DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — It took more than a day of flying, including two refueling stops, for Vice President Kamala Harris to reach this year’s summit of Southeast Asian countries. Political Cartoons on World Leaders View All 226 ImagesPolitical Cartoons View All 1146 ImagesThis was her third trip to Southeast Asia since taking office — Harris heads back to Washington on Thursday — and she's visited more countries here than any other region. Harris' approval ratings remain underwater, and her announcements in Southeast Asia tend to be counted in the millions of dollars rather than the billions. “Everybody works their own way.”Harris' travel to Southeast Asia began in her first year in office, when she visited Singapore and Vietnam, but the trip almost didn't happen. But she’s put in the work," said Gregory B. Poling, who directs the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, ”, ” Harris, — Harris, she's, “, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden’s, she’s, Sullivan, Dinna Prapto, Phil Gordon, ” Gordon, Gregory B, Poling, David Rothkopf, Bill Clinton, there’s “, Biden didn't, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, it’s, Edna Tarigan Organizations: United, Associated Press, Lowy Institute, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, U.S, ”, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Economic Cooperation, AP Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, United States, Washington, Southeast Asia, China, Central America, Asia, Australia, Beijing, Jakarta, Singapore, Vietnam, Afghanistan, South China, Thailand, Philippines, U.S, Philippine, Palawan

Biden, who spent eight years as Obama's vice president, told a friend that Obama couldn't even curse properly, according to “The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future." In private, Biden would “occasionally admit to friends he felt tired," the book says. She said the book was actually praising Biden for helping to push major legislation through Congress and unify global support around Ukraine. "And we’re not going to litigate here.”Foer's book also describes struggles by Vice President Kamala Harris to carve out a role for herself as Biden's No. Foer's book says Biden tried to treat Harris more respectfully than he felt Obama often had treated him as vice president, calling her “the vice president" instead of “my vice president."

Persons: Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Biden, Obama, Joe Biden’s, Franklin Foer, Donald Trump, Biden's, flailing ”, “, Karine Jean, Pierre, ” Jean, ”, Jean, ” “, Kamala Harris, Foer, Harris, Anthony Fauci, Jake Sullivan, Ashraf Ghani, Hillary Clinton, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sullivan, Clinton Organizations: WASHINGTON, Harvard, Ardent, White, Central, Taliban, U.S, Marines Locations: Ukraine, Scandinavia, U.S, Mexico, Afghanistan, Kabul

☆ Kamala Harris has 'rabbit ears' for any criticism about her, a new book claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The vice president has "rabbit ears" for criticism, author Franklin Foer wrote. "Harris possessed what one of her colleagues described as 'rabbit ears," Foer wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: How Kamala Harris compares with Joe Biden on Medicare for All, gun control, marijuana legalization, and 7 other key issues"She let the criticism guide her," he added. The book, which is about Joe Biden's presidency, delves into the dynamic between him and his vice president. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Franklin Foer, Joe Biden's, Harris, Foer, Joe Biden, Biden, Obama, Ron Klain, Al Gore, Olivier DOULIERY, OLIVIER DOULIERY, we're, I'm, it's Organizations: Service, Fox News, Central America, White, Staff, Getty Locations: Wall, Silicon, AFP

☆ Google Cloud to open office in El Salvador in seven-year partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A screen with a Google Cloud logo is pictured during Google's presentation of a detailed investment plan for Germany outside the Google office in Berlin, Germany, August 31, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse Acquire Licensing RightsSAN SALVADOR, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Google Cloud and the government of El Salvador announced a multi-year agreement on Tuesday that will establish an office and deliver Google Distributed Cloud services in the Central American country, Google Cloud said in a statement. The seven-year strategic partnership, pending legislative approval, will focus on the areas of digital government, healthcare and education. Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Isabel WoodfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annegret, Google Cloud, Nelson Renteria, Brendan O'Boyle, Isabel Woodford Organizations: REUTERS, SALVADOR, Google, El, Central, Thomson Locations: Germany, Berlin, El Salvador, Central American

☆ Biden to Discuss Migration With the President of Costa Rica
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | More About Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will host President Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica at the White House on Tuesday as their countries try to rein in a surge of migration in the Western Hemisphere. Mr. Biden and Mr. Chaves, who was elected last year, will also discuss economic ties and job creation, administration officials said. The Biden administration’s plan to stem illegal migration in the United States involves cracking down on asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border while working with Central American nations, like Costa Rica, to develop ways for migrants to apply for protection closer to their home countries. Costa Rica recently agreed to build two centers where migrants can be processed for such legal protections without crossing the border. About 38,000 migrants from Colombia, Costa Rica and Guatemala have registered for legal protection through the program.

