International

A sixth man is found dead after the explosion in a tequila factory in Mexico

The number of people killed by the explosion in a tequilera company rose to six, the Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit of Jalisco, a state of western Mexico, reported on Wednesday, which also reported a second fire in the factory that left no injuries.

The agency stated in a statement that municipal and state firefighters found a sixth victim during the cooling work of the area after Tuesday’s east.

He also revealed that on Wednesday morning there was a new fire in a cardboard storage that reached a 200-liter container with tequila waste, but it was already controlled and left no victims.

The death of six people and two more injured, one of them seriously, after the explosion of a tank and the subsequent fire that reached three other containers, has overshadowed the celebrations of International Tequila Day that were scheduled for this Wednesday.

In addition, it has forced the authorities to stop tourist activities in the town of Tequila, where the drink with a designation of origin is produced.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The National Chamber of the Tequila Industry canceled the presentation of a commemorative bottle and the Tequila Regulatory Council did the same with the tastings and the celebration ceremony that it would do in conjunction with the Government of the State of Jalisco.

The mayor of the municipality of Tequila, José Alfonso Magallanes, assured that the companies José Cuervo y Sauza, which have their main headquarters in the town, stopped their production and the tourist and administrative activities of the municipality were also suspended until they were assured that there is no risk of new incidents.

Magallanes told a local media that, according to the first investigations, the explosion could have originated because some workers were welding one of the stills (utensil for distilling), which was combined with an accumulation of gases.

Even so, he warned that they will wait for the expert opinions of the specialists of the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences who are still working on the spot.

“What we know is that, when it comes to welding, maybe the gases make this giant tank move through the air with everything and the person who was welding and was fastened with a harness,” he said in an interview.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

It was also assured that the deceased people are part of the companies that the tequilera outsources to carry out maintenance work, although on Tuesday they first identified themselves as employees of José Cuervo.

In a statement, José Cuervo reported that they evicted the distillery and its surroundings to prioritize the safety of workers and neighbors, and that they help the authorities to investigate the causes of the accident.

International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.