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☆ Spain's Princess Leonor to do military training for three years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Spain's Princess Leonor speaks during the ceremony of the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities at Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Spain October 22, 2021. REUTERS/Vincent West/MADRID, March 14 (Reuters) - Princess Leonor, 17 and the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne, will undergo three years of military training starting in August, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Tuesday. "As in all parliamentary monarchies (the heir) has to have a military background and a military career," Robles said after a cabinet meeting. The princess will receive her first year of training at the Army Military Academy in Zaragoza, then go to a naval school, which includes sailing the Juan Sebastian Elcano training tall ship, and finish her studies at the General Air Academy. The government and the Royal House have agreed her "very intense" military training will precede university studies, following in the footsteps of her father in the 1980s.

☆ J. R. R. Tolkien now shares his name with a mystical stream frog found in Ecuador — a country in the literal middle of the earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One researcher told Insider that he could imagine the frog living in Fangorn forest. "The encounter of this frog was very surprising," Sánchez-Nivicela told Insider in an email interview. Because only one Hyloscirtus tolkieni has been discovered thus far, there is still much to learn about how many exist and in what regions they live. Habitat of Hyloscirtus tolkieni (red arrow pointing to collection site); and at the collection site inside the forest (below). The stream frog will take its place among other amphibians that could exist in Middle Earth — including a stubby, wood-loving frog named after Bilbo Baggins that lives on the other side of the Atlantic.

☆ Shunned by the US, Turkey is preparing to launch its first aircraft carrier — but it will come with a twist
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Turkey will instead operate the Anadolu with drones, using them to project power across the region. The US kicked Turkey out of the F-35 program in 2019, leaving Ankara without fighter jets for its new carrier. Strictly speaking, Anadolu is not a dedicated aircraft carrier but an amphibious assault ship — specifically a landing helicopter dock, or LHD. Turkey was a Level III partner in the US-led F-35 program, with Turkish companies making about 900 parts for the aircraft. Turkish carrier dronesTCG Anadolu in Istanbul in September 2022.

☆ Guatemala Widens Prosecutions Against Former Anticorruption Officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Santiago Pérez | Juan Carlos Rivera | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Guatemalan authorities have issued several recent arrest warrants and brought criminal charges against more judges and prosecutors previously given the job of weeding out corruption in Guatemala’s government. The moves have fueled concerns among the U.S. government and rights groups about democratic backsliding in Guatemala. More than 30 Guatemalan anticorruption judges and prosecutors have left the country under threat of arrest over the past two years. The departures occurred amid weakening accountability for corruption, according to Human Rights Watch, an advocacy group.

☆ Ovidio Guzmán's arrest may be the start of a campaign against El Chapo's sons and the Sinaloa cartel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Chris Dalby | Insight Crime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Mexican authorities arrested Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, earlier this month. The US has demanded action on fentanyl, and Ovidio's arrest may prompt Mexico to continue a targeted campaign. Ovidio Guzmán López is one of the four sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias "El Chapo," who is seeking to continue their father's legacy. Vehicles torched during a January 5 operation to arrest Ovidio Guzman in Culiacan on January 7. In the last couple of years alone, they have mounted targeted operations at rivals within the Sinaloa Cartel and beyond.

☆ Robbers pull off multimillion-dollar copper heist in Chilean port
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SANTIAGO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Chilean authorities said on Wednesday they were investigating a violent heist in Chile's main seaport where thieves stole several shipping containers filled with copper belonging to state-owned giant Codelco. In a statement to Reuters, Codelco said the copper was scheduled to be exported and was insured. The heist is the largest copper theft since a spate of gangster heists in northern Chile last October forced the government to tighten security on trains carrying copper cathodes. The violent robbery adds pressure over shipment security in the world's largest copper producer. Authorities blamed the train heists on international crime groups while police said Wednesday's heist could be a local group.

