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Argentina’s Basic Basket Costs Outpace Inflation as Poverty Line Climbs

(FILE) Argentinian President Javier Milei. Photo: EFE.

An Argentinian family of four now needs 1,632,505 pesos ($1,057) to avoid being considered poor, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec).


To avoid falling into indigence, the same family requires at least 738,690 pesos ($478), according to the total basic basket (CBT) and basic food basket (CBA) figures in Indec’s most recent report.

So far this year, the CBT grew 24.7% and the CBA 25.3%, both above accumulated inflation of 23.6% through September, when it rose to 1.9%, according to the report. Year-on-year, the CBA rose 38.7% and the CBT 40%, both above the 33.4% year-on-year inflation, the report said.

RELATED: Argentina Seeks International Tribunal Measures Against Malvinas Islands Oil Project

Julián Neufeld, an economist at the Fundación Libertad y Progreso cited by the newspaper Perfil, said the prices that weigh most heavily on lower-income households “have been rising above the general index, and that erodes purchasing power precisely in the most exposed segment.”

Neufeld explained that since wages adjust by the Consumer Price Index when collective labor agreements allow, and poverty levels are set by the baskets, a substantial inflation gap between the two strongly conditions poverty and indigence levels, he said.

According to the economist, in the first half of this year, with the inflationary shock concentrated in meat and fuels—goods with great weight in the baskets—these rose above the general level, pushing many families below the poverty line, he said.

🥬 Las verduras aumentaron 23,8% en septiembre en el Mercado Central y más que duplicaron su precio en un año

Un informe del Centro de Economía Política Argentina (CEPA) reveló una fuerte aceleración en los precios mayoristas de las hortalizas durante septiembre: la canasta… pic.twitter.com/iiDBCfzgh8

— Agencia El Vigía (@AgenciaElVigia) October 12, 2026
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China and EU Seek Greater Stability in Trade Ties

China is seeks to maintain dialogue with the European Union to bring “greater stability” to their economic and trade relations, Vice Premier He Lifeng said during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic adviser in Beijing.


He Lifeng conveyed the message to Emmanuel Bonne during a meeting held Tuesday at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday. Both discussed bilateral cooperation and trade relations between Beijing and Brussels, Xinhua reported.

The official also highlighted the possibilities of expanding economic cooperation with France and expressed Beijing’s willingness to implement the consensus reached by the presidents of both countries.

RELATED: Trade escalation: Trump imposes 100% tariff on imports from China U.S.

Bonne, for his part, conveyed Paris’s readiness to continue promoting positive results in trade and investment consultations between China and the EU.

The French adviser had already defended last Friday, during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, that Europe does not want a trade war with China nor seeks economic decoupling, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

“Europe’s development needs China,” Bonne said at that meeting, according to the version released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

EU-CN trade needs real rebalancing. With Minister Wang Wentao we've reached a shared understanding to:⁰🔹halve HEV, PHEV exports⁰🔹improve access to China's market⁰🔹further ease rare earths export licensing.
A first step. I welcome the genuine engagement. We reconvene by Jan. pic.twitter.com/SiKiZYLC8N

— Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺 (@MarosSefcovic) October 9, 2026

The contacts come after the agreement reached last week between Beijing and Brussels, which contemplates limiting Chinese exports of hybrid vehicles to the EU bloc, facilitating European access to rare earths and reducing tariffs on certain European products.

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Katie Zacharia Debuts as White House Press Secretary

Photo: EFE.

Katie Zacharia made her debut as White House press secretary on Tuesday, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left the position in August to allegedly spend more time with her family.


In her first briefing, which lasted 14 minutes and took only three questions, Zacharia announced the dismissal of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, who has been embroiled in several scandals.

Zacharia, a lawyer and mother of four, was until her appointment a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social. She also briefly served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security during Kristi Noem’s tenure and has been a commentator on conservative outlets Fox News and Newsmax.

RELATED: ICE Used Palantir Tech to Track Protesters and Rights Observers

During the briefing, she appeared visibly nervous, repeatedly consulting her notes, in contrast to her predecessor. She also faced criticism for failing to clarify where she passed the bar exam to practice law.

