Iran's president mocks Netanyahu over pledge of help in water crisis
Pezeshkian said on X that Israel has denied Palestinians access to water and food, so can't be trusted.
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Winnipeg Free Press
25 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mexico and Guatemala presidents meet face-to-face for the first time to talk key regional projects
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — From mounting cartel violence, border security and a mega project to extend a controversial train line across their borders, the presidents of Mexico and Guatemala talked common goals and concerns in their first face-to-face meeting on Friday. The two regional allies, who met in Guatemala's northern Peten region, agreed to strengthen coordination on migration, law enforcement and economic development. But top on the agenda for both was a proposal to extend the Mexican government's Maya Train from southern Mexico to Guatemala and Belize. The idea was first floated by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but was met with skepticism by Guatemala's Bernardo Arévalo. The Guatemalan leader has said he sees the economic potential of the project to the jungle region but remained adamant that the construction should not come with the kind of environmental damage that it inflicted in Mexico. The train, which currently runs in a rough loop around Mexico's southern peninsula, was López Obrador's mega-project, with the purpose to connect remote jungle and rural areas in Mexico's south. However, it has for years has fueled controversy and legal battles as it's sliced through large swaths of jungle and damaged a delicate cave system in Mexico that serves as the area's main source of water. Arévalo said after the meeting with Sheinbaum that extending the train 'is a vision we share' but that the project must not encroach on any protected ecosystems in Guatemala, especially the dense jungles of Peten. He said there would also have to be careful environmental studies and the two presidents looked at an alternative proposal that would have the train loop instead of directly cut through the jungles of Guatemala and Belize. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'I've made it very clear at all times that the Maya Train will not pass through any protected area,' Arévalo said. His stand is a sharp contrast to that of López Obrador, who fast-tracked the train project without environmental studies. Sheinbaum and Arévalo also spoke about about mounting cartel violence along the Mexico-Guatemala border where the cartels have long fought over control of lucrative migratory routes. Earlier this week, a group of around 100 Mexicans fled across the border because of a burst of violence in their communities. Later Friday, Sheinbaum and Arévalo were to travel to Calakmul, in southern Mexico, and meet up with Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceño to continue the talks. 'Today, Mexico and Guatemala are demonstrating the will of two sister nations, with governments committed to justice and their peoples, to move forward together toward a more dignified, equitable and free future,' Sheinbaum added.
Toronto Star
32 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Serbia's police fire tear gas as they clash with anti-government protesters in downtown Belgrade
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters in downtown Belgrade as they clashed for the third day on Friday in the Serbian capital and other cities amid reports of police brutality and excessive use of force during the unrest. The anti-government rallies were held on Friday night across Serbia under the slogan: 'Let's show them we are not a punching bag.' Police deployed armored vehicles in parts of the capital as protesters faced off against riot police separating them from pro-government supporters in downtown Belgrade.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Some workers would be excluded from student loan forgiveness program for ‘illegal' activity
WASHINGTON (AP) — Teachers, social workers, nurses and other public workers would be cut off from a popular student loan cancellation program if the Trump administration finds their employer engaged in activities with a 'substantial illegal purpose,' under a new federal proposal released on Friday. The Education Department took aim at nonprofits or government bodies that work with immigrants and transgender youth, releasing plans to overhaul the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Opponents fear the new policy would turn the loan forgiveness benefit into a tool of political retribution. The proposal would give the education secretary the final say in deciding whether a group or government entity should be excluded from the program, which was created by Congress in 2007 to encourage more college graduates to enter lower-paying public service fields. The proposal says illegal activity includes the trafficking or 'chemical castration' of children, illegal immigration and supporting foreign terrorist organizations. 'Chemical castration' is defined as using hormone therapy or drugs that delay puberty — gender-affirming care common for transgender children or teens. President Donald Trump ordered the changes in March, saying the loan forgiveness program was steering taxpayer money to 'activist organizations' that pose a threat to national security and do not serve the public. The public will be given 30 days to weigh in on the proposal before it can be finalized. Any changes would take effect in July 2026. Under current rules, government employees and many nonprofit workers can get their federal student loans canceled after they've made 10 years of payments. The program is open to government workers, including teachers, firefighters and employees of public hospitals, along with nonprofits that focus on certain areas. The new proposal would exclude employees of any organization tied to an activity deemed illegal. The Education Department predicts that fewer than 10 organizations would be deemed ineligible per year. It doesn't expect a 'significant reduction' in the percentage of borrowers who would be granted forgiveness under the program, according to the proposal. Yet the agency acknowledges that not all industries would be affected evenly. Schools, universities, health care providers, social workers and legal services organizations are among those most likely to have their eligibility jeopardized, the department wrote. It did not give more specifics about what 'illegal' actions those groups were taking that could bar them from the program. But the proposal suggests that performing gender-affirming care in the 27 states that outlaw it would be enough. If a state or federal court rules against an employer, that could lead to its expulsion from the program, or if the employer is involved in a legal settlement that includes an admission of wrongdoing. Even without a legal finding, however, the education secretary could determine independently that an organization should be ejected. The secretary could judge whether an organization participated in illegal activity by using a legal standard known as the 'preponderance of the evidence' — meaning it's more likely than not that an accusation is true. Once an organization is barred from the program, its workers' future loan payments would no longer count toward cancellation. They would have to find work at another eligible employer to keep making progress toward forgiveness. A ban from the Education Department would last 10 years or until the employer completed a 'corrective action plan' approved by the secretary. Critics blasted the proposal as an illegal attempt to weaponize student loan cancellation. Kristin McGuire, CEO of the nonprofit Young Invincibles, which advocates for loan forgiveness, called it a political stunt designed to confuse borrowers. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'By using a distorted and overly broad definition of 'illegal activities,' the Trump administration is exploiting the student loan system to attack political opponents,' McGuire said in a statement. The Education Department sketched out its plans for the overhaul during a federal rulemaking process that began in June. The agency gathered a panel of experts to help hash out the details — a process known as negotiated rulemaking. But the panel failed to reach a consensus, which freed the department to move forward with a proposal of its own design. The proposal released on Friday included some changes meant to ease concerns raised by the expert panel. Some had worried the department would ban organizations merely for supporting transgender rights, even if they have no direct involvement in gender-affirming care. The new proposal clarifies that the secretary would not expel organizations for exercising their First Amendment rights. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
