MEXICO CITY (AFP) – Mexico has filed 20 complaints with prosecutors in the United States over the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens during operations or while in custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since May 2025, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said Mexican Ambassador to the United States Roberto Lazzeri filed eight complaints with state prosecutors and 12 with county prosecutors on July 13 in jurisdictions where the deaths occurred, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas. The ministry said the complaints were part of legal actions aimed at clarifying the cases.

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BEIJING (Reuters) – The Philippines should immediately halt its infringement activities and provocations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Spokesperson for the ministry Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing when answering a query related to recent incidents in the waters of Huangyan Dao. Noting that Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory, Lin said relevant Philippine vessels deliberately intruded into the waters. “It’s legitimate and lawful for China to take necessary measures to safeguard its rights and security, which is professional, standard and beyond reproach,” Lin added.

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PARIS (AFP) - The six candidates to lead the United Nations on Thursday convened to offer their visions for the world body, one week before the formal start of a selection process crucial to an organization in deep crisis. With the campaign struggling to generate real enthusiasm, the hopefuls faced 90 minutes of questions from diplomats, UN employees and civil society representatives at an event in the huge General Assembly Hall, broadcast by Bloomberg. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Macky Sall of Senegal are all in the running to succeed outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

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BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that had entered its airspace on Friday, authorities said, the first ‌time the NATO member state has done so following dozens of such incursions. Airspace breaches on NATO’s eastern flank have fuelled concerns that the alliance’s borders are at risk as war rages between Russia and Ukraine. The Romanian army’s chief of staff told a news conference that Bucharest had not yet identified the origin or purpose of the drone and said an investigation was underway. However, Chief of Staff General Gheorghita Vlad said it appeared to be a Shahed - the Iran-designed attack drones used by Russia against Ukraine. “Visually, the pilots reported the drone looked to be a Shahed type,” he said, adding it was too soon to draw conclusions.

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KYIV (AP) - At least 17 people were killed Friday in Russian and Ukrainian long-range strikes — including just outside Kyiv and hundreds of miles east of Moscow — as both sides intensify strikes with diplomacy in a deadlock. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian missile strike outside the Ukrainian capital killed six people, with a rescue operation ongoing and “dozens of people reported to be injured.”  Zelensky also said that Russian aerial bombing killed five people in the frontline city of Sloviansk.