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
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.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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