International
Sheinbaum appoints Lázaro Cárdenas Batel as head of the Presidency’s Office
Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, former coordinator of advisers of the current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will be the head of the Office of the Government of Claudia Sheinbaum, the future president of Mexico reported on Thursday.
Cárdenas, who was governor of the western state of Michoacán (2002-2008), is the son of the historic Mexican leftist leader Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas and grandson of former President Lázaro Cárdenas (1934-1940).
The last to occupy the position of head of office of the presidency was Alfonso Romo, whom Andrés Manuel López Obrador assigned in 2018 and resigned in 2020, leading to the temporary disappearance of this office.
“I deeply appreciate the confidence with which it distinguishes me by inviting me to occupy the position of head of the Office of the Presidency, it will be an honor to closely accompany the first head of state in the history of Mexico,” Cárdenas Batel said during the press conference in which the announcement was made.
He recalled that he has known Sheinbaum for more than three decades, because they coincided in the political struggle as part of the student movement of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1986.
“I am honored to participate in Dr. Sheinbaum’s team. Surely he will live up to the great responsibility that belongs to him, I have no doubt that the next Government will be consistent with Claudia Sheinbaum’s trajectory and with the causes that she has promoted and defended throughout her life,” he emphasized.
For her part, Claudia Sheinbaum, who will take office on October 1, highlighted her confidence in Cárdenas Batel.
“He held the position of governor, deputy, senator and has been in different spaces in international politics, so he will help me to follow up on strategic projects and, at the same time,
talking to many sectors in Mexico and in other parts of the world that may not be able to attend directly as president, but that Lázaro can attend with all the confidence,” he said.
According to the portal of the Government of Mexico, the Office of the Presidency was an administrative area that provided advice, technical support and dispatch of matters to the head of the Executive, “in order to provide elements for decision-making, without prejudice to the powers exercised by the dependencies and entities of the Federal Public Administration within the scope of their respective competences.”
When López Obrador came to power, in December 2018, he appointed Alfonso Romo Garza as head of the Office of the Presidency; however, two years later the official expressed his desire to leave office and the president said that he would dispense with the instance.
Despite the fact that this Thursday Sheinbaum was expected to announce the heads of the secretariats of Culture, Tourism and Labor, he only made the announcement of Cárdenas Batel, and commented that it will be until next Thursday that he will give the remaining appointments.
International
Florida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
Unprocessed milk from a farm in Florida has sickened at least 21 people, prompting state authorities to issue a public health alert, U.S. media reported Monday.
The 21 cases include six children under the age of 10, all diagnosed with infections caused by E. coli and Campylobacterbacteria linked to raw milk from the farm in the southeastern U.S. state. Local authorities have also warned about the dangers of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Seven people have been hospitalized, two of whom have suffered complications, according to multiple reports.
The Florida Department of Health has urged the public to avoid raw milk consumption and blamed the outbreak on the farm involved—without naming it directly—citing poor sanitary practices.
Florida law prohibits the sale of unprocessed milk for human consumption, although it can be sold if labeled for pets. Pasteurization, which involves heating milk to kill harmful bacteria, is required under U.S. federal regulations for any dairy products sold across states.
Despite these regulations, sales of raw milk have been increasing in recent years, fueled by online promotion from wellness influencers and advocates of unprocessed foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that raw milk can contain potentially deadly bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella, which can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea, vomiting, and indigestion to severe complications like kidney failure.
International
Massive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
Hundreds of firefighters battled on Wednesday to contain a massive wildfire in southern France that has left one person dead and nine others injured.
The blaze, which broke out Tuesday in the Aude department, is the largest recorded in France during the current summer season. Authorities have deployed 1,800 firefighters in an effort to bring it under control.
An elderly woman died in her home in the town of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, while two others were injured—one in serious condition due to burns—according to the local prefecture. Seven firefighters suffered smoke inhalation injuries, and one person remains missing. The wildfire has already scorched an estimated 12,000 hectares of land.
“The fire is spreading very quickly due to unfavorable weather conditions. This is one of the driest areas of the department, and strong winds are fueling the flames,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. Rémi Recio, subprefect for the city of Narbonne, added, “The fire is still spreading and is far from being contained or under control.”
The A9 motorway, which runs along the Mediterranean coast between France and Spain, has been closed in both directions between Narbonne and Perpignan, along with numerous secondary roads.
In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, the smell of smoke lingers over the charred hectares. A helicopter was seen drawing water from the river below the village and dropping it several kilometers away, AFP reporters observed.
A campsite and at least one village were partially evacuated, with 25 houses and around 35 vehicles damaged, according to a preliminary assessment.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced he will visit the affected area on Wednesday.
International
Japan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
Japan observed a minute of silence on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a solemn reminder to the world of the horror it unleashed, amid heightened tensions between nuclear powers the United States and Russia.
At exactly 8:15 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT), the moment when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, the city paused to remember.
The bombing claimed an estimated 140,000 lives, not only from the devastating blast and fireball but also from the deadly radiation that followed. Three days later, another bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 74,000 more. Japan’s surrender on August 15 marked the end of World War II.
On a sweltering morning, hundreds of students, survivors, and officials dressed in black laid flowers at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The city’s mayor, Kazumi Matsui, warned of “an accelerating trend toward military buildup worldwide,” citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that Japan has a mission “to take the lead toward a world without nuclear weapons.”
Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, yet the skeletal remains of one building still stand at its center as a powerful reminder of the tragedy.
Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by representatives from around 120 countries and regions, including delegates from Taiwan and Palestine for the first time.
Among the attendees was 96-year-old Yoshie Yokoyama, who arrived in a wheelchair accompanied by her grandson. She told reporters that her parents and grandparents were victims of the bombing.
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