New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia visibly nervous at her first briefing

Plenty of people online say it doesn't matter, since she looks great https://t.co/BRiPZrO3Iw pic.twitter.com/kmBAXfb0XM

— RT Intl (@RT_on_X) October 13, 2026

Her appointment coincides with a new escalation in Trump’s offensive against critical media. He tried to ban White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, a measure temporarily halted in the courts. The Department of Justice is investigating ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC for possible antitrust violations for boycotting joint coverage of presidential events in solidarity with the banned outlets.

Zacharia takes office amid the campaign for the November 3 legislative elections, where Trump has held nearly daily rallies to prevent the Republican Party from losing its congressional majority amid low popularity of his administration.

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U.S. Presses El Salvador on China and Cuba

(FILE) Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele. Photo: EFE.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in a phone call on Tuesday to protect El Salvador’s critical infrastructure from what the State Department framed as malign foreign influences, which, EFE points out, potentially reference China (though the statement did not explicitly mention Beijing), and to vote against the Cuban government at the United Nations.


The Department of Sate also urged El Salvador to join the United States and like-minded partners to promote shared priorities at the UN.

RELATED: El Salvador Sets Feb. 28, 2027 Date For General Elections

On October 28, the UN General Assembly is scheduled to vote on the resolution Cuba presents each year calling for an end to the U.S. blockade. In 2025, the measure passed with 165 votes in favor, 7 against and 12 abstentions. El Salvador was absent from that vote.

Bukele has been one of the main Latin American allies of the Donald Trump administration since the start of Trump’s second term. Both governments even reached an agreement to deport migrants from the United States to El Salvador’s mega-prison, the Center for Terrorism Confinement (Cecot).

El Secretario de Estado, @SecRubio, y el presidente salvadoreño, @nayibbukele, sostuvieron hoy una importante llamada telefónica para reafirmar la sólida alianza entre Estados Unidos y El Salvador. Lea el resumen de la llamada aquí: https://t.co/YRikGkKL6r

— Embajada EEUU en ES (@USEmbassySV) October 13, 2026

Rubio also maintains an intense strategy to reduce China’s influence in Latin America, a region where Beijing has made large infrastructure investments. His first trip as secretary of state, in 2025, took him to Panama, where he pressured the government to separate the canal from Chinese companies.

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Africa Renews Demand for Two Permanent UN Security Council Seats With Veto

File image of the UN Security Council. Photo: EFE.

Africa has reiterated its demand for two permanent seats with full rights, including veto power, and five non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, according to the “Tripoli Document 2026” adopted by the African Union’s Committee of Ten (C-10) at its 14th ministerial meeting in Libya.


The document reaffirms the principles of the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, adopted in 2005 and considered the basis of the African position. The African Union also claims the right to select African candidates for those seats, seeking to ensure that the continent’s representation responds to its own criteria and priorities.

RELATED: 40.9 Million People are Suffering from Hunger in East Africa: OCHA

The C-10 is made up of Libya, Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia. Sierra Leone has coordinated its work since the committee’s creation in 2005.

UN Secretary-General Guterres:

When the UN was founded, most of Africa was still under colonial rule. Today, Africa still has no permanent representation on the Council.

A 21st-century Security Council without permanent African seats is unjust and indefensible.

This must… pic.twitter.com/VZdYHCCD0n

— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 22, 2026

At a joint press conference, the official in charge of managing Libya’s Foreign Ministry affairs, Taher Al-Baour, and Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister and C-10 coordinator, Timothy Musa Kabba, defended continued diplomatic efforts to increase Africa’s presence in international institutions. Both said the reform must correct imbalances in geographic representation and give the continent greater weight in decisions on international security and stability.

The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent with veto power and 10 non-permanent. Africa has no permanent representation and occupies three rotating seats in 2026 through Somalia, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For African countries, this structure does not reflect the world’s political and demographic transformations or the continent’s participation in the Council’s work.

The meeting concluded on Sunday with the ratification of the African common position, according to Libya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ministers and representatives of the 10 committee countries attended, along with the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform.

