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☆ A Boring Capital for a Young Democracy. Just the Way Residents Like It.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Simon Romero | Alejandro Cegarra | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mention Belmopan, Belize’s capital that sits deep in the country’s interior, and many Belizeans will belittle the city as a bastion of pencil-pushing bureaucrats that’s not just dull, but also devoid of nightlife. “I was warned, ‘Belmopan is for the newlyweds or the nearly deads,’” said Raquel Rodriguez, 45, owner of an art school, about the reactions when she moved to Belmopan from coastal, bustling Belize City. Not exactly known as an Eden for young urbanites, Belmopan figures among the smallest capital cities anywhere in the Americas. The capital of Central America’s only English-speaking nation can feel jarringly different from the frenetic capitals of neighboring countries. In terms of its origins and design, Belmopan has more in common with the capitals of other former British colonies, especially in Africa.

Persons: Belmopan, that’s, ’ ”, Raquel Rodriguez, Eden, urbanites Locations: Belmopan, Belize City, Americas, Central, Africa

☆ Gen Z is getting married. Together with Millennials, they’re putting their own spin on weddings
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

As the oldest GenZers reach marrying age in their mid-20s, they’re increasingly putting their own spin on nuptials, which includes letting go of some antiquated traditions. The Knot, a top wedding planning and wedding vendor marketplace, surveyed more than 9,000 couples in the US who either took the plunge last year, or are planning to in 2024, to understand evolving approaches that couples are taking to wedding planning. In terms of the total cost of the wedding, couples said they spent an average of $35,000 on their ceremony and reception in 2023, up from an average of $30,000 the prior year, according to The Knot. “Millennials and Gen Z are getting very creative in making these celebrations their own in new and interesting ways,” Chi said. Candles instead of flowers on the tables added elegance and also helped control costs, Dylan said.

Persons: New York CNN —, they’re, Gen, ”, Tim Chi, Ed Sheeran’s, Elvis Presley’s, “, ” Osama Zayed, Ingrid, Helen H, Richardson, Elvis ’, ” Chi, RSVPs, “ Millennials, Caitlin, Dylan Spain, ” Caitlin, “ Dylan, ” Dylan, Dylan, Haley Richter, Caitlin didn’t, Edwin Torres, DeSantiago, Ricardo DeSantiago, Torres, Edwin, ” Edwin Torres, Maria Argueta, ” Edward, Edward, Harry Potter, ” chimed Ricardo Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, City, MediaNews, Denver Post, Central America, Mill City Museum, Historic Locations: New York, Denver , Colorado, Sea Isle City , New Jersey, Sea Isle City, Cape, Central, Minnesota, Mill, Minneapolis

☆ Mexico’s President Faces Inquiry for Disclosing Phone Number of Times Journalist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Simon Romero | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mexico’s freedom of information institute, a government agency, said Thursday that it would start an investigation into the president’s disclosure on national television of the personal cellphone number of a journalist for The New York Times. At least 128 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2006, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. During the news conference, Mr. López Obrador read aloud from an email from Natalie Kitroeff, The New York Times’s bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. She had requested comment for an article revealing that U.S. law enforcement officials had for years been looking into claims that allies of Mr. López Obrador met with and took millions of dollars from drug cartels. In addition to railing against Ms. Kitroeff and identifying her by name, Mr. López Obrador publicly recited her phone number.

Persons: Andrés Manuel López Obrador, López Obrador, Natalie Kitroeff Organizations: The New York Times, Protect Journalists Locations: Mexico, The, York, Central America, Caribbean

☆ Ex-Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernández, former US ally, to stand trial in NY for alleged cocaine smuggling empire
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Noah Hurowitz | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Ex-Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández will stand trial in New York on drug trafficking charges. Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández in 2020. Juan Orlando Hernández, center in chains, is shown to the press at the Police Headquarters in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In this courtroom sketch, Juan Orlando Hernández, center, speaks into a microphone while pleading not guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges in 2022. Juan Antonio "Tony" Hernández, the brother of Juan Orlando Hernández.

