TIG Post

Tag: Mexico

  • Mexican drug cartel leader nabbed in Texas

    Mexican drug cartel leader nabbed in Texas

    One of the globe’s most formidable drug lords, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, has been detained by US federal agents in El Paso, Texas.

    Zambada, 76, co-founded the notorious criminal organization with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is currently serving a prison sentence in the US.

    Alongside Zambada, US authorities also apprehended Guzman’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, according to the Justice Department.

    Earlier this year, in February, Zambada faced charges from US prosecutors for his involvement in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, a potent opioid that has significantly contributed to the US opioid epidemic.

    The specifics of the arrests are not yet fully known, but it appears that both men arrived in the US by plane.

    According to the Wall Street Journal, Zambada was deceived into boarding the aircraft by a senior Sinaloa cartel member as part of a lengthy operation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.

    The Journal reported that Zambada was under the impression he was traveling to inspect secret airstrips in Mexico.

    The New York Times has reported that Zambada was “lured” onto the private plane under “false pretenses” by Guzman Lopez. Zambada believed the flight was heading south within Mexico, but it actually traveled north and landed in El Paso, as detailed by Fox News Correspondent Bryan Llenas.


    Guzman Lopez surrendered to US authorities and turned on Zambada because he “blamed Mayo for the capture of his father”, Mr Llenas added.

    In a written statement on Thursday evening, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the two men lead “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organisations in the world”.


    “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable,” he added.

    American prosecutors say the Sinaloa cartel is the biggest supplier of drugs to the US.
    US authorities have previously noted that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.

    The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been offering a reward of up to $15m (£12m) for Zambada’s capture.

    During Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s trial in 2019, his lawyers accused Zambada of bribing the “entire” Mexican government in exchange for living openly without fear of prosecution.
    “In truth [Guzman] controlled nothing,” Guzman’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told jurors. “Mayo Zambada did,” he claimed.


    According to the US state department, Zambada is also the owner of several legitimate businesses in Mexico, including “a large milk company, a bus line and a hotel”, as well as real estate assets.

    Alongside fentanyl charges, he is also facing charges in the US ranging from drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, money laundering and organised crime.

    The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had placed a reward of up to $15 million (£12 million) for information leading to Zambada’s capture. During Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s 2019 trial, Guzman’s defense team claimed that Zambada had bribed the entire Mexican government, allowing him to live freely without the threat of prosecution.


    “In truth [Guzman] controlled nothing,” Guzman’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told jurors. “Mayo Zambada did,” he claimed.
    According to the US state department, Zambada is also the owner of several legitimate businesses in Mexico, including “a large milk company, a bus line and a hotel”, as well as real estate assets.


    Alongside fentanyl charges, he is also facing charges in the US ranging from drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, money laundering and organised crime.

  • Brazil beats Mexico in Copa America warm-up match

    Brazil beats Mexico in Copa America warm-up match

    In a thrilling Copa America warm-up match in Texas, Brazil secured a 3-2 victory over Mexico with a stoppage-time winner from teenage forward Endrick.

    Endrick, just 17 years old, scored his third goal in as many appearances for Brazil by heading in a cross from substitute Vinicius Jr, six minutes into added time.

    Brazil took an early lead through Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira, who converted a pass from Savio. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli then doubled Brazil’s lead shortly after halftime with a tap-in.

    Mexico fought back with Julian Quinones scoring in the 73rd minute, and Guillermo Martinez Ayala equalizing in the second minute of stoppage time.

    Endrick is set to join Real Madrid from Palmeiras this summer, having agreed to the move in December.

    He told RTVE this week: “I hope it is a wonderful story with Real Madrid and to be in Madrid all my life.”

  • Claudia Sheinbaum elected as Mexico’s first female president

    Claudia Sheinbaum elected as Mexico’s first female president

    In a historic landslide victory, Claudia Sheinbaum has become Mexico’s first female president.

    Preliminary results released by Mexico’s official electoral authority indicate that the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City secured between 58% and 60% of the vote in Sunday’s election, giving her a significant lead of approximately 30 percentage points over her primary rival, businesswoman Xóchitl Gálvez.

    Sheinbaum is set to succeed her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on October 1st. Her election marks an emotional milestone for many.

    As a former energy scientist, Sheinbaum has pledged to maintain continuity by building upon the “advances” initiated by López Obrador, particularly emphasising the expansion of welfare programmes that contributed to his popularity.

    However, in her victory speech, she also underscored the unique aspects of this Mexican election compared to previous ones.

    She told cheering voters: “For the first time in the 200 years of the [Mexican] Republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico.”

    She said it was an achievement not just for her but for all women.
    “I’ve said it from the start: this is not just about me getting [to the top office], it’s about all of us getting here.”
    She added: “I won’t fail you.”

    Xóchitl Gálvez, Ms. Sheinbaum’s rival, graciously conceded victory, a gesture acknowledged by the president-elect. Prior to her presidential bid, Sheinbaum held the esteemed position of mayor of Mexico City, widely regarded as a stepping stone to the presidency.

    Sheinbaum, whose maternal grandparents sought refuge in Mexico from Bulgaria during World War II, boasts an impressive scientific background before entering politics.

    Raised by parents immersed in science, Sheinbaum pursued physics before earning a doctorate in energy engineering.

    Her expertise in climate change, cultivated during years spent at a prestigious research lab in California, propelled her into the role of secretary of the environment for Mexico City under Mayor Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s leadership.

    Sheinbaum made history in 2018 as Mexico City’s first female mayor, a position she held until 2023, when she resigned to pursue the presidency.

    Addressing Mexico’s pressing issue of cartel violence will be among her foremost challenges.

    She advocates addressing the underlying causes of violence and vows to invest in welfare programmes to dissuade impoverished youth from joining criminal organisations.

    On the diplomatic front, Sheinbaum pledges to foster a relationship of friendship, mutual respect, and equality with the United States, while vowing to staunchly defend Mexican interests across the border.

    Relations with the US strained during López Obrador’s tenure, but his endorsement significantly bolstered Sheinbaum’s campaign, drawing support from voters who favour Morena’s anti-poverty agenda.

  • British ambassador to Mexico Jon Benjamin sacked after flaunting gun on embassy staff

    British ambassador to Mexico Jon Benjamin sacked after flaunting gun on embassy staff

    The British Ambassador to Mexico was quietly dismissed from his position earlier this year after an incident where he aimed an assault rifle at a local embassy employee, which became public after footage of the incident circulated on social media.

    According to the Financial Times, Jon Benjamin was on an official trip to Durango and Sinaloa, known for their strong organized crime presence, when he aimed the rifle at a colleague.

    The colleague appeared uncomfortable in the five-second clip.

    The firearm likely belonged to the security detail accompanying the diplomat, who was fired shortly after the incident in April.

    The video was uploaded by an anonymous account on X, previously known as Twitter, with the account criticizing Benjamin for making light of the situation in a country where drug-related killings are a daily occurrence.

    Mexico has experienced over 30,000 homicides annually for the past six years, ranking among the highest homicide rates in Latin America, as organized crime factions battle for control of territory and businesses nationwide.

    Benjamin’s ambassador status has been removed from the UK government website. He assumed the role of UK ambassador to Mexico in 2021, after serving in various diplomatic positions across several countries over nearly four decades.

    The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Guardian but informed the Financial Times that they took appropriate action in response to the incident, utilizing their robust HR processes to address internal issues.

    Historically, diplomatic relations between the UK and Mexico, the second-largest economy in Latin America, have been amicable and non-controversial. The two countries have been negotiating a new free trade agreement since 2022.

    This upcoming Sunday, Mexican voters are expected to elect Claudia Sheinbaum as their first female president, succeeding her popular predecessor from the same party, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

    The election campaign has been marred by violence, with over 30 candidates killed and many more withdrawing as organized crime groups attempt to install friendly leaders. On the campaign’s final day, a gunman filmed himself shooting and killing opposition mayoral candidate José Alfredo Cabrera in Coyuca de Benítez, Guerrero, before being gunned down by bodyguards.

    Watch video below:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lMTxwWAWoQ
  • At least 9 people killed as strong winds bring down stage at political gathering in Mexico

    At least 9 people killed as strong winds bring down stage at political gathering in Mexico

    Strong wind knocked over the stage at a political event in northern Mexico, killing at least nine people, including a child, and injuring 63 others. The governor of the state of Nuevo Leon reported the incident on Wednesday evening.

    The building fell down while Jorge Álvarez Máynez, a candidate for president who wasn’t likely to win, was at an event. He ran away to safety. Videos on social media showed people shouting and running away from a collapsing structure, and trying to get out from under metal poles.

    The people who were hurt or affected by this sad event will have support, Máynez said. He also said he canceled his future campaign events.

    Later, soldiers, police, and other officials walked around the park where the event happened. Many people nearby were shocked and deeply affected by the tragedy.

    Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he is giving a hug to the families, friends, and supporters of the people who were hurt or killed. Many people in Mexico, including other presidential candidates, sent their sympathy and support.

    In a video, the Governor of Nuevo Leon named Samuel Garcia asked people to stay in their houses for the next two hours. He is a member of the Citizens Movement party.

    Maynez posted on his social media that he went to a hospital after the accident in the rich area of San Pedro Garza Garcia, close to Monterrey. He said he was feeling well.

    “The most important thing right now is to take care of the people hurt in the accident,” he wrote.

    Videos of the accident showed Máynez moving his arm while the crowd cheered for him. Then he looked up and saw a big screen and a metal structure falling toward him. He quickly ran to the back of the stage to avoid the falling structure. It looked like it was made of light pieces and had the party’s logo and theater lights on it.

    Maynez is currently in third place in the presidential race, behind Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez. Claudia Sheinbaum is from the ruling Morena Party, and Xochitl Galvez is from the opposition coalition. Both expressed their sympathy, and Sheinbaum called off a campaign event in Monterrey the next day to show support for the victims and their families.

    Gálvez wrote on social media that he feels sorry for the families of the people who died and hopes that the injured people get better soon.

    The accident happened during a busy time for campaigns, with lots of events planned this week and next for the upcoming elections on June 2.

    The campaign has been troubled by the deaths of around 24 people running for local government positions. But it has not been damaged by campaign mishaps.

  • Five people including mayoral candidate shot and killed during a southern Mexico campaign event

    Five people including mayoral candidate shot and killed during a southern Mexico campaign event

    A mayoral hopeful and five additional individuals were fatally shot during a rally in the turbulent state of Chiapas, Mexico.

    The police said a little girl and mayoral candidate Lucero Lopez Maza were among the six people who were shot and killed on Thursday night. Two more people got hurt, said.

    Prosecutors said that there was a fight between armed regular people at a political event.

    It was not clear if Lopez Maza was the intended person in the attack, because shootings happen a lot in that area.

    The shooting happened at a crossroads in a small town called La Concordia, Chiapas. It’s about 80 miles (125 km) from the border with Guatemala.

    The area close to the border of Guatemala is a big route for smuggling drugs and people, and two big drug groups in Mexico are fighting to control that area.

    On Sunday, 11 people died in a shooting in a village near La Concordia, Chiapas. The killers killed a whole family and set their bodies on fire.

    On Friday, the Roman Catholic Church said that people from a group selling drugs had murdered some people in Chicomuselo because the people living there didn’t want to leave their homes or work for the group.

    According to the statement by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas, some people didn’t want to leave their homes even though criminal gangs were being violent and threatening them to join their group.

    The church said that in Chiapas there is a lot of fighting over land and some criminal groups want to keep mining there, which is causing a lot of violence.