Persons: Biden, Rodrigo Chaves, Chaves Organizations: White, Central, . Locations: Costa Rica, United States, U.S, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala

☆ For Migrating Birds, It’s the Flight of Their Lives
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Emily Anthes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Simone NoronhaFor Migrating Birds, It’s the Flight of Their Lives Leer en españolAmerica’s birds are in trouble. If migrating birds lose their winter refuges, the consequences will ripple across the hemisphere. MissouriMissouri provides breeding habitats for many grassland bird species, which have been faring especially poorly in recent decades. “This is a classic Pacific Northwest to west Mexico species,” Mr. Jiang said. The birds breed at marshes and wetlands across the Western United States and Canada.

Persons: Simone Noronha, “, ”, Viviana Ruiz, Gutierrez, Jeremy Radachowsky, Ken Rosenberg, Deb Hahn, Hahn, Anna Lello, Smith, Sarah Kendrick, Nick Bayly, That’s, Andrew Stillman, Archie Jiang, Mr, Jiang, Dr, Stillman, Camila Gómez, ” Dr, Ruiz Organizations: Center, Avian, Cornell, of Ornithology, Wildlife Conservation Society, Partners, New, New York Metro Area, UNITED STATES, BERMUDA BAHAMAS MEXICO Maya, PERU Moderate, Forest, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Southern Wings, The, Central, Mesoamerican Alliance for People, Forests Initiative, Forests Initiative . Missouri, CANADA UNITED STATES, BERMUDA CUBA MEXICO VENEZUELA COSTA RICA BRAZIL, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Colorado Colorado, CANADA, ARGENTINA CANADA Colo, U.S, Bird Conservancy, Rockies, , Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, UNITED STATES Calif, Western Locations: North America, United States, Canada, Costa Rican, Caribbean, U.S, eBird, New York, BERMUDA BAHAMAS MEXICO, BRAZIL, PERU, CHILE, ARGENTINA, PERU Moderate CHILE, Forest BRAZIL, CHILE ARGENTINA, Forest BRAZIL PERU, New York City, Bahamas, The New York, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Central America, Central American, Forests Initiative ., Forests Initiative . Missouri Missouri, South America, BERMUDA MEXICO VENEZUELA COSTA RICA, Missouri, BERMUDA MEXICO VENEZUELA COSTA RICA BRAZIL, BERMUDA CUBA MEXICO VENEZUELA COSTA RICA, BERMUDA CUBA MEXICO VENEZUELA COSTA RICA BRAZIL PERU, Venezuela, Argentina, Cuba, Central, South, SELVA, Colombia, Costa Rica, Plains, UNITED STATES MEXICO ECUADOR, Colorado, UNITED STATES Colo, MEXICO ECUADOR BRAZIL, Northern Mexico, Texas, California, West Coast, Alaska, Pacific, MEXICO, URUGUAY ARGENTINA Alaska, Salt, CHILE URUGUAY ARGENTINA Alaska, BRAZIL PERU BOLIVIA, URUGUAY ARGENTINA, Sierra Nevada, Chile, Western United States

