A major construction project in wetlands seen as one of the "green lungs" of smog-choked Mexico City has raised concerns for the future of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A more than 1.7-kilometer (one mile) long reinforced concrete bridge is being built on a freshwater lake system that helps to regulate the temperature and prevent flooding in the city of nine million people.

Hundreds of trees have been cut down in the Xochimilco reserve, which is home to endemic species including the critically endangered axolotl, a salamander-like amphibian.

Residents and experts worry that the project is just the first step in accelerated development of the area, which is listed as a Wetlands of International Importance under an&nbsp;intergovernmental conservation treaty.

"We're going to keep fighting, because we fear that they will want to continue to develop and fill the lakes here to make a commercial plaza," said Maria Alvarado, 60, a member of a group campaigning against the project.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-building-collapse-death-toll-rises-to-28-with-117-missing-396088">Also read |&nbsp;Florida building collapse: Death toll rises to 28, with 117 missing</a>

Xochimilco is a magnet for tourists who ride colourful gondolas through its maze of canals and artificial islands created centuries ago by the area's indigenous peoples.

The splash of green in a vast urban sprawl has already been divided by one of the main highways skirting the city.

Activists filed several legal challenges and held demonstrations against the new bridge, which is being built at a cost of about $40 million and is almost completed.

"It's not just Xochimilco that loses -- the whole city loses," said Elia Solares, 65, a member of the campaign group.

'Enormous damage'

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the project, saying it will help traffic to flow more smoothly.

"It will be very important for the area ... both for public and private transport," she said last month, assuring residents that there was no ecological damage.

Her government has committed to restoring the wetland by planting endemic vegetation and connecting it with other lake areas.

"The wetland in this area of Xochimilco is going to be very important," she said.

But Luis Zambrano, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), fears the bridge will wreak destruction in a vital ecosystem.

"They're doing enormous damage," he said, warning that the project set a dangerous precedent.

"They're opening the door to the destruction of any ecosystem, no matter how protected it may be," he said.

Alvarado and her fellow campaigners plan to keep up their struggle to stop the bridge ever being used.

"We will not give up our fight," she said.

"Even if this bridge is already working, we will keep fighting against it being used."

A major construction project in wetlands seen as one of the "green lungs" of smog-choked Mexico City has raised concerns for the future of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A major construction project in wetlands seen as one of the "green lungs" of smog-choked Mexico City has raised concerns for the future of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. A more than 1.7-kilometer (one mile) long reinforced concrete bridge is being built on a freshwater lake system that helps to regulate the temperature and prevent flooding in the city of nine million people. Hundreds of trees have been cut down in the Xochimilco reserve, which is home to endemic species including the critically endangered axolotl, a salamander-like amphibian. Residents and experts worry that the project is just the first step in accelerated development of the area, which is listed as a Wetlands of International Importance under an intergovernmental conservation treaty. "We're going to keep fighting, because we fear that they will want to continue to develop and fill the lakes here to make a commercial plaza," said Maria Alvarado, 60, a member of a group campaigning against the project. Also read | Florida building collapse: Death toll rises to 28, with 117 missing Xochimilco is a magnet for tourists who ride colourful gondolas through its maze of canals and artificial islands created centuries ago by the area's indigenous peoples. The splash of green in a vast urban sprawl has already been divided by one of the main highways skirting the city. Activists filed several legal challenges and held demonstrations against the new bridge, which is being built at a cost of about $40 million and is almost completed. "It's not just Xochimilco that loses -- the whole city loses," said Elia Solares, 65, a member of the campaign group. 'Enormous damage' Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the project, saying it will help traffic to flow more smoothly. "It will be very important for the area ... both for public and private transport," she said last month, assuring residents that there was no ecological damage. Her government has committed to restoring the wetland by planting endemic vegetation and connecting it with other lake areas. "The wetland in this area of Xochimilco is going to be very important," she said. But Luis Zambrano, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), fears the bridge will wreak destruction in a vital ecosystem. "They're doing enormous damage," he said, warning that the project set a dangerous precedent. "They're opening the door to the destruction of any ecosystem, no matter how protected it may be," he said. Alvarado and her fellow campaigners plan to keep up their struggle to stop the bridge ever being used. "We will not give up our fight," she said. "Even if this bridge is already working, we will keep fighting against it being used."

Fears for future of Mexico City's 'green lung'

Mexico’s first trans Congresswomen, Maria Clemente Garcia and Salma Luevano, are both from President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s governing Morena party, which took power in 2018.

Mexico's first trans congresswomen to fight for LGBT+ rights

Stoners in Mexico could soon be able to relish marijuana in peace after country’s top court urged Congress to legalise its recreational use.

Mexico’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered the government to issue permits facilitating the limited growth of marijuana in the country after the Congress missed multiple opportunities to approve a legalisation law.&nbsp;Eight of the 11 judges backed the decision declaring the drug's prohibition under the health law to be unconstitutional.

Once active, the country would move a step closer to creating one of the world’s largest legal markets for the misunderstood plant.

The bill to approve legalisation has languished in Mexican Congress after undergoing a few modifications and with this Supreme Court ruling, it could be fast-forwarded.

The law is backed by the current administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and would mark a major shift in Mexico where drug cartels dictate the trade.

Once completely legalised, a huge market would open up for the US and Canada.

"A historic day for freedoms… The right to free development of the personality is consolidated in the case of recreational or recreational use of marijuana”, Mexican Supreme Court Judge Arturo Zaldivar Lelo de Larrea wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

Monday’s declaration removes a legal obstacle which prevented the health ministry from authorising activities related to the consumption of marijuana for recreational purposes, as per the court statement.

The ruling marked the final step in a long court procedure aimed at declaring a prohibition on non-medical use of marijuana and its main ingredient THC as unconstitutional.&nbsp;

Marijuana is still not legal in Mexico. The court’s order simply means that anybody seeking permit to consume the plant legally may be allowed to, in addition to&nbsp;growing their own cannabis at home. Naturally, certain restrictions would be put in place.

Activists have urged authorities to only allow recreational use among people aged 18 and above.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/cannabis-use-may-be-linked-with-suicidal-thoughts-in-adults-study-394539" hreflang="en">Cannabis use may be linked with suicidal thoughts in adults: Study</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/uk-police-accidentally-discover-bitcoin-mine-while-searching-for-cannabis-warehouse-388213" hreflang="en">UK police accidentally discover Bitcoin mine while searching for cannabis warehouse</a>

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Stoners in Mexico could soon be able to relish marijuana in peace after country’s top court urged Congress to legalise its recreational use. Mexico’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered the government to issue permits facilitating the limited growth of marijuana in the country after the Congress missed multiple opportunities to approve a legalisation law.

Stoners in Mexico could soon be able to relish marijuana in peace after country’s top court urged Congress to legalise its recreational use. Mexico’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered the government to issue permits facilitating the limited growth of marijuana in the country after the Congress missed multiple opportunities to approve a legalisation law. Eight of the 11 judges backed the decision declaring the drug's prohibition under the health law to be unconstitutional. Once active, the country would move a step closer to creating one of the world’s largest legal markets for the misunderstood plant. The bill to approve legalisation has languished in Mexican Congress after undergoing a few modifications and with this Supreme Court ruling, it could be fast-forwarded. The law is backed by the current administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and would mark a major shift in Mexico where drug cartels dictate the trade. Once completely legalised, a huge market would open up for the US and Canada. "A historic day for freedoms… The right to free development of the personality is consolidated in the case of recreational or recreational use of marijuana”, Mexican Supreme Court Judge Arturo Zaldivar Lelo de Larrea wrote on Twitter. Monday’s declaration removes a legal obstacle which prevented the health ministry from authorising activities related to the consumption of marijuana for recreational purposes, as per the court statement. The ruling marked the final step in a long court procedure aimed at declaring a prohibition on non-medical use of marijuana and its main ingredient THC as unconstitutional. Marijuana is still not legal in Mexico. The court’s order simply means that anybody seeking permit to consume the plant legally may be allowed to, in addition to growing their own cannabis at home. Naturally, certain restrictions would be put in place. Activists have urged authorities to only allow recreational use among people aged 18 and above. Also read: Cannabis use may be linked with suicidal thoughts in adults: Study Also read: UK police accidentally discover Bitcoin mine while searching for cannabis warehouse Also read: Emissions from cannabis production are driving temperatures high

Mexico's top court decriminalises marijuana use, paving pathway for world's largest cannabis market

Mexico Supreme Court has decriminalised recreational Marijuana use for adults. Watch this report to know more.