    It didn’t say which mines the cartels were trying to control, but the accusation is not surprising or unusual in areas of Mexico where cartels are in charge. In 2013, officials in the western state of Michoacan admitted that the Knights Templar cartel had gained control of iron ore mining in the state. They said selling ore to China was one of the cartel’s main ways of making money.

    The increase in violence in Chiapas made President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador feel bad when he visited the border state on Friday to meet with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo.

    As always, Lopez Obrador doesn’t want to deal with the drug gangs and downplays the issue of violence.

    “Some people say Chiapas is in a lot of trouble, but I disagree. The problem is here in this area, and we are going to fix it,” the president said during a press conference in Tapachula, Chiapas.

    The killings on Thursday showed that there has been a lot of violence leading up to the July 2 elections in Mexico. About 20 candidates have been killed so far in 2024.

    On Friday, the old ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party said that two of the five dismembered bodies found on a street in Acapulco belonged to a candidate for a town council seat in the nearby town of Coyuca de Benitez and his wife.

    “We want fairness for this terrible crime,” the group said about the killing of Anibal Zuniga and his wife, Rubi Bravo.

    Once again, Lopez Obrador tried to make the violence seem less important and said that people who talk about the killings are just trying to make his government look bad.

    “Thankfully, there have been fewer attacks than in previous elections, but there is a lot of sensationalism nowadays. It’s really sad that there are people trying to make money from the deaths and suffering of others,” he said. “This is a time when predators are taking advantage. “

  • Two Australians and one American who got missing bodies found in Mexico – Authorities

    Two Australians and one American who got missing bodies found in Mexico – Authorities

    Three bodies found in Baja California are probably the same ones of the two Australians and one American who were lost during a camping and surfing trip. The state prosecutor’s office announced this on Saturday.

    Local TV network Milenio reported that although forensic examination has not yet confirmed it, the physical characteristics such as their hair and clothing strongly suggest that the bodies found are likely those of the three tourists. This information was provided by chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez.

    An employee from the state prosecutors’ office, who cannot be named, told The Associated Press that it’s believed the bodies are being looked into.

    The dead bodies were found in a well. The investigators also found another body in the same well. The authorities said they would investigate the situation.

    “A fourth person was found. ” It has nothing to do with the three foreigners. The fourth body had been there for a long time, said the official.

    The place where the bodies were found was close to the town of Santo Tomas. It was also near the isolated seaside area where the men’s tents and truck were found on Thursday.

    The men, who are brothers from Australia and an American man, went missing on Saturday. They didn’t go to where they were supposed to stay over the weekend.
    Watch an Australian radio host work whilst carrying baby at her back
    The US government knows about the reports of bodies and is keeping a close watch on the situation. Right now, we don’t have anything else to say.

    The police in Baja California were talking to three people about the case, they said on Thursday. On Friday, the authorities said three people were arrested and charged with a crime similar to kidnapping. It was not clear if they might get more charges.

    Andrade Ramirez, the top lawyer for the state, said that the evidence found with the empty tents is related to the three people who are being asked about the foreigners who disappeared.

    Milenio stated that she said the people who might do the crime, took the surfers’ truck and some of its parts were found in another truck that belongs to one of the suspects.

    On Wednesday, Debra Robinson asked people on Facebook to help find her missing sons. Robinson said no one has heard from Callum and Jake since April 27th. They had arranged a place to stay in the town of Rosarito nearby.

    Robinson said her son Callum has diabetes. She said the American with them was named Jack Carter Rhoad, but the US Embassy in Mexico City didn’t confirm it right away. The US government knows that a person from the US is missing in Baja, but they didn’t share any more information.

    In 2015, two surfers from Australia, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, which is across from the Baja peninsula. Officials said that they were attacked by robbers on the road. Three people were taken into police custody for that situation.

  • Mexico announces victory in labor dispute over copper mine

    Mexico announces victory in labor dispute over copper mine

    On Friday, Mexico announced its success in a labor dispute.The dispute revolved around a mine operated by a top copper producer.

    The United States had requested an investigation last year. The probe focused on alleged worker rights abuses at a Grupo Mexico mine.

    Grupo Mexico, a Mexican mining and transport conglomerate, ranks as the world’s No. 4 copper producer.

    Mexico contended that the United States-Mexico-Canada trade accord did not apply.

    This was because the alleged labor violations predated the pact’s implementation in 2020.

    “This ruling … sets a precedent of not allowing retroactivity in trade agreements,” Mexico’s economy and labor ministries said in a joint statement, adding that such cases should be avoided in labor and other trade disputes.

    Operations at the San Martin mine, which produces lead, copper, zinc, and silver, ceased from 2007 to 2018 due to a strike.
    Grupo Mexico stated that operations at the mine resumed in 2018 after obtaining worker approval.

    However, the union claims that negotiations were conducted with a group of unauthorized employees.

    Last year, a U.S. complaint referenced a request from a Mexican miners union led by Napoleon Gomez, an ally of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and currently a senator from the ruling party, along with two prominent U.S. labor organizations.

    A union lawyer informed Reuters that they were awaiting confirmation of the panel’s decision before making any comments.

    Mexican officials contended that although they discovered Grupo Mexico had “consistently violated workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights for 16 years,” the matter was under the jurisdiction of national authorities.

    In a statement on Friday, the company praised the Mexican government for “effectively defending our country’s sovereignty.”

  • Brother of drug lord “El Mencho” arrested in Mexico

    Brother of drug lord “El Mencho” arrested in Mexico

    The Mexican police detained Abraham Oseguera, who is the brother of Nemesio Oseguera, also known as “El Mencho.”” He is the leader of a drug cartel called the Jalisco New Generation. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced this on Monday.

    The president said someone was arrested in a press conference this morning. He also said the security ministry will share more information later today.

    Oseguera, also called Don Rodo, was caught by the National Guard in Autlan de Navarro, Jalisco on Sunday, according to the security ministry’s official arrest record.

    Oseguera’s brother El Mencho is maybe the most wanted drug lord in Mexico. The CJNG is a very strong gang in Mexico and is often considered as powerful as the Sinaloa Cartel.

  • 2 mayoral contenders slain in Mexico, raising death toll to 17

    2 mayoral contenders slain in Mexico, raising death toll to 17

    Two people running for mayor in Mexico were killed on Friday, making it a total of 17 candidates killed before the June 2 election.

    One person running for office was murdered on Friday in the border state of Tamaulipas in Mexico. Noe Ramos Ferretiz was running for a group that includes two political parties that used to rule Mexico until 2000. He was trying to get elected again as the mayor of the city of Ciudad Mante.

    Another person who wanted to be the mayor in Oaxaca, a state in the south, was found dead after he went missing. Alberto Garcia was trying to become the mayor of San Jose Independencia, a town in Oaxaca.

    The state’s lawyers in Oaxaca said they found Garcia’s body on an island in a lake near the town. It looks like he was killed by being hit. In the past, groups of people selling drugs were in the area.

    The upcoming June 2 national elections are expected to be the most violent in the country’s history.

    The prosecutors in Tamaulipas said Ramos Ferretiz was hurt on Friday, but they didn’t give many details and are still looking into what happened.

    The news said that he got stabbed and shared pictures of a body covered in blood lying on the ground. Tamaulipas has been affected for a long time by fights over who controls the area between drug gangs. Ciudad Mante is in the south of the state, quite a distance from border cities like Reynosa and Matamoros.

    “We won’t let violence influence the election,” wrote PRI party leader Alejandro Moreno on social media, where he confirmed the “cowardly murder” of Ramos Ferretiz.

    In Oaxaca, the people in charge of elections are upset about the death of Garcia. He and his wife, who is the mayor of San Jose Independencia, disappeared earlier this week. The wife was discovered to be alive.

    The electoral board said that Garcia was killed during the election, and they think that this should not happen during elections.

    In the beginning of April, Bertha Gaytan, who was running for mayor, was shot and killed shortly after she asked for help and began her campaign. Gaytan was killed by a gun on a street in a town near Celaya, in the state of Guanajuato. She had just started her campaign to become the mayor of Celaya.

    Drug gangs in Mexico try to kill mayors and people running for mayor so they can control the police and get money from the local government.

    President Lopez Obrador said that drug cartels try to control who becomes mayor by either putting forward their own candidate or getting rid of their competition.

    “They agree that this person will be the mayor and they don’t want anyone else to try to run for mayor. If anyone does, they know what will happen,” he said.

    The government is giving bodyguards to 250 candidates because of recent murders. But, candidates running for local government positions are the most at risk and are the last to get protection.

    Many politicians in Mexico are regularly targeted and harmed by violent acts. In April, the mayor of Churumuco, a town in Michoacan, was killed at a taco restaurant in Morelia.

    In late February, two people running for mayor in a town in Michoacan were shot and killed within hours of each other.

  • Southern Mexico protestors set fire to cars and state government facility

    Southern Mexico protestors set fire to cars and state government facility

    Protesters in the south of Mexico burned down the state government building on Monday and set fire to at least twelve cars in the parking lot.

    The protests happened in Chilpancingo, a city in Guerrero, which is a violent place.

    The people protesting want to know what happened to the 43 students who went missing in 2014 from a rural teachers college. Another student from the college was in a fight with the police and died in March.

    The government of Guerrero state said it is sorry and does not approve of the violent acts. They mentioned that the state interior secretary had resigned after the March incident with students. The police officers are being looked into because someone died.

    Pictures of the protests showed at least twelve cars on fire and flames coming out of the windows of the state office building. The building is close to the main road from Mexico City to Acapulco. The governor’s office building was broken into and robbed.

    Students at the Ayotzinapa teachers’ college in Chilpancingo are known for their violent protests. They often take over buses and trucks during these protests.

    In March, protesters from the college took control of a pickup truck and used it to break down the wooden doors of Mexico City’s National Palace.

    They broke the doors and went into the old palace where the president lives and speaks to the press every day, but then security agents made them leave. The palace is very old, it was built in the 1700s. It was built where the Aztec emperors used to live.

    The protest was held to show anger about the kidnapping and killing of 43 students ten years ago. The mass disappearance is still one of the most famous human rights cases in Mexico.

    In 2014, some students were hurt by the police in a city called Iguala and given to a local gang, who likely killed them and burned their bodies. 11 attacks, the government has implemented new security measures at airports and other public places across the country. After the Sept11 attacks, the government made new rules to keep people safe at airports and other public places. 26 people were attacked, and they have only been able to identify the remains of three of them.

    After first trying to hide it, last year a government group found that local, state, and national authorities worked with the gang to kill the students. They called it a “state crime. ”

    The small, poorer teachers’ colleges in rural Mexico have been having violent protests for many years. Actually, the students were taken while they were hijacking buses to go to another protest.

  • Protesters from Mexico gather in large numbers to protest vote modifications

    Protesters from Mexico gather in large numbers to protest vote modifications

    Many people have gathered in Mexico City to show they are against changes to the electoral authority before the presidential elections in June.

    The Mexico City government said about 90,000 people came to Zocalo Square in the city. The rally organizers said there were many more people than originally thought.

    The opposition says President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is trying to make the National Electoral Institute weaker. The Institute is a group that is independent and doesn’t support any political party.

    He says the INE is unfair and dishonest.

    Since he won the 2018 presidential elections, Mr. López Obrador has been trying to change the INE. He says it will save taxpayers $150m (£119m) a year by greatly reducing the agency’s workers.

    The protest on Sunday in the old square of the capital is the most recent protest in Mexico in the last few years.