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Brazil’s Lula Announces MEI 12.6 Billion Reais Debt Relief

Photo: Brasil de Fato

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Tuesday at the Planalto Palace a package of economic measures under the “Prospera MEI” program aimed at rescuing the country’s individual microentrepreneurs.


The package seeks to provide financial breathing room to the sector through mass debt relief, access to new credit and expanded annual income limits, and comes 12 days before the runoff election in which Lula will face far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.

The centerpiece is a supplementary bill providing for total amnesty and exoneration of 12.6 billion reais in tax debts owed by 3.6 million microentrepreneurs on the Union’s active debtor list. Formal implementation is planned for 2027, pending approval by Congress.

RELATED: Millions on the Streets for Lula Across Brazil: A View From the Ground

Complementing the tax relief, the federal government will include bank debts linked to the entrepreneurs’ CNPJ, estimated at about 6 billion reais, in the Desenrola 3.0 program, guaranteeing minimum discounts of 90% in auctions for the State’s acquisition of these obligations.

📢 O governo Lula anunciou o Prospera MEI!

💰 R$ 12,6 bilhões em dívidas públicas com previsão de perdão
💸 Pix de até R$ 5 mil para investimentos
📈 Teto do MEI pode chegar a R$ 140 mil em 2028
🏦 Negociação de dívidas bancárias com descontos de pelo menos 90%

Fandoms,… pic.twitter.com/EXi0M2OoR1

— Fandoms Com Lula ⭐️ (@fandomscomlula) October 13, 2026

The program also includes the Pix/MEI project, which will allocate up to 5 billion reais between 2027 and 2030 for financial support of up to 5,000 reais (about 1,000 dollars) for equipment purchases and productive investments, directly prioritizing low-income women. These funds will function as a direct subsidy and will not require repayment.

Another measure presented to the Chamber of Deputies through Complementary Bill 186/2026 would substantially raise the annual revenue cap for MEIs, progressively increasing from the current 81,000 reais to 110,000 reais in 2027 and 140,000 reais in 2028 (approximately 28,000 dollars), allowing more entrepreneurs to grow without losing access to the simplified tax regime and social security.

To boost commercial activity, the package prioritizes small taxpayers in direct public contracts of up to 25,000 reais through the Contrata+Brasil platform and raises the exclusive bidding limit for micro and small businesses from 80,000 to 100,000 reais.

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ICE Used Palantir Tech to Track Protesters and Rights Observers

(FILE) Photo: EFE.

Newly declassified court documents have revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) used Palantir Technologies to store personal information on citizens and civil rights observers, and used confidential medical records to guide immigration operations, raising alarms over mass surveillance and potential constitutional violations.


The revelations stem from a lawsuit filed by four observers who reported being surveilled, harassed and intimidated during immigration raids in Maine in January. Case records document how an ICE agent entered the personal data of six individuals into an Investigative Case Management system. The records also describe the surreptitious collection of photographs, vehicle license plates and the use of facial recognition tools without consent or transparent legal justification.

RELATED: Trump Backs ICE After Shooting Sparks New York Protests

Two protesters were formally classified as threats to law enforcement while they were peacefully present in a Home Depot parking lot. In one specific case, plaintiff Polyxenia Pantos had her vehicle and driving history investigated by a federal agent after she photographed an arrest in Portland, evidencing a pattern of institutional harassment against citizen oversight and independent journalism.

The surveillance of U.S. citizens is linked to the deployment of the ELITE application, developed by Palantir and adopted by ICE in late September. The tool consolidates multiple information sources, creates profiles, identifies targets, generates location routes and assigns confidence scores to data. Its implementation coincided with an accelerated hiring process that brought in more than 12,000 new agents with significant cuts to training programs, increasing the risk of operational abuses.

One of the most legally questioned aspects is the use of protected healthcare data. An investigation found that ELITE processes records from the Department of Health and Human Services, combining them with public and commercial databases. The tool analyzes medical records—including names, addresses and photographs—to guide agents on where to conduct operations and raids, as recently happened in Oregon with the arrest of thirty people.