☆ Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, dies at 82
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

ATHENS, Greece — Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, who won an Olympic gold medal before becoming entangled in his country’s volatile politics in the 1960s as king and spent decades in exile, has died. Prince Constantine on his sailboat at the Olympics in 1960. With minimal nostalgia for the monarchy in Greece, Constantine became a relatively uncontroversial figure. Crown Prince Constantine, left, arrives at the Raiding Forces' Headquarters on July 5, 1956. Prince Charles and King Constantine II of Greece attend Sunday service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate in King's Lynn, England, on Dec. 9, 2007.

☆ Violence hits Mexican cartel stronghold after arrest of El Chapo's son
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Ovidio Guzman Lopez during his arrest in Culiacan, Mexico, on Oct. 17, 2019. An escaped Mexican cartel kingpin known as “El Neto” meanwhile died after a shootout early on Thursday, four days after he fled prison in a violent mass break-out, authorities said. Police arrive on the scene after a store was looted in Culiacan, Mexico, on Jan. 5, 2023. Martin Urista / APAt Culiacan’s airport, a Mexican military flight was able to spirit Guzmán away to Mexico City. Asked if the attempt to capture Guzmán was worth another day of tension and uncertainty in Culiacan, Téllez said, “If they caught him, it was worth it.”

His image can be found on T-shirts at California markets, and fans still listen to his raspy voice singing the corridos, or Mexican ballads, that made Chalino Sánchez famous. The podcast "Ídolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sánchez." A plaque says, "You have died to the world but for us you will always live in our hearts," at a memorial to Chalino Sánchez in Culiacán, Sinaloa. A newspaper clipping announcing the concert by Chalino Sánchez in Coachella on Jan. 26, 1992. newspapers.comAfter the artist's involvement in the Coachella shooting while he was on stage, he catapulted to fame. Chalino Sánchez merchandise at the Paramount Swap Meet in Paramount, Calif. Eulimar Núñez / Noticias TelemundoAs Galindo narrates in the podcast, Sánchez's death seemed like the foregone conclusion of his Wild West kind of life.

☆ Thriving network of fixers preys on migrants crossing Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +23 min

With soaring numbers of people entering Mexico, a sprawling network of lawyers, fixers and middlemen has exploded in the country. Detained migrants stand in the outdoor area of the Siglo XXI Migrant Detention Center in Tapachula, Mexico, on Oct. 4. When the immigration agency was asked directly, via freedom of information requests, it said it was just one. An empanada vendor's stall advertises information, and immigration documents outside the main immigration office in Puebla, Mexico, on Sept. 23. By mid-December, the immigration agency suddenly announced the closing of the camp with no explanation.

[1/7] Bolivian opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho receives a medical evaluation following his detention, at an undisclosed location in this image released December 28, 2022. Former President Morales said on Wednesday he hoped Camacho's detention would bring justice after three years. There was an uneasy calm Thursday in Santa Cruz, where signs of damage were visible after protests Wednesday ended with a fire set to the Santa Cruz prosecutor's headquarters. Public Works Minister Edgar Montano said on Twitter his house in Santa Cruz had been set on fire and robbed. The federal prosecutor's office said it would seek the "harshest punishment" for those responsible for damages in Santa Cruz.

☆ Mexico's AINDA seeks $600 mln to kickstart fund, Colombian business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Its foray into Colombia seeks to collaborate with the government's infrastructure plans, with AINDA set to open offices in the South American country by next year's second quarter, Rodriguez said. In Mexico, Rodriguez emphasized potential investments in logistics, citing the Pacific ports of Manzanillo and Mazatlan, but declining to go into detail. Rodriguez added that the ESG-focused fund will continue to evaluate other Mexican energy projects, citing possible investments in electricity transmission, without being more specific. But Rodriguez said he nonetheless sees opportunities to invest in "green efforts" that can compliment the government's energy priorities. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

MONTREAL/BOGOTA Dec 16 (Reuters) - Latin America is drawing early investment for jet fuel produced from materials like forest residues and palm oil as emission-conscious airlines scour emerging markets for less-polluting fuel to power flights, industry executives say. While most sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is produced in the United States, Europe, and Singapore, Latin America is emerging as a budding market. "Latin America right now is really a hot spot for Honeywell." Producing and distributing SAF in regions with faster-growing traffic like Latin America is key to meeting industry targets, said Landon Loomis, Latin America president for U.S. planemaker Boeing (BA.N). And Vibra Energia (VBBR3.SA) is working with Brasil BioFuels (BBF) to produce palm oil-based jet fuel in 2025.