    We want to protect our independent organizations and defend our democracy. We want the INE to be safe from attacks. “We want to make our own decisions, and we don’t want the president to interfere with the election,” said protester Diana Arnaiz according to AFP news agency.

    Maria de Jesus Torres, who was also at the rally, said: “There are many Mexican people who do not like this government, and I am protesting for my kids and grandkids. ”

    Mr López Obrador cannot run for president again because Mexican presidents can only serve for one six-year term.

    He is helping former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, who is currently ahead in the opinion polls.

    Ms Sheinbaum, who is part of the Morena party, officially joined the race by handing in her registration papers on Sunday.

  • Ghana not among top 20 countries with highest porn viewership for 2023 – P0rnhub report

    Ghana not among top 20 countries with highest porn viewership for 2023 – P0rnhub report

    Data released by P0rnhub.com in December revealed that users in the Philippines spend the longest time per visit on the website, averaging 11 minutes and 15 seconds.

    Additionally, the Philippines secured the second-highest position in global traffic for P0rnhub.com, climbing three spots from the previous year’s fifth-place ranking.

    Although specific numerical figures were not disclosed by P0rnhub, the site stated that the Philippines ranked behind the United States, which claimed the top position “by a landslide.”

    In the global rankings of top traffic sources following the Philippines were France, Mexico, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Brazil, respectively.

    Notably, the Philippines and Japan were the sole Asian countries among the top 20, with no African country making it into this ranking.

  • Mexico’s $10 billion case against gun manufacturers revived by US appeals court

    Mexico’s $10 billion case against gun manufacturers revived by US appeals court

    A court in the US said Mexico can continue with a $10 billion lawsuit against American gun makers. This starts the legal fight again after it has been going on for a long time.

    The Mexican government says that a lot of illegal guns come into the country from the US because American gunmakers are purposefully selling them.

    In late 2022, a lower court threw out the case, so the Mexican government appealed.

    The group that represents gun makers says it did not do anything wrong.

    The lawsuit includes companies like Smith & Wesson, Glock, Beretta, Barrett, Sturm, and Ruger.

    Mexican officials say that many guns made in the US are brought into Mexico illegally every year. This gives drug gangs lots of weapons to use in their fights with each other and with the government. Some people think there are more than 500,000 weapons made every year.

    Last year, over 30,000 people were killed in Mexico, even though the country has very strict rules about owning guns. The only place in the country where guns are sold is in a military complex in Mexico City.

    The lawsuit was filed in 2021 in a court in Massachusetts. It claimed that the gun companies knew their guns were being sold to criminals and causing violence in the country.

    In 2022, a judge in the United States decided that the gun companies couldn’t be sued for the case because of a law from 2005 called the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The law protects gunmakers from being sued if their guns are used in a criminal or unlawful way.

    The government of Mexico quickly asked for a review of the law, saying it only applies to injuries in the US and doesn’t protect the seven manufacturers and one distributor from being held responsible.

    On Monday, a US appeals court said that the Mexican lawsuit makes a believable argument that is exempt from the law that only applies to legal gun sales.

    People in Mexico and people who want stricter gun laws in the US said the decision was a win. The Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, called it “great news” on X, which used to be called Twitter.

    Jon Lowy, the president of Global Action on Gun Violence, said that the ruling is a big step toward making the gun industry take responsibility for the violence caused by guns and stopping the flow of illegal guns to the cartels.

    “The Court agreed that another country has the right to sue the U. S” “Gun companies can no longer hide behind the legal protection they have had since 2005,” he said.

    Larry Keane, who is a leader at a group that represents the US gun industry, supported the companies that make guns.

    Mexico needs to focus on making sure its laws are followed and punishing its own criminals in its own courts. They shouldn’t blame the gun industry for their failure to keep their citizens safe.

  • Hundreds of people escape southern Mexico cartel wars

    Hundreds of people escape southern Mexico cartel wars

    Many people have left their houses in southern Mexico because two fighting groups are trying to take over the roads used for smuggling drugs and people.

    Local people said they were scared and hiding in their houses while bullets were being shot during a long gun fight.

    More than 700 people had to leave their homes near the Guatemala border, according to an official.

    The CJNG is trying to take control of the area from the Sinaloa cartel.

    Gangs like the CJNG and the Sinaloa cartel have been entering the region because it’s close to the border with Guatemala and has important routes for migrants. The gangs threaten and take money from the migrants.

    The communities of Chicomuselo and La Concordia in Chiapas state have been hit the hardest. People in Chicomuselo reported that a fight between two gangs resulted in the deaths of 20 people, including 18 gang members and two local residents, on 4 January.

    The community said it was sad to see children and young people feeling scared and getting sick from going through these difficult times. They said the state didn’t do enough to keep them safe.

    However, the government in Chiapas said they didn’t hear about any killings in the area when they checked five days later.

    The army went to the area, but people who live there are getting hurt when the soldiers fight with the groups selling illegal drugs.

    Many families have sailed across the Angostura lake to escape the violence in the area.

    The villagers’ small towns now look empty and spooky, according to reporters who live there.

    Chiapas civil protection official Luis Manuel García Moreno said on the radio that 701 people, mostly women and children, ran away and went to the city of Comitán.

  • Renowned Mexican cartel boss ‘La Kena’ arrested

    Renowned Mexican cartel boss ‘La Kena’ arrested

    The head of a group of bad guys called the Gulf Cartel in Mexico got caught, according to local news.

    José Alberto García Vilano, also known as La Kena or Ciclon 19, is said to be in charge of the violent gang Los Ciclones.

    His group is being accused of taking four US citizens in March last year and causing the death of two of them.

    Vilano was caught in a shopping area in Monterrey after officials were tipped off about where he was.

    There is a video on social media that might show Vilano and his friends being walked through a mall by the police. But it is not confirmed if it is true.

    Four people from the United States were taken by force in the city of Matamoros, which is right across from Brownsville, Texas.

    Matamoros is in the middle of a fight between different groups of the Gulf Cartel. They are fighting to control the routes for smuggling drugs into the US.

    Four people from America went across the border and into a town that was having problems to get plastic surgery, as told by their family members. Many Americans go to Mexico for cheaper medical treatment, but it can be risky.

    Why one million people from America go to Mexico for medical tourism every year

    A video showed the group getting into a pickup truck while men with big guns were there. One person is pushed onto the vehicle, while the others seem to be asleep and are pulled to the truck.

    They had a difficult time for four days.

    Two people named Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard were killed, along with a 33-year-old Mexican woman who was not involved in the situation.

    The reason for the attack is not clear yet, but the Mexican authorities are looking into whether the group was thought to be part of a rival gang.

    Shortly after the event, another group from the Gulf Cartel called the Scorpions Group, said sorry for the kidnapping and handed over five men they believed were responsible.

    Since 2022, the government of Tamaulipas state in Mexico has offered a reward of 2,500,000 pesos (equal to $145,000 or £115,000) for information that helps catch Vilano in the city of Matamoros.

    The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was looking for him too.

  • Mexican police look for migrants who were taken off bus

    Mexican police look for migrants who were taken off bus

    Mexican police are looking for many migrants who were kidnapped at gunpoint from a bus that was taking them to the border between the US and Mexico.

    On Saturday, some people with guns got on the bus and took 31 passengers. Most of the passengers are believed to be from South America.

    Some Mexican passengers and the driver noticed something wrong and called for help.

    Immigrants are sometimes attacked by gangs, who keep them until their families pay money.

    The people who were taken on Saturday were on a bus run by the company Senda. They were going from Monterrey to Matamoros, which is close to the US border.

    The Mexican travelers said that the bus was stopped by five cars with men carrying weapons.

    The people who moved to Mexico, most likely from Venezuela, had to leave the bus while the Mexican passengers got to stay.

    The news in the area said that the Venezuelans were going to the border for a planned asylum meeting with US officials when they were taken by force.

    Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that the police are searching very hard.

    Security forces stopped a strange vehicle on Monday on the highway and found five Venezuelan migrants, including two children, inside.

    Officials said that the five Venezuelans were taken from another Senda bus in a separate incident. This shows how often migrants are kidnapped in this border area.

    We don’t know which gang has the 31 missing people. But people who help migrants had said that there have been more kidnappings for ransom lately.

    Father Francisco Gallardo, a Catholic priest who helps people who have come from other countries, said that many people are being taken away from their families very often.

    Father Francisco said that when the migrants came to his shelter, they told him that gangs were taking whole families and threatening to hurt or kill them unless they paid a lot of money as ransom.

    Tamaulipas is known for being dangerous for migrants, and Matamoros is in this state.

    In 2010, a very bad thing happened. 72 South and Central American people were kidnapped and killed by a gang called Los Zetas because they didn’t want to work for the gang.

    Due to the dangerous risks for migrants in Mexico, some decide to stay safe by joining large groups called migrant caravans, which travel to the border, mostly on foot.

    About 7,000 people started a journey from the southern city of Tapachula on Christmas Eve.

    A woman with her son talks to a government official before getting on a bus. They were part of a group of people traveling to the United States and had just finished their journey in Mapastepec, Chiapas, Mexico. This happened on January 2, 2024.

    On Tuesday, Mexican officials said that the group of migrants had split up after traveling more than 100km (62 miles). Most of them accepted an offer to get on buses to a migrant processing center in the southern city of Mapastepec, operated by Mexico.

    The US has asked Mexico to stop letting so many people cross through its land to get to the US.

    President López Obrador said he made “important deals” in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Mexico City last week, but he didn’t say what they were.

  • Massive railway project in Mexico horrifies conservationists

    Massive railway project in Mexico horrifies conservationists

    The ancient Maya thought that the cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula were very special because they believed they were doors to the gods of the underworld.

    These caves underground are one of the purest water systems in Latin America.

    They are calm, while there is a lot of noise and building work happening right above them.

    The Mexican president‘s new train project, called the Tren Maya (Maya Train), is almost finished. The last columns and tracks are being built.

    The network will be 1,500 kilometers long and stretch from Chiapas state to the border with Belize. Its supporters believe that this will bring tourism and development to the jungle.

    The Tren Maya had to deal with many challenges before it started its first trip. It cost about $28. 5 billion, which is three times more than expected.

    With a lot of confidence, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also known as Amlo, said it’s the biggest building project in the world.

    Environmentalists are really upset.

    They say that cutting down trees along the route has been really bad for the homes of animals like jaguars, scarlet macaws, and spider monkeys.

    Members of a group called “Sélvame del Tren” took us through tunnels and caves to show us how the train is affecting the clean water in the area.

    Cave diver Bernadette Carrión says, “This water is cleaned by nature and safe to drink,” as we go into a cave called “Oppenheimer,” named after the damage around it.

    “If this place gets dirty, nothing will be able to live here,” she says.

    In the cenote, you can hear water dripping from the rock into pools below.


    There is a big ceiling above us with pointy rocks hanging down. It is a really amazing sight, but not many people have seen it because Oppenheimer is not included in tourist trips or local visits to cenotes.

    Water flows under the ground in the Yucatán and connects the caves to the sea.

    The more we make the middle of the peninsula dirty, the more we make the ocean dirty. Ms Carrión says that the coral reefs and algae are already being harmed, which is affecting the production of oxygen.

    As we walk and swim in the underground maze, famous Mexican water expert Guillermo D. Christy shows the rocky landscape where the limestone has been worn away to create rivers and caves.

    He says the mineral formations called stalactites, which filter rainwater, are getting blocked by cement dust.

    The team doesn’t hold back when talking about the train. They call it a “huge monument” and say it was built for a proud leader.

    Above the land, the Tren Maya has caused different opinions and separated communities.