Persons: Juan Orlando Hernández, Hernández, —, Joaquín, Moises Castillo, Hernández's, James D, it's, Elmer Martinez, Hernández —, Juan Carlos Bonilla, Mauricio Hernandez Pineda, " Pineda, Bonilla, Pineda, Juan Antonio, Tony, Tony Hernández, Tony Hernández's, El Chapo, ledgers, Elizabeth Williams Hernández's, Pamela Ruíz, Rúiz, Cachiros, Hondurans, Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, Alex Ardon, Fernando Antonio, Juan Orlando Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, AP, Embassy, of, Police, Honduran National Police, Central, International, Business, National Party, Sinaloa Cartel, Honduran Locations: Honduran, New York, Honduras, United States, America, Mexican, Manhattan, Tegucigalpa, Hernández, Southern, of New York, Washington, Brooklyn, Tigre, Miami, Colombia, El, Central America, El Paraiso, Guatemala, Sinaloa

☆ American Airlines is raising checked-luggage prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Checking a bag on American Airlines will now cost you more than at every other major US airline. That’s as much as a 33% increase from what it previously cost on American Airlines: $30 for both methods. Flights within and between the United States, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands are all affected by the price increase. American has also hiked the price of a second checked bag to $45 (up from $40.) The price increase comes at a time when airlines are battling rising fuel and labor costs.

Persons: didn’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, American Airlines, Flyers, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, of Transportation Statistics Locations: New York, That’s, United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America

☆ Hurricane season 2024: Unprecedented ocean heat and La Niña could combine with dangerous effect
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hurricane season is months away, but the waters where hurricanes roam haven’t received the memo. North Atlantic temperatures typically only go up from here, climbing in spring and reaching a maximum in early fall when hurricane season also peaks. The earlier La Niña arrives, the sooner it would influence hurricane season. “If you don’t want an active hurricane season, you would need La Niña to wait as long as possible to begin,” McNoldy said. Forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center believe La Niña could arrive as soon as summer, but more likely by fall.

Persons: haven’t, ” Brian McNoldy, “ We’ll, hasn’t, McNoldy, ” McNoldy, “, ”, Phil Klotzbach, Niña, Klotzbach, Rita, Irene, ” Klotzbach, El, Patrick T, Fallon, It’s, don’t Organizations: CNN, Hurricane, University of Miami, Central America, Colorado State University ., Getty Locations: West Africa, Central, Pacific, percolate, Hurricane, LaPlace, Louisiana, AFP

☆ We've visited 50 states and 91 countries and almost always choose hotels over Airbnbs. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Initially, we were going to live in a golf community in Palm City, Florida, and also do some traveling. Courtesy of John and Beverly MartinJohn: When COVID hit, we realized we couldn't travel internationally. So we sold our house, bought the Airstream for $50,000, and visited all 50 states and 51 national parks in two years. John: After about a year, we started noticing we could stay at hotels for a similar price to the Airbnbs. Beverly: We've had some amazing stays, like a luxury hotel in Delhi.

Persons: —, John Martin, Beverly, Beverly Martin John, Bev, Beverly Martin Beverly, John, We've, Airbnb, we're, We're, would've Organizations: Service, Beverly, Central America, The, YouTube, Kruger National Park Locations: United States, Palm City , Florida, Beverly, New Zealand, California, Florida, Greece, Panama, Sri Lanka, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Europe, Central, Asia, Norway, Albania, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Santorini, Hyatts, Laos, Delhi, South Africa, Victoria Falls, West Africa

☆ U.S. Failed to Safeguard Many Migrant Children, Review Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Hannah Dreier | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An independent government watchdog found serious lapses at the Department of Health and Human Services in its protection of children who migrate to the United States on their own, according to a report released Thursday. H.H.S., the federal agency responsible for sheltering migrant children when they arrive by themselves, repeatedly handed them over to adult sponsors in the United States without thorough vetting and sometimes failed to conduct timely safety checks on children once they were released, said the report by the department’s inspector general. “I would define these gaps as very serious,” said Haley Lubeck, the project leader for the review. “We know that these children are especially vulnerable to exploitation.”The findings echoed New York Times reporting that the screening of sponsors and other safeguards for migrant children broke down during the first years of the Biden administration as hundreds of thousands of children crossed the border amid a pandemic-era economic collapse in parts of Central America. Migrant children have ended up working dangerous industrial jobs in violation of child labor laws across the country — in slaughterhouses, factories, construction sites and elsewhere, The Times found.