☆ Nayib Bukele war on gangs: El Salvador has arrested 2% of its adult population. Other countries are taking note
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Eight months since El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced a war on gangs, an estimated 2% of the country’s adult population – or roughly 100,000 people – are now behind bars. In 2015, El Salvador surpassed Honduras as the most violent country in the world, with a murder rate of more than 100 per 100,000 inhabitants. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks to around 14,000 soldiers in El Salvador. Alleged gang members at a maximum security prison in Izalco, El Salvador, on September 4, 2020. “It is not that they are interested in El Salvador (they never were), their fear is that we will succeed, because other governments will want to imitate it.

CNN —One week into her presidency, Peru’s new President Dina Boluarte is battling to contain widespread protests that erupted after the ousting of former President Pedro Castillo. Boluarte announced Tuesday the government will set up a crisis management committee as protests calling for political change continue across the country. Boluarte, his former vice president, has since become president, and on Monday proposed bringing general elections forward two years to April 2024 during a televised speech. At least seven people have died in the protests ongoing in Peru, according to a tweet from the health ministry on Wednesday. Boluarte also doesn’t belong to a political party after she was expelled from Peru Libre due to internal disagreements.

The little white kiosk where Juan Carlos Robles-Corona Jr. worked with his mother was barely large enough to fit three or four adults. Juan Carlos, whom relatives and close friends called Junior or J.R., pestered her for months before she gave him a part-time job there. He wanted to be like his mother’s boss: an entrepreneur who owned franchise stores in several cities. Junior with his father, Juan Carlos Robles-Corona, and his siblings Mia, Dylan and Aiden. On April 4, Juan Carlos Robles-Corona Jr. was shot on a street near his public school.

☆ Panama ex-President Martinelli to stand trial on money laundering charge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Panama's former president Ricardo Martinelli is escorted by police officers and supporters while leaving a courthouse after being declared not guilty of spying charges in Panama City, Panama August 9, 2019. Martinelli's cap reads, "I survived Varela", referring to Panama's former president Juan Carlos Varela. REUTERS/Erick MarciscanoPANAMA CITY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A Panamanian judge summoned former President Ricardo Martinelli to stand trial for a money laundering charge, investigators said on Friday. This is the second trial against Martinelli announced this year, and he is expected to testify in both in 2023. Martinelli and his sons, Luis and Ricardo, are also charged in Panama for their alleged involvement in laundering millions of dollars in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

Those pledges include making steep cuts in climate-warming emissions within this decade and contributing to hundreds of billions of dollars needed each year by developing nations already struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change. That could also complicate the talks among government ministers on the so-called cover decisions - which make up the core political deal from the two-week summit. "We haven't seen huge solidarity between the developed and developing countries" but instead "disappointing commitments and action this year, which has dented trust." Developing nations have demanded that COP27 agree to launch a special fund to address loss and damage. The United States and other rich nations are wary of this idea, saying these rapid funds are better channeled through existing programs.