    The Maya village of Vida y Esperanza has been divided by Line 5, the part of the train track that goes from Cancún to the south. A maintenance station is being constructed across from the school.

    The government paid the villagers for their land and most people in the area think the train will help the economy, especially those who support Amlo.

    But Benjamin Chim had his land destroyed and turned into a quarry for the railroad. He didn’t get paid for them because, like many Maya farmers, he couldn’t prove they were his.

    “We have been farming this land for 40 years,” he says, while pointing to a scene of complete destruction with trucks moving around.

    Mr Chim says he asked for the property deeds but never got them. The army, who are building and running the train, said he can go back to the land once the project is finished. However, at that time, it won’t be able to be used.

    While we were talking, soldiers told us to leave the area.

    During construction, the plan for Line 5 was changed because luxury hotel chains asked to have it removed from near their hotels.

    Activists are concerned that the building surveys were done quickly and they worry that the elevated sections of the track could fall down because the cave network is complex, like honeycomb or Swiss cheese.

    In a special interview, the Tren Maya director, General Óscar Lozano Águila, said it is very safe.

    “If you ask me as a soldier, technician, or systems operator, I will still say that all Mexican and international tourists on our train will be safe. ”

    He says that building it was a big achievement because the ground beneath the track is not strong, but he made sure it was built to strong and strict rules.

    “We all worked together to reach this great goal. ” This is a really amazing piece of infrastructure.

    Amlo thinks the Tren Maya is important to improve Mexico’s train services.

    As part of his big plan, about 20,000km (12,500 miles) of train tracks that are only used for carrying goods will be used for passengers again. Also, a new freight line that goes from one coast of the country to the other is being made to be just as important as the Panama Canal.

    President López Obrador says it is very important for the country’s growth.

    We came out of the tunnels and found a hidden historical treasure called Manitas, which is a cenote with 31 ancient handprints on the cave walls.

    Long ago, it was a place where some of the first people in America were buried.

    Amlo’s train could bring lots of new visitors to the Yucatán Peninsula. However, the quick development could also destroy the valuable secrets on which the area was built.

  • Charity swim planned by twin who shook off a crocodile

    Charity swim planned by twin who shook off a crocodile

    A lady rescued her twin sister from a crocodile and now she wants to swim to raise money for people with PTSD.

    Georgia Laurie, who is 30 years old and from Sandhurst in Berkshire, hit the crocodile in the face when it attacked her twin sister Melissa in Mexico in June 2021.

    Melissa is feeling better, but Georgia said they both still feel the mental effects of the attack.

    She said they really wanted to do something good after what happened.

    The twins were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido, when Melissa was pulled under the water.

    Both of them were taken to the hospital. There, Melissa got very sick with sepsis and had to be put into a coma by the doctors.

    Georgia said she is not having many lasting physical problems, but it is taking her longer to feel better mentally.

    Both of them have had disconnection because of PTSD.

    Georgia said you feel like you’re stuck and frozen.

    She said they wanted to “help other people. ” But she wants to do something “more physically challenging” than a regular race.

    “She said we want to swim for charity. ”

    She said they wanted to collect money for a mental health organization in the UK to help people with PTSD, and also for a charity in Mexico.

    “I have always had problem with my mental health for many years,” she said.

    “I want to help others because the community helped us, and we want to give back. “

  • Jesús Ociel Baena: Mexico’s first magistrate who identified as non-binary found dead

    Jesús Ociel Baena: Mexico’s first magistrate who identified as non-binary found dead

    Jesús Ociel Baena, Mexico’s inaugural openly non-binary member of the judiciary and a prominent LGBTQ+ activist, was found deceased at their residence.

    The body of the magistrate was located on Monday in the central city of Aguascalientes, alongside the remains of a second individual, identified by local media as Baena’s partner.

    Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said it was unclear “if it was a homicide or… some kind of accident”.

    According to a statement from the state attorney general’s office, there was no sign that a third person had entered the house.

    They said that a sharp object had been found and that preliminary findings suggested the incident could have been a personal matter.

    The LGBTQ+ rights group Letra S has urged local authorities to investigate the deaths thoroughly and without prejudice.

    Alejandro Brito, the group’s director, said that Baena, who used they/them pronouns, had received “many hate messages and even threats of violence and death”, the Associated Press reported.

    Brito added that Baena had been “breaking through the invisible barriers that closed in the nonbinary community”.

    In October 2022, at the age of 38, Jesús Ociel Baena assumed the role of a magistrate for the Aguascalientes state electoral court, marking a historic moment as the first non-binary individual in Latin America to hold a judicial position.

    Furthermore, in June of the same year, Baena was among the inaugural recipients of gender-neutral passports.

    “I am a non-binary person; I am not interested in seeing myself as a woman or a man,” Baena wrote on X, formerly Twitter, the same month.

    “This is an identity; it is mine and for me, for no one else.”

    A vigil was held for Baena by other LGBTQ+ activists in the capital, Mexico City, on Monday evening.

    “We are heirs to a struggle that Ociel inherited from us,” one person told Reuters news agency.

    “We must not let Ociel’s death pass in vain and we must carry on the legacy Ociel left us.”

    The former chief justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court, Arturo Zaldivar, wrote on social media that he deeply regretted the magistrate’s death.

    “We lost a strong voice for equality and the rights of LGBTI+ people,” he said.

  • Hurricane Otis strikes Mexico leaving dozens of people missing

    Hurricane Otis strikes Mexico leaving dozens of people missing

    Many individuals stay missing six days after Tropical storm Otis made landfall in the Mexican retreat of Acapulco.

    The legislative leader of Guerrero state, where Acapulco is found, said 45 bodies had been recuperated up until this point and somewhere around 47 were still unaccounted for.

    Acapulco was crushed by the typhoon, which hit the coast as a class 5 tempest prior to debilitating.

    The sluggish appearance of help baffled local people with some turning to plundering.

    “We don’t have water, we are left with nothing, the house is brimming with mud, everything is harmed,” one lady told Reuters news organization on Monday, encouraging the public authority to send help.
    The public authority has sent troopers and police to the city and its environs and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has vowed to “set Acapulco back on its feet”.

    However, a gathering addressing retailers approached specialists to additional increment security as a portion of its individuals revealed lootings. “Nothing legitimizes these demonstrations,” the gathering said.

    “It’s vital to ensure that food, medication and cleanliness items get to their objective and aren’t taken by criminal gatherings, the retail affiliation said.

    Legislative leader of Guerrero Evelyn Salgado said that large numbers of the streets which had been impeded by garbage and fallen trees had been cleared, making the conveyance of food more straightforward.

    Power has additionally been reestablished to around 66% of the city, as per the government power commission.

    The speed with which Otis abandoned a typhoon into a typhoon of the greatest class shocked forecasters and inhabitants the same, implying that many were not ready for the effect of the tempest.

  • Black Stars are less familiar with Bank of America Stadium pitch than Mexico – Chris Hughton on defeat

    Black Stars are less familiar with Bank of America Stadium pitch than Mexico – Chris Hughton on defeat

    Black Stars head coach, Chris Hughton, has attributed his team’s defeat to Mexico in part to the North Americans’ familiarity with the Bank of America Stadium pitch in Charlotte, USA.

    In Sunday’s early morning international friendly, Ghana suffered a 2-0 loss, bringing an end to Hughton’s previously unbeaten run with the Black Stars.

    During the post-match press conference, the former Brighton manager acknowledged that Mexico presented a challenging opponent, and their comfort with the playing surface played a role in the outcome.

    “I think we knew we were up against a very good Mexican team playing at home on a surface that they are used to so we knew it was going to be a tough opposition.”

    “I thought in the first half period we coped well even though we didn’t create the amount of chances that we would have liked to have done but I think we had reasonable good control of the game,” Hughton said.

    Following a goalless first half, Mexico surged ahead in the 57th minute, with PSV forward Hirving Lozano capitalizing on Ghana’s defensive disarray to expertly slot the ball into the right post of Lawrence Ati-Zigi.

    The North Americans extended their lead in the 72nd minute, courtesy of Uriel Antuna of Dynamo Moscow. The 26-year-old seized upon a well-placed through ball that pierced Ghana’s defense, ensuring their victory.

    The Black Stars’ next match is scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30 A.M. at the Geodis Park in Tennessee, where they will face the United States.

  • Black Stars lose to Mexico by 2 goals to nil

    Black Stars lose to Mexico by 2 goals to nil

    In their international friendly match at the Bank of America Stadium, Ghana failed to register a single shot on target and suffered a 2-0 defeat against Mexico in the early hours of Sunday.

    The Black Stars, under the management of head coach Chris Hughton, experienced their first loss in six matches, conceding two poorly defended goals in the second half.

    Despite maintaining 54% possession, the four-time African champions managed only four attempts on goal, none of which found the target. Three of these attempts were made in the second half as Ghana sought to mount a comeback.

    Ghana had opportunities to at least hit the target, but at times, their presence in the penalty area was lacking, exemplified by Joseph Paintsil’s cutback in the first half.

    Following a goalless first half, Mexico took the lead in the 57th minute when Hirving Lozano of PSV capitalized on Ghana’s defensive disarray, slotting the ball into the right post past Lawrence Ati-Zigi.

    In the 72nd minute, the North Americans extended their lead through Uriel Antuna of Dynamo Moscow. Antuna capitalized on a well-placed through ball that pierced Ghana’s defense, sealing Ghana’s defeat.

    The Black Stars’ next match is against the United States at 12:30 A.M. on Wednesday at Geodis Park in Tennessee.

  • World Cup: Mexico, USA friendlies will help us ahead of qualifiers – Chris Hughton

    World Cup: Mexico, USA friendlies will help us ahead of qualifiers – Chris Hughton

    Ghana’s coach, Chris Hughton, has emphasized that the upcoming international friendlies against Mexico and the United States of America will serve as valuable preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers scheduled for November and the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in January.

    The Black Stars are set to face the CONCACAF Gold Cup champions, Mexico, on Saturday, October 14, followed by a match against the United States of America on Tuesday, October 17, 2023. These fixtures are a crucial part of Ghana’s preparation for the upcoming qualifiers and the Cup of Nations.

    During a pre-match interview ahead of the game against Mexico, Chris Hughton, the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager, emphasized the significance of these two matches in getting Ghana ready for the forthcoming competitions.

    “You plan and hope to build something. We have two games here in USA which I think will be advantageous for us as regards to our preparations going into the two (2026 FIFA) World Cup games and of course, into AFCON,” he told ghanafa.org.

    “There are areas of our game that we can improve there is no doubt about that. Perhaps scoring goals early enough in games to take pressure off ourselves is one area we are seriously working on” he added.

    Ghana is set to kick off the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers with matches against Madagascar and Comoros on November 13 and 21. Subsequently, their attention will shift to the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire in January.

    In the World Cup qualifiers, the Black Stars find themselves in Group B alongside record-holders Egypt and emerging teams Cape Verde and Mozambique.

  • Kudus eventually arrives at camp ahead of Ghana-Mexico Mexico friendly match

    Kudus eventually arrives at camp ahead of Ghana-Mexico Mexico friendly match

    Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus has now joined the Black Stars’ camp in preparation for their upcoming friendly matches in the United States of America.

    Initially absent when the Black Stars’ camp was set up in the USA and missing the team’s first training session, Kudus later reunited with his fellow players.

    He was spotted at the Black Stars’ Day 2 training session held in Charlotte.

    The players engaged in their second training session at the Charlotte FC facility as part of their readiness for the first game against Mexico, scheduled for Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the Bank of America Stadium.