Ramiro Marra, candidate for mayor of Buenos Aires and part of the inner circle of Argentina's radical presidential front-runner Javier Milei, listens to Milei talking to journalists, in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 24, 2023. Juan Napoli, also running for a Senate seat with Milei's party, agreed time would be needed to lay the groundwork for reforms. The presidential candidates for the two blocs will be Economy Minister Sergio Massa and former security minister Patricia Bullrich, respectively. "All of the alternatives that are laid out in the law and the national constitution, we are going to use them." Reporting by Anna-Catherine Brigida; Additional reporting by Eliana Raszewski and Juan Bustamante; Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ramiro Marra, Javier Milei, Agustin Marcarian, Milei, Marra, Juan Napoli, dollarization, Sergio Massa, Patricia Bullrich, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Eliana Raszewski, Juan Bustamante, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Milei, Reuters, Bull Market Brokers, Peronist, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES

☆ Opinion | Praise Song for the Ruined Flower
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Margaret Renkl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The orange pumpkins themselves have seen better days, but still I offer my heart to what’s left of the pumpkins carved out by squirrels. I offer my whole heart to the thick, pulpy flesh that fattens the chipmunks before their time of hunger. I stand at my window and watch a fly blunder into their artwork, and I watch the spider dart to the fly. Come April, I will stand at this window and watch her gathering spider silk to weave her miniature nest of thistledown and lichen and moss. My heart lifts at the pinprick holes in the passionflower vines and the pinprick holes in the parsley, but I wait and wait for the pinprick holes in the milkweed leaves.

Persons: what’s, honeyvine Organizations: Central Locations: Central America, Tennessee

☆ How does Storm Idalia compare to the most powerful hurricanes in US history?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here is a list of some of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the mainland U.S. based on minimum atmospheric pressure, which scientists use to rate storm intensity. A lower pressure, measured in millibars, or mb, means a more powerful storm. UNNAMED FLORIDA KEYS HURRICANE, LABOR DAY 1935 (892 MB)The hurricane struck the Florida Keys as a Category 5 storm, the highest ranking on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. After ravaging the Keys, the storm moved north off the western coast of Florida before turning inland. Ian almost hit as a Category 5 storm, with the wind speed falling just short of the threshold of 157 mph (252 km).

Persons: Ian, Marco Bello, Idalia, Florida . HURRICANE CAMILLE, Camille, MICHAEL, Michael, HURRICANE KATRINA, HURRICANE ANDREW, Andrew, HURRICANE IAN, Hurricane Ian, Rich McKay, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, National Hurricane Center, Florida Panhandle, U.S, HURRICANE, Texas Gulf, Hurricane, Thomson Locations: Fort Myers Beach , Florida, U.S, Florida, Florida , Georgia, Carolinas, FLORIDA, Florida . HURRICANE, Mississippi's Gulf, Central America, HURRICANE, New Orleans, South Miami, Dade County, TEXAS GULF, Texas, Texas Gulf Coast, Indianola, Galveston, Atlanta

☆ Honduras arrests mayor accused of trafficking cocaine to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wilmer Wood, mayor of Brus Laguna, sits after being detained by armed forces on drug trafficking charges, in La Ceiba, Honduras in this undated handout photo released August 27, 2023. Public Ministry of Honduras/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTEGUCIGALPA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - A mayor in Honduras was arrested on Sunday on charges of working with drug cartels to smuggle 90 tons of cocaine to the United States by boat and plane. He is accused of working with three cartels: Los Piningos, Los Yanez and Los Amador. Galindo said that independently of the three cartels, Wood personally received 30 tons of cocaine and moved it through Honduras so it could be transported to the United States. Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez was extradited to the United States on drugs and weapons charges last year.

Persons: Wilmer Wood, Wilmer Manolo Wood, Jorge Galindo, Los Yanez, Los, Wood, Galindo, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Xiomara Castro, Gustavo Palencia, Sarah Morland Organizations: Public Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Brus Laguna, La Ceiba, Honduras, Handout, Rights TEGUCIGALPA, United States, Nicaragua, Los Amador, Colombia, Central America, Mexico, Atlantic, Tegucigalpa

☆ A severe drought is affecting the Panama Canal. That’s not a good sign for supply chains — or your holiday shopping
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Just this week, the Panama Canal Authority extended those restrictions for at least another 10 months. Next shoe to dropBut from a transportation standpoint beyond Panama, the next shoe to drop could be the Mississippi River, Davis said. During the past 30 days, rainfall along the southern Mississippi River has been well below normal. And when you have two disruptions versus just one, that is magnified overall.”Holiday shopping hang-upsFor now, general waiting times have spiked at the Panama Canal. Supply chain shiftsHad this occurred before the pandemic lockdowns and the drastic swings in consumer spending patterns that mangled supply chains, it might have been a different story.

