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☆ Latam, Caribbean leaders meet to draft roadmap to tame inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, April 5 (Reuters) - Leaders of 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries agreed to work to outline measures seeking to tame inflation in the region, including better conditions for trade, according to a statement published by Mexico's presidential office Wednesday. Agreements reached include the creation of a working group of government representatives aimed at identifying regional measures to coordinate the trade of commodities, fertilizers and other goods. The group's action plan is set to be implemented "within a reasonable time frame," the statement added. The new anti-inflation alliance also agreed to invite more countries from the region to take part, the statement said. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexican president criticizes Trump felony charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Brendan O'Boyle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 5 (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday said he does not agree with the criminal charges brought against former U.S. President Donald Trump. "Supposedly legal issues should not be used for electoral, political purposes," Lopez Obrador told a regular news conference. Trump, the first sitting or former U.S. president to face criminal charges, pleaded not guilty. "It should be the people who decide," said Lopez Obrador, who said he could not say whether Trump was guilty or not. Lopez Obrador went on to lose the 2006 and 2012 presidential election - results he did not accept, alleging massive voter fraud.

☆ Mexico asks China for help to control fentanyl shipments
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, April 4 (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday he had sent a letter to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping urging him to help control shipments of the synthetic opioid fentanyl sent across the Pacific. U.S. and Mexican officials argue that the ingredients used to make fentanyl are chiefly sent from Asia, but Lopez Obrador argues Mexico is not a production hub for the drug. Some Republicans have urged Washington to authorize the use of military force in Mexico to tackle the problem, a suggestion that has been vigorously rejected by Lopez Obrador. In his letter, Lopez Obrador complained to Xi about interference in Mexico's affairs by U.S. lawmakers. Lopez Obrador then asked Xi if he could provide Mexico with information on when, where, and how much fentanyl was being sent across the Pacific, and by whom.

☆ Chicago to elect new mayor as crime emerges as key issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Crime is the central issue in Tuesday's mayoral runoff in Chicago, where voters are choosing between two candidates with contrasting approaches to public safety. Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas calls for more cops; Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson calls for more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and union organizer, says he will promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of police officers. A poll last week by Emerson College Polling, WGN-TV and The Hill showed Vallas leading Johnson by 5 points, with 13% undecided. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Donna Bryson and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Virginia teacher shot by 6-yr-old student sues school leaders for $40 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 3 (Reuters) - A Virginia teacher shot by a 6-year-old student on Monday sued school administrators for $40 million, alleging they ignored warnings from staff and pupils that the boy had a gun. The Jan. 6 attack on Abigail Zwerner in Newport News was unusual among U.S. school shootings given the young age of the assailant and the fact police said the boy shot his first-grade teacher on purpose. The complaint said Richneck Elementary School Assistant Principal Ebony Parker failed in her duty to protect Zwerner despite multiple reports a firearm was on school property and likely in the boy's possession. The 25-year-old teacher was hailed a hero by police for evacuating students from her classroom after the boy shot her once with a handgun he brought from home, injuring her in the hand and chest. The week of the shooting was the first when neither parent was with him in class, the statement said.

☆ Leonardo DiCaprio testifies in Fugees rapper's lobbying trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DiCaprio is one of several prominent figures linked to Low, who is suspected of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. Michel faces 11 criminal counts for trying to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump. Prosecutors said Michel agreed to funnel money into Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and hide the source of the funds. Prosecutors said Michel later waged an illegal influence campaign to persuade the Trump administration to stop investigating Low. Michel and other co-conspirators are also accused of lobbying the Trump administration at China's behest to return Guo to China.

☆ Authorities search for more victims after tornado pummels Arkansas
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, April 1 (Reuters) - Arkansas first responders on Saturday will sift through debris for more possible victims after a fierce tornado sliced through the Little Rock area and northeastern part of the state, killing at least two people and injuring dozens of others. Two fatalities in Arkansas were reported in Wynne, about 100 miles (160 km) east of Little Rock, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday night. One person was killed and more than 50 people hospitalized in North Little Rock, Pulaski County spokeswoman Madeline Roberts told the Washington Post. Although more than 30 people were taken to hospital in the Little Rock area, none had died as of Friday night, said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who added that the count remained imprecise. [1/9] A view of destroyed buildings following the tornado in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S., March 31, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media.

☆ Mexican migration officer absent as deadly fire began in cell he supervised, guard says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Lizbeth Diaz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

She did not know if the absent migration officer had taken the keys to the men's unit with him or if they had been stored on site, she said. Mexican officials on Thursday arrested five people suspected of involvement in the fire, after obtaining arrest orders for three INM officers, two private security officers and the person accused of starting the fire. "He returned when we were already outside; I was with the women," Hinojosa said. Officials have said they will replace CAMSA's services with federal guards in Chihuahua state, where Ciudad Juarez is located, and flagged concern over whether the company's guards were properly trained. "We are the support," she said, referring to her role helping migration officers.