    Following the match against Mexico, the Black Stars will take on the United States of America on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

    Coach Chris Hughton intends to use these two friendly games as an opportunity to assess his team in preparation for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers set for the following month.

  • Trump’s friend Kari Lake declares her bid for senator

    Trump’s friend Kari Lake declares her bid for senator

    Kari Lake, a person who wanted to become the governor of Arizona but didn’t accept losing, plans to run for the state’s Senate position in the 2024 election.

    Ms Lake repeated what her friend Donald Trump said by claiming that she lost in 2022 because of a lot of cheating.

    She joins a tight competition, where Sen Kyrsten Sinema and Rep Ruben Gallego might also be participating.

    Ms Lake spoke to her supporters at a rally in Arizona on Tuesday. She spent a lot of her speech talking negatively about Joe Biden.

    The 54-year-old Republican criticized the president’s policies on the US border with Mexico. They called media organizations “un-American” and said they supported Mr. Trump’s time in the White House.

    “We only have one year to rescue this country and we need to change our approach, folks. ” She said we need to leave Joe Biden. “We need to have patriotic Americans who prioritize the success of our country in the Senate. ”

    Right now, there is a situation at the Arizona border where a group of people or things have forcefully entered without permission. Kyrsten Sinema and Ruben Gallego have consistently said “no” to giving money for the border wall. They have approved this plan to have open borders. Arizonans are tired of it,” she later said in a message on X, which used to be called Twitter.

    Ms Lake, who ended up losing the election for governor last year by 17,000 votes, tried to challenge her loss in court but didn’t succeed. The court did not want to listen to the challenge completely. They said in March that there was not enough proof that incorrect ballots had been included in the final count.

    But Trump supported her position and fully endorsed her bid in a video message at Tuesday’s rally.

    “In the Senate, we need a large, powerful majority to assist me in advancing our America First agenda quickly,” stated Mr. Kari is one of the strongest fighters in our group.

    Ms Lake doesn’t have much competition right now to win the Republican nomination. Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is currently the only other person who has joined the competition.

    However, surveys indicate that there is a close race between Ms. Sinema, and Rep. The state, which used to mostly support Republicans, was won by President Biden in 2020.

    Sen Sinema became a Democrat in 2018 by winning the election and taking over the seat previously held by retiring Republican Sen Jeff Flake. However, last year she decided to leave the party and become an independent. She did this because she wanted to challenge what she believed was a “flawed and divided” political system.

    The person who is 47 years old has not yet said if they will try to be elected again.

    Rep Gallego, a former US marine who some polls suggest is winning by a small margin in the race, was quick to criticize Ms Lake’s announcement. He wrote on X and said that she was “weakening our democracy”.

    “That’s why people didn’t vote for you before, and they will do the same again,” he said.

  • Deadly hurricane makes landfall in Mexico

    Deadly hurricane makes landfall in Mexico

    A very dangerous hurricane has hit Mexico’s Pacific coast.

    Hurricane Lidia was a very powerful storm that hit Mexico with extremely strong winds reaching up to 140mph (220km/h).

    But the storm has become less strong after moving onto land, with the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) saying it is now a Category 2 storm.

    Officials in the state of Nayarit reported that a man died when a tree fell on the van he was driving.

    Lidia arrived at the small beach town of Las Penitas right before 6:00 PM local time (12:00 AM GMT).

    The hurricane was very strong, being in category 4 out of a maximum of 5 on the hurricane wind scale.

    According to the NHC, by 9:00 PM (3:00 AM GMT), Lidia had strong winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). It was passing close to the town of Mascota in Jalisco state.

    The center stated that Lidia was heading towards the east-northeast at a speed of 17 mph (28 km/h). It is expected to become weaker soon as it moves over high land in west-central Mexico.

    The NHC said that very strong winds from the hurricane could be dangerous to life and they are expected to happen overnight. They also warned about the water levels becoming dangerous, floods happening suddenly, and big waves on the Pacific coast.

    Before the storm arrived, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that 6,000 members of the armed forces were sent to assist the people living there.

    “I am telling people who live in the area between Nayarit and Jalisco, especially in Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta, and Tomatlan, to be careful,” he said on a social media website called X, which used to be called Twitter. He advises people to avoid areas that are lower in elevation, rivers, and slopes.

    In Puerto Vallarta, a beach town, people stayed inside to avoid the storm. Store owners secured windows with boards and placed sandbags in case there was too much water.

    The airport will be closed from 4:00 pm local time until 8:00 am on Wednesday.

    Some areas of Mexico’s Pacific coastline have experienced a lot of flooding this week due to the impact of Tropical Storm Max. According to local news, two people died because of the storm in Guerrero state.

    Every year, Mexico gets hit by hurricanes on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The official time for hurricanes in the country is from May to November. Most hurricanes form from July to October.

    Scientists are not sure yet how climate change affects the number of storms, but they believe that warmer sea temperatures make the air hotter above it and provide more energy for hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons to form and become stronger.

    Therefore, they will probably be stronger with heavier rainfall.

    The Earth has gotten warmer by 1. 1C (3398F) since industry started, and it will keep getting hotter unless governments reduce emissions significantly.

  • Biden approves new border wall segment as Mexico crossings increase

    The current US President, Joe Biden, plans to construct a part of a wall along the southern border of Texas. This is being done in order to prevent an increase in the number of people immigrating to the US.

    They will build a road in Starr County along its border with Mexico. Officials say lots of people are crossing the border there.

    Making a border wall was a very important policy of Donald Trump when he was president. Democrats strongly disagreed with it.

    In 2020, Mr Biden said he would not construct any more wall if he won the election.

    His government made a statement shortly after starting that said building a wall on the southern border is not a good solution.

    In a statement to Associated News on Wednesday night, the US Customs and Border Protection explained that they are using funds that were already set aside for a border barrier.

    The Congress gave money for building a border wall in the Rio Grande Valley. The Department of Homeland Security must use that money for building the wall as intended.

    The president is very worried because there are more and more people crossing the border illegally, and this is a big problem.

    Government data shows that over 245,000 crossings have been made this year. It is predicted that September will be a month with the highest number of crossings ever recorded.

    Many cities in the US are saying that they are struggling because of the increase in people coming in.

    The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, said that it will cost $12 billion in the next three years to provide housing for over 100,000 new people who have come to the city since last year.

    This week, Mr. Adams is going to Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador. He wants to convince people not to leave their countries to go to other places. “We don’t have any more room,” he said on Tuesday.

    President Biden’s secretary in charge of protecting the country wants to quickly build a new part of the wall to stop people from entering the country illegally.

    The problem at the US border explained with just four graphs.
    Cities in the United States that are geographically distant from the border are struggling with the issue of migrants coming into the country.
    The Texas town is stuck in a conflict over America’s border.

    Many important laws, such as the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, were set aside in order to allow its construction to happen.

    Environmentalists are upset and angry about this action because they believe that building these structures will damage and disrupt the living spaces of plants and animals that are at risk of dying out.

    Laiken Jordahl, a person who supports conservation at the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed disappointment in President Biden’s decision to disregard important environmental laws in order to construct border walls that harm wildlife without achieving their intended purpose.

    US Customs and Border Protection plans to build barriers that are made up of big poles attached to a solid base, alongside gates, cameras, and CCTV equipment.

    The Department of Homeland Security said they will use money that was set aside during Donald Trump’s time as president to construct the new part.

    This is the first time the Biden administration has allowed the building of new walls. The previous administration, under Mr. Trump, frequently approved the construction of walls and built 450 miles of them.
    MrTrump spoke to Fox News and said that the crisis was caused by the president repealing his tough border policies and now needing to bring them back.

    “He said that he has to do all the things that we were doing. ”

    MrBiden is getting more and more criticism for his immigration rules after a sudden increase in migrants coming into the US.

    In August, the US Border Patrol caught 181,059 people at the southern border, which is more than the 132,648 people caught in July, according to the latest information.

    Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, stated that in just one week, 10,000 individuals came to the border each day.

  • President Andrés Manuel gains influence with Washington as Mexico tightens down on migrants

    Final month, as the Biden administration mixed to oversee the most recent wave of vagrants overpowering the US southern border, best US movement specialists crossed into Mexico for an crisis assembly.

    Situated around a Ciudad Juárez conference room, the authorities and their Mexican partners drafted a 15-point arrange to assist defuse the flashpoint – most of it a checklist of activities for the Mexican government. Outstandingly, concurring to a readout from Mexico’s government movement office, Mexico concurred to carry out more expensive extraditions of the vagrants gathering on their side of the border – a move that a few accepted would discourage tumultuous intersections.

    The measures, which moreover indicated Mexican endeavors to clamp down on the pulverize of vagrants riding north on railcars, are the most recent in a arrangement of approach shifts in Mexico that have lightened, in the event that somewhat, the enormous political migraine in Washington caused lastingly by relocation. Examiners in both nations see a down to earth deal: as Mexico progressively carries the weight of US migration procedure, the Biden administration has allowed uncommon breathing space to the country’s divisive but prevalent pioneer.

    “Mexico has genuine use within the relationship with the US. And right presently that use is around migration,” said Andrew Selee, the president of the nonpartisan Movement Arrangement Founded.

    Sharing about 2,000 miles of arrive border and a history of imperative financial trade, Mexico and the US have long held interlaced migration approaches that adjusted as worldwide movement designs moved. When George W. Bush made his to begin with trip out of the US as president in 2001, it was to the farm of Vicente Fox, the Mexican pioneer, to examine a modern time of participation on border issues, like exchange, drugs, and the northward stream of Mexicans, who at that time comprised the bulk of undocumented border-crossers.

    But as spiraling viciousness and frantic financial conditions fueled a long time of mass relocation out of Central America and the Caribbean to the US, overwhelming the country’s legitimate admissions framework, the extend of Mexican region in between got to be a basic “buffer state,” said Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America.

    “The Mexico southern border lovely much was the US southern border,” Meyer said.

    Beneath weight from a few US organizations, Mexico has over and over sent assets to its border with Guatemala over the past 10 a long time to formalize movement courses and confined record numbers of vagrants at recently introduced checkpoints as they made their way north.

    At the steerage of Mexico’s most recent migration coordination with the US has been President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a radical pioneer who in 2018 campaigned on resistance to doing the US’s “dirty work” on relocation. His political calculus has changed quickly since at that point.

    Beneath the danger of devastating taxes from then-President Donald Trump, López Obrador concurred in 2019 to permit refuge candidates to hold up out their claims interior Mexico beneath the “Remain inMexico” approach, roiling activists who said it constrained transients into unsafe living conditions.

    During the pandemic, the US used a rule called Title 42 to send back many asylum seekers at the border. López Obrador agreed to take in many of these migrants, even though Mexico usually didn’t do this. This put a lot of pressure on Mexico’s border cities. In May, when the US stopped using Title 42, López Obrador still let people come back for humanitarian reasons.

    “I believe that these recent actions go too far because they not only prevent people from coming to the United States, which has been the main focus, but also exceed what is necessary,” Meyer explained.

    She said that it allows people who have been deported from the United States to either stay in Mexico or go back to their home countries.

    We don’t know much about the deportation plan that was announced last month. In a press conference in Washington on Friday, Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena mentioned that Mexican authorities were doing six flights every week to send migrants back to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Bárcena said that officials were looking into the idea of sending more returns to Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia.

    It was not clear where the deportation flights were going and when they started. It was also unclear if the migrants going back had already been sent away from the US or if they were waiting for a decision on their asylum application. Stakeholders in Mexico recently told CNN that there hasn’t been any noticeable change in the speed of repatriation flights in the northern regions of the country.

