International
Arnold Schwarzenegger donates one million dollars to fight the fires in Los Angeles
Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a donation of one million dollars to fight the fires that are registered in Los Angeles, Southern California (USA).
In a post on his social networks, which are echoed this Wednesday by American media, the interpreter of ‘Terminator’ said that his donation will be distributed between the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
“I don’t like it when companies or the rich ask their fans to donate for them,” the actor, who was governor of California between 2003 and 2011, wrote on Instagram.
Schwarzenegger also announced the sale of T-shirts with an image of him to raise funds for those organizations.
The actor joins in this way a series of Hollywood celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyoncé or Eva Longoria, who have allocated donations to fight the fires, as well as companies such as Disney and Netflix.
This Wednesday, a new uncontrolled and rapidly advancing fire broke out in Los Angeles County, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people, after days of significant progress since a wave of devastating fires broke out that claimed the lives of at least 28 people.
The Hughes fire was declared this Wednesday morning in northern Castaic and in less than two hours swept just over 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) driven by the strong winds that hit southern California, the California Fire Department (Cal Fire) reported in a statement.
This new fire breaks out after a week of significant progress in the containment of the historic fires that reduced entire communities of Los Angeles to ashes since January 7 and that are still active.
The Palisades fire, which destroyed more than 9,300 hectares, has managed to contain itself by 68% since its start 15 days ago. For its part, the Eaton, in the city of Pasadena, swept more than 5,600 hectares and is 91% extinct, Cal Fire said.
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
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