Persons: sandstorm, ”, Janelle Griffith, Marsh, Jon Davis, El, “, Davis, Evelyn Hockstein, Everstream, Ahmad Hassan, hasn’t, “ We’ve, ” Phillip Sanfield, Amanda Kwan, hadn’t, ” Kwan, plumb, Taylor Swift, Kamala Raman, you’ve, Peter Sand, Sand Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Panama Canal Authority, Getty, CNN, Port, Port Authority of New, National Retail Federation Locations: Minneapolis, Minneapolis CNN — Panama, Panama, Mississippi, Suez, North American, El, Central America, Grand Tower , Illinois, New Orleans, United States, Europe, Egyptian, Ismailiya, AFP, Panama Canal, Los Angeles, Port of Los Angeles, New York, Port Authority of New York, New Jersey, “

☆ Warren Hoge, Who Covered Wars and World Crises for The Times, Dies at 82
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Robert D. Mcfadden | More About Robert D. Mcfadden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Warren Hoge, a former correspondent for The New York Times who covered civil wars in Latin America, the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and numerous global crises before rising to the top ranks of the paper’s newsroom leadership, died on Wednesday at his home in Manhattan. His wife, Olivia Hoge, said the cause was pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed early last year. In a 32-year Times career, Mr. Hoge (pronounced hoag), was a versatile reporter and a vivid writer. Covering political turmoil and guerrilla warfare in South and Central America from 1979 to 1983, Mr. Hoge wrote hundreds of articles on the civil wars that had ebbed and flowed in red tides for years in Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. “No cadaver is ever pleasant to look upon,” Mr. Hoge wrote in 1983, in a laudatory review of Joan Didion’s recent book, “Salvador.”

Persons: Warren Hoge, Diana , Princess of Wales, Olivia Hoge, Hoge, hoag, Pope John Paul II, ” Mr, Joan Didion’s, “, ” Organizations: The New York Times, Central America, Mr Locations: Latin America, Manhattan, Rio de Janeiro, South, Central, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, “ Salvador

☆ Puma gives birth to rare albino cub in Nicaragua
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JUIGALPA, Nicaragua, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Curled up in a zoo in central Nicaragua, eyes alert and ears pricked, a puma is nursing her month-old snow-white cub. The tiny, pink-nosed puma at Thomas Belt Zoo in Juigalpa marks the Central American country's first albino puma to be born in captivity and, according to estimates from zoo veterinarian Carlos Molina, one of only four worldwide. Though the cub is healthy and eating well, Molina warned that it is still early days and that albino pumas require plenty of care and are vulnerable to sunlight. Pumas are found across the Americas, from the high Andean region of southern Peru to the jungles of Central America. Reporting by Maynor Valenzuela in Juigalpa; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: puma, Carlos Molina, Molina, Maynor Valenzuela, Sarah Morland, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: puma, Thomas Belt Zoo, American, pumas, Thomas Belt, Pumas, Central America, The International Union for Conservation, Nature, Thomson Locations: JUIGALPA, Nicaragua, Americas, Peru, Central, North America, Juigalpa

☆ Central America parliament expels Taiwan, makes China permanent observer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 21 (Reuters) - The Central American Parliament on Monday voted to expel Taiwan after more than two decades as a permanent observer and replace it with China, whose growing economic influence in Latin America has increasingly marginalized Taipei. The six-nation parliament, known as Parlacen, met in the Nicaraguan capital Managua where local legislators proposed adding China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory. Beijing has expanded its influence in Central America with Parlacen members Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and the Dominican Republic breaking off diplomatic ties with Taiwan in recent years. Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America, is the only Parlacen member that still recognizes Taiwan. The United States recognizes China diplomatically but has unofficial ties with Taipei, and the Biden administration has said it opposes efforts to change the status quo in Taiwan.