Mexico: Recreational Marijuana use decriminalised for adults

Volkswagen's Mexico unit has said it expects to restart production of several segments from next week and in July after output was curtailed by a global semiconductor chip supply crunch.

World Business Watch: Volkswagen's Mexico to resume production hit by global chip shortage

A shootout among suspected rival drug cartel gunmen left 18 people dead Friday in Mexico, a government official said. &nbsp;

The gunfight happened in a remote area of northwestern Zacatecas state, said Rocio Aguilar, a spokeswoman for the state government.

The battle was between rival gangs fighting over turf, she told Milenio TV.

On Wednesday the bodies of two police officers were found hanging from a bridge in Zacatecas and since then local media have reported a series of shootouts.

But Aguilera said that so far authorities have not found a link between that grisly find and the big gunbattle in the city of Valparaiso on Friday.

Valparaiso borders Jalisco state, which is a stronghold of a powerful cartel called Jalisco Nueva Generacion. Authorities say it is waging a violent campaign to take control of drug trafficking routes.

Mexico is suffering drug-related violence that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2006, when the government started deploying federal army troops to fight the country's drug cartels.

A shootout among suspected rival drug cartel gunmen left 18 people dead Friday in Mexico, a government official said. The gunfight happened in a remote area of northwestern Zacatecas state, said Rocio Aguilar, a spokeswoman for the state government.

A shootout among suspected rival drug cartel gunmen left 18 people dead Friday in Mexico, a government official said. The gunfight happened in a remote area of northwestern Zacatecas state, said Rocio Aguilar, a spokeswoman for the state government. The battle was between rival gangs fighting over turf, she told Milenio TV. On Wednesday the bodies of two police officers were found hanging from a bridge in Zacatecas and since then local media have reported a series of shootouts. But Aguilera said that so far authorities have not found a link between that grisly find and the big gunbattle in the city of Valparaiso on Friday. Valparaiso borders Jalisco state, which is a stronghold of a powerful cartel called Jalisco Nueva Generacion. Authorities say it is waging a violent campaign to take control of drug trafficking routes. Mexico is suffering drug-related violence that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2006, when the government started deploying federal army troops to fight the country's drug cartels.

Drug gang shootout leaves 18 dead in Mexico, says government

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a border patrol facility near the US-Mexico border on Friday and urged a focus on children and practical solutions to migration, in a trip meant to blunt Republican criticism of White House immigration policies. 
 
The visit, her first since becoming vice president five months ago, came amid a rise in migrants caught crossing the border, which has sparked outrage from Republicans, who favour the stricter immigration policies implemented by former President Donald Trump. 
 
President Joe Biden, a Democrat, tasked Harris with spearheading his administration's handling of the broader issue of people fleeing Central American countries for the United States. She visited Guatemala and Mexico earlier this month. 
 
"This issue cannot be reduced to a political issue. We're talking about children, we're talking about families, we're talking about suffering. And our approach has to be thoughtful and effective," Harris said at the conclusion of her short trip. 
 
US&nbsp;authorities have made more than one million arrests of migrants at the US-Mexico border so far in fiscal year 2021, according to preliminary figures. 
 
Republicans have criticised Biden for rolling back restrictive Trump-era immigration policies even as arrests of migrants at the US-Mexico border have reached 20-year highs in recent months. They have also criticised Harris for not visiting the border sooner. 
 
Harris was accompanied in El Paso by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin and Democratic Representative from Texas Veronica Escobar, who called the El Paso area the new "Ellis Island," a reference to the famed area in New York Harbour that processed millions of immigrants as they entered the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Immigration, and particularly the arrival of asylum seekers at the US&nbsp;southern border, has been a hot-button issue for decades. Multiple attempts to reform US&nbsp;laws and create a pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants living in the country illegally have failed in Congress. 
 
Democrats and activists have pressed Biden to further scale back enforcement and ensure humane treatment of migrant children and families arriving at the border.

During the trip, Harris also met with advocates, who urged her administration to end a Trump-era policy that allows US&nbsp;authorities to rapidly expel migrants to Mexico or their home countries, according to one of the participants, Fernando Garcia, the executive director at the El Paso-based Border Network for Human Rights. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a border patrol facility near the US-Mexico border on Friday and urged a focus on children and practical solutions to migration, in a trip meant to blunt Republican criticism of White House immigration policies.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a border patrol facility near the US-Mexico border on Friday and urged a focus on children and practical solutions to migration, in a trip meant to blunt Republican criticism of White House immigration policies. The visit, her first since becoming vice president five months ago, came amid a rise in migrants caught crossing the border, which has sparked outrage from Republicans, who favour the stricter immigration policies implemented by former President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, tasked Harris with spearheading his administration's handling of the broader issue of people fleeing Central American countries for the United States. She visited Guatemala and Mexico earlier this month. "This issue cannot be reduced to a political issue. We're talking about children, we're talking about families, we're talking about suffering. And our approach has to be thoughtful and effective," Harris said at the conclusion of her short trip. US authorities have made more than one million arrests of migrants at the US-Mexico border so far in fiscal year 2021, according to preliminary figures. Republicans have criticised Biden for rolling back restrictive Trump-era immigration policies even as arrests of migrants at the US-Mexico border have reached 20-year highs in recent months. They have also criticised Harris for not visiting the border sooner. Harris was accompanied in El Paso by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin and Democratic Representative from Texas Veronica Escobar, who called the El Paso area the new "Ellis Island," a reference to the famed area in New York Harbour that processed millions of immigrants as they entered the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Immigration, and particularly the arrival of asylum seekers at the US southern border, has been a hot-button issue for decades. Multiple attempts to reform US laws and create a pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants living in the country illegally have failed in Congress. Democrats and activists have pressed Biden to further scale back enforcement and ensure humane treatment of migrant children and families arriving at the border. During the trip, Harris also met with advocates, who urged her administration to end a Trump-era policy that allows US authorities to rapidly expel migrants to Mexico or their home countries, according to one of the participants, Fernando Garcia, the executive director at the El Paso-based Border Network for Human Rights. (With inputs from agencies)

Drop politics to fix immigration, Harris says at US-Mexico border

US Vice President&nbsp;Kamala&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;on Friday will visit the country's border with Mexico, the White House announced, as the Biden administration faces intense scrutiny over its handling of an immigration surge.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants, many fleeing poverty and violence in Central America, have attempted to cross into the United States in recent months, prompting scathing criticism from Republicans that President Joe Biden's more humane approach to immigration was provoking rather than preventing a crisis.

Harris&nbsp;senior advisor Symone Sanders said Wednesday that the vice president will visit the border city of El Paso, Texas, and will be accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Biden tasked&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;earlier this year with overseeing efforts to address what the administration describes as root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

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The vice president travelled to Guatemala and Mexico in early June to address the issue but caught flak from critics for comments that appeared to downplay the border crisis.&nbsp;

She was also criticized for not stopping at the border for a firsthand look at the situation during her international mission.

Harris&nbsp;continues to address the root causes of illegal immigration "and work in coordination to get the situation under control," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

"This trip to the border on Friday will be a part of this effort."

The White House did not provide details on&nbsp;Harris's border plans, saying specifics would be forthcoming.

