International
Sheinbaum, Netanyahu, Musk and Trump, among the candidates for “person of the year” of Time 2024
Time magazine published this Monday its list of ten finalists for “person of the year” 2024, which will be announced this Thursday, and among them are the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum; the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the elected president of the United States, Donald Trump.
In an election year in the United States, it is no surprise that Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris appear among the finalists, who applied to be the first female president of the country and who had already been named “person of the year” along with President Joe Biden in 2020, when her formula won the elections.
In 2016, also an election year for the United States, Donald Trump won this ‘title’ of “person of the year” after his victory.
This year, the magazine highlights his political comeback, his conviction on 34 fraud charges and his plans for the US economy.
Political leaders dominate Time’s “person of the year” list
However, they are not the only political leaders on the list, since the first woman to serve as president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, is among the nominees and Time highlights her fight for people with fewer resources, her inauguration at an economically complicated time for the country and her firm response to Trump’s plans regarding tariffs.
On the other hand, according to the magazine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describes him as “one of the most influential and controversial world leaders of the year” and, on which an arrest warrant from the International Court of Justice for war crimes weighs.
Two entrepreneurs of technology companies are also among the ten finalists: Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The other candidates
This year, Musk, the richest man in the world, entered the world of politics with Trump, who announced that he would co-direct a new commission, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The list also includes Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, who was international news and protagonist of conspiracy theories before her cancer diagnosis was made public, and economist Julia Navalnaya, who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing her husband, the opponent Alexéi Navalny, and who met with world leaders.
The president of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has also entered the list, as well as the comedian and athlete Joe Rogan, whose podcast was the most listened to this year.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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