"ICE IS PALANTIR" – @RepAOC tells @MPUniversityUS Students vs Billionaires Town Hall pic.twitter.com/O6uGTDyOxL

— PurgePalantir (@PurgePalantir) September 28, 2026

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Oil Spill Reported in Ecuador’s Cupa River, Residents Seek Dialogue

An oil spill was reported in the Cupa River in Quinindé canton, Esmeraldas province, Ecuador, on Monday, October 12, after a crude leak in the SOTE pipeline, according to Petroecuador.


The leak was controlled after it was detected together with Army troops. As a preventive measure, the water company ordered the suspension of water intake and distribution from the San Mateo plant to reduce risks to the population given the possible presence of contaminants in the tributary.

RELATED: Ecuador Flooding Damages Thousands of Homes Across Three Provinces

A “considerable amount of hydrocarbons” was detected in the Cupa River, according to reports from the drinking water company, increasing concern among residents of nearby areas.

These residents had alerted the situation on Monday, and expressed concern over possible effects on the ecosystem and on communities that depend on the water source for various activities. They requested an immediate response from authorities and the state oil company, they said.

📌 COMUNICADO DE PRENSA

EP Petroecuador controla fuga de crudo en el SOTE, en el cantón Quinindé

👉Link: https://t.co/NmKJe6iP4e pic.twitter.com/DcSvwQ9alc

— EP Petroecuador 🇪🇨 (@EPPetroecuador) October 12, 2026

Although containment actions were implemented shortly after the incident, several residents consider the measures adopted insufficient given the magnitude of the event and its possible environmental and social consequences, they said.

Residents also requested spaces for dialogue with government authorities to establish concrete commitments for a comprehensive response to this type of emergency, arguing that solutions should not be limited solely to containing hydrocarbons.

They recalled that this event comes after another spill recorded in the El Achiote sector, also in Quinindé, in March 2025, which affected water sources in the area and generated concern over its environmental impacts.

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Argentinian Economy Minister Accused of Causing $1.023 Billion Gold Loss

Argentina’s Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Central Bank President Santiago Bausili faced a criminal complaint in court for speculating with the Republic’s gold and causing enormous losses to the State.


A third defendant is Juan Curuchet, superintendent of Financial and Exchange Institutions of the Central Bank, according to the case opened by lawyer Gregorio Dalbón. The case followed confirmation by the General Audit Office of the Nation (AGN) of a $1.023 billion loss from operating with the country’s gold, whose location remains unknown.

RELATED: Argentina Signs Defense Memorandum With Israel, Deepening Strategic Ties

Dalbón, interviewed on Minuto Uno on C5N, said he will expand the complaint Tuesday before Judge Ariel Lijo and Prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita with new documentation and request the corresponding investigative statements. He will also seek urgent evidence preservation measures, he said.

In his filing, Dalbón argued that “$1.023 billion are not an accounting entry. They are resources of the Republic and demand an explanation worthy of such a figure.” He asked the Justice system to determine who decided, authorized and designed the operations, with what counterparties they were carried out, their economic justification, the risks assumed, the controls that existed, and whether they caused a financial loss to the Argentinian State.

DE LA RADRIOGAFÍA DE ADORNI A LA "PROPUESTA SUPERADORA"

El presidente Milei comparte una publicación de Santiago Caputo diciendo que el 60% de las pensiones por discapacidad están mal otorgadas. Si es así, ¿por qué no hacen una auditoría completa, muestran cuáles son y las dan… pic.twitter.com/wfdS3WRk1m

— Victoria Tolosa Paz (@vtolosapaz) October 12, 2026

The crimes attributed are fraudulent administration to the detriment of the public Milei administration, abuse of authority, dereliction of the duties of a public official and illicit association, according to the complaint.

Economists, auditors and journalists have questioned how, if the international gold price was soaring, Caputo, Bausili and Curuchet accumulated million-dollar losses by using the gold as backing for maneuvers with financial derivatives, without it being known what they did.

Apart from the complaint, rumors are growing that Caputo could be removed from his post, although President Javier Milei defended him today, as he did with other officials involved in scandals who ended up resigning.

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Chile’s ‘Educated Unemployment’ Rises, Study Finds

So-called educated unemployment is rising today in Chile among people with completed university or technical-professional training, an academic study revealed.