Persons: Parlacen, Senators Tim Kaine, Marco Rubio, Biden, Ismael Lopez, Ben Blanchard, Sarah Morland Organizations: Central American, United Nations, U.S, Senators, Democrat, Republican, Foreign, United, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, China, America, Taipei, Nicaraguan, Managua, Parlacen, Beijing, Central America, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Xinjiang, U.S, Belize, Paraguay, Americas, United States

[1/2] Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo of the Semilla party addresses supporters during his closing campaign rally, ahead of Sunday's presidential run-off, at the Plaza Central in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGUATEMALA CITY, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo, who won Sunday's presidential run-off by double-digits, is looking to retrace his father's footsteps more than 70 years after Arevalo senior broke a long period of dictatorship to become the country's first democratically elected president. "I'm not my father, but I'm traveling down the same road he built," Arevalo said last week during his campaign's closing rally. The family lived in Venezuela, Mexico and Chile before returning to Guatemala when Arevalo was a teenager. Arevalo took part in the pivotal 2015 protests, and a couple of years later helped create what would become the upstart Seed movement - Semilla in Spanish.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Juan Jose Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Alvaro Montenegro, Otto Perez Molina, June's, January's, Sofia Menchu, Diego Ore, David Alire, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Plaza Central, REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Central, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Central America's, Uruguay, U.S, Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Israel, Spain

☆ Major shipping routes are struggling with water shortages. El Niño could make it worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A ship navigates the Panama Canal in the area of the Americas' Bridge in Panama City on June 12, 2023. Luis Acosta | Afp | Getty ImagesAn increasing number of climate-driven extreme weather events is taking its toll on the world's major shipping routes — and El Niño could make matters worse. In drought-stricken Panama, low water levels have prompted the Central American country to reduce the number of vessels that pass through the critically important Panama Canal. The Panama Canal Authority, which manages the waterway, said earlier this month that the measures were necessary because of "unprecedented challenges." "Right now, we do not see that filling up of the water levels that a normal year would bring around.

Persons: Luis Acosta, El Niño, El, Peter Sands, Sands, Lars Ostergaard Nielsen, Moller, Balint Porneczi, Nielsen Organizations: Afp, Getty, Central, Atlantic, Panama Canal Authority, CNBC, Analysts, Planet Labs PBC, El, Maersk, Bloomberg, Palatinate . Locations: Panama, Panama City, Central American, Suez, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Germany, Rotterdam, Bacharach, Rhineland, Palatinate, Frankfurt

[1/2] Monrovia NSU CHALLENGER bulk carrier transits the expanded canal through Cocoli Locks at the Panama Canal, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama April 19, 2023. The Panama Canal Authority has reduced maximum ship weights and daily ship crossings in a bid to conserve water. Container ships are the most common users of the Panama Canal and transport more than 40% of consumer goods traded between Northeast Asia and the U.S. East Coast. Some shipping executives are bracing for more reductions later this year, noting that in 2020 a less severe drought prompted canal operators to reduce crossings to 27 per day. "The Panama Canal is just the latest example."

Persons: Aris Martinez, Max, Drew Lerner, Peter Sand, Steve Ferreira, STRI's Steven Paton, Paton, Brian Bourke, Lisa Baertlein, Marianna Parraga, Elida Moreno, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Deepa Babington Organizations: Monrovia NSU CHALLENGER, REUTERS, ANGELES, Evergreen Marine, Pacific, Panama Canal Authority, Northeast, U.S ., Smithsonian Tropical Research, El Nino, Central American, Canal Authority, SEKO Logistics, Thomson Locations: Cocoli, Panama, Panama City, HOUSTON, China, U.S, Northeast Asia, U.S . East Coast . U.S, United States, Chile, Brazil, Suez, Gatun Lake, El, U.S . East Coast, Los Angeles, Houston, Copenhagen

An anticorruption crusader won a runoff election for Guatemala’s presidency on Sunday, handing a stunning rebuke to the conservative political establishment in Central America’s most populous nation. Bernardo Arévalo, a polyglot sociologist from an upstart party made up largely of urban professionals, took 58 percent of the vote with 98 percent of votes counted on Sunday, the electoral authority said. His opponent, Sandra Torres, a former first lady, got 37 percent. Alejandro Giammattei, the current president, who is prohibited by law from seeking re-election, congratulated Mr. Arévalo and extended an invitation to organize an “orderly” transition of power. Mr. Arévalo’s win marks a watershed moment in Guatemala, both a leading source of migration to the United States and one of Washington’s longtime allies in the region.