The vice president's trip will come a few days before Donald Trump visits the border, on June 30, in a bid to contrast his tough stance on immigration with successor Biden's more humane approach.&nbsp;

"After months of ignoring the crisis at the Southern Border, it is great that we got&nbsp;Kamala&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;to finally go and see the tremendous destruction and death that they've created -- a direct result of Biden ending my very tough but fair Border policies," the former president said in a statement.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday will visit the country's border with Mexico, the White House announced, as the Biden administration faces intense scrutiny over its handling of an immigration surge.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday will visit the country's border with Mexico, the White House announced, as the Biden administration faces intense scrutiny over its handling of an immigration surge. Hundreds of thousands of migrants, many fleeing poverty and violence in Central America, have attempted to cross into the United States in recent months, prompting scathing criticism from Republicans that President Joe Biden's more humane approach to immigration was provoking rather than preventing a crisis. Harris senior advisor Symone Sanders said Wednesday that the vice president will visit the border city of El Paso, Texas, and will be accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Biden tasked Harris earlier this year with overseeing efforts to address what the administration describes as root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Also Read | John McAfee, antivirus software creator turned fugitive, dies by hanging in Spanish jail The vice president travelled to Guatemala and Mexico in early June to address the issue but caught flak from critics for comments that appeared to downplay the border crisis. She was also criticized for not stopping at the border for a firsthand look at the situation during her international mission. Harris continues to address the root causes of illegal immigration "and work in coordination to get the situation under control," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. "This trip to the border on Friday will be a part of this effort." The White House did not provide details on Harris's border plans, saying specifics would be forthcoming. The vice president's trip will come a few days before Donald Trump visits the border, on June 30, in a bid to contrast his tough stance on immigration with successor Biden's more humane approach. "After months of ignoring the crisis at the Southern Border, it is great that we got Kamala Harris to finally go and see the tremendous destruction and death that they've created -- a direct result of Biden ending my very tough but fair Border policies," the former president said in a statement.

Kamala Harris to visit US-Mexico border, after scrutiny over administration's record on immigration

Authorities in the Mexican border state of Baja California say they will include migrants in the new COVID-19 vaccination plan for border cities, which is aimed at accelerating the reopening of the shared land border with the United States. 
 
The state, which lies just across from California, began vaccinating adults over the age of 18 this week as part of a new mass vaccination push across northern Mexico, which relies on over a million Johnson &amp; Johnson doses donated by the United States. 
 
Baja California Health Secretary Alonso Óscar Pérez said on Friday that the agency has a plan to vaccinate migrants as part of this new border vaccination initiative. He added that the agency has allocated specific days for migrants, without providing additional details. 
 
Mexico is rolling out its border initiative first in Baja California, home to one of the busiest land border crossings in the world, then plans to move west state-by-state until reaching Mexico's eastern seaboard. 
 
The decision to include migrants in Baja California may mean migrants will be included across Mexico's border, where thousands of mostly Central American migrants wait, often for months, in hopes of being able to cross into the United States. 
 
Migrant advocates have been pushing the state for information about how this vaccination drive will include the estimated 4,000 migrants living in Baja California, according to data provided by local shelters. 
 
At least 1,000 migrants are camped at the base of an international bridge in the city of Tijuana. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Authorities in the Mexican border state of Baja California say they will include migrants in the new COVID-19 vaccination plan for border cities, which is aimed at accelerating the reopening of the shared land border with the United States.

Authorities in the Mexican border state of Baja California say they will include migrants in the new COVID-19 vaccination plan for border cities, which is aimed at accelerating the reopening of the shared land border with the United States. The state, which lies just across from California, began vaccinating adults over the age of 18 this week as part of a new mass vaccination push across northern Mexico, which relies on over a million Johnson & Johnson doses donated by the United States. Baja California Health Secretary Alonso Óscar Pérez said on Friday that the agency has a plan to vaccinate migrants as part of this new border vaccination initiative. He added that the agency has allocated specific days for migrants, without providing additional details. Mexico is rolling out its border initiative first in Baja California, home to one of the busiest land border crossings in the world, then plans to move west state-by-state until reaching Mexico's eastern seaboard. The decision to include migrants in Baja California may mean migrants will be included across Mexico's border, where thousands of mostly Central American migrants wait, often for months, in hopes of being able to cross into the United States. Migrant advocates have been pushing the state for information about how this vaccination drive will include the estimated 4,000 migrants living in Baja California, according to data provided by local shelters. At least 1,000 migrants are camped at the base of an international bridge in the city of Tijuana. (With inputs from agencies)

Mexico to vaccinate migrants in Baja California under new border initiative

The first cruise ship in more than a year docked at Cozumel island on Mexico's Caribbean coast on Wednesday, greeted by mariachi music and a banner reading: "Welcome back."

The Adventure of the Seas arrived from the Bahamas with around 1,000 passengers on board -- a sight for sore eyes for a tourist industry battered by the pandemic.

A group of passengers, mostly from the United States, disembarked to explore the island, braving rain brought by a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico.

Michael Williams, a 62-year-old retiree, said it was his first trip since the pandemic began and felt like an "exciting adventure."

Some 94 per cent&nbsp;of the passengers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, while the remainder are under the age of 16, said Alberto Munoz, vice president for Latin America at cruise operator Royal Caribbean.

Cozumel is usually a major stop on cruise itineraries and other operators are also expected to make a comeback in the coming months.

Celebrity Cruises will return in June, followed by Carnival Corp. in July, with stops in Cozumel and Mahahual further along the coast, said Dario Flota, director of the tourism promotion board in Quintana Roo state.

Quintana Roo, home to a string of top resorts including Cancun, remains at a high level of alert due to the pandemic, in contrast to many parts of the country.

Mexico's official Covid-19 death toll of more than 230,000 is one of the world's highest, but new cases and deaths have been trending lower for several months.

Before the pandemic, the cruise industry was Cozumel's main economic activity, with more than 100,000 people dependent on it to some extent, either directly or indirectly, according to officials.

Joel Dzib, who earns a living transporting tourists, said he felt more optimistic about the future with the return of cruise ships following a tough 2020.

"I had to sell a property. It was difficult for us, but the important thing is that we're moving forward," he said.

The first cruise ship in more than a year docked at Cozumel island on Mexico's Caribbean coast on Wednesday, greeted by mariachi music and a banner reading: "Welcome back.

The first cruise ship in more than a year docked at Cozumel island on Mexico's Caribbean coast on Wednesday, greeted by mariachi music and a banner reading: "Welcome back." The Adventure of the Seas arrived from the Bahamas with around 1,000 passengers on board -- a sight for sore eyes for a tourist industry battered by the pandemic. A group of passengers, mostly from the United States, disembarked to explore the island, braving rain brought by a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico. Michael Williams, a 62-year-old retiree, said it was his first trip since the pandemic began and felt like an "exciting adventure." Some 94 per cent of the passengers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, while the remainder are under the age of 16, said Alberto Munoz, vice president for Latin America at cruise operator Royal Caribbean. Cozumel is usually a major stop on cruise itineraries and other operators are also expected to make a comeback in the coming months. Celebrity Cruises will return in June, followed by Carnival Corp. in July, with stops in Cozumel and Mahahual further along the coast, said Dario Flota, director of the tourism promotion board in Quintana Roo state. Quintana Roo, home to a string of top resorts including Cancun, remains at a high level of alert due to the pandemic, in contrast to many parts of the country. Mexico's official Covid-19 death toll of more than 230,000 is one of the world's highest, but new cases and deaths have been trending lower for several months. Before the pandemic, the cruise industry was Cozumel's main economic activity, with more than 100,000 people dependent on it to some extent, either directly or indirectly, according to officials. Joel Dzib, who earns a living transporting tourists, said he felt more optimistic about the future with the return of cruise ships following a tough 2020. "I had to sell a property. It was difficult for us, but the important thing is that we're moving forward," he said.

Cruise passengers return to Mexico's Caribbean coast

US&nbsp;Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday the US&nbsp;southern border is not open to irregular migration, adding the Biden administration is developing 'lawful pathways' aimed at slowing the flow of people at the border. 
 
The Homeland Security secretary's remarks during a visit to Mexico City come amid months of high migration that has become an early policy challenge for US&nbsp;President Joe Biden, as hundreds of thousands of people flee violence and poverty in Central America and parts of Mexico. 
 
Mayorkas said both Mexico and the United States were working to curtail irregular migration. 
 
"We have challenged one another," he told a news conference. "It`s not just a question of the US&nbsp;asking of Mexico, it's a matter of what we both can do." 
 
Echoing Vice President Kamala Harris's comments to migrants during a visit to Guatemala last week, he said the government has sent a clear message to migrants: 'Do not come." 
 
