CIUDAD HIDALGO, Mexico: Hundreds of Central Americans entered Mexico illegally as the latest migrant caravan trying to reach the US began crossing the Mexican-Guatemalan border en masse Friday.
Not content to wait five days for the humanitarian visas Mexico is offering them, several hundred migrants took to make-shift rafts to cross the Suchiate River, which forms the frontier, or snuck across the loosely guarded border bridge overnight, AFP correspondents said.
Their advance could trigger a new Twitter firestorm from US President Donald Trump, who has urged Mexico to halt such caravans, and who tweeted early Friday: “Another big Caravan heading our way. Very hard to stop without a Wall!“
Hundreds more of the 2,000 migrants in the caravan gathered patiently on the border bridge, trickling into Mexico as the authorities processed them.
The authorities will set up checkpoints in southern Mexico to make migrants who snuck into the country register for visas, said Alejandro Encinas, under-secretary for migration.
“We are informing all of them that they must comply with our country’s laws,” he said.
Caravans of migrants seeking safety in numbers have taken center stage in the raging debate in the United States over Trump’s proposed border wall, which has led to a government shutdown that is now the longest in history.
The latest caravan is smaller than the one that swelled to 7,000 migrants late last year, leading Trump to warn of an “invasion” by “hardened criminals” and send thousands of troops to the US-Mexican border.
Mexican authorities are urging the migrants to arrive legally and offering expedited “visitor cards” that let them work and access basic health care in Mexico.
So far, 969 migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua have registered under the program, receiving bracelets that they can exchange for visitor cards in five days.
But hundreds more ignored the offer.
“A lot of us aren’t interested in waiting five days. Our goal is to reach the United States,” said Alma Mendoza, a nurse and single mother making the trip with her three children.
“We don’t have food, much less money. We want to reach our destination,” she said.
Other migrants said they would consider staying in Mexico.
“My goal is to reach the United States, but if I can’t I’ll stay in Mexico and work. They’re giving us an opportunity,” said Christian Medrano, 33, an industrial technician.
Mexico meanwhile announced a fresh policy under which Central Americans fleeing poverty and violence with the intention of reaching the United States may remain in Mexico for a year.
The decision “recognizes the importance of our relationship with Central America,” especially El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, said Tonatiuh Guillen, commissioner of the Mexican National Institute of Migration.
The caravan set out Tuesday from San Pedro Sula, in northwestern Honduras, and has grown along the way.
The migrants are mostly fleeing poverty and crime in Central America’s “Northern Triangle” of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Brutal street gangs have made the three countries among the most violent in the world.
Another caravan of about 200 migrants set out Wednesday from El Salvador and is now in southern Mexico, possibly poised to join up with the first.
Many of the migrants are traveling in families, often with small children.
They have covered about 700 kilometers so far, and have roughly 4,000km to go if they take the same route as the last caravan, to Tijuana, across from San Diego, California.
When that caravan reached Mexico in October, the authorities tried to stop it with riot police. But the migrants stormed in anyway, tearing down border fences and crossing the river illegally when police refused to let them through.
Since then, Mexico has gotten a new government, led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, an anti-establishment leftist.
“AMLO,” as the new president is widely known, has promised to treat migrants more humanely than previous administrations. But he has also sought to stay on Trump’s good side with talk of reducing migrant flows.
The October caravan largely dispersed after reaching Tijuana.
US Border Patrol agents fought back two attempts by the migrants to rush the border, firing tear gas to disperse them.
Some have since found work in Mexico, some crossed the border and filed asylum claims, and many returned home. About 400 remain in a shelter set up for them in Tijuana that is slated to be closed on Wednesday.
New US-bound migrant caravan enters Mexico
New US-bound migrant caravan enters Mexico
- Caravans of migrants seeking safety in numbers have taken center stage in the raging debate in the US over Trump’s proposed border wall
- The latest caravan is smaller than the one that swelled to 7,000 migrants late last year
Asia rings in 2026 with Australia hosting defiant celebration after mass shooting
- Australia holds defiant celebrations after its worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years
- Hong Kong holds a subdued event after a deadly fire in tower blocks
MELBOURNE, Australia: Auckland was the first major city to ring in 2026 with a fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, followed by a defiant celebration in Australia in the aftermath of its worst mass shooting.
South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks stuck midnight in Auckland 18 hours before the famous ball drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks.
Defiant celebration in Australia after worst mass shooting
Australia’s east coast welcomed 2026 two hours after New Zealand. In Sydney, the country’s largest city, celebrations were held under the pall of Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.
A heavy police presence monitored the thousands who thronged to the waterfront to watch a fireworks show centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the annual event.
An hour before midnight, the massacre victims were commemorated with a minute of silence while images of a menorah were projected on the bridge pylons. The crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged Sydney residents not to stay away through fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds at New Year’s Eve festivities as a victory.
“We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we’re not going to be cowered by this kind of terrorism,” he said.
Indonesia and Hong Kong hold subdued events
In Indonesia, one of Australia’s nearest neighbors, cities scaled back festivities as a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives.
The capital, Jakarta, was not ringing in 2026 with its usual fanfare, choosing subdued celebrations with a program centered on prayers for victims, city Gov. Pramono Anung said last week.
Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin urged residents of one of Indonesia’s largest cities to forgo parties, calling for prayer and reflection. “Empathy and restraint are more meaningful than fireworks and crowds,” he said.
Concerts and fireworks on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali were canceled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring traditional dances.
Hong Kong, too, was ringing in 2026 without the usual spectacle in the sky over iconic Victoria Harbor, after a massive fire in November killed at least 161 people.
The facades of eight landmarks were turning into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.
Many parts of Asia welcome the new year by observing age-old traditions.
In Japan, crowds were gathering at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo for a bell striking at midnight. In the South Korean capital, Seoul, a bell tolling and countdown ceremony were being held at the Bosingak Pavilion.
Berliners celebrate in snowfall
Tourists and Berliners alike marked the end of 2025 by enjoying snowfall, taking selfies and making snowmen in front of the German capital’s cathedral and the iconic Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin TV Tower was nearly invisible thanks to the falling flakes and fog.
Quieter celebrations in Greece and Cyprus
Greece and Cyprus were ringing in 2026 by turning down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics, light shows and drone displays in capital cities. Low-noise fireworks avoid the explosive bursts that generate the loud cracks of traditional displays.
Officials in the countries said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets, particularly animals sensitive to loud noise.
Additional security in New York City
Police in New York City will have additional anti-terrorism measures at the Times Square ball drop, with “mobile screening teams” in search of suspicious activity. It is not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
After the ball drops in Times Square, it will rise once again, sparking in red, white and blue, to mark the country’s upcoming 250th birthday celebration. It will be one of several patriotic flourishes throughout the night, organizers said.
Zohran Mamdani will take office as mayor at the start of 2026. Two swearing-in ceremonies are planned, starting with a private ceremonial event around midnight in an old subway station.
