International

Within Francis’ private wake: respect and prayer for the deceased pope

Two Swiss guards watch over Pope Francis’ coffin day and night in the chapel of his private residence. Next to him, a lit candle and at his feet, few flowers and some people who pray for him, only clerics, nuns or Vatican employees, all immersed in a climate of deep respect.

The wake has been arranged in what in his little more than twelve years of reign was his residence, since he did not want to inhabit the Apostolic Palace: the Casa Santa Marta, a simple and more lively building within the Vatican State, next to the apse of the basilica.

The coffin is made of simple wood, and has been installed in his private chapel, located on the ground floor, just as he himself wanted by simplifying what would be his funeral.

The body of the pontiff, who died yesterday Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke and after months with serious respiratory problems, will be transferred this Wednesday to St. Peter’s Basilica for exhibition before the faithful.

But in the meantime, its burning chapel runs privately, reserved only for members of the Curia, religious or employees of the Holy See who must show their accreditation before crossing the walls of the hermetic Papal State, in the center of Rome.

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Once inside, those who want to say goodbye to the pontiff must wait under this torrid April sun for a gendarme to allow them to access Santa Marta, protected by a strict security protocol.

Then they parade through the corridors of their ground floor, between saints, virgins and some plants, until they reach the chapel, which is entered in small groups.

Inside, several agents of the Vatican police and the Swiss Guard dressed as civilians conscientiously control that no one leaves the line: the sign is of maximum respect and decorum.

But also for security reasons since the first ecclesiastical authorities have already begun to arrive at the residence, several purpured – surely with the mind already in the conclave -, and also politicians, such as the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

The chapel is a small room with a triangular roof, like a cement hut, supported on a row of four columns and in which, on one side, natural light creeps in, with a narrow gallery of crystals that overlook the Leonine walls.

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Francis rests in the apse of the chapel, under a wooden crucifix and an inscription in golden letters that runs through the triangular ceiling: ‘Veni sancte spiritus reple tuorum corda fidelium’, a prayer: ‘Come Holy Spirit and fill the heart of your faithful’.

In the box, lined in red cloth, the pope appears dressed in purple coats, a sign of maximum distinction and dignity, with a white bishop’s mitre on his head and a rosary between his hands.

The coffin is guarded day and night by two Swiss guards with their colorful uniform, metal helmet, red feather and halberd in hand, but also by the faithful of the pope who have arrived at the enclosure.

In the middle of the morning, just after Mattarella’s visit, in the chapel there are about 45 faithful, some sitting in chairs and others standing: there are several archbishops, as indicated by their violet sashes, as well as nuns and other people who nail their knees on the ground to pray deeply, in the midst of a sepulchral silence.

A woman commits the recklessness of taking the phone out of her pocket, but one of the gendarmes who watch everything, with zeal, scolds her and requisitions the device, despite the lady’s reluctance. It’s the only case. The rest pray, meditate or shut up, ignoring the scene.

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Others are just passing through, parade down the corridor, reach the height of the coffin, make the sign of the Cross and bow their heads before the inert body of the pope as a sign of respect.

At his feet, on a carpet, someone has left some branches of white and yellow flowers, the colors of the Vatican flag.

After the prayer, a Vatican employee shows you the exit, quick and direct because Vatican City does not allow walks.

In this chapel, Cardinal Camarlengo, Kevin Joseph Farrell, practiced the rite of the confirmation of the pope’s death, and then sealed his apartments as dictated by the old protocol to prevent the deceased’s documents from being touched.

From Wednesday morning the body of the pontiff will be exposed to the faithful in the Basilica of San Pedro and on Saturday his funeral will take place, before Francis rests forever in a simple crypt of the Roman temple of Santa María La Mayor.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.