International

López Obrador asks in a letter to Joe Biden to stop the “interference attitude” of the United States.

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, revealed on Monday the content of the letter he sent on Friday to his American counterpart, Joe Biden, in which he asked to stop the “clearly intervening attitude” of the United States Government when financing Mexican civil organizations.

“I hope I can do something to stop this grievance that violates our constitutional principle of non-intervention and self-determination of peoples,” the president revealed when reading the letter during his press conference.

In the text, the ruler reminded Biden that he has long denounced “publicly” those from Washington who have had an “interrencist” attitude when financing organizations such as Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI), whose main purpose, he argued, has been to attack his Administration.

López Obrador assured that between 2018 and 2023, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated 111 million pesos (5.91 million dollars) to MCCI.

Although he recognized that the amount is “relatively lower,” López Obrador described the procedure as “completely offensive.”

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“Even when it is a relatively smaller amount, this procedure is completely offensive and contrary to the relations of respect for our sovereignties that both you and I have been cultivating for the good of our nations,” he stressed.

López Obrador ended the writing by emphasizing his hope that Biden will take measures to stop this “aggravation” and pointed out that, although he values the personal relationship between the two, the issues of freedom and independence of the peoples are paramount.

“I hope you can do something to stop this grievance that violates our constitutional principle of non-intervention and self-determination of the peoples,” he said.

“Excuse me for dealing with this issue directly, believe me, I ear you and I don’t want to bother you at all, but as you will understand, the issues linked to the freedom and independence of peoples go beyond personal feelings,” he concluded.

Last week, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) revealed that the civilian organization MCCI, which has denounced corruption scandals of the current Government, which include officials and children of López Obrador, allegedly receives money from the United States.

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According to the agency, revenues for MCCI began to be recorded from 2016, and until 2023 they totaled an amount of just over 502.58 million pesos (26.7 million dollars), while from 2017 to 2023 it received just over 13 million pesos (690,000 dollars) of accounts from the United States.

In 2023, the Usaid of the US Government admitted the financing of more than six million dollars to MCCI, an organization founded by businessman Claudio X. González, an open opponent of the Government of López Obrador.

International

American Airlines sued after woman alleges sexual assault on flight

A woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging she was sexually assaulted during a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Dallas last year. According to court documents made public in recent hours, the woman claims airline staff failed to respond to her complaints during the incident.

The alleged assailant, identified as Cherien Abraham, is a Texas man who had previously been reported to the airline for a similar incident involving another female passenger in 2023. The lawsuit states that Abraham “placed his hand on the plaintiff’s thigh, slid it toward her vagina, and touched her genitals.”

In a statement sent to media outlets, American Airlines confirmed it is “working closely with authorities on the investigation.” The company added that “this individual will no longer be allowed to fly with us.”

The plaintiff, Barbara Morgan, was traveling to Dallas to visit her son. She was seated next to Abraham during the flight. After the assault, she attempted to notify flight attendants, but according to her testimony, she received no assistance from the airline staff.

International

Houthis threaten israeli airports, urge airlines to cancel flights

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced on Sunday that they will begin targeting Israeli airports and urged international airlines to cancel all flights to the country. The statement came just hours after a missile launched from Yemeni territory struck near Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion, causing panic among passengers.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces will target Israeli airports, particularly the one in Lod, known as Ben Gurion,” said Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a statement. He also urged “all international airlines to take this announcement seriously and immediately cancel flights to the enemy’s airport.”

The Houthis have carried out multiple attacks against Israel throughout the war in Gaza in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The missile strike near Ben Gurion International Airport occurred shortly before Israel’s top cabinet ministers were scheduled to vote on whether to escalate military operations in Gaza.

In a related development, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, announced the military will begin calling up tens of thousands of reservists in preparation for possible further action.

International

Vatican speeds up Sistine Chapel preparations for upcoming conclave

Work is accelerating inside the Sistine Chapel as the Vatican prepares for the papal conclave set to begin on Wednesday. The preparations include the installation of a wooden floor, the setup of a stove for burning secret ballots, and the iconic chimney that will signal the election results.

A nearly five-minute video released by the Vatican on Saturday shows technicians assembling scaffolding beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes and laying a false wooden floor, where large tables will be placed to accommodate the 133 cardinals expected to vote.

Elsewhere in the chapel, workers are installing the heavy stove that will be used to burn the ballots. The footage, dated Friday, also shows firefighters climbing the tiled roof to prepare the chimney flue, which will emit either white smoke when a new pope is elected, or black smoke if no decision has been reached.

“This is a key stage for the Catholic Church,” said Silvio Screpanti, deputy director of Vatican infrastructure, on the Vatican’s official website. The stove has been discreetly tested, and in case of any issues, a technician will remain in a nearby technical room with a remote control to manage the stove, which now operates electronically.

A team of five electricians, five technicians, and two florists will remain on-site throughout the conclave. After taking an oath, they will stay within Vatican grounds with no outside contact, including with their families.

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Some of these workers have participated in previous conclaves, while younger staff will receive guidance from more experienced colleagues, ensuring a smooth transition for future conclaves.