International
Death toll in Mexico from Cyclone John rises to 29
Deaths caused by Cyclone John in the state of Guerrero, southern Mexico, amounted this Sunday to 23, after the authorities confirmed four new deaths, which gives a total figure of 29 throughout the country since the impact of the cyclone last Monday.
Local authorities confirmed four more deaths in the entity, marked by the ravages of the hurricane, such as damage and collapsed buildings. The 23 deaths in Guerrero are added to the five deaths reported in neighboring Oaxaca, and one more in Michoacán, giving a total of at least 29 deaths throughout the country.
In Chilpancingo, capital of the state, municipal authorities confirmed on Saturday afternoon, the location of a deceased person, in the Alpuyeca ravine, of the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood, whose body was rescued by Civil Protection personnel.
The other death corresponds to the commissioner of El Ciruelar, Crispín Barrientos, swept away by the current of the river, when he tried to cross it to ask for help because the town was affected by the rains and flood of the river.
Town isolated by John in Mexico
The inhabitants pointed out that the town is completely isolated because the bridges to enter have collapsed and that they did not have food to survive.
While a worker of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), identified as David, died electrocuted in the town of Nuevo Tecomulapa, in the municipality of San Marcos, while carrying out electrical power reconnection work.
Finally, an 18-year-old was found buried by mud and stones inside his house in the Altos de Miramar neighborhood, in the upper part of Puerto Marqués, in Acapulco, where at least 13 restaurants collapsed.
The body was rescued by members of the Michoacán fire department, who reported that they went to the port to help with the search and rescue work, after four hours of maneuvering and removing debris.
Collapsed restaurants
María Antonieta Ramos, a resident of the town in the Diamante area of Puerto Marqués, recalled that the restaurants of the third block already had some damage, but they did not resist due to two large sinkholes that formed, together with the strong waves that were recorded.
“It’s very sad. Right now many people are without food, without food, because they took everything, and let’s see, we are waiting to see if they bring us help or something because we are left without clothes, the only one is the one I have on,” Ramos shared.
In addition to the homes damaged by John, some tourists were stranded in the entity, so the Secretary of Tourism of Guerrero, Simón Quiñones, assured that some humanitarian exits have been enabled to leave the port.
In the case of the hotel infrastructure, Quiñones said that there is no record of damage, compared to the devastating hurricane Otis, which affected almost 20,000 rooms in October 2023.
Sheinbaum will visit Guerrero on his first day of government
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who will take over on October 1, reported this morning that on her first day of government on Wednesday 2 in the afternoon she will visit the state to assess the damage caused by the phenomenon.
While the outgoing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, regretted on Saturday on his networks the death of eight people due to the collapses caused by John in Acapulco.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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