He emphasised that the government is working on alternatives he described as 'lawful pathways',&nbsp;listing programmes, such as temporary worker visas and US&nbsp;investment to tackle violence, corruption and weak economies in the countries with high migration rates. 
 
"We are devoted and dedicated to bringing different types of relief," Mayorkas said. 
 
Critics said the US&nbsp;government was sending mixed messages that could fuel further migration, after Harris described the United States as a safe haven for asylum seekers only days after warning migrants they would be turned back at the border. 
 
Mayorkas noted that Title 42, a COVID-19 health order implemented under former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to slow migration during the pandemic, would remain in place as long as needed for public health reasons. 
 
Biden has faced growing pressure from migrant advocates and health experts to end the policy as more evidence emerges that migrants are being expelled into danger in Mexico. 
 
Mayorkas added that his department would be prepared to address border issues once the order is lifted. 
 
"It's not a tool of immigration policy," he said. 
 
In meetings with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and other top Mexican officials, Mayorkas also discussed speeding up vaccinations at the border amid efforts to phase out pandemic-related travel restrictions. 
 
The United States is not considering requiring a so-called vaccine passport for crossings, he said. 
 
Biden on Tuesday picked Latino lawyer and former US&nbsp;senator Ken Salazar as ambassador for Mexico, whose role includes working to limit migration from Central America. 
 
Salazar in 2017 criticized Trump's migration policies, saying border relations were about 'building trust, not walls'. 
 
Trump on Tuesday said he would visit the Texas-Mexico border this month with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, after both complained about a rise in migrants crossing into the United States. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday the US southern border is not open to irregular migration, adding the Biden administration is developing 'lawful pathways' aimed at slowing the flow of people at the border.

US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday the US southern border is not open to irregular migration, adding the Biden administration is developing 'lawful pathways' aimed at slowing the flow of people at the border. The Homeland Security secretary's remarks during a visit to Mexico City come amid months of high migration that has become an early policy challenge for US President Joe Biden, as hundreds of thousands of people flee violence and poverty in Central America and parts of Mexico. Mayorkas said both Mexico and the United States were working to curtail irregular migration. "We have challenged one another," he told a news conference. "It`s not just a question of the US asking of Mexico, it's a matter of what we both can do." Echoing Vice President Kamala Harris's comments to migrants during a visit to Guatemala last week, he said the government has sent a clear message to migrants: 'Do not come." He emphasised that the government is working on alternatives he described as 'lawful pathways', listing programmes, such as temporary worker visas and US investment to tackle violence, corruption and weak economies in the countries with high migration rates. "We are devoted and dedicated to bringing different types of relief," Mayorkas said. Critics said the US government was sending mixed messages that could fuel further migration, after Harris described the United States as a safe haven for asylum seekers only days after warning migrants they would be turned back at the border. Mayorkas noted that Title 42, a COVID-19 health order implemented under former US President Donald Trump to slow migration during the pandemic, would remain in place as long as needed for public health reasons. Biden has faced growing pressure from migrant advocates and health experts to end the policy as more evidence emerges that migrants are being expelled into danger in Mexico. Mayorkas added that his department would be prepared to address border issues once the order is lifted. "It's not a tool of immigration policy," he said. In meetings with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and other top Mexican officials, Mayorkas also discussed speeding up vaccinations at the border amid efforts to phase out pandemic-related travel restrictions. The United States is not considering requiring a so-called vaccine passport for crossings, he said. Biden on Tuesday picked Latino lawyer and former US senator Ken Salazar as ambassador for Mexico, whose role includes working to limit migration from Central America. Salazar in 2017 criticized Trump's migration policies, saying border relations were about 'building trust, not walls'. Trump on Tuesday said he would visit the Texas-Mexico border this month with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, after both complained about a rise in migrants crossing into the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

Homeland Security chief says US-Mexico border not open

Investigators digging under the house of a suspected serial killer on the outskirts of Mexico City have said they have found 3,787 bone fragments so far, apparently belonging to 17 different victims.

Prosecutors in the State of Mexico, which borders Mexico City, suggested the grisly finds may not end there. In excavations carried out since May 17, authorities have dug up the floors of the house where the suspect lived.

They now plan to extend the search to the soil beneath several other rooms he rented out on the same property. ID cards and other possessions from people, who disappeared years ago, were found at the junk-filled home, suggesting the trail of killings may go back years.

The number of bone fragments found underneath concrete floors at the suspect's home would imply the corpses may have been hacked into tiny pieces. That could make sense: the suspect, identified by prosecutors only as "Andrés," was formerly a butcher and in fact sectioned and filleted his last victim.

"The bones fragments are being subjected to lateralisation' studies, which include carefully cleaning each one, identifying what part of the body they are and then placing them in their anatomical position, providing a method for determining the approximate number of victims," the office said in a statement on Saturday.

"This analysis indicates that, up to now, the bone fragments found may possibly be those of 17 people," the statement said.

Authorities have not released the full name of the 72-year-old suspect under Mexican laws protecting a suspect's identity. He has been ordered to stand trial in the killing of his last victim, a 34-year-old woman whose body he allegedly dismembered with a butcher's hacksaw and knives on May 14.

He was caught, not as a result of keen investigative work, but because his most recent alleged victim was the wife of a police commander whom he knew personally.

He was to have accompanied the victim on a shopping trip the day she disappeared, so her husband suspected him when she failed to return. The police officer gained access to police surveillance cameras showing his wife had entered, but not left, the street where the suspect lived; the policeman went to the home, confronted the suspect, and found his wife's hacked-up body inside.

But what investigators also found was women's clothing, voter IDs and audio and video tapes suggesting he may have recorded his victims. The format of the video tapes found at the house may suggest how far the killings went back: authorities found 28 8mm video tapes, which were discontinued around 2007, and 25 VHS cassettes, which largely fell out of favor by 2016.

However, outdated tech formats often remain in use in Mexico after they have been abandoned in other countries. In total, prosecutors said they have found 91 photographs, many of the type people would have used to obtain ID cards; eight cellphones, and women's jewelry and makeup.

Prosecutors said they are still examining the bone fragments to see if they can extract any DNA to identify the victims.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Investigators digging under the house of a suspected serial killer on the outskirts of Mexico City have said they have found 3,787 bone fragments so far, apparently belonging to 17 different victims.

Investigators digging under the house of a suspected serial killer on the outskirts of Mexico City have said they have found 3,787 bone fragments so far, apparently belonging to 17 different victims. Prosecutors in the State of Mexico, which borders Mexico City, suggested the grisly finds may not end there. In excavations carried out since May 17, authorities have dug up the floors of the house where the suspect lived. They now plan to extend the search to the soil beneath several other rooms he rented out on the same property. ID cards and other possessions from people, who disappeared years ago, were found at the junk-filled home, suggesting the trail of killings may go back years. The number of bone fragments found underneath concrete floors at the suspect's home would imply the corpses may have been hacked into tiny pieces. That could make sense: the suspect, identified by prosecutors only as "Andrés," was formerly a butcher and in fact sectioned and filleted his last victim. "The bones fragments are being subjected to lateralisation' studies, which include carefully cleaning each one, identifying what part of the body they are and then placing them in their anatomical position, providing a method for determining the approximate number of victims," the office said in a statement on Saturday. "This analysis indicates that, up to now, the bone fragments found may possibly be those of 17 people," the statement said. Authorities have not released the full name of the 72-year-old suspect under Mexican laws protecting a suspect's identity. He has been ordered to stand trial in the killing of his last victim, a 34-year-old woman whose body he allegedly dismembered with a butcher's hacksaw and knives on May 14. He was caught, not as a result of keen investigative work, but because his most recent alleged victim was the wife of a police commander whom he knew personally. He was to have accompanied the victim on a shopping trip the day she disappeared, so her husband suspected him when she failed to return. The police officer gained access to police surveillance cameras showing his wife had entered, but not left, the street where the suspect lived; the policeman went to the home, confronted the suspect, and found his wife's hacked-up body inside. But what investigators also found was women's clothing, voter IDs and audio and video tapes suggesting he may have recorded his victims. The format of the video tapes found at the house may suggest how far the killings went back: authorities found 28 8mm video tapes, which were discontinued around 2007, and 25 VHS cassettes, which largely fell out of favor by 2016. However, outdated tech formats often remain in use in Mexico after they have been abandoned in other countries. In total, prosecutors said they have found 91 photographs, many of the type people would have used to obtain ID cards; eight cellphones, and women's jewelry and makeup. Prosecutors said they are still examining the bone fragments to see if they can extract any DNA to identify the victims. (With inputs from agencies)

Evidence in Mexico serial killer's house suggests 17 victims

Standing in her kitchen Alma Beatriz Serrano Ramirez waves a small board in front of her phone, hoping the students watching on the other end are paying attention to the math lesson she is teaching.

