By Michelle Ndaga

Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport halted operations for several hours on Sunday after torrential rains flooded parts of the capital and drastically reduced visibility, officials said.

In a statement posted on its official X account before 9:00 p.m. local time (0300 GMT), the airport announced that “due to heavy rainfall this afternoon and based on reports of low visibility… the aeronautical authority has ordered the suspension of landing and takeoff operations for the next three hours.” The measure was aimed at draining accumulated rainwater and restoring safe operational conditions. The airport one of Latin America’s busiest, handling 45.4 million passengers in 2024 was among several parts of the city affected by the downpour. Floodwaters reached up to 50 centimeters (19 inches) in some neighborhoods, disrupting traffic and prompting the Mexico City government to activate a “purple alert,” the highest warning level, for central districts of the metropolis of over nine million residents.

Heavy storms are common in Mexico between May and November. This year’s rainy season follows a series of severe weather events, including June’s Hurricane Erick, which battered southern coastal communities and left two dead. Last year, the country was hit by multiple deadly hurricanes, among them October’s Category 5 Hurricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco and killed dozens, and September’s Hurricane John, a Category 3 storm that caused about 15 deaths.

Operations at Benito Juarez International Airport gradually resumed late Sunday night as floodwaters receded and visibility improved.

By Michelle Ndaga

President Donald Trump on Sunday vowed to remove homeless people from the nation’s capital and jail offenders, despite Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser insisting the city is not experiencing a current crime surge.

While details of the plan remain unclear, a U.S. official told Reuters the administration is preparing to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to the city a move Trump has used in other cities despite pushback from local leaders. In D.C., unlike in U.S. states, the president has direct control over the Guard.

“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump posted on Truth Social, promising relocation “far from the Capital,” and pledging to jail criminals. The White House has not clarified the legal authority he would use to carry out the evictions.

Trump’s remarks come as city data shows violent crime down 26% and overall crime down 7% in the first seven months of 2025. Bowser, a Democrat, said the capital has reached a 30 year low in violent crime, crediting cooperation with federal law enforcement.

A decision on troop deployment has not been finalized, but 450 federal officers were deployed Saturday following a recent attack on a White House staffer. Trump is expected to hold a press conference Monday to address crime and public safety in D.C.

By Michelle Ndaga.

Oil prices fell in Asian trading on Monday, extending last week’s 4% losses, as markets awaited U.S.-Russia peace talks on the Ukraine war. Brent crude dropped 62 cents to $65.97 a barrel, while U.S. WTI fell 69 cents to $63.19.

The decline follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 to negotiate an end to the conflict, raising hopes of easing sanctions on Russian oil. Analysts warned prices could rebound sharply if talks fail.

Brent slid 4.4% and WTI 5.1% last week amid weaker economic data from China and concerns over Trump’s new tariffs, which could slow global growth.

By Michelle Ndaga.

Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed on Sunday in an Israeli strike near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, the broadcaster has confirmed.

Correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa, were inside a tent for reporters at the hospital’s main gate when it was hit. Two others also died, bringing the death toll to seven. Al Jazeera condemned the strike as a “targeted assassination” and a “premeditated attack on press freedom.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed it had targeted al-Sharif, accusing him of leading a Hamas terrorist cell, but did not name the other journalists. Al Jazeera and press freedom advocates have rejected Israel’s claims, saying no evidence has been provided.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said the incident fits a pattern of Israeli forces killing journalists and later alleging militant ties. Since Israel’s offensive began in October 2023, at least 186 journalists have been killed, according to CPJ. Israel’s military campaign was launched in response to the October 7 Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 61,000 have died since.

By Michelle Ndaga.

South Korea’s armed forces have shrunk to about 450,000 personnel a 20% drop in six years as the nation’s record-low birth rate sharply reduces the pool of eligible conscripts, a defense ministry report revealed on Sunday.

With a fertility rate of just 0.75 births per woman, the lowest in the world, authorities warn the decline is undermining military readiness against nuclear-armed North Korea, which maintains some 1.3 million active troops.

A recent study by South Korean researchers said the country needs at least 500,000 soldiers to defend against a potential northern attack, warning Seoul is now in a “structurally difficult position” to succeed in defence without urgent national measures.

The report shows the number of army divisions has fallen from 59 in 2006 to 42, through disbandment and mergers. While compulsory 18-month service remains in place for able bodied men, military duty is unpopular, and some conservatives are pushing to conscript women to offset demographic decline.

South Korea has boosted its 2025 defense budget to over 60 trillion won ($43 billion) exceeding North Korea’s entire GDP as regional tensions rise. Experts warn that if the current population trend continues, the country’s 50 million people could shrink by half within 60 years.