International

Six other congressional Democrats ask Biden to end his campaign

Six other congressional Democrats have urged US President Joe Biden this Friday to end his re-election campaign and “pass the baton” so that a younger leader can face former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) in the November elections.

With these six Democrats, the number of members of Congress calling for Biden’s withdrawal rises to 31, which constitutes almost 12% of the members of the Lower House and Senate that make up the Democratic bench. Of the 31 who are the protagonists of the revolt, 28 are legislators and 3 are senators.

The first to ask for Biden’s withdrawal this Friday was Sean Casten, from Illinois, who in an opinion column in the Chicago Tribune entitled “It’s time to pass the witness,” said that, although it “broken his heart to say it,” he had to declare that the president “is no longer up to the point.”

Shortly after, in a joint statement, four other Democrats also urged Biden to “pass the baton to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”

Although they express their “great admiration” for Biden, they argue that we must “face the reality” that there is concern among the public about his “age and ability” to govern for another four years and defeat Trump in November.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

“We believe that the most responsible and patriotic thing he can do at this time is to retire as our candidate while continuing to lead our party from the White House,” they say in the statement.

Among the legislators who sign the statement is African-American Marc Veasey, representative of Texas and the first member of the African-American Caucus to turn his back on Biden, opening a crack in what has been the president’s most solid support block in Congress.

The letter is also signed by the Hispanic Jesús ‘Chuy’ García, born in Durango (Mexico) and a member of the Hispanic caucus, as well as Marc Pocan of Wisconsin and Jared Huffman of California, an ally of one of the legislators of that state, the influential Nancy Pelosi, former president of the House of Representatives.

Subsequently, Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico urged Biden to “pass the witness” to allow the party to unite around a candidate capable of beating Trump, thus becoming the third member of the Senate to call for the withdrawal of the president.

“This moment in the history of our nation demands a vision that goes beyond any individual. Donald Trump’s return to the White House poses an existential danger to our democracy. We must defeat him in November, and we need a candidate who can achieve it,” Heinrich said.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

This trickle of legislators increases the pressure on Biden, who has seen in recent hours how his support among key figures of the party falters. As reported yesterday by The Washington Post, former President Barack Obama has told his close circle that Biden should “seriously reconsider” the future of his candidacy.

The call for Biden to retire arose after the June 27 debate against Trump, in which the president, who at 81 years old is the oldest president in the history of the United States, projected an aged image and had difficulty concluding some sentences.

International

Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027

Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.

The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.

Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Security and border infrastructure

In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.

The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.

The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.

The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.

Migration and development

On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.

The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.

The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.

International

France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.

“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.

The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.

About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.

The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.

Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.

International

Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C

36 deaths reported due to heat wave in Nuevo Leon, Mexico

More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.

The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.

Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.

The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.

July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.