Standing in her kitchen Alma Beatriz Serrano Ramirez waves a small board in front of her phone, hoping the students watching on the other end are paying attention to the math lesson she is teaching. The 38-year-old Honduran migrant had dreamed of settling in the United States but so far has only made it to the Mexican city of Matamoros, located on the banks of the Rio Grande River, which separates the two countries. Her pupils -- Adalid, Kimberly, Osval, and a handful of others -- are fellow migrants, many of whom are located some 90 kilometers (55 miles) away in Reynosa, another border town, where a camp of approximately 700 people has been established. While Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on so many aspects of life, it has been a busy time for the Sidewalk School, which was operating in-person in one migrant encampment in Matamoros and now reaches children in several cities along the border. In its online format, the program has welcomed students previously too embarrassed by their lack of education to set foot in a classroom. The classes, which are taught by asylum seekers who are former teachers or teaching assistants, are on everything from writing to math and even yoga and offer rare comfort to students in cities stretching from Tijuana on the Pacific coast to Matamoros near the Gulf of Mexico. Serrano Ramirez's students, who hail from Honduras, Guatemala, and Haiti, are among the countless refugees still flocking to the US border, convinced that President Joe Biden's new administration will let them in -- if only they ask. Finding the border firmly closed, they are now stuck in Mexico in a smattering of towns often controlled by drug traffickers, waiting for the US to review their refugee status requests. 'You get used to it' Serrano Ramirez, who used to teach in Honduras, said she never would have imagined the ordeal she went through just to teach in front of a phone. Compared to her prior classroom experience, the online classes she teaches are "really difficult, but as time passes, you get used to it," she said. Sidewalk School founder Felicia Rangel began the organization in Matamoros in 2018 after being shocked by the destitute conditions of several dozen migrants she met under a bridge. Although she doesn't speak Spanish, she felt moved to help the migrants, whom she saw as victims of former president Donald Trump's immigration policies. Rangel, whose father is Mexican but considers herself African-American, is a former school teacher who followed her husband from Houston to Brownsville. At first "it was just a matter of entertaining the children and teaching them a few things," said Ana Gabriela Martinez Fajardo, an asylum seeker who lives in Matamoros and teaches for the nonprofit. "As more and more children arrived, it became clear that proper classes were necessary because they weren't studying," the 26-year-old said. Sidewalk School began growing as migrants flocked to Matamoros in such numbers that they overflowed the tent camp made for 3,000 people. When Covid struck, Rangel and her co-director, Victor Cavazos, bought 300 digital tablets so that their students, age four to 18, would not be left without schooling. Anonymity of digital learning During the pandemic, the program has flourished. Many of the older students who did not know how to read and write found relief in the anonymity afforded by digital learning. "You can leave your screen off and no one has to see that you're in that kindergarten class," said Rangel, who reported that older pupils would sometimes leave the program in embarrassment over being placed with younger students. This is why even once making it to the United States, some parents continue to enroll their children in online courses rather than public schools, which Rangel says is regrettable. But it's not just the students who are slowly trickling into the United States: In recent months 17 of the 19 teachers have moved across the border, now living in places such as Kentucky, Michigan, or Virginia. However, two teachers are approaching the two-year anniversary of their arrival in Matamoros -- and are still waiting.

Migrant school forced online by Covid unites children on Mexico border

A large sinkhole that appeared in late May in a farm in central Mexico has already grown larger than a football field authorities say it is likely to continue expanding.

Huge sinkhole in Mexico threatens to swallow house

Vice President Kamala Harris told&nbsp;Mexico's President Andrés Manuel onLópez Obrador on Tuesday that the United States and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era' during her first in-person meeting with the leader, as she seeks to foster greater cooperation with Mexico on immigration to the US.

Speaking at the start of their bilateral meeting at the Mexican national palace, Harris emphasised the longstanding 'interdependence and interconnection' of the two nations.

Joined by her top foreign policy aides for the region, the two leaders met for over an hour in an elegant conference room at the palace, seated across from each other under a grand crystal chandelier.

Just prior to the meeting, Harris and&nbsp;López Obrador&nbsp;watched as the Mexican foreign affairs secretary and the&nbsp;chargé d'affaires&nbsp;of the US Embassy in Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at greater cooperation between the two countries on development programmes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Harris was slated to meet with female entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico before heading back to Washington on Tuesday night. The visit to Mexico capped Harris' first foreign trip as vice president, a brief foray focused on dealing with the root causes of migration that brought her first to Guatemala on Monday.

While in Guatemala, she met President Alejandro Giammattei. To coincide with their meeting, the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments to combat trafficking, smuggling, and corruption, as well as investments in economic development in the country.

Her visit to Mexico didn't yield any clear and concrete agreements; instead she emphasised the importance of the relationship.

López Obrador&nbsp;remains a key but complicated ally in the Biden administration's efforts to curb the spike in migration at the US border.

While&nbsp;López Obrador&nbsp;committed in a previous virtual meeting with Harris that the US can 'count on us' to help address irregular migration, the Mexican president has in the past blamed President Joe Biden for the increase in migration at the border. And he was chummy with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, despite that president's hardline border policies.

(With inputs from agencies)

Vice President Kamala Harris told Mexico's President Andrés Manuel onLópez Obrador on Tuesday that the United States and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era' during her first in-person meeting with the leader, as she seeks to foster greater cooperation with Mexico on immigration to the US.

Vice President Kamala Harris told Mexico's President Andrés Manuel onLópez Obrador on Tuesday that the United States and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era' during her first in-person meeting with the leader, as she seeks to foster greater cooperation with Mexico on immigration to the US. Speaking at the start of their bilateral meeting at the Mexican national palace, Harris emphasised the longstanding 'interdependence and interconnection' of the two nations. Joined by her top foreign policy aides for the region, the two leaders met for over an hour in an elegant conference room at the palace, seated across from each other under a grand crystal chandelier. Just prior to the meeting, Harris and López Obrador watched as the Mexican foreign affairs secretary and the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at greater cooperation between the two countries on development programmes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Harris was slated to meet with female entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico before heading back to Washington on Tuesday night. The visit to Mexico capped Harris' first foreign trip as vice president, a brief foray focused on dealing with the root causes of migration that brought her first to Guatemala on Monday. While in Guatemala, she met President Alejandro Giammattei. To coincide with their meeting, the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments to combat trafficking, smuggling, and corruption, as well as investments in economic development in the country. Her visit to Mexico didn't yield any clear and concrete agreements; instead she emphasised the importance of the relationship. López Obrador remains a key but complicated ally in the Biden administration's efforts to curb the spike in migration at the US border. While López Obrador committed in a previous virtual meeting with Harris that the US can 'count on us' to help address irregular migration, the Mexican president has in the past blamed President Joe Biden for the increase in migration at the border. And he was chummy with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, despite that president's hardline border policies. (With inputs from agencies)

In Mexico, Harris defends against criticism over border

US Vice President Kamala Harris declared her two-day trip to Central America a success after extensive discussions with leaders there. Harris defended not visiting the US-Mexico border following criticism.

Harris declares Central America trip 'a success' amid criticism over border

When it comes to protecting family, an individual can go to any length, even if it punching a crocodile in the face.

Georgia and Melissa, 28-year-old twins, were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido in Mexico when they were attacked by a crocodile.

As the sisters were busy spotting turtles, Melissa suddenly disappeared under the water and Georgia started looking for her sister.

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Mellisa was spotted under the water by her sister but was unconscious. "Georgia found her unresponsive and started to drag her back to the safety of a boat,” the twin’s 33-year-old sister Hana from Alton in Hampshire told BBC. "She dragged her back as the crocodile kept coming back for more - so she just started hitting it."