Persons: H.H.S, “, ”, Haley Lubeck, Biden Organizations: Department of Health, Human Services, New York Times, Times Locations: United States, Central America, slaughterhouses

The fear of the ongoing crackdown by President Daniel Ortega – on the Catholic Church in particular but not sparing evangelicals – has become so pervasive that it is silencing criticism of the authoritarian government and even mentions of the repression from the pulpit. Her work recording hundreds of instances of church persecution recently won her an International Religious Freedom Award from the U.S. State Department. “If it’s dangerous to pray the rosary in the street, it is exceedingly so to report attacks,” Molina said. Despite the growing fear, many faithful continue to attend church services – where they remain available. “The dictatorship, what it wants is to completely eliminate the Catholic faith, because they haven’t succeeded in making the church kneel before them,” Molina said.

Persons: Daniel Ortega –, –, ”, Martha Patricia Molina, ” Molina, ’, Ortega, Nicaragua’s, ” Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Alicia Quiñones, It’s, Molina, Mother Teresa’s, didn’t, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Silvio Báez, Pope Francis, Dolly Mora, “ It’s, they’re, “, haven’t, Nicole Winfield Organizations: MIAMI, Central American, Catholic Church, U.S . State Department, Associated Press, “, . government’s, PEN International, Ortega’s Sandinista, Liberation, University of Central America, Jesuit, Vatican, AP, Lilly Endowment Inc Locations: Nicaragua, Nicaraguan, United States, Americas, America, –, Rome, Managua’s, Miami, ”

☆ The Bucket List Family: How to travel the world with three kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“I never had the thought in my brain that ‘I want to travel around the world,’” Gee, from Denver, Colorado, tells CNN Travel. They soon began planning an extended trip to Southeast Asia and decided to launch an Instagram page, The Bucket List Family, to collate their adventures. “The little bit of traveling turned into three years full-time,” adds Gee, who has just released a travel guidebook, The Bucket List Family Travel, in partnership with National Geographic. The family went on to visit dozens of countries across the world, including Germany, Morocco, Japan, Brazil, Guatemala and Dominica. Family favoritesThe family of five have traveled to more than 90 countries.

Persons: Jessica Gee, Walt, ”, Garrett, Dorothy, Manilla, “, ” Gee, Gee, Jessica, Garrett Gee, who’ve, Callihan, Calihan, Geographic Gee, you’re, Gee’s, – that’s, it’s, They’ve, don’t Organizations: CNN, Walt Disney, CNN Travel, National Geographic, Gee, Central, East, Rwanda, Geographic, Disney Locations: Europe, Florida, Denver , Colorado, Vladivostok, Russia, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Singapore , New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tonga, Germany, Morocco, Japan, Brazil, Guatemala, Dominica, Belize, Central American, Alaska, East African, Rwanda, Hawaii, Africa, Antarctica, China, Borneo

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicEl Salvador has experienced a remarkable transformation. What had once been one of the most violent countries in the world has become incredibly safe. Natalie Kitroeff, the New York Times bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, discusses the cost of that transformation to the people of El Salvador, and the man at the center of it, the newly re-elected President Nayib Bukele.

Persons: Natalie Kitroeff, Nayib Bukele Organizations: Spotify, El, New York Times Locations: El Salvador, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean

☆ U.S. Mends Fences With El Salvador's Bukele as China Lurks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Now, more than ever, the U.S. needs Central American nations like El Salvador to curb migration to the southern border. In October, the State Department's top Latin America diplomat, Brian Nichols, visited El Salvador and posed for photos with Bukele. WAITING IN THE WINGSAt the same time, there are growing ties between China and El Salvador. Although of limited commercial importance in itself, El Salvador offers China a foothold in Central America, and in 2017 broke relations with Taiwan in favor of China. "El Salvador wants to do trade with everyone," Bukele said during his victory speech on Sunday night.

Persons: Diego Oré, Sarah Kinosian, Nelson, Nayib Bukele, Jean Manes, Bukele's, Brian Nichols, Antony Blinken, Bukele, Manes, Ana Maria Mendez, Salvadorans, El Salvador, El, Margaret Myers, Diego Ore, Nelson Renteria, Christian Plumb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, El Salvador, Central American, U.S, U.S ., Central, State Department's, El, U.S . State Department, Washington Office, U.S . Customs, USAID, The U.S, Inter, Huawei, Washington, Diego Locations: United States, U.S, El Salvador, Latin America, America, China, Honduras, Washington, China's, San Salvador, Central America, Taiwan, Mexico City

☆ El Salvador election results delayed, despite president’s declaration of victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | Martin Goillandeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —El Salvador’s Supreme Electoral Court on Monday said it had asked polling stations across the country to manually record the results of Sunday’s presidential election after electronic transmission of results stopped updating overnight at around 31%. Voters line up at a polling station during general elections in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Sunday. El Salvador now has the world’s highest incarceration rate. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, left, accompanied by his wife Gabriela Rodriguez, waves to supporters from the balcony of the presidential palace in San Salvador, El Salvador, after polls closed on Sunday. A lopsided win for Bukele would likely give the young leader more leeway to reform El Salvador in his heavy-handed vision.

