International

Kamala Harris turns 60 two weeks before the presidential elections

The vice president of the United States and Democratic candidate for the White House, Kamala Harris, turns 60 this Sunday by campaigning in the decisive state of Georgia when there are just over two weeks left for the elections.

Harris, born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland (California), will attend a mass in Stonecrest this Sunday and then participate in a campaign event in Jonesboro, both localities located in Georgia, one of the states where competition with his rival, the former president (2017-2021) and Republican aspirant, Donald Trump, are more close.

Meanwhile, her husband, the second knight Doug Emhoff, will spend the day in the also decisive state of Michigan campaigning in favor of the aspiring Democrat.

The age of the candidates was a central issue in the November 5 election campaign before the current president, Joe Biden, the longest in history at 81 years old, resigned in July from running for re-election and passed the baton to Harris.

Many voters viewed with concern the advanced age of Biden, but also that of Trump, who is now 78 years old and if he won the elections he would end his term in January 2029 at the age of 82.

Harris, of Indian mother and Jamaican father, aspires to become the first female president in the history of the United States after the November 5 elections.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

The Democratic candidate already made history in 2021 as the first female vice president of the country and the first African American person with Indian descent to hold the position.

Before being Biden’s running mate, Harris served as attorney general of California and as a senator of the same state.

International

Ten Bodies Found in Mexico’s Zacatecas State Amid Security Operation

Mexican authorities discovered the bodies of 10 people on Saturday in the central state of Zacatecas, a region that was heavily affected by organized crime violence just a few years ago.

The victims were found in different municipalities across the state, which experienced a surge in violence between 2021 and 2022 as rival criminal groups fought for control of key drug trafficking routes.

Rodrigo Reyes, secretary general of the Zacatecas state government, said on social media that the bodies were located in the municipalities of Morelos, Pánuco, and Sain Alto.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the causes of death or identified those responsible for the killings.

Reyes said security forces have launched a coordinated operation to locate those behind the crimes and strengthen the police presence in the affected areas as the investigation continues.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

International

U.S. to Limit Visa Duration for Foreign Students and Journalists

The United States has announced new limits on the legal length of stay for foreign students and journalists, marking the latest tightening of immigration policies under President Donald Trump.

The changes, outlined in an administrative rule published on Thursday, are expected to take effect in September, unless Congress blocks the measure.

Under the new policy, holders of student visas will be allowed to remain in the United States for no more than four years.

Foreign journalists will be limited to 240-day stays—approximately eight months—with the possibility of applying for extensions of the same duration.

The policy imposes even stricter rules on Chinese journalists, whose visas will be capped at 90 days.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

More than 100 international news organizations and press freedom groups, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), criticized the measure in an open letter, arguing that it would reduce both the quantity and quality of international coverage of events in the United States.

The Republican Party, led by President Trump, currently holds a majority in Congress and has pledged to curb both illegal immigration and certain forms of legal immigration.

Previously, the United States generally issued student visas for the full duration of an academic program, while foreign journalists could receive visas valid for up to five years.

Central America

Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Dispute

The Nicaraguan government announced on Thursday that it is severing diplomatic relations with Italy following criticism from the Italian government over Nicaragua’s long-standing decision to shelter Alessio Casimirri, a former member of the Red Brigades convicted in Italy for the 1978 kidnapping and murder of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized the administration of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo on Wednesday for continuing to provide refuge to Casimirri, who was sentenced in Italy to six life terms for his role in Moro’s abduction and killing.

In a statement issued Thursday, Nicaragua’s Foreign Ministry said it was ending all diplomatic relations with Italy, describing Tajani’s remarks as “unjustified, aggressive, and irresponsible.”

Tajani made the comments during a gathering of conservative leaders from Europe and Latin America held in Madrid.

“We have absolutely nothing in common with the positions of extremist governments such as Nicaragua, a country that continues to harbor dangerous Red Brigades terrorists like Alessio Casimirri,” Tajani said, according to Italian media.

The diplomatic break marks a new escalation in tensions between the two countries over the decades-old case involving Casimirri, who has lived in Nicaragua for many years despite repeated calls from Italy for his extradition.