☆ Over 1,000 migrants, angered by asylum policies, rush to U.S.-Mexico border
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lizbeth Diaz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Migrants said a new U.S. government app meant to streamline the process of securing asylum appointments from outside the United States has left them feeling fed up and helpless. A false rumor circulated on social media Wednesday that migrants surrendering at a specific spot at the border would be able to freely cross into U.S. territory. As they waited for a chance to cross the border, Border Patrol agents and Texas National Guard troops stood motionless in front of the massive metal gate, preventing them from getting through. Multiple migrants said they tried unsuccessfully to obtain a virtual appointment to start the asylum process in the U.S. Since the Biden administration rolled out the app in January, asylum seekers have complained of glitches, high demand, and a lack of appointments.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 30 (Reuters) - Protesters flooded Tennessee's statehouse on Thursday to demand lawmakers stiffen gun laws following a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead, three of them 9-year-old children. Demonstrators held aloft placards reading "No More Silence" and "We have to do better" while chanting "Do you even care?" In the latest incident, the shooter killed three pupils and three staff members at Nashville's Covenant School. Republican lawmakers in Tennessee this week delayed hearings on gun legislation that would expand access to firearms. [1/5] Counter protesters hold anti-trans signs outside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 30, 2023.

☆ Ecuador's top court says Lasso impeachment hearings can proceed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUITO, March 29 (Reuters) - Ecuador's constitutional court said on Wednesday that impeachment hearings for embezzlement against conservative President Guillermo Lasso, requested by opposition lawmakers over alleged corruption at state companies, can proceed. The decision may make it more likely that Lasso will dissolve the assembly and call early elections for both his post and legislators' seats. Fifty-nine opposition lawmakers formally requested the hearings in mid-March, accusing Lasso of involvement with embezzlement and bribery, which he has always denied. The court's approval enables the assembly to hold the hearings but does not constitute a backing of the claims by judges. The constitution enshrines so-called two-way death - allowing Lasso to call elections for both his post and the assembly instead of facing hearings.

The officers along with a registered nurse face counts of involuntary manslaughter and assault in the death of 38-year-old Edward Bronstein in Burbank, California, prosecutors said. "These officers had a legal duty to Mr. Bronstein," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said on Wednesday during a news conference. The death of Bronstein, who was white, came less than two months before the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the ground in Minneapolis by police officers as he pleaded, "I can't breathe." In the California traffic stop, two of the officers who were charged had pulled Bronstein over on Interstate 5 for suspected driving under the influence. While pinned, Bronstein repeatedly screamed, "I can't breathe," and begged for help before becoming unresponsive, the prosecutor said.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro says he will not lead opposition, but will work with his party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRASILIA, March 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday he will not lead the opposition to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but will collaborate with his political party, the conservative Liberal Party. "I will not lead any opposition. I will help my party as a person with experience," he said. Bolsonaro added he plans to travel across Brazil in an effort to help his party in local elections next year. Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Editing by Sarah Morland and Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Honduras President Castro to visit China after cutting Taiwan ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 29 (Reuters) - Honduran President Xiomara Castro will travel to China "soon," the Honduran foreign ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday, without providing a date for the trip. The announcement came days after China established diplomatic ties with Honduras as the Central American country ended its decades-long relationship with Taiwan. Honduras' foreign minister traveled to China last week, days after Castro tweeted her government would seek to open relations with Beijing, which officially established ties with Honduras on Sunday. Taiwan, left with diplomatic relations with only 13 countries, accused Honduras of demanding exorbitant sums before severing ties. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tennessee governor says his wife, 2 school shooting victims were friends
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Juliet, held for the victims of a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., March 28, 2023. It will take place at a public park in the heart of Nashville, the Tennessee state capital. The governor's wife Maria, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak and the head of the school Katherine Koonce previously taught together at another school, he said. The assailant, Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, went to the Covenant School armed with two assault-style weapons and a handgun. Monday's violence marked the 90th school shooting – defined as any incident in which a gun is discharged on school property – in the United States this year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, a website founded by researcher David Riedman.

☆ Peru prosecutors probe president, ex-president for alleged money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA, March 28 (Reuters) - Peruvian prosecutors are investigating President Dina Boluarte and former president Pedro Castillo for allegedly laundering money as part of a criminal organization, the attorney general's office said on Twitter on Tuesday. The probe into the alleged crimes by Boluarte and Castillo is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged campaign finance crimes committed during Peru's 2021 presidential race. Castillo was removed from office in December after attempting to dissolve Congress before an impeachment vote. Boluarte over the weekend denied receiving illegal campaign contributions and said corruption accusations were a "political maneuver" seeking to undermine her government. Boluarte is also currently under investigation for her alleged role in the deaths of protesters killed in clashes with security forces in the months after she took office.

☆ Ride-hailing app Cabify raises $110 mln for expansion in LatAm, Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, March 28 (Reuters) - Spanish ride-hailing app Cabify has raised $110 million in financing aimed at accelerating its growth in Latin America and Spain, the company said on Tuesday. Cabify closed the funding round with participation from investors like Orilla Asset Management and AXIS, through Fond-ICO Next Tech. In December Cabify secured a 40 million euro loan from the European Investment Bank aimed at purchasing electric vehicles. The company aims for all rides through its app to be in zero-emission vehicles by 2025 in Spain and by 2030 in Latin America. With over 42 million registered users and 1.2 million drivers, Cabify employees over 1,000 people in Spain and Latin America.