Persons: CNN — El, Nayib Bukele, Bukele, Moises Castillo, Bukele’s, El, Gabriela Rodriguez, autocrats, ” –, CNN’s David Shortell Organizations: CNN, Sunday, AP, El Salvador, Bukele Locations: San Salvador , El Salvador, El Salvador, American

☆ Bukele Landslide Shifts El Salvador to One-Party State, Amplifies Democracy Fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Sarah Kinosian and Nelson RenteriaSAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - The landslide re-election of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele was cheered by supporters of his gang crackdown, but has worried opponents who fear the country is sliding into a de facto one-party state. El Salvador had "made history" for electing a single party "in a fully democratic system," he said. But rights groups said they are worried about where the country is headed and forecast further curbs on civil rights. They are just grateful he crushed the gang violence plaguing El Salvador for decades and that they can go outside after dark again. "Democratic spaces are closing in El Salvador, civil society is closing down and there is an environment of fear to speak out," said Claudia Ortiz, a lawmaker who has clashed with Bukele and ran for the upstart Vamos party.

Persons: Sarah Kinosian, Nelson, Nayib Bukele, Bukele, El Salvador, Gabriela Santos, State Anthony Blinken, Daniel Ortega, Gladis Munoz, Claudia Ortiz, Nelson Renteria, Drazen Jorgic, Christian Plumb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, El Salvador, U.S, Human Rights, University of Central America, El, State, Bukele Locations: El Salvador, U.S, Central America, El, Nicaragua, Venezuela

☆ Voting underway in El Salvador, where strongman president’s victory is all but assured
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( David Shortell | Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Polls are open in El Salvador, where the strongman president Nayib Bukele is expected to easily win a second term amid a dramatic turnaround in the country’s once-sky high levels of violence. Bukele, 42, faced little in the way of organized opposition and enjoys one of the highest favorability ratings in the region, regularly polling above 70% in independent surveys. His supporters trumpet a crackdown on criminal gangs in the country that resulted in a dramatic fall in the murder rate, once the highest in the world. But the mass arrests – El Salvador now has the world’s highest incarceration rate – have also triggered outcry from human rights groups, who allege Bukele’s government has detained innocent people and subjected prisoners to dehumanizing conditions behind bars, including torture. A lopsided win for Bukele would likely give the young leader more leeway to reform El Salvador in his heavy-handed vision.

Persons: Nayib Bukele, – El, Bukele’s, ” Jackelyne Zelaya, Bukele, autocrats, ” –, Latinobarometro Organizations: CNN, Bukele, El Salvador, courant Locations: El Salvador, – El Salvador, American, Honduras, Ecuador, Latin America

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Salvadorans are headed out to vote Sunday in a presidential and legislative elections that’s largely about the tradeoff between security and democracy. Nonetheless, about eight out of 10 of voters support Bukele, according to a January poll from the University of Central America. "He just needs a little bit more time, the time he needs to keep improving the country,” Mena said. In the lead-up to Sunday’s vote, Bukele made no public campaign appearances. “There’s this growing rejection of the basic principles of democracy and human rights, and support for authoritarian populism among people who feel that, concepts like democracy and human rights and due process have failed them,” said Tyler Mattiace, Americas researcher for Human Rights Watch.

Persons: —, Bukele, El, Farabundo, ”, Marleny Mena, Mena, ” Mena, “, Tyler Mattiace Organizations: SALVADOR, University of Central, Nationalist Republican Alliance, Liberation Front, Human Rights Watch Locations: El Salvador, University of Central America, San Salvador's, Americas

Crossings in recent weeks are down overall along the entire U.S. border, including areas without such a heavy security presence. The arrival of GOP governors to Eagle Pass rounds out a weekend that has kept the small border city of roughly 30,000 residents in an unwitting spotlight. The number of crossings in Eagle Pass has recently fallen to a few hundred a day. Mexico has bolstered immigration efforts that include adding more checkpoints and sending people from the northern border to southern Mexico. Melissa Ruiz, 30, arrived at the Piedras Negras shelter, across the river from Eagle Pass, along with her four children.