In 2010, only 21.7% of the labor force had graduated from a higher education institution, a share that climbed to 42.1 out of every 100 by 2026, according to a report by the Economic Context Observatory of Diego Portales University (OCEC-UDP).

That means more qualified workers and higher productivity potential, but it does not mean greater chances of landing a job.

The National Institute of Statistics reported that in the June-August mobile quarter, the open unemployment rate reached 9.6%, with 44 consecutive months above eight percentage points.

RELATED: Chilean University Rectors Reject Education Cuts in 2027 Budget Bill

Among those who completed university or successfully completed technical-professional training, unemployment is also a serious problem, the OCEC-UDP said. It rose one point in the last 12 months to 8.3%. That implies 40,938 fewer jobs and a total of 356,286.

Women with higher education fare worst, with lack of work affecting 8.7 of every 100, compared with 7.8 for men, the OCEC-UDP said. By age group, educated unemployment is higher among those under 30, it said.

Chile es el país con la tasa de desempleo más alta de la región, según indican diversas publicaciones; y, si se analizan los países de la OCDE, el segundo. En nuestra región de Los Ríos la situación es alarmante, especialmente en jóvenes y mujeres. No se ve ningún proyecto nuevo… pic.twitter.com/dox1io85lC

— Iván Flores García (@ifloressenador) October 11, 2026

Another facet: many higher education graduates who appear employed are actually doing work below their preparation, according to OCEC-UDP. Qualification underemployment occurs when a person performs a task below their preparation and therefore generates added value lower than their potential.

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China acena à direita latino-americana às vésperas do segundo turno no Brasil

Em um aceno à direita latino-americana, o responsável da China pelos assuntos da região, Qiu Xiaoqi, afirmou na segunda-feira (12) que Pequim desenvolverá relações amistosas com todos os países latinos, independentemente do crescimento de governos de direita e de seu alinhamento com os Estados Unidos. Leia mais (10/13/2026 - 04h55)
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Ecuador Flooding Damages Thousands of Homes Across Three Provinces

Heavy rains in Ecuador have left five rivers and one estuary overflowing in three provinces of the Coastal region, damaging thousands of homes, the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) said Monday.


The coastal provinces of Guayas and El Oro, along with the tropical province of Los Ríos, were affected, the SNGR’s official report detailed.

In Los Ríos, Estero Hondo in Puebloviejo, the Babahoyo River and the Chilintomo River overflowed, the report said. A strong downpour during the early morning flooded rural areas such as the Las Cañitas settlement. About 300 families were affected by water entering their homes and contamination of water wells, in addition to the suspension of classes at the local school.

In Guayas, the Balao River overflowed, affecting the Mercado Central and Barrio Nuevo sectors, and the San Rafael River impacted the San Pedro settlement in General Antonio Elizalde (Bucay), the report said.

In El Oro, emergencies were concentrated in Santa Rosa canton, where the Chico and Caluguro rivers overflowed their banks, according to the report.

RELATED: Ecuadorian Youth Call Protest Over Healthcare and Insecurity

The storm left 16 homes completely destroyed, damage to another 4,847 and effects on 10.74 kilometers of road network, the official report said. Authorities also confirmed the collapse of one bridge and structural damage to seven others, complicating access for rescue units to vulnerable areas.

Faced with the health emergency due to contamination of water sources in Babahoyo, the SNGR installed three storage tanks of 2,500 liters each to supply the population and is evaluating the use of local churches as temporary shelters.

#SNGRESPONDE | Balao – Guayas

La atención a las familias de Balao continúa. La SNGR realizó el levantamiento de información para la ficha EVIN y participó en la coordinación interinstitucional en el ECU 911. pic.twitter.com/nsmK0Xhp7Q

— Riesgos Ecuador (@Riesgos_Ec) October 13, 2026

Since the red alert was declared for the weather phenomenon on August 29, the number of people affected in the country has risen to 17,142, with 1,354 victims and one deceased. The SNGR counts a total of 349 adverse events that have impacted 22 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces, with the greatest incidence in Esmeraldas, Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos, Orellana, Imbabura and Pichincha.

Against this backdrop, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (Inamhi) maintains an active watch advisory in anticipation of an increase in rains, electrical storms and wind gusts throughout the country until next Wednesday, October 14.