Persons: Bernardo Arévalo, Sandra Torres, Alejandro Giammattei, Mr, Arévalo, Arévalo’s Organizations: Sunday Locations: Central America’s, Guatemala, United States

Police officers stand guard at the Constitucion square, ahead of Sunday's presidential election, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 19, 2023. Guatemalans now represent the largest number of Central Americans seeking to enter the United States. "I hope that everything is calm, that democracy wins, that there is no fraud or political issues ... and that our country gets ahead more than anything," said Ardem Villagran, 58, a merchant in Guatemala City. Outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei has vowed to ensure an orderly vote and transition of power. Reporting by Cassandra Garrison in Guatemala City, additional reporting by Herbert Villarraga; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pilar Olivares, Bernardo Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Arevalo, Ardem Villagran, Alejandro Giammattei, Engel, Eladio Loizaga, Eric Olson, Olson, Cassandra Garrison, Herbert Villarraga, Drazen Jorgic, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Central, U.S . State Department, of American States, OAS, Seattle International Foundation, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, United States, June's, Central America, U.S

"We have waited for this moment for many years," said Carlos de Leon Samayoa, 27, as he celebrated on the streets of Guatemala City. Arevalo unexpectedly emerged out of political obscurity to build a large anti-graft movement with his Semilla party, after many other opposition candidates were barred from running. [1/9]Guatemalan anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, of the Semilla political party, poses for a photo during the presidential run-off election, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 20, 2023. "The ruling pact will likely continue to target electoral officials and Arevalo’s Semilla party with investigations ahead of January’s change in government," she said. POLITICAL TENSIONSBeyond his anti-graft policies, Arevalo said he wants to expand relations with China alongside Guatemala's longstanding allegiance with Taiwan.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Alejandro Giammattei, revel, Guatemalans, Arevalo's, Carlos de Leon Samayoa, Torres, Guatemala's, Pilar Olivares, Risa Grais, Arevalo’s, Eladio Loizaga, Giammattei, Ana María Méndez, Cassandra Garrison, Sofia Menchu, Herbert Villarraga, Diego, Drazen Jorgic, Stephen Eisenhammer, Miral Fahmy, Stephen Coates, Gerry Doyle Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Central, Twitter, REUTERS, Eurasia Group, Organization of American States, Central America, Diego Ore, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemalan, United States, Guatemala, Americas, Guatemala City, June's, China, Taiwan, Taipei, Honduras, America

CNN —Anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo, from the progressive Movimiento Semilla party, appeared to have won Guatemala’s presidential election on Sunday, beating former first lady Sandra Torres in a race marred by fears of democratic backsliding. With more than 95% of the ballots counted, Arévalo won 59.1% of the vote compared to Torres’ 36.1%, according to official data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. A voter casts their ballot at a polling station during the presidential run-off election in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on August 20, 2023. Prosecutors and judges associated with the commission were arrested and investigated and many have since fled the country. Members of the media who have opposed corruption in their reporting have also faced legal consequences.

Persons: Bernardo Arévalo, Sandra Torres, Arévalo, Torres, Irma Palencia, “, ”, Alejandro Giammattei, Cristina Chiquin, Rafael Curruchiche, Department’s Engel, ” Curruchiche, José Rubén Zamora Organizations: CNN, Movimiento Semilla, Torres ’, Torres ’ Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza, Reuters, US, Central, United Locations: Guatemala, Guatemala City, Central American, United States, United Nations, Guatemalan

[1/8] People walk along the beach in Pacific Beach area as Tropical Storm Hilary approaches San Diego, California, U.S., August 20, 2023. Hilary made landfall on Sunday morning over the northern parts of the Baja California peninsula, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory. It has been seven decades since the last tropical storm made landfall in California. MEXICO EVACUATIONSIn Mexico, nearly 1,900 people have been evacuated to shelters in the Baja California peninsula, according to the country's army. Around the coastal town of Mulege, on the eastern side of the Baja California peninsula, one person died after his family was swept away while crossing a stream on Saturday.