    A person who speaks for Mexico’s immigration agency didn’t give any more information about the deportations.

    However, the announcement may have already made migrants less likely to try and cross into the US without the necessary appointment to seek asylum. CNN has reported that there was a 30% decrease in the number of migrants entering the US near El Paso, Texas during the weekend after the meeting.

    López Obrador said he intends to have a meeting with officials from Latin American and Caribbean countries that have people who are moving to other places. The meeting will happen soon. Mexico last month agreed to ask countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, which don’t have good relationships with the US, to take back their citizens who were deported at the border.

    “What we want is to find a way to deal with the issue of migration by addressing its root causes,” López Obrador said during a media briefing. “We need to come together. ”

    Recently, the two countries have been working together a lot, and this has involved a lot of traveling back and forth between them. Last week, Bárcena had meetings in Washington with important people like Senate leaders and Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, who advises Biden on matters related to homeland security. Antony Blinken, who is the US Secretary of State, will visit Mexico this week. He will go there with several other important government officials and have a meeting with López Obrador.

    Mexican negotiators want the US to promise to provide more ways for migrants to enter the country legally. This includes temporary work visas and a program called humanitarian parole, which has recently been expanded. The Biden administration says this program has allowed many people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to come to the US with the help of a local sponsor and get permission to work.

    Last month, before the news about deportations in Mexico, the foreign minister of Mexico said in an interview with Bloomberg that the US and Mexico were almost reaching an agreement with the United Nations. This agreement would involve reviewing and evaluating tens of thousands of migrants in Mexico to determine if they can enter the US through special permission programs. The US has started centers in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala for the same purpose.

    A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told CNN that they frequently talk to the authorities in the US and Mexico about how they can help with future plans.

    According to Selee, the Mexican government needs to show that they support and protect migrants and provide them with legal ways to move to the United States in order to have the authority to enforce stricter migration policies. This is important because Mexico has a history of its citizens migrating to the United States.

    Does Lopez Obrador have the freedom to do what he wants.

    However, some analysts believe that there is a more suspicious reason for the cooperation. They argue that the Biden administration has been ignoring certain aspects of López Obrador’s plans, which would normally receive criticism.

    “López Obrador realized quickly that if he agreed to support Biden, he would gain political power to limit US pressure on various issues between the two countries or within Mexico,” explained Arturo Sarukhán, a former Mexican ambassador to Washington who has been critical of the current government.

    Critics say that López Obrador has been moving away from democracy in several ways. He tried to change the country’s independent election authority, often criticizes the judiciary and the press, and gave too much power to the military in policing and transportation.

    The election reform that was approved earlier this year but later stopped by the Mexican Supreme Court reduced the power of the country’s independent election authority. This means that they reduced the number of people working for this authority all over the country and limited their ability to make decisions on their own. This happened right before the upcoming presidential election next year.

    Tens of thousands of people from Mexico protested against the government’s policy in the biggest opposition demonstration during President López Obrador’s time in office. Critics said it was not good for the democratic system.

    But in Washington, the Biden administration was surprisingly quiet. After the protests in February, Ned Price, an important advisor to Blinken, said that there is a big discussion happening in Mexico about changing the way elections work and making sure that electoral and judicial institutions are independent. This shows that Mexico has a strong and active democracy.

    We honor Mexico’s right to govern itself.

    If Mexico had less control in its relationship with the US, there would be more pressure from the State Department and White House to address the decline in democracy that is happening in Mexico.

    I believe that the United States should support Mexico’s democracy because if they don’t, there might be a situation in Washington where people start wondering who is to blame for Mexico’s problems.

  • Church roof collapse in Mexico results in 11 fatalities

    Officials said that on Sunday, the roof of a church in northern Mexico fell down and at least 11 people died. Two people were also seriously hurt.

    Preliminary reports say that around 100 people were in the building in Ciudad Madero when the incident happened, according to a statement from security services in the state of Tamaulipas. According to Reuters, it was thought that 30 people were trapped under the collapsed debris.

    At least 60 people were hurt, and two people were seriously hurt, according to a spokesperson for Tamaulipas security.

    Soldiers from the National Guard, State Guard, Civil Protection, and the Red Cross were helping with the rescue mission.

    Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, who is from the Tampico area, said that the church’s roof fell down when people were receiving communion. This was reported by Reuters. He asked other people in the community to pray for the people who survived.

    Bishop Armando said in a recorded message on social media that the work to rescue the people trapped under the rubble is currently happening.

  • 10 killed after church roof collapse in Mexico

    Tragedy struck in northern Mexico when the roof of a church collapsed, resulting in the loss of at least 10 lives, including three children.

    The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, local time, during a baptism ceremony at the Santa Cruz church in Ciudad Madero, with approximately 100 attendees.

    The collapse left 60 people injured, with at least two in critical condition, and numerous individuals trapped beneath the debris. Promptly responding to the emergency, local residents rushed to the scene equipped with shovels and pickaxes to assist in freeing those who were trapped.

    Search and rescue teams have since been deployed, and the site now hosts two cranes tasked with removing the rubble. The governor of Tamaulipas has confirmed that all individuals who were initially reported as missing have been located. Rescue workers utilized thermal imaging cameras to ensure that no one remained trapped beneath the wreckage.

    It is not yet clear what may have caused the collapse but the mayor of Ciudad Madero said it was probably due to “structural failures”.

    A general view shows part of a site where a church roof collapsed during Sunday mass in Ciudad Madero, in Tamaulipas state, Mexico in this handout picture distributed to Reuters on October 1, 2023. Secretaria de Seguridad Publica Tamaulipas/Handout via REUTERS

    Ángel Vargas, the priest who was celebrating the baptisms when the collapse occurred said that a day of celebration had turned into a tragedy.

    According to local media reports, one of the individuals trapped under the debris managed to send a WhatsApp message, which proved instrumental in guiding rescuers to his location.

    Tragically, among the victims were a toddler and a family consisting of a couple and their eight-year-old son, as reported by the Mexican newspaper Milenio.

    The bishop of the diocese of Tampico, where the church is situated, expressed his condolences and stated that he was offering prayers for the victims and their families.

  • 2021 migrant killings: Mexican police officers convicted

    2021 migrant killings: Mexican police officers convicted

    A Mexican court has convicted 11 former police officers for the murder of a group of migrants near the US border in 2021. The victims’ bodies, totaling 17, were discovered in a burned-out vehicle in Camargo, Tamaulipas state.

    Investigations revealed that they fell victim to a turf war among criminal groups vying for control of migrant smuggling routes in the region.

    Annually, thousands of individuals from Central America undertake the arduous journey through Mexico with the goal of reaching the United States. In January 2021, authorities found a total of 19 charred bodies inside the vehicle in Camargo.

    Sixteen of the victims hailed from Guatemala, one from Honduras, and two were Mexican traffickers transporting them to the border. Forensic analysis confirmed that they were shot before the vehicle was set on fire.

    Initially, a total of 12 officers were facing murder charges, but one of them chose to cooperate with investigators, resulting in a conviction for abuse of power instead.

    Among the victims was Marvin Tomás, a 22-year-old football player hailing from Comitancillo, Guatemala.

    Tragically, the killing of migrants is a distressingly common occurrence in Mexico. In 2010, a horrific incident saw the murder of 72 migrants in San Fernando, also situated in Tamaulipas state. In 2012, the discovery of 49 dismembered bodies in Cadereyta, Nuevo León, further underscored this grim reality.

    The Zetas cartel exercises significant control over this region and is known to target migrants attempting to pass through without paying fees to the gang.

    Cartels routinely enlist municipal and state police officers, often through a combination of lucrative incentives and threats, to either turn a blind eye to their activities or actively facilitate safe passage.

  • Supreme Court of Mexico legalises abortion

    Supreme Court of Mexico legalises abortion

    Mexico’s Supreme Court made a decision on Wednesday to make abortion legal across the country. They declared that the current law prohibiting abortion is against the constitution.

    The Supreme Court said on social media that the First Chamber of the Court ruled that the legal system that punishes abortion in the Federal Criminal Code is against the constitution. This is because it goes against the rights of women and people who can become pregnant.

    Abortion is no longer a crime in 12 states in Mexico. The most recent decision happened in Aguascalientes, a state located in the center of Mexico, just a few days ago. According to Reuters, many people praised this ruling online. Rights activists showed their support by posting green heart emojis on social media.

    The hearts symbolize the Green Wave, which is a social movement fighting for the right to make decisions about reproductive health. It has gained a lot of support in Latin America since the early 2000s.

    The Supreme Court of Mexico decided in 2021 that it’s not right to make abortion illegal. They disagreed with a law in Coahuila that punished women who have abortions with up to three years in prison and a fine.

    Wade in 1973. This decision made abortion legal across the United States. However, the political landscape has changed over time and some states have enacted restrictive abortion laws. As a result, American citizens seeking an abortion may choose to go to another country where it is more accessible. In June 2022, Wade will be present.

    Verónica Cruz, someone who supports the right to have an abortion, said to CNN in 2022 that she was surprised to see Mexico making progress while the US was moving in the opposite direction.

  • Opposition party in Mexico chooses female candidate

    Opposition party in Mexico chooses female candidate

    Xóchitl Gálvez, a woman senator who speaks up frequently and possesses indigenous heritage, has been selected by Mexico’s opposition party as their candidate for the 2024 presidential race. Xóchitl Gálvez, a 60-year-old computer professional, has been chosen by Mexico’s anti-government faction as their contender for the upcoming presidential election in 2024.

    The opposition group in Mexico has opted for Xóchitl Gálvez, a senator who is vocal and has indigenous ancestry, as their candidate for the 2024 presidential campaign She is also involved in business.
    There is a possibility that Mexico might have a woman as a president for the first time if she is nominated.

    Claudia Sheinbaum, who used to be the mayor of Mexico City, is seen as the most likely candidate to win the up coming election for the Morena party, which is led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

    Ms Gálvez has the support of a group of three political parties, including the PRI, which used to be very powerful in the country until 2000.

    When she was a child and her family didn’t have much money, she assisted in selling food on the streets in Hidalgo, a state in the center of the country.

    According to the Associated Press, Ms. Gálvez said that her father, who was an Otomi schoolteacher and belonged to an indigenous community, was a mean person and had a drinking problem.

    She went to Mexico City and got a scholarship to study computer science. After finishing school, she started a successful technology company that won contracts with the government.

    Ms Gálvez wears traditional clothing from the local culture,speaks in casual language, and is frequently spotted riding a bicycle in Mexico City. Many working class and young Mexicans like her because she is funny and easy to relate to.

    However, she has a difficult challenge ahead of her because she is going against the party of President López Obrador. He is very popular with a rating of over 60% but cannot run for re-election next year because he can only serve a maximum of six years in office.

    Ms Gálvez and the president often don’t agree on things like the high levels of violence in Mexico. She believes that we need brave people to fight organized crime. He said that she is the candidate for rich people, the “oligarchs,” and “conservatives. “

    There might be a competition between Ms. Gálvez and Ms. Sheinbaum, both women, and Ms. Sheinbaum is a 61-year-old scientist. Sheinbaum’s main competitor within her own organization is Marcelo Ebrard, who used to be the Foreign Minister.

    Ms Gálvez says she is not bothered or worried by either of her possible opponents. “They are there because they want to keep doing what the president is doing,” she told AP. “They lack a sense of who they are as individuals. “

    In June,Mexicans will choose their new president.

  • GFA announces venue for Ghana vs Mexico clash in October

    GFA announces venue for Ghana vs Mexico clash in October

    The Ghana Football Association and the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) have announced the venue for the upcoming friendly match between Ghana and Mexico.

    Scheduled for October 2023, the Black Stars are set to engage in a friendly encounter against Mexico. The match is confirmed to take place on Saturday, October 14.

    Following weeks of anticipation, both football associations have finalised the arrangements, designating the Charlotte Bank of America Stadium as the host venue for the MexTour International friendly clash on October 14.

    This match will bring together Mexico, the reigning champions of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, and Ghana, a prominent force in African football.

    The fixture holds significance for Mexico, as it serves as part of their preparation leading up to the quarterfinal matches of the CONCACAF scheduled for November 2023.

    Subsequently, the Black Stars will compete against the United States on October 17, merely three days later, in another friendly match. This match is set to take place at Geodis Park in Nashville.

    These matches hold dual importance for the Black Stars, providing an opportunity to assess their readiness for the forthcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled to take place in Ivory Coast in 2024.

    Furthermore, these friendly encounters will play a crucial role in preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, commencing in November 2023.

  • Independent experts depart Mexico over obstacles in 43 missing kids case

    Independent experts depart Mexico over obstacles in 43 missing kids case

    A panel of independent specialists looking into the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from a rural teachers’ college in Mexico stated they were ending their investigation because they were denied access to critical evidence by the government.

    The students vanished while visiting the city of Iguala in the southwest of Mexico. The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), a group of lawyers and medical professionals, is in Mexico to look into their disappearance.

    The experts, however, announced they would be ending the inquiry and departing the nation next week after giving their final fact-finding report on Tuesday due to a number of obstacles.

    The Prosecutor’s Office must criticise and look into the failure to submit available information for the investigation of heinous occurrences like these, according to the GIEI report.

    At a morning press conference on Tuesday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that his administration was “going to continue the investigation.”

    On September 26, 2014, the college-aged students from a teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa vanished as they passed through the city of Iguala in the southwest on their way to a protest in Mexico City.

    Since the vast majority of the missing pupils were never located, it is still unclear exactly what transpired.

    Later, buses with shattered windows and blood were observed in the city’s streets. Those who survived from the original 100-person group claimed that armed police officers and troops had stopped their buses and then suddenly opened fire.

    At least 83 arrest warrants for suspects in the 2014 disappearance were issued by a Mexican court in August of last year, but nobody has been found guilty as of yet.

    several military leaders, troops, police officers, administrative, and judicial officials are among the several individuals who have been charged with “organised crime, forced disappearance, torture, homicide, and crimes against the administration of justice.”

    The GIEI specialists claimed that up until a “critical point in August 2022,” the inquiry was subject to pressures and challenges like “lack of information,” “secrecy,” and “hidden evidence.”

    The group further claimed that the GIEI was compelled to stop the inquiry in 2016 and was only allowed back in 2020 by President Obrador’s newly elected government, who had promised to look into the disappearance during his campaign.

    According to GIEI member Carlos Beristain, “the withholding of that information has contributed not only to the concealment of government responsibilities, but it has constituted in itself a responsibility of the state in the disappearance of these young men.”

    He continued, “Access to information has only been partial and another part of it continues to be hidden.”

    Another panellist, Angela Buitrago, said that crucial intelligence files were unavailable to the experts.

    She explained, “That requirement was to have all the data that was in the files that had not been examined, like intelligence files.

    “We are leaving because we cannot move further without that information. The reason we are leaving Mexico is because, “Really, we have delivered this report with what could be done, but we cannot move forward without that information.” she added

  • Arson attack on US-Mexico border bar kills 11

    Arson attack on US-Mexico border bar kills 11

    Officials in Mexico have reported the arrest of a man suspected of causing a deadly fire in a bar, resulting in the tragic death of 11 people.

    The incident occurred on Friday night in San Luis Rio Colorado, which is located near the United States border.

    The suspect, described as a drunk young man who had been harassing women, allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the Beer House bar after being kicked out.

    According to a statement from the Sonora state Attorney General’s Office, the fire claimed the lives of seven men and four women, while leaving four others injured.

    Some of the injured individuals were rushed to hospitals in the United States for medical treatment. As of now, the identity of the arrested suspect has not been disclosed. The Mayor of San Luis Rio Colorado announced the arrest via a tweet on Saturday afternoon.

    “According to versions (from) several witnesses, the person with a young, male appearance was disrespecting women in that bar and was expelled,” the statement said.

    It described the object thrown “a kind of ‘Molotov’ cocktail”.

    Investigations continue to “clarify the facts” and “bring justice” it said, adding that “in Sonora, no one is above the law”.

    It is unclear if the incident is related to organised crime, which has plagued Mexico for years.

  • Ghana to play Mexico in friendly ahead of 2023 AFCON

    Ghana to play Mexico in friendly ahead of 2023 AFCON

    In an official statement released on Tuesday, July 18, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) clarified the purpose behind the upcoming friendly match against Mexico.

    The GFA announced that they have reached an agreement for the Black Stars, Ghana’s national football team, to participate in an international friendly match against Mexico on October 14.

    “The Ghana Football Association has signed a contract with the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) for an International friendly against 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup champions Mexico in the United States as part of the 20th anniversary of the MexTour.

    “This fixture comes off on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at a venue yet to be announced,” parts of the GFA statement said.

    The Ghana FA further explained that the international friendly match with Mexico forms “part of Ghana’s preparations for important competitions such as the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in November and the Africa Cup of Nations in January next year.”

    To play at the 2023 AFCON, the Black Stars of Ghana must beat the Central African Republic in September.

    In the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ghana is in Group I with Mali, Chad, Comoros, Madagascar, and the Central African Republic.

  • Inaki Williams misses Athletic Bilbao’s preseason tour in Mexico 

    Inaki Williams misses Athletic Bilbao’s preseason tour in Mexico 

    Inaki Williams, Ghanaian international and forward for Athletic Bilbao, has been omitted from the team’s pre-season squad for the upcoming tour in Mexico due to his incomplete fitness.

    Williams has been dealing with an injury and is focused on making a full recovery before the start of the new season.

    In June, he withdrew from the Black Stars squad for the AFCON qualifiers after disclosing that he had been playing through pain during the latter part of the previous season.

    Despite joining the pre-season preparations last week, the 29-year-old has been left out of manager Ernesto Valverde’s squad for the tour in Mexico.

    Athletic Club has made the decision to allow Williams more time to recuperate fully, even though he has shown signs of improvement.

    In contrast, Williams’ younger brother, Nico Williams, and the other twenty-three players have joined manager Ernesto Velverde for the trip to Mexico.

    During the tour, Athletic Club will participate in two friendly matches against Chivas and Necaxa before returning to Spain for the start of the 2023/24 season.

  • Chile welcomes a new calf from Africa

    Chile welcomes a new calf from Africa

    On Thursday, a calf of the critically endangered African Wild Ass was introduced to the Chilean public, just 17 days after its birth.

    African Wild Asses are classified as “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts.

    The recent calf was born at Buin Zoo in Chile as part of an international program aimed at preventing the extinction of this African species.

    Named Juniana, the new addition to the family is seen as a significant contribution to a species that has faced severe population decline. Juniana will soon join a family in Mexico, where the opportunity for multiplying this remarkable but dwindling wild species exists.

    While African Wild Asses bear a resemblance to donkeys in terms of body structure, they possess distinct white and striped legs similar to those of a zebra, despite not being a hybrid between the two species.

    Estimates suggest that there are currently between 23 and 200 adult African Wild Ass specimens remaining in the wild, underscoring the critical state of their population.

  • Mexican Mayor allegedly marries crocodile for ritual

    Mexican Mayor allegedly marries crocodile for ritual

    In a long-standing ritual for prosperity, the Mayor of a small Mexican town has married a crocodile bride. A video shows him kissing the reptile, whose mouth is tied shut.

    Reports state that the seven-year-old crocodile, nicknamed ‘little princess,’ represents a deity associated with mother earth. Her marriage to the local leader symbolizes the unity between humans and the divine.

    This tradition likely dates back centuries ago to the Oaxaca state Chontal and Huave indigenous communities.

    “It is the union of two cultures. The union of the Huaves and the Chontales,” Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa told reporters.

    In the video, the crocodile is dressed in a white ‘bridal gown’ as it is presented to its ‘groom.’ Its mouth is tied shut as the mayor kisses it.

    People gather at the celebration, dancing and enjoying themselves.

    Olivia Perez, in charge of dressing up the crocodile, said that for them, she represents a lot because she is “the Queen, the Princess who brings water, a good harvest, and rain.”

    Later in the video, the crocodile is dressed in another outfit with decorations all over it, and the groom dances with it as everyone celebrates joyfully.

  • Newcastle Utd in discussions to host friendly match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at St James’ Park

    Newcastle Utd in discussions to host friendly match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at St James’ Park

    Sources have informed ESPN that Newcastle United is currently in discussions to host a Saudi Arabia national team match at St James’ Park during the international break in September.

    The Premier League club, which came under the majority ownership of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) in October 2021, successfully qualified for the Champions League at the conclusion of the previous season, marking their return to the competition after a 20-year absence.

    Additionally, they reached a major final for the first time in this century, narrowly losing to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final held in February.

    And sources have told ESPN that the club are now in discussions with the football federations of Saudi Arabia and Mexico over a friendly game between the two nations at Newcastle’s stadium on Sept. 7.

    Mexico are planning to play two games in England — another fixture against South Korea at an English venue to be decided has been pencilled in for Sept. 12 — with their mini tour due to start with a game against Saudi, who they defeated 2-1 during the group stage of Qatar 2022 last November.

    Sources have told ESPN that the game between Saudi Arabia and Mexico has still to be confirmed officially but that discussions are ongoing between the federations and Newcastle.

    The English Football Association would also be required to grant permission for the game to be staged in this country.

    Should the game take place at Newcastle, it would be the first time that the Saudi-owned club has staged a Saudi Arabia fixture at St James’ Park.

    Newcastle sparked controversy last season by producing an away kit in the white-and-green colours of Saudi Arabia, but during the takeover process in 2021, assurances were given to the Premier League that the Saudi state would have no direct control over the club, despite the links between the PIF and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is the chairman of the PIF.

  • At least 112 people killed by extreme temperatures in Mexico since March

    At least 112 people killed by extreme temperatures in Mexico since March

    The health secretary of Mexico reports that at least 112 people have perished there as a result of “natural extreme temperatures” since March.

    According to the study, Nuevo León, a state in Mexico, was the area hardest damaged, with 64 confirmed fatalities. The states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sonora, and Campeche all reported dozens of fatalities.

    According to the research, at least 1,559 individuals sought medical attention for issues related to temperature within the same time frame.

    Over the past ten days in particular, Mexico has seen record-breaking temperatures, with some locations seeing monthly or even all-time records: temperatures have topped 45 degrees Celsius in places (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

    In Tamaulipas, local authorities announced Wednesday that dozens had died in the current heatwave, prompting governor Américo Villarreal Anaya to order the formation of a working group to develop a response plan.

    Tamaulipas’s Secretary of Health tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that high temperatures will continue across the state, advising people to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and to stay in cool, well-ventilated areas.

    Scorching temperatures in both Mexico and the southern US states are being brought on by a “heat dome,” which is created when a ridge of high pressure builds over an area, trapping air inside as temperatures warm – often to uncomfortable or even dangerous levels.

    The heat domes that drive record-setting temperatures are expected to become more frequent – and hotter – due to the climate crisis.

  • Snake of about eight feet long discovered outside pub in London

    Snake of about eight feet long discovered outside pub in London

    Bull snakes are often found in North America, so it was unusual to find one of the slithery creatures outside a pub in south London.