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Femicide, Sexual Abuse Cases Surge in Colombia

Colombia is facing growing social and humanitarian concern over an alarming increase in cases of sexual violence and femicide.


According to Legal Medicine data, sexual abuse of older adult women increased 31% during 2026. Examinations by that entity indicate these cases rose from 70 to 92 between January and July this year.

However, professionals consulted say these records correspond only to examinations of victims who reported some type of abuse. Because other cases are neither investigated nor reported, the real number of victims is believed to be much higher.

RELATED: Argentina Records 150 Femicides in 2026 as Milei Cuts Prevention Programs

As of July 2026, official Colombian figures show 89 femicides and 16,451 sexual crimes, although there are significant discrepancies with social organizations, which report higher figures.

The Ombudsman’s Office reported the 89 completed cases, plus 74 attempts and 20 transfemicides, acknowledging 191 cases in 2025 compared with more than 600 reported by organizations. The Femicide Observatory documented 621 femicides in September 2025 before suspending its count due to lack of funds.

Estamos en Emergencia Nacional por Violencias Basadas en Género en Colombia. Rechazamos el feminicidio de Doña Blanca Pardo y denunciamos el incremento de las violencias contra las mujeres mayores.

Exigimos justicia y una vida libre de violencias para todas.

Les invitamos a la… pic.twitter.com/xFVbj13OWN

— Yesenia Moreno Rodríguez – Yess (@yessmorenor_) October 10, 2026

The Colombian Prosecutor’s Office reports 16,451 complaints of sexual crimes, most of them against girls and adolescents with 12,457 cases, followed by adult women with 3,583. It also records 166 cases of sexual exploitation of minors and 151 trafficking victims.

Between August and September 2026, the Prosecutor’s Office reported the prosecution of 275 people for sexual crimes against minors, of whom 258 received a precautionary measure of deprivation of liberty while the process continues, clarifying that this does not equal a conviction.

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Hurricane Simón Kills One in Mexico as Pacific States Remain on Alert

Hurricane Simón killed an adult on the Mexican Pacific coast through collapses and landslides caused by its rains, authorities reported Monday.


In its path, the weather event caused damage in Guerrero, Michoacán, Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima, authorities said.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado confirmed the death during a press conference with President Claudia Sheinbaum. “Unfortunately, a 71-year-old older adult died from the collapse of a wall in Chilpancingo,” the state capital, Salgado said.

RELATED: Hurricane Simon Threatens Mexico With 240 kph Winds

Laura Velázquez, national coordinator of Civil Protection, told the press that Simón is expected to further enter national territory Wednesday through Mazatlán, in Sinaloa.

The natural event’s characteristics forced authorities to deploy brigades and heavy machinery, with support from the Armed Forces, the National Guard and the Navy, enabling some roads to reopen.

Hurricane #Simon Advisory 23 (8 PM MST, Mon Oct 12): Simon Moving Slowly to the West-Northwest. Flooding Rains to Continue Along the Coast of West-Central Mexico. https://t.co/NyUGSIFCuo

— NHC Pacific (@NHC_Pacific) October 13, 2026

Authorities said heavy rains in Acapulco and Chilpancingo caused trees to fall, landslides and power outages in some areas. The phenomenon, whose intensity is increasing, has Nayarit and Sinaloa on alert.

Fabián Vázquez, coordinator of the National Meteorological Service, specified that the hurricane will continue its path for several days in the Mexican Pacific and will also cause heavy rainfall.

The official report indicated maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h, gusts of 220 km/h, and slow northwest movement at 4 km/h.

#MañaneraDelPueblo | Debido a la trayectoria del huracán Simón, la presidenta @Claudiashein informa que continúa la alerta en Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima y Sinaloa; exhorta a la población a seguir recomendaciones de protección civil.

Están activos los planes DN-III-E y Marina; la… pic.twitter.com/T3qS5tcVtJ

— Gobierno de México (@GobiernoMX) October 12, 2026

Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila, also at the conference with President Sheinbaum, reported damage in her state from Storm Rachel in recent days, which killed a minor and left ten people missing. “Unfortunately, 10 people are unaccounted for and a minor has been found dead,” she said.