Persons: — Kyle Willis, “ It’s, It’s, ”, Willis, Greg Abbott, Joe Biden's, Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis, Biden, John Modlin, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Donald Trump, MAGA, Melissa Ruiz, Ruiz, Maria Verza, Mexico City anf Elliot Spagat Organizations: Texas National Guard, Texas Gov, Florida Gov, National Guard, U.S . Border Patrol, Border Patrol, –, U.S . Biden, Eagle, AP, Associated Locations: PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico, U.S, Texas, Grande, Eagle, Piedras Negras, Park, Tucson , Arizona, Mexican, Rio Grande, Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Honduran, Piedras, Mexico City, San Diego

☆ In El Salvador, self-styled ‘world’s coolest dictator’ Nayib Bukele heads for re-election amid human rights concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Employees of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal load boxes containing electoral material for the presidential and legislative elections at the Electoral Organization Directorate in San Marcos, El Salvador, on February 2, 2024. He adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador in 2021 and invited the tech-bros of the world to surf in the Pacific. Under Bukele, El Salvador’s homicide rate has plummeted. So, while El Salvador no longer faces record murder rates, it now boasts the highest incarceration rate in the world. Camilo Freedman/AFP/Getty ImagesA tale of two victimsJackelyne Zelaya does not see the enduring state of emergency as a problem.

Persons: Jocelyn Zelaya, ”, Jackelyne, ” Jackelyne Zelaya, Marcela, Jocelyn, Mara Salvatrucha, Zelaya, “, isn’t, Nayib, Yuri Cortez, Bukele, El, Camilo Freedman, Jackelyne Zelaya, won’t, Maria, tipster, Marvin Reyes, EFE, Guillermo Villatoro, Villatoro, Salvadorean Sandra Hernandez, Jose Dimas Medrano, Stringer, ‘, ’, Ilhan Omar, Samuel Rodriguez of MOVIR, “ Bukele, Daniel Noboa, Latinobarometro, she’s, Maria ’, ” Maria Organizations: CNN, World Bank, El, Employees, Electoral, Getty, FMLN, Civil, Justice Department, Army, “, Congress, Police, National Police, Security Ministry, Human Rights, Democratic, Barrios, Washington DC Locations: San Salvador, Zelaya, El Salvador, American, San Marcos, AFP, America, Latin America, United States, New York, El Salvador’s, Santa Ana, El Rosario, Honduras, WOLA, Washington, Ecuador, El

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). Annual fees increase between 18% to 52% on six consumer and business Delta SkyMiles credit cards. American Express and Delta Air Lines increased annual fees across their co-branded airline credit cards today for consumer and business credit cards alike. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card cardholders will receive $2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) every qualifying year, beginning February 1, which will give them a jumpstart toward earning Delta status each year. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card cardholders can now spend above their credit limit, albeit within a certain undisclosed extent.

Persons: Resy, Katherine Fan, I've, Guy, NerdWallet, I'm, you'll, Read Organizations: Delta, American Express, Delta Air Lines, Delta SkyMiles, Delta SkyMiles ®, Express, Finance, Business, Forbes, USA, Austin American, Statesman, Associated Press, Google, MSN, University of Texas Locations: Hawaii , Alaska, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, delta.com, Delta, Austin, Southwest, Texas, Taiwan, New York City

NEW YORK (AP) — American Express rolled out several updates to its Delta SkyMiles credit cards Thursday that will give additional benefits to users, part of efforts to soothe sore Delta Air Lines customers who have considered abandoning the airline after last year’s SkyMiles loyalty fiasco. AmEx customers get access to Delta's airport lounges and are able to transfer their Membership Rewards points to Delta, among other benefits. To give a sense of scale, Delta CEO Ed Bastion told investors in June that roughly 1% of the entire U.S. economy is spend on Delta's credit cards. So, when Delta made alterations to its SkyMiles loyalty program last year, it was largely seen by Delta customers as a watering down of its program, and it caused turbulence between the two companies. Part of those changes required Delta customers to spend large sums of money on airfare or on the Delta credit card to be given elite status on the airline.