☆ U.S. sanctions Syrian leader Assad's cousins, others over drug trade -Treasury
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It said the trade in captagon was estimated to be a billion-dollar enterprise and the sanctions highlight the role of Lebanese drug traffickers and the Assad family dominance of captagon trafficking, which helped fund the Syrian government. Assad's government denies involvement in drug-making and smuggling and says it is stepping up its campaign to curb the lucrative trade. Also sanctioned were Khalid Qaddour, who the Treasury said was a Syrian businessman and close associate of Bashar al-Assad's brother, the head of the army's Fourth Division. Hassan Daqqou was sentenced in 2021 to seven years in prison in Lebanon on charges of captagon trafficking, according to the same source. Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Daphne Psaledakis and Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least ten dead after fire at migrant facility in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, March 28 (Reuters) - At least 10 people died after a fire at a migrant facility in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez, near the U.S. border, two sources with the local government told Reuters. Volunteer rescue workers put the figure of deceased at 37, plus many more injured. Reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in Ciudad Juarez and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Anthony EspositoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Footage shows police killing Nashville school shooter as investigators seek motive
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sandra Stojanovic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department began receiving calls about a shooter at 10:13 a.m., police spokesperson Don Aaron told reporters. Investigators were examining a "manifesto" written by the 28-year-old former student at the Covenant School, hoping to learn what motivated the latest U.S. mass shooting. Monday's violence marked the 90th school shooting – defined as any incident in which a gun is discharged on school property – in the United States this year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, a website founded by researcher David Riedman. He said the Covenant School was singled out for attack but that the individual victims were targeted at random. Also shot dead were Mike Hill, 61, a school custodian; Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher; and Katherine Koonce, 60, listed on the Covenant website as "head of school."

☆ Former Christian school student kills 3 children, 3 staff in Nashville shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sandra Stojanovic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He said the Covenant School was singled out for attack but that the individual victims were targeted at random. [1/5] A still image from surveillance video shows what the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department describe as mass shooting suspect Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, entering The Covenant School carrying weapons in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 27, 2023. Also shot dead were staffers Mike Hill, 61, a school custodian, Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher, and Katherine Koonce, 60, listed on the Covenant website as "head of school." "We have to do more to stop gun violence," Biden said at the White House. Monday's violence in Nashville marked the 90th school shooting – defined as any incident in which a gun is discharged on school property – in the U.S. so far this year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, a website founded by researcher David Riedman.

☆ Three children, 3 adults shot dead by ex-student at Tennessee Christian school
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Kevin Wurm | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 27 (Reuters) - A heavily armed 28-year-old fatally shot three children and three adult staffers on Monday at a private Christian school the suspect once attended in Tennessee's capital city before police killed the assailant, authorities said. Drake said the school was singled out for attack but the individual victims were targeted at random. [1/6] Students from The Covenant School hold hands after getting off a bus to meet their parents at the reunification site following a mass shooting at the school in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., March 27, 2023. Reacting in Washington to the latest school shooting, U.S. President Joe Biden urged the U.S. Congress again to pass tougher gun reform legislation. Nashville Mayor John Cooper expressed sympathy for the victims and wrote on social media that his city "joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting."

☆ Death toll in Pennsylvania chocolate factory blast rises to seven
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A general view shows smoke coming out from a chocolate factory after fire broke out, in West Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S., March 24, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Twitter @Based_In410/via REUTERSMarch 27 (Reuters) - The death toll from an explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania has risen to seven people, with authorities ending a search for those believed to be missing following Friday's blast. Palmer Co in West Reading, a town of 4,500 about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Philadelphia. Seven other people were taken to local hospitals with injuries, said the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) on Friday. Palmer Company was founded in 1948.

☆ At least 23 killed in Mississippi tornado and storms - state officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 25 (Reuters) - At least 23 people were killed and dozens injured as a tornado and strong thunderstorms swept across Mississippi late on Friday, the state's emergency management agency said after the twister left a trail of damage for more than 100 miles (160 km). Four people were missing as search and rescue teams combed through the destruction looking for survivors after the storm struck Silver City in Western Mississippi, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said in a series of tweets. Search and rescue teams were also out in Rolling Fork, a town that saw the brunt of the tornado, CNN reported. Search and rescue is active." Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru and Brendan Boyle in Chicago Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mississippi tornado and storms kill at least 23
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Search and rescue teams were also out in Rolling Fork, a town of 1,700 people that saw the brunt of the tornado, CNN reported. "My city is gone, but we are resilient," Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker said on CNN. According to Walker, 12 of the people who died were in Rolling Fork, adding several people were trapped in their homes. Terrell compared the destruction to a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, that killed 161 people in 2011. The reports stretched from the western edge of Mississippi north through the center of the state and into Alabama.

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