Georgia had heard that with some animals, one has to start hitting them to scare them away, especially when they are hunting.

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The crocodile came back thrice to attack Mellisa and tossed her around "like a rag doll". However, Georgia did not give up and kept punching the crocodile with all her might.

They were rushed to a nearby hospital in Mexico where Mellisa is in an induced coma as she had water in her lungs, and doctors are worried she might have punctured a lung too.

"Both Georgia and Melissa are on heavy doses of intravenous antibiotics, so we're really hoping that if any infection does develop that they'll be able to catch it really quickly," Hana said.

Their family has started a crowdfunding campaign to collect funds to pay for the treatment the sisters are receiving in Mexico, and their dad is in contact with the British Embassy in Mexico to try and get support for his daughters’ treatment.

The two sisters had been travelling while volunteering and working in animal sanctuaries.

When it comes to protecting family, an individual can go to any length, even if it punching a crocodile in the face. Georgia and Melissa, 28-year-old twins, were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido in Mexico when they were attacked by a crocodile.

When it comes to protecting family, an individual can go to any length, even if it punching a crocodile in the face. Georgia and Melissa, 28-year-old twins, were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido in Mexico when they were attacked by a crocodile. As the sisters were busy spotting turtles, Melissa suddenly disappeared under the water and Georgia started looking for her sister. Also read | Sarah Everard case: UK police officer confesses to kidnap and rape Mellisa was spotted under the water by her sister but was unconscious. "Georgia found her unresponsive and started to drag her back to the safety of a boat,” the twin’s 33-year-old sister Hana from Alton in Hampshire told BBC. "She dragged her back as the crocodile kept coming back for more - so she just started hitting it." Georgia had heard that with some animals, one has to start hitting them to scare them away, especially when they are hunting. Also read | Internet outage hits websites of global media , White House, UK govt The crocodile came back thrice to attack Mellisa and tossed her around "like a rag doll". However, Georgia did not give up and kept punching the crocodile with all her might. They were rushed to a nearby hospital in Mexico where Mellisa is in an induced coma as she had water in her lungs, and doctors are worried she might have punctured a lung too. "Both Georgia and Melissa are on heavy doses of intravenous antibiotics, so we're really hoping that if any infection does develop that they'll be able to catch it really quickly," Hana said. Their family has started a crowdfunding campaign to collect funds to pay for the treatment the sisters are receiving in Mexico, and their dad is in contact with the British Embassy in Mexico to try and get support for his daughters’ treatment. The two sisters had been travelling while volunteering and working in animal sanctuaries.

Mexico: Sister punches crocodile in face to protect her twin

Polling for Mexico's midterm elections has stated. Millions are headed to their nearest polling centre to cast their vote and elect their next Governors, Mayors and members of the congress. These are Mexico's biggest polls till date.

Mid-Term Polls In Mexico: Mexicans elect Governors, Congress members

Rescuers on Saturday recovered the body of one of at least seven workers trapped in the collapse of a mine in northern Mexico, authorities said.

Initial reports suggested the collapse was caused by flooding at the mine in the municipality of Muzquiz, in Coahuila state.

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Local authorities had reported Friday that at least seven workers were trapped in the mine, which is in Mexico's main coal-mining region.&nbsp;

"Search and rescue teams at the Micaran mine in Muzquiz, Coahuila, have unfortunately located the body of a lifeless person, which has already been recovered," the federal Civil Defense agency tweeted.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he had sent personnel from the security, labour and civil protection ministries to assist the rescue effort.

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Coahuila has seen a series of fatal mining accidents over the years.

The worst was a gas explosion that claimed 65 lives at the Pasta de Conchos mine on February 19, 2006.

The bodies of 63 miners remain at the site. The families have repeatedly appealed to the Mexican authorities to recover them.

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Last September, Lopez Obrador promised the bodies would be recovered.

Rescuers on Saturday recovered the body of one of at least seven workers trapped in the collapse of a mine in northern Mexico, authorities said. Initial reports suggested the collapse was caused by flooding at the mine in the municipality of Muzquiz, in Coahuila state.

Rescuers on Saturday recovered the body of one of at least seven workers trapped in the collapse of a mine in northern Mexico, authorities said. Initial reports suggested the collapse was caused by flooding at the mine in the municipality of Muzquiz, in Coahuila state. Also Read | Mexico mine collapse leaves seven workers trapped Local authorities had reported Friday that at least seven workers were trapped in the mine, which is in Mexico's main coal-mining region. "Search and rescue teams at the Micaran mine in Muzquiz, Coahuila, have unfortunately located the body of a lifeless person, which has already been recovered," the federal Civil Defense agency tweeted. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he had sent personnel from the security, labour and civil protection ministries to assist the rescue effort. Also Read | Mexico to ease capital lockdown, resume quake drills Coahuila has seen a series of fatal mining accidents over the years. The worst was a gas explosion that claimed 65 lives at the Pasta de Conchos mine on February 19, 2006. The bodies of 63 miners remain at the site. The families have repeatedly appealed to the Mexican authorities to recover them. Also Read | Mexican law halts US from turning back some migrant families Last September, Lopez Obrador promised the bodies would be recovered.

One body recovered in Mexico mine collapse, others missing

Rescuers were trying to free&nbsp;seven&nbsp;mineworkers&nbsp;trapped&nbsp;after an accident on Friday in a coal-producing region in northern&nbsp;Mexico, authorities said.

Initial investigations suggest the&nbsp;collapse&nbsp;was due to a flood at the&nbsp;mine&nbsp;in the municipality of Muzquiz, the state of Coahuila's labour department said.

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"Some people who were working were&nbsp;trapped&nbsp;inside the&nbsp;mine," it said in a statement.

Police and civil protection authorities were at the scene for the rescue effort, it added.

The National Guard said on Twitter its personnel "were deployed in the area to provide security and allow the rescue of&nbsp;trapped&nbsp;workers."

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Coahuila, the country's main coal-producing region, has seen a series of fatal&nbsp;mining&nbsp;accidents over the years.

The worst was an explosion that claimed 65 lives at the Pasta de Conchos&nbsp;mine&nbsp;in 2006.

The bodies of 63 of the miners are still at the site and the families have repeatedly appealed to the Mexican authorities to recover them.

Rescuers were trying to free seven mineworkers trapped after an accident on Friday in a coal-producing region in northern Mexico, authorities said. Initial investigations suggest the collapse was due to a flood at the mine in the municipality of Muzquiz, the state of Coahuila's labour department said.

Rescuers were trying to free seven mineworkers trapped after an accident on Friday in a coal-producing region in northern Mexico, authorities said. Initial investigations suggest the collapse was due to a flood at the mine in the municipality of Muzquiz, the state of Coahuila's labour department said. Also Read | Mexico to ease capital lockdown, resume quake drills "Some people who were working were trapped inside the mine," it said in a statement. Police and civil protection authorities were at the scene for the rescue effort, it added. The National Guard said on Twitter its personnel "were deployed in the area to provide security and allow the rescue of trapped workers." Also Read | Mexican law halts US from turning back some migrant families Coahuila, the country's main coal-producing region, has seen a series of fatal mining accidents over the years. The worst was an explosion that claimed 65 lives at the Pasta de Conchos mine in 2006. The bodies of 63 of the miners are still at the site and the families have repeatedly appealed to the Mexican authorities to recover them.

Mexico mine collapse leaves seven workers trapped

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Friday slammed the secretary general of the Organisation of American States (OAS) ahead of mid-term elections this weekend, prompting a terse response from the head of the Washington-based association. 
 
During a news conference, Ebrard was asked to explain what role the OAS would play monitoring Sunday's elections, which will be the biggest in Mexico's history and will determine, who controls Congress for the rest of the administration. 
 
Ebrard responded that the OAS had clearance to send observers, but criticised Secretary-General Luis Almagro. 
 
"The performance of the current OAS secretary-general, Mr&nbsp;Almagro, has been one of the worst in history," Ebrard said. "He has acted, repeatedly, without consulting the member states... He acts as if he were autonomous." 
 