Persons: Hilary, Sandy Huffaker, Zack Taylor, Taylor, It's, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Kristin Crowley, Drazen Jorgic, Lizbeth Diaz, Bharat Govind Gautam, Rich McKay, Brendan O'Brien, Frances Kerry, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, U.S, National Weather Service, Center, National Hurricane Center, NHC, Los Angeles Mayor, Los Angeles Fire Department, Schools, Mexico's Navy, San Diego International, Major League Baseball's, Dodgers, Angels, Los Angeles FC, LA Galaxy, Thomson Locations: Pacific Beach, San Diego , California, U.S, MEXICO, Baja California, Mexico, United States, College Park , Maryland, Palm Springs , California, Southern California, Southern Nevada, Miami, Los, California, Tijuana, San Diego, Mulege, Major League Baseball's Los Angeles, Mexico City, Bengaluru, Atlanta, Chicago

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's how the sriracha shortage could've preventedSriracha maker, Huy Fong Foods, has cited weather-related issues to be the cause of the shortage of its sauces. While drought has played a factor in many pepper growing regions in North and Central America in recent years, it may not be the full story. Huy Fong Foods' former pepper supplier of 28 years, Underwood Ranches, told CNBC that it could have kept up with the hot sauce company's demand if the two parties' business relationship had not come to an end in 2017.

Persons: Huy Fong, Underwood Organizations: Huy Fong Foods, Central America, CNBC Locations: North

Bernardo Arévalo had been enjoying a quiet and predictable life for nearly a decade with his family in Geneva, working on pro-democracy issues for a nonprofit. That placid existence ended after he returned to his homeland, Guatemala, and got drawn into politics. Today, whenever Mr. Arévalo appears in public, he attracts throngs to hear him assail the government’s attacks on Guatemala’s democracy. Flanked by a well-armed security detail after receiving death threats following the assassination last week of a presidential candidate in Ecuador — which sent tremors across Latin America — Mr. Arévalo wears a bullet-resistant vest and travels in an armored S.U.V. Now, in what is building into a watershed moment for Central America’s most populous country, Mr. Arévalo, a Hebrew- and French-speaking polyglot with a doctorate in sociology, is on the cusp of winning the presidency in a runoff on Sunday — an implausible scenario just months ago.

Persons: Bernardo Arévalo, Arévalo, throngs Organizations: America’s Locations: Geneva, Guatemala, Ecuador, America

☆ World Jesuit leader condemns Nicaragua government closure of university
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A guard mans the access to the Jesuit Central American University (UCA) in Managua, Nicaragua August 16, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - The superior general of the worldwide Jesuit religious order has condemned the closure of its university in Nicaragua as part of a government attempt to "suffocate" the Catholic Church and civic institutions in the Central American country. The United States has condemned the confiscation of the assets of the Central American University (UCA) as a further erosion of democracy. The government's action against UCA, other Catholic institutions and civic organisations, was aimed at "suffocating, closing or appropriating them", Sosa said. Vatican officials see the oppression of the Church in Nicaragua as one of the worst since the Cold War, when many communist countries in Eastern Europe persecuted the Church.

Persons: Stringer, Father Arturo Sosa, Sosa, Father Jose Domingo Cuesta, Daniel Ortega, Arturo, Philip Pullella, Christian Schmollinger, Robert Birsel Organizations: Jesuit Central American University, UCA, REUTERS, Catholic Church, Central American, order's Central, Reuters, The United, Central American University, Nicaraguan, Central America, Nicaragua's Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: Managua, Nicaragua, The United States, Rome, Venezuelan, Eastern Europe, Antonio

Search resuls for: "Central America"

25 mentions found