believes in international law, fundamental rights, human rights, territorial integrity and the independence of States.
“We also believe in the prerogative of sovereign states to make their own political decisions in foreign affairs and security. What Russia is doing is promoting an imperial war. And Viktor Orbán does not have any mandate from the Alliance or the European Union to carry out any type of negotiation,” he said.
In Stubb’s opinion, Orbán can perform that task “on his own,” although he assured that he did not understand what purpose it would have.
The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, who also participates in the allied summit as a guest, made it clear that the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU “does not represent the EU externally.”
He stressed that the rotating presidencies have to play a role of “honest intermediary to defend European unity and help us build compromises.”
The EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell, said today in an interview with EFE in Washington that “there is a deep unease in the European Union about this behavior” of the Hungarian president.
A few days after assuming the rotating presidency of the EU Council on July 1, Orbán, the member of the community club closest to the Kremlin, has visited Kiev, Moscow, Beijing and Washington in what he has described as a “peace mission” for the war in Ukraine.
These visits have generated, according to Borrell, “a regrettable confusion,” since Orbán has tried to give his trips an official air using, for example, the logo of his country as president of the Council of the EU on his trips to China and Russia, despite the fact that the community bloc has insisted that it has no competence or authority to negotiate on his behalf.
Faced with this situation, Borrell expressed his wish that the Foreign Ministers of the Twenty-Seven address this issue in the next Council, scheduled for July 22.
International
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Seven out of ten Mexicans born into poverty remain poor throughout their lives, highlighting an urgent need for public policies focused on promoting social mobility through equal opportunity, according to civil society organizations.
The 2025 Social Mobility Report in Mexico, published by the Espinosa Yglesias Center for Studies (CEEY), reveals that 73% of individuals born into the bottom 20% of income households in Mexico — Latin America’s second-largest economy — continue to live in poverty based on income.
The report signals a worrisome stagnation in social mobility, defined as the ability of individuals to improve their socioeconomic standing compared to that of their parents. This lack of upward movement indicates that one’s economic origins are largely inherited, according to CEEY.
Geographically, disparities are stark:
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In northern Mexico, 37% of those born in poverty remain there.
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In the south, that number rises dramatically to 64%.
Gender gaps are also evident. Among those born in wealthier households, women experience less upward mobility, with a rate of 47% compared to 53% for men.
The report also notes that 48% of economic inequality in Mexico stems from inequality of opportunity — placing Mexico among the top ten countries with the highest opportunity inequality across 50 nations analyzed globally.
International
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Spain registered a record-breaking temperature of 46°C (114.8°F) on Saturday, June 28, in El Granado, Huelva — a southern town near the Portuguese border — marking the highest temperature ever recorded in June in the country, according to Spain’s national meteorological agency, Aemet.
The temperature was officially recorded at 4:40 p.m. local time, surpassing the previous June record of 45.2°C (113.4°F)set in Seville back in 1965, also in the Andalusia region.
Like many parts of Southern Europe, Spain is experiencing a severe heatwave, with large areas of the country facing temperatures above 40°C even though summer has just begun.
As one of Europe’s countries most vulnerable to climate change, Spain has endured its three hottest years on recordfrom 2022 to 2024, marked by repeated heatwaves and temperature extremes.
Climate scientists have long warned that global warming is amplifying the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts — trends now evident across the Iberian Peninsula and the broader Mediterranean region.
International
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
The Republican administration of Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday against Los Angeles officials, challenging the city’s sanctuary policies as illegal amid an intensifying federal immigration crackdown.
The Department of Justice accused the Democratic-led city of interfering with federal immigration enforcement, arguing that its sanctuary policies have contributed to “violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement” recently seen in Los Angeles.
“The sanctuary city policies were the cause of violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in an official statement.
The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, names Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and the entire City Council as defendants.
While Los Angeles had long been considered a sanctuary city for immigrants, the City Council officially adopted the designation through a municipal ordinance in November last year, following Trump’s election to the presidency.
The legal action seeks to limit local authorities’ cooperation with federal immigration agents under Trump’s policies.
With over one-third of its population being immigrants, Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in the battle against Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, which began with his campaign promise to deport millions.
Tensions in the city escalated earlier this month after an increase in workplace immigration raids, sparking mass protests downtown. The situation further intensified when Trump overrode California Governor Gavin Newsom and ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area.
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
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