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Venezuela Criticizes Uruguay’s Refusal to Resume Diplomatic Relations

Venezuela categorically rejected Uruguay’s Foreign Ministry position not to resume bilateral diplomatic relations, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Félix Plasencia González, wrote via social media.


Plasencia González wrote that “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects the antiquated and arrogant views that disrespect the sovereignty and self-determination of peoples and that have nothing to do with the transformation process Venezuela is carrying out through political dialogue for democratic coexistence.”

RELATED: Venezuela and Angola Deepen Strategic Alliance on Food Security at FAO Forum

The response followed remarks by Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin to Brazilian outlet Folha de S.Paulo, in which he justified the refusal to normalize diplomatic ties by saying that “nothing has changed” in the country after electoral processes his government questions.

Lubetkin conditioned the restoration of relations on the holding of new elections and their evaluation by independent courts, he said. He added that “fifteen minutes after” ratifying a democratic winner, his country would resume bilateral relations.

Ante las declaraciones del canciller de la República Oriental del Uruguay, la República Bolivariana de Venezuela rechaza las visiones vetustas y arrogantes que irrespetan la soberanía y la autodeterminación de los pueblos y que nada tienen que ver con el proceso de transformación…

— Félix Plasencia González (@plasenciafelixr) October 12, 2026

Plasencia González said such declarations and positions constituted inadmissible interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs. Venezuela’s future, he made clear, will be defined by its people, in strict adherence to its Constitution and legal order.

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This is a South African cheetah, and it’s in trouble

When researchers mapped almost 100,000 square kilometers of South Africa, or nearly 40,000 square miles, they only found 83 mature adults. They called their project the Free-Roaming Cheetah Census, and it’s the most comprehensive survey of cheetahs ever conducted in the region. The cheetahs that inhabit the unprotected areas here move naturally across borders, going between South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. But farming, construction, development, and fences are making it harder for them to move around. Cheetahs need vast connected landscapes to survive. If they don’t mix with other cheetah groups, their genetic pool can be lost. There’s another big challenge for these animals: farmers. They sometimes kill cheetahs, because they believe cheetahs kill their livestock. But the researchers found that cheetahs hunt mostly wild prey. The species is currently listed as vulnerable, but the census suggests they should be reclassified as endangered in South Africa.This article was originally published on Mongabay

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Trabalharemos para que relação com Brasil avance, diz China sobre eventual eleição de Flávio Bolsonaro

O Ministério das Relações Exteriores da China afirmou que o país está disposto a trabalhar com o Brasil para que as relações avancem, ao responder à questão que citava a liderança de Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) nas pesquisas de intenção de voto para a Presidência. O último Datafolha, publicado nesta quinta, mostra Flávio com 52% dos votos válidos e Lula com 48%. Leia mais (10/09/2026 - 23h00)
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Despite legacy court case, Zambian Vedanta mine pollution continues

The Zambian government is investigating a chemical spill in its Copperbelt Province allegedly linked to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), owned by U.K.-based multinational Vedanta Resources. Residents in Chingola district told Mongabay they observed discoloration of the Kafue River and fish die-off on Sept. 28, raising fresh concerns about the environmental and social impacts of mining operations in one of Zambia’s most important copper-producing regions. According to a statement by Gilbert Siame, Zambia’s minister of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE), the incident was caused by a leaking pipe at KCM’s tailings leach plant and an overflow from the company’s pollution control dam outside Chingola. “The pollution control dam was full, that’s why it spilled,” Eugene Mulenga, Chingola-based human rights activist and coordinator for caritas, told Mongabay. “The [chemical] discharge happens all the time, mostly at night, and the local residents consume this water because they don’t have another option.” Following the Sept. 28 spill, tests conducted by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), KCM and local water utility Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation Company showed elevated levels of turbidity and conductivity downstream along the Kafue River. In a statement issued Oct. 1, KCM contested its responsibility in the spillage, saying that company officials reported the incident to ZEMA and asked for a fact-based investigation. Mongabay reached out to the company but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Siame noted in the statement shared with Mongabay that authorities are still testing water samples to confirm heavy metals and…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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