Ebrard repeated Mexico's criticism of the OAS's role in Bolivian elections in 2019, when then-president Evo Morales resigned under pressure from the armed forces after a presidential vote that the OAS said was rigged in his favour. 
 
Ebrard accused the OAS of 'practically fomenting a coup' in Bolivia and said his government would be watching that it and other election observers respected Mexican law. Mexico granted asylum to Morales after he fled Bolivia. 
 
Later on Friday, Almagro hit back in an interview with Colombian news channel NTN24, making reference to the collapse last month of a rail overpass in Mexico City on a metro line built when Ebrard was mayor of the capital from 2006 to 2012. 
 
"I'm a nice person, and I hope that no other structure that he built as mayor of Mexico City collapses," the Uruguayan said when asked about Ebrard's remarks. 
 
Almagro also expressed his solidarity with victims of the accident, which killed 26 people. 
 
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said his foreign policy is guided by the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. 
 
Critics say he has departed from that position when dealing with fellow Latin American leftists like Morales. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Friday slammed the secretary general of the Organisation of American States (OAS) ahead of mid-term elections this weekend, prompting a terse response from the head of the Washington-based association.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Friday slammed the secretary general of the Organisation of American States (OAS) ahead of mid-term elections this weekend, prompting a terse response from the head of the Washington-based association. During a news conference, Ebrard was asked to explain what role the OAS would play monitoring Sunday's elections, which will be the biggest in Mexico's history and will determine, who controls Congress for the rest of the administration. Ebrard responded that the OAS had clearance to send observers, but criticised Secretary-General Luis Almagro. "The performance of the current OAS secretary-general, Mr Almagro, has been one of the worst in history," Ebrard said. "He has acted, repeatedly, without consulting the member states... He acts as if he were autonomous." Ebrard repeated Mexico's criticism of the OAS's role in Bolivian elections in 2019, when then-president Evo Morales resigned under pressure from the armed forces after a presidential vote that the OAS said was rigged in his favour. Ebrard accused the OAS of 'practically fomenting a coup' in Bolivia and said his government would be watching that it and other election observers respected Mexican law. Mexico granted asylum to Morales after he fled Bolivia. Later on Friday, Almagro hit back in an interview with Colombian news channel NTN24, making reference to the collapse last month of a rail overpass in Mexico City on a metro line built when Ebrard was mayor of the capital from 2006 to 2012. "I'm a nice person, and I hope that no other structure that he built as mayor of Mexico City collapses," the Uruguayan said when asked about Ebrard's remarks. Almagro also expressed his solidarity with victims of the accident, which killed 26 people. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said his foreign policy is guided by the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Critics say he has departed from that position when dealing with fellow Latin American leftists like Morales. (With inputs from agencies)

Mexico's foreign minister blasts OAS chief ahead of election

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US&nbsp;court cases, according to a US&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday. 
 
The administration of President Joe Biden paused the programme, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), shortly after he took office on January&nbsp;20. Since then, more than 11,000 migrants enrolled in it have been allowed to enter the United States to pursue asylum claims, a DHS official said on Tuesday. 
 
Biden, a Democrat, has reversed many of the restrictive immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, saying Trump failed to honor US&nbsp;asylum laws. Republicans have criticised Biden's actions, including ending the MPP programme, saying he encouraged an increase in migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border in recent months. 
 
US&nbsp;Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly levels in 20 years in March and April. Apprehensions in May were similar, according to preliminary figures. 
 
Despite rolling back some Trump border policies, Biden has left in place a March 2020 health order known as Title 42 that allows US&nbsp;authorities to rapidly send migrants caught at the border back to Mexico during the pandemic. 
 
Advocates contend the policy cuts off access to the US&nbsp;asylum system for many migrants caught at the border while Biden officials say it is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
 
The MPP decision comes after a February&nbsp;2 Biden executive order called for US&nbsp;agencies to review the programme, first launched in 2019, and consider whether to terminate it. 
 
The memo formally ending MPP, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, said the programme did not "adequately or sustainably enhance border management," noting that border arrests increased at times while it remained in place. 
 
"Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders," Mayorkas wrote. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US court cases, according to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday.

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US court cases, according to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday. The administration of President Joe Biden paused the programme, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), shortly after he took office on January 20. Since then, more than 11,000 migrants enrolled in it have been allowed to enter the United States to pursue asylum claims, a DHS official said on Tuesday. Biden, a Democrat, has reversed many of the restrictive immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, saying Trump failed to honor US asylum laws. Republicans have criticised Biden's actions, including ending the MPP programme, saying he encouraged an increase in migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border in recent months. US Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly levels in 20 years in March and April. Apprehensions in May were similar, according to preliminary figures. Despite rolling back some Trump border policies, Biden has left in place a March 2020 health order known as Title 42 that allows US authorities to rapidly send migrants caught at the border back to Mexico during the pandemic. Advocates contend the policy cuts off access to the US asylum system for many migrants caught at the border while Biden officials say it is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The MPP decision comes after a February 2 Biden executive order called for US agencies to review the programme, first launched in 2019, and consider whether to terminate it. The memo formally ending MPP, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, said the programme did not "adequately or sustainably enhance border management," noting that border arrests increased at times while it remained in place. "Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders," Mayorkas wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

US formally ends Trump’s 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy

Mexico has blasted major clothing brands Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl for using patterns and other elements of Mexican indigenous textiles in their collections without permission, the ministry of culture said Friday.

The ministry has sent letters to the three labels asking them to publicly clarify on what grounds "the collective property" of indigenous peoples of the southern state of Oaxaca had been privatized, and to indicate how they intended to compensate the communities affected.

Minister Alejandra Frausto told the brands not to undermine the cultures' "identity and economy", and called for changes that put indigenous designers from Mexico's 56 ethnic groups on an equal footing with major labels.

The protection of their rights, "which have historically been invisible", was an ethical principle that had to be addressed at a local and global level, she added.&nbsp;

Separate missives to each brand, dated May 13 and signed by Frausto, pinpoint specific products at fault.&nbsp;

In the case of Spanish firm Zara, the ministry said a Midi dress with a belt incorporated elements from Mixtec culture, from the municipality of Oaxaca in San Juan.

US brand Anthropologie's Marka embroidered shorts are said to contain elements of the culture of the Mixe people, and Patowl, also American, is accused of making a "faithful copy" of the traditional garments of the Zapotec people for its Tops printed T-shirt range.&nbsp;

It is not the first time Mexico has taken a stand against the issue.&nbsp;

In November, it challenged French fashion designer Isabel Marant over her latest collection which it said commercially exploited indigenous motifs.

Designer Carolina Herrera, and Spanish companies Rapsodia and Mango have also been singled out for appropriating designs from Mexico.

Mexico has blasted major clothing brands Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl for using patterns and other elements of Mexican indigenous textiles in their collections without permission, the ministry of culture said Friday.

Mexico has blasted major clothing brands Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl for using patterns and other elements of Mexican indigenous textiles in their collections without permission, the ministry of culture said Friday. The ministry has sent letters to the three labels asking them to publicly clarify on what grounds "the collective property" of indigenous peoples of the southern state of Oaxaca had been privatized, and to indicate how they intended to compensate the communities affected. Minister Alejandra Frausto told the brands not to undermine the cultures' "identity and economy", and called for changes that put indigenous designers from Mexico's 56 ethnic groups on an equal footing with major labels. The protection of their rights, "which have historically been invisible", was an ethical principle that had to be addressed at a local and global level, she added. Separate missives to each brand, dated May 13 and signed by Frausto, pinpoint specific products at fault. In the case of Spanish firm Zara, the ministry said a Midi dress with a belt incorporated elements from Mixtec culture, from the municipality of Oaxaca in San Juan. US brand Anthropologie's Marka embroidered shorts are said to contain elements of the culture of the Mixe people, and Patowl, also American, is accused of making a "faithful copy" of the traditional garments of the Zapotec people for its Tops printed T-shirt range. It is not the first time Mexico has taken a stand against the issue. In November, it challenged French fashion designer Isabel Marant over her latest collection which it said commercially exploited indigenous motifs. Designer Carolina Herrera, and Spanish companies Rapsodia and Mango have also been singled out for appropriating designs from Mexico.