    On Tuesday, the reptile was seen relaxing in the shade in front of the Little Crown bar in Deptford.

    It was attempting to find shade from the sweltering weather, like the majority of citizens in the city.

    You never know what you could find in #Deptford, The Met wrote on Twitter.

    ‘This handsome bull snake was keeping cool in the shade outside @littlecrownpub on New Cross Road.

    ‘Are you missing a snake?! If so, please get in touch with your local Snake Handlers @MPSLewisham @MPSLadywell @MPSNewCross.’

    Bull snakes are renowned for their stocky nature and can often be mistaken for rattlesnakes.

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    They are either cream-coloured, or a yellow-brown shade with black blotches and are found as far north as Canada, and as far south as Mexico.

    Luckily for those with a phobia, bull snakes are non-venomous and enjoy a diet of rodents, birds, and lizards.

    Snakes have been causing havoc across the UK in recent weeks.

    A driver was late to work last month after what she thought was a mechanical issue with her car turned out to be a snake under the bonnet.

    A family was also left terrified after finding a ghost snake in their back garden a few weeks back.

  • Popocatepetl volcano warning levels raised in Mexico

    Popocatepetl volcano warning levels raised in Mexico

    Authorities in Mexico have advised millions of residents to get ready for a potential evacuation due to heightened activity from the nation’s most dangerous active volcano, which has been pouring ash into adjacent communities since last week.

    The country’s central Popocatépetl volcano’s ash has caused flight delays in Mexico City and forced officials to close schools in dozens of communities.

    The volcano, which is roughly 45 miles southeast of Mexico City and situated between the states of Morelos, Puebla, and state of Mexico, is home to about 25 million people within a 60-mile radius.

    On Sunday, the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) increased its volcanic threat level to “yellow phase 3,” which calls on some 3 million people who live in towns and villages adjacent to the volcano to stay alert and prepare for a possible evacuation.

    The CNPC also warned of greater volcanic activity and the dispersion of ash into several nearby towns at high speed. It also recommended that residents nearby avoid outdoor activities.

    “In the case of Mexico City, the risk is ash fall. We are prepared for that scenario and we know what to do. Let’s stay alert,” Mexico city’s mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said in a tweet on Sunday.

    Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) was temporarily closed on Saturday and some flights were delayed on Monday due to the presence of volcanic ash, according to airport authorities.

    “Air travelers may continue to experience additional flight delays, cancellations, or temporary airport closures with little or no warning,” the US embassy in Mexico said, with the airport also issuing a similar alert.

    State authorities have also suspended in-person classes in schools across 40 municipalities in Puebla, five municipalities in the state of Mexico and seven in Tlaxcala and said the classes will be held remotely.

    The US embassy in Mexico issued a warning on Saturday saying the Popocatépetl volcano “has exhibited increased activity since May 15, registering hundreds of tremors and smoke and ash exhalations.”

    The embassy also recommended people to not travel within a 7.5 mile radius of the volcano, citing warnings from local authorities.

    The volcano had been dormant for decades until it erupted in 1994. Since then, its rumblings have become a part of daily life for residents.

  • Mexican ‘miraculously’ escapes death after collision with trailer

    Mexican ‘miraculously’ escapes death after collision with trailer

    This terrible scene shows a driver miraculously ejecting himself from his entirely destroyed vehicle after it was struck by a lorry.

    Two males are seen in the video forcing open the door of the orange automobile before the driver abruptly jumps out, appearing unharmed.

    In the footage, a man can be heard exclaiming in Spanish, “Yes, he is alive!”

    He’s out, he’s out! yells another.

    Then they are seen standing back and staring in awe at the debris.

    Images show the car nearly completely crushed under the large vehicle’s trailer, with another lorry having apparently rear-ended it in Santa Cruz, Mexico, on Tuesday.

    The front of the car is completely torn off and destroyed.

    Belisario Morales, 45, is rescued after his car was crushed under a lorry, in Tabasco, Mexico, on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The car that was run over by two trailers and the driver was unharmed. (CEN)
    Belisario Morales jumps out of his car seemingly unscathed (Picture: CEN)
    Witesses attempt to open the door to the car of Belisario Morales, 45, that was crushed under a lorry, in Tabasco, Mexico, on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The car that was run over by two trailers and the driver was unharmed. (CEN)
    Witnesses attempt to open the car door (Picture: CEN)

    The police arrived on the scene shortly after the images were filmed and cordoned off the area, according to local media.

    Two tow trucks were then used to remove the vehicles on the road.

    Local media said the orange car had been hit by one of the lorries, causing it to become trapped under the other HGV.

    The police are understood to be investigating the crash.

  • 26 people, including a baby, killed as lorry collides head-on with a minibus in Mexico

    26 people, including a baby, killed as lorry collides head-on with a minibus in Mexico

    After a horrific collision with a vehicle, a minibus caught fire, killing at least 26 people.

    According to reports, there were several kids and a newborn on board when the horrible collision occurred in Mexico early yesterday morning.

    The van was struck head-on by a tractor trailer on a highway in Tamaulipas, a state in northeastern Mexico, and both cars took fire.

    The passenger van was completely destroyed by the fire, as seen in horrifying photographs released by the authorities.

    The lorry was also severely damaged in the collision on a road between the towns of Guemez and Zaragoza.

    According to local media reports, the victims may have all been members of one family who had rented the van to drive to the northern city of Monterrey in Veracruz.

    Tamaulipas’s public security ministry said once authorities arrived at the site, they found the truck carrying the trailer was no longer at the scene.

    A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire at the site of a crash, in the Victoria-Zaragoza highway, Tamaulipas, Mexico, May 14, 2023
    At least 26 people, including children, were killed in the crash (Picture: Reuters)
    Emergency services have been dealing with the tragic incident in Mexico
    Emergency services have been dealing with the tragic incident in Tamaulipas, Mexico (Picture: AFP)

    A source at the Tamaulipas prosecutors’ office said investigators were unsure whether the driver of the truck had fled or if he was also killed in the crash.

    Passengers travelling in the van, believed to be from a private transportation business, included children, the source said.

    The victims are all thought to be Mexicans as national IDs have been recovered from the scene.

    Tamaulipas state governor Americo Villarreal Anaya said yesterday: ‘I deeply regret the tragedy recorded this morning on the Guemez-Zaragoza highway, where innocent people lost their lives.

    ‘My condolences to their families.

    ‘I have given instructions to investigate the cause of this accident and also to provide all possible help to the bereaved families.’

  • Mexico, US want to host 2027 Women’s World Cup

    Mexico, US want to host 2027 Women’s World Cup

    FIFA has received four expressions of interest, including a combined candidacy from the United States and Mexico, to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

    With the hosts scheduled to be chosen in May of next year, Brazil, South Africa, and another combined bid from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany have already entered the competition.

    The only other potential host nation with prior hosting experience is Germany, who did so in 2011. The USA hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003, winning the latter event.

    The United States, Mexico, and Canada have already been selected to host the 2026 men’s World Cup.

    Federations hoping to host the tournament now have until May 19 to confirm their involvement in the bidding process. 

    FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura said: “We are thrilled by the expressions of interest received, not least because they come from member associations with a strong football tradition representing four confederations, thus confirming the consistent popularity of women’s football across the world.

    “All member associations can rely on the most robust and comprehensive bidding process in the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

    The 2023 edition of the tournament – taking place in Australia and New Zealand – will kick off on July 20, with the Matildas facing the Republic of Ireland and their co-hosts taking on Norway on the opening day.

  • Former Miss England charged with smuggling of drugs faces 20 years in jail in Mexico

    Former Miss England charged with smuggling of drugs faces 20 years in jail in Mexico

    An ex-Miss England beauty queen who was detained on suspicion of smuggling ketamine worth £250,000 is now facing 20 years in prison in Mexico.

    On a flight from Amsterdam to Cancun last year, Jennifer Young allegedly had 13.080kg of the narcotic concealed in bottles and packages in a fake bottom of her luggage.

    ‘In the arrivals of Cancun International Airport, citizen Guards and airport workers uncovered multiple packets and bundles that seemed to be cocaine hidden in a secret layer of a suitcase belonging to foreign citizen,’ read a tweet from the Mexican police at the time.

    Young, a Miss Derby contestant when she was 17, spent months in an overcrowded jail in Cancun before being transferred to a prison close to Mexico City in February.

    COLLECTS - Model Jennifer Leanne Young, a former Miss England contestant, who is to stand trial in Mexico for drug trafficking.
    Model Jennifer Leanne Young competed to be Miss England when she was 17, in 2007 (Picture: Simon Ashton)

    The 33-year-old fashion model kept her family in the dark about her plight for over six months, telling her heartbroken mother Angela she was simply travelling around the country.

    However, she finally learned the truth just five weeks ago, when her only daughter failed to phone her to wish her a happy birthday.

    Speaking to MailOnline, Angela said: ‘I’m still in shock. I knew Jenny was in Mexico but I thought she was travelling. I’ve only just found out Jenny is in prison.

    ‘My birthday is in March and wherever in the world Jenny is she calls me. But she didn’t get in touch and I started to worry.

    ‘Then I got a message from her friend. I asked him where she was. After a lot of messages, he finally told me that she was in jail. I couldn’t believe it.

    Young, who was born in Germany to a British mother and German father, spent much of her life working abroad as a model and a tour guide, after leaving her hometown of Derby aged 19.

    Angela added: ‘The British consulate went to see her last Wednesday. She is fine now she has a cell to herself. It’s much better than the other place.

    ‘Prisoners are allowed to have visits from family members. Relatives bring in food and other things. 

    ‘Jenny says she gets three meals a day but they are very small portions. She is waiting for the lawyer to see her.

    ‘She had been calling me before, but didn’t say she was in trouble.

    ‘She has been phoning me from the jail. She only gets five minutes and I don’t know who is listening in, so she hasn’t talked about what happened, it’s like, ‘I love you, speak to you soon’.

    Young faces a sentence of up to 20 years if she is convicted of drug smuggling – one of the most serious crimes in Mexico.

    A Foreign Office spokesman last night confirmed the British Consul in Mexico is providing assistance to a British national in Cancun and her family in the UK.

  • 7 people killed by gunmen in a public pool in Mexico

    7 people killed by gunmen in a public pool in Mexico

    According to local authorities, on Saturday, gunmen opened fire at a public swimming pool in Mexico, killing at least seven people, among them a kid.

    According to a witness, the armed guys arrived at the pool at 4:30 p.m. local time, started shooting, then damaged a store, security cameras, and a monitor before fleeing.

    Social media footage included people screaming and hugging their kids while wearing bathing suits.

    The Mexican army and security forces have been deployed to search for the gunmen behind the attack, which took place in the city of Cortazar in the central state of Guanajuato.

    When local security forces arrived, they found dead bodies, including one child younger than 7, and shell casings, the municipal government said in a statement.

    In addition to the dead, one person was seriously injured and taken to hospital, it added.

    No arrests have been made and authorities say they are investigating the motive.

    Guanajuato is a major agriculture and manufacturing hub and production site for many of the world’s top carmakers.

    However, it has a reputation for violent incidents and has been convulsed in recent years by brutal turf wars between rival drug gangs.

    It is attractive to drug cartels for the same reason it is to auto manufacturers: road and rail networks that lead straight to the US border.

    President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has struggled to deal with gang violence since taking office in late 2018, according to Reuters.

    Although the number of homicides has recently fallen slightly, Lopez Obrador’s term is set to be the bloodiest in recent history.