Persons: AmEx, Delta, it's, Ed Bastion, Bastion, “, Howard Grosfield Organizations: Delta, Air Lines, New, Delta Air Lines, American Express, U.S . Consumer Services Locations: New York, Delta, Hawaii , Alaska, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, Atlanta, AmEx

☆ China comes just shy of Japan as the world's largest car exporter
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"In the first eleven months of 2023, auto shipments to Russia rose about six times that of 2022 in value terms." While he said it's still unclear exactly why Chinese cars are growing so quickly in Mexico, part of the reason is international automakers. Germany's Volkswagen was among the foreign car companies on track for their worst China market sales in years. Local vs. overseas marketsChinese car makers will likely increase their share of the domestic auto market to 75% by 2030, said Francoise Huang, senior economist at Allianz Trade. That would result in a nearly 40% drop in European car sales in China, she said.

Persons: Sarah Tan, Tan, Jorge Guajardo, Guajardo, it's, they've, BYD, Francoise Huang Organizations: Publishing, Getty, Ministry of Commerce, Moody's, D.C, Dentons Global Advisors, CNBC, Volkswagen, China, Allianz Trade, European Union Locations: LIANYUNGANG, CHINA, Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China, BEIJING, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Belgium, Washington, U.S, Europe

☆ One Big Reason Migrants Are Coming in Droves: They Believe They Can Stay
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Miriam Jordan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Today, people from around the globe are streaming across the southern border, most of them just as eager to work. But rather than trying to elude U.S. authorities, the overwhelming majority of migrants seek out border agents, sometimes waiting hours or days in makeshift encampments, to surrender. In fact, it is a crucial step toward being able to apply for asylum — now the surest way for migrants to stay in the United States, even if few will ultimately win their cases. We are living in an era of mass migration — fueled by conflict, climate change, poverty and political repression and encouraged by the proliferation of TikTok and YouTube videos chronicling migrants’ journeys to the United States. Migrants from Africa, Asia and South America are mortgaging their family land, selling their cars or borrowing money from loan sharks to embark on long, often treacherous journeys to reach the United States.

Persons: — Organizations: Central, U.S . Border Patrol Locations: Mexico, Central America, U.S, Los Angeles, Atlanta, United States, Africa, Asia, South America

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s government has acknowledged that at least two well-known Mayan ruin sites are unreachable by visitors because of a toxic mix of cartel violence and land disputes. The explosion of drug cartel violence in Chiapas since last year has left the Yaxchilán ruin site completely cut off, the government conceded Friday. They say that to get to yet another archaeological site, Lagartero, travelers are forced to hand over identification and cellphones at cartel checkpoints. Though no tourist has been harmed so far, and the government claims the sites are safe, many guides no longer take tour groups there. The guide said the ruin sites have the added disadvantage of being in jungle areas where the cartels have carved out at least four clandestine landing strips to fly drugs in from South America.

Persons: —, “ It’s, ”, Andrés Manuel López, “, López Obrador, Mexico — Organizations: MEXICO CITY, “, National Institute of Anthropology, Central Americans, National Guard Locations: MEXICO, Chiapas, Guatemala, Tonina, Gaza, Lagartero, Mexico, Palenque, Frontera Comalapa, Darien, South America, Central America, U.S, Cuba, Asia, Africa, Sinaloa, Jalisco

☆ Pope Francis takes on vested interests to speak out on humanitarian crises
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Analysis Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Pope Francis received an emotional welcome on the island during a visit showing solidarity with migrants fleeing war and poverty. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis confesses in St. Peter's Basilica during the Vatican's Penitential Celebration on Friday, March 4, 2016. Alessandro Di Meo/AP Pope Francis arrives for his visit with prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Friday, July 10, 2015. Franco Origlia/Getty Images Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I address the faithful in Istanbul on Sunday, November 30, 2014. Gokhan Tan/Getty Images Pope Francis speaks during the feast-day Mass while on a one-day trip to Italy's Calabria region in June 2014.

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico wants an urgent investigation into how U.S. military-grade weapons are increasingly being found in the hands of Mexican drug cartels, Mexico's top diplomat said Monday. Mexico’s army is finding belt-fed machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades that are not sold for civilian use in the United States. “The (Mexican) Defense Department has warned the United States about weapons entering Mexico that are for the exclusive use of the U.S. army,” Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena said. While the Mexican army and marines still have superior firepower, the drug cartels' weaponry often now outclasses other branches of Mexican law enforcement. Mexico argued the companies knew weapons were being sold to traffickers who smuggled them into Mexico and decided to cash in on that market.

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