☆ Argentina's reserves under pressure again after soy export bonanza ends
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jorge Otaola | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The Argentine central bank's already depleted reserves are coming under renewed pressure, as grains exports from the South American nation have stalled following a soybean sales bonanza and a drought that is hitting wheat and corn. The country's central bank sold some $150 million on Monday, the largest daily fall in reserves since early August, traders told Reuters, adding to drops of some $368 million last week and $72 million the week before. It sold $145 million on Tuesday. Amid a slowdown in grains sales for the world's top exporter of processed soy and No. Reporting by Jorge Otaola; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russians schemed to send U.S. military technology to Russian defense sector, Justice Department says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Tom_Winter_Nbc_News.Jpg | Tom Winter | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Two Russian nationals were arrested in a scheme to obtain sensitive U.S. military electronics and technology to provide it to the Russian defense sector, prosecutors said Wednesday, noting that some of the items were found on the battlefield in Ukraine. The men sent the items to sanctioned Russian companies that serve the defense sector, according to federal prosecutors. "This network schemed to procure sophisticated technology in direct support of a floundering Russian Federation military industrial complex," Assistant FBI Director Michael Driscoll said in a statement. When Orekhov and Kuzurgasheva sought to buy the sensitive U.S. military and "dual-use technology," they falsely claimed it was going to the Russian space agency Roscosmos. In an exchange with Soto, Orekhov used colorful language to allay his concerns about dealing with Russian companies.

Some of the electronics obtained through the scheme have been found in Russian weapons platforms seized in Ukraine, prosecutors said. They used a German company to ship the military technologies, as well as Venezuelan oil, to Russian purchasers, prosecutors said. The U.S.-origin technologies can be used in fighter aircraft, ballistic and hypersonic missile systems, smart munitions, and other military applications, Treasury said. After the initial round of U.S. sanctions on PDVSA, Russia's Rosneft emerged as a key intermediary for Venezuelan crude. After Washington sanctioned Rosneft subsidiaries over their dealings with PDVSA, dozens of firms with no track record of oil trading have been intermediating in sales of Venezuelan oil to Chinese buyers.

☆ With no monkeypox vaccine at home, frustrated Mexicans go abroad
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Brendan O'Boyle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 17 (Reuters) - As monkeypox continues to impact gay and bisexual men in dozens of countries around the world, at-risk Mexicans are going abroad for vaccines they say their government has not bothered to make available at home. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterHerbel, 38, said he wanted the vaccine because half of his friends currently have or have had monkeypox. Mexico City resident Juan David Zuluaga, 32, flew to Tijuana last week to get vaccinated across the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego. Mexico's government has reported 2,147 confirmed cases of monkeypox since May, a number advocates in the gay community say far undercounts cases. "Those with visas and money will get vaccinated and those without will have to resign themselves to eventually getting monkeypox," Baruch said.

The 193-nation International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) assembly, held every three years, is the first since COVID-19 put pressure on policymakers to speed up reforms. "We have to do something," Emile Nguza Arao, director general of Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority, told Reuters. Officials hope a global target will boost supplies of new Sustainable Aviation Fuel and encourage private investment. Even then, aviation is expected to remain in the cross-hairs of climate groups who see the exercise as a smokescreen. "A long-term emissions reduction goal with no enforceability plan is dead on arrival," said Jo Dardenne, aviation director at Brussels-based Transport & Environment.

☆ Hurricane Fiona slammed into Puerto Rico on Sunday, prompting catastrophic floods and knocking out power across the island
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico's southwest coast on Sunday afternoon. "The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic," Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said on Sunday, per The Associated Press. "Catastrophic and life-threatening flooding" is forecast to continue across the majority of Puerto Rico, the National Hurricane Center said. After slamming into Puerto Rico on Sunday, Hurricane Fiona moved into the Dominican Republic on Monday morning. The National Hurricane Center said on Monday that "hurricane conditions" were expected to continue over portions of the Dominican Republic.

☆ Ex-King Juan Carlos' attendance at queen's funeral draws scorn from Spanish left
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Angus Macswan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

- Leaders from around the world will attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. But Juan Carlos, who was related to the late Queen Elizabeth, received a private invitation to attend, a British government source confirmed. On Sunday, Juan Carlos, 84, and his estranged wife Queen Sofia were photographed at a reception in Buckingham Palace in London. A Spanish government source told Reuters that the Spanish Royal Household had led arrangements for Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Juan Carlos and Queen Elizabeth were related as both were great-great-grandchildren of Britain's Queen Victoria.

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