Mexico accuses major clothing brands of cultural appropriation

Mexico has accused few major clothing brands of cultural appropriation. The ministry of culture sent out letters to three clothing brands, namely Zara, Patowl and Anthropologie.

The ministry says the brands have been using patterns and elements from the Mexican indigenous culture as their own pattern.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-covid-19-caseload-tops-1685-million-who-388160" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/global-covid-19-caseload-tops-1685-million-who-388160&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwizlI_u0u7wAhVizDgGHVjnAcgQFjAAegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kgDyl1oVPKlYYnvybBpNQ" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-covid-19-caseload-tops-1685-million-who-388160" target="_blank">Global COVID-19 caseload tops 168.5 million: WHO</a>

They have also been accused of using the patterns without permission from the locals or the authorities.

The brands have been sent letters asking them to publicly clarify the grounds on which the brands have privatised "the collective property"&nbsp;of the indigenous people.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/artist-leonora-carringtons-mexico-home-becomes-museum-387357" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/artist-leonora-carringtons-mexico-home-becomes-museum-387357&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwizlI_u0u7wAhVizDgGHVjnAcgQFjAGegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Te9bbmY6tPZ1DNEd_CgHp" dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/artist-leonora-carringtons-mexico-home-becomes-museum-387357&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwizlI_u0u7wAhVizDgGHVjnAcgQFjAGegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Te9bbmY6tPZ1DNEd_CgHp" target="_blank">Artist Leonora Carrington's&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;home becomes museum</a>

Minister Alejandra Frausto has warned the brands to not undermine the "identity" of the cultural group and has urged international groups to grant the groups their rights "which have historically been invisible".

In addition to these brands, designer Carolina Herrera, clothing brand Mango and Spanish company Rapsodia have also been asked to stop using Mexican patterns as their own.

Frausto has also urged brands and international communities to address this issue on a global level and bring forth a solution to it.

Mexico has accused few major clothing brands of cultural appropriation. The ministry of culture sent out letters to three clothing brands, namely Zara, Patowl and Anthropologie.

Mexico has accused few major clothing brands of cultural appropriation. The ministry of culture sent out letters to three clothing brands, namely Zara, Patowl and Anthropologie. The ministry says the brands have been using patterns and elements from the Mexican indigenous culture as their own pattern. Also read | Global COVID-19 caseload tops 168.5 million: WHO They have also been accused of using the patterns without permission from the locals or the authorities. The brands have been sent letters asking them to publicly clarify the grounds on which the brands have privatised "the collective property" of the indigenous people. Also read | Artist Leonora Carrington's Mexico home becomes museum Minister Alejandra Frausto has warned the brands to not undermine the "identity" of the cultural group and has urged international groups to grant the groups their rights "which have historically been invisible". In addition to these brands, designer Carolina Herrera, clothing brand Mango and Spanish company Rapsodia have also been asked to stop using Mexican patterns as their own. Frausto has also urged brands and international communities to address this issue on a global level and bring forth a solution to it.

Mexico accuses Zara and other brands of cultural appropriation

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico President ruled out asking country's central bank chief to serve for another term. The president said that he would replace him with an economist with "a social dimension."

Alejandro Diaz de Leon's stint at the helm of the Bank of Mexico is due to finish at the end of this year.

His replacement "is going to be an economist with a social dimension, very in favor of the moral economy," said Lopez Obrador, a left-wing populist who often rails against neoliberalism.

Obrador has already appointed two of the five members of the central bank's governing board -- former banking executive Jonathan Heath and academic Gerardo Esquivel, who was part of his election campaign team.

Diaz de Leon, who has a master's degree from the Yale School of Management, took the reins of the central bank in December 2017, tasked with taming inflation.

He has overseen a series of interest rate cuts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year in an attempt to steer Latin America's second-largest economy out of a major slump.

(With inputs from agencies)

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico President ruled out asking country's central bank chief to serve for another term. The president said that he would replace him with an economist with "a social dimension.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico President ruled out asking country's central bank chief to serve for another term. The president said that he would replace him with an economist with "a social dimension." Alejandro Diaz de Leon's stint at the helm of the Bank of Mexico is due to finish at the end of this year. His replacement "is going to be an economist with a social dimension, very in favor of the moral economy," said Lopez Obrador, a left-wing populist who often rails against neoliberalism. Obrador has already appointed two of the five members of the central bank's governing board -- former banking executive Jonathan Heath and academic Gerardo Esquivel, who was part of his election campaign team. Diaz de Leon, who has a master's degree from the Yale School of Management, took the reins of the central bank in December 2017, tasked with taming inflation. He has overseen a series of interest rate cuts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year in an attempt to steer Latin America's second-largest economy out of a major slump. (With inputs from agencies)

No new term for central bank chief, says Mexico president

'Where are they': Mexican women protest on Mother's Day for their missing children

Mexico City&nbsp;will pay the equivalent of $2,000 to the families of 26 people killed when an elevated metro line collapsed, city hall's official gazette said Saturday.

Around $500 will be paid to the approximately 80 people injured in the accident, the publication added.

The cash is meant as short term compensation to help cover food, transportation and other expenses, the gazette said.

<a href="Relatives of Mexico metro crash victims demand justice">Also read |&nbsp;Relatives of Mexico metro crash victims demand justice</a>

It did not specify if more in damages will be paid to the families or this disbursement is definitive.

Demands for justice have mounted as relatives have buried the victims of Monday's disaster, when a section of elevated track collapsed, bringing a train crashing down.

Watch |

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/at-least-20-killed-after-overpass-carrying-metro-cars-collapses-onto-road-in-mexico-city-382719/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

That metro line is the city's newest and has been plagued by problems since it opened in 2012.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the city Friday as blame focused on two proteges of&nbsp;President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Mexico City&nbsp;Mayor&nbsp;Claudia Sheinbaum faces questions about whether the metro network has been properly maintained since she took office in 2018.

Her predecessor and current Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard oversaw the development and inauguration of the line.

Lopez Obrador has promised an in-depth investigation, while urging people not to speculate about who is to blame.

Mexico City will pay the equivalent of $2,000 to the families of 26 people killed when an elevated metro line collapsed, city hall's official gazette said Saturday.

Mexico City will pay the equivalent of $2,000 to the families of 26 people killed when an elevated metro line collapsed, city hall's official gazette said Saturday. Around $500 will be paid to the approximately 80 people injured in the accident, the publication added. The cash is meant as short term compensation to help cover food, transportation and other expenses, the gazette said. Also read | Relatives of Mexico metro crash victims demand justice It did not specify if more in damages will be paid to the families or this disbursement is definitive. Demands for justice have mounted as relatives have buried the victims of Monday's disaster, when a section of elevated track collapsed, bringing a train crashing down. Watch | That metro line is the city's newest and has been plagued by problems since it opened in 2012. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the city Friday as blame focused on two proteges of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum faces questions about whether the metro network has been properly maintained since she took office in 2018. Her predecessor and current Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard oversaw the development and inauguration of the line. Lopez Obrador has promised an in-depth investigation, while urging people not to speculate about who is to blame.

Mexico City to pay damages to victims of deadly metro accident

Mexican authorities announced Friday a further easing of pandemic&nbsp;lockdown&nbsp;measures in the&nbsp;capital&nbsp;and the resumption of earthquake simulation&nbsp;drills, reflecting a decline in new coronavirus cases and deaths.

Mexico City&nbsp;will move next week to yellow status, the second lowest of four under the country's traffic-light system, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced.

The move will&nbsp;ease&nbsp;restrictions on capacity or opening hours for businesses including shops, cinemas, casinos, amusement parks and banks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Relatives of Mexico metro crash victims demand justice">Relatives of Mexico metro crash victims demand justice</a>

The government also announced nationwide plans to restart earthquake and other disaster&nbsp;drills&nbsp;that were suspended last year because of the pandemic.

The exercises, held regularly before the health crisis, aim to prepare the country for the inevitable next major tremor to strike one of the most seismically active regions on Earth.

In&nbsp;Mexico City&nbsp;and other areas of seismic risk, the May 19&nbsp;drills&nbsp;will simulate an earthquake with a magnitude greater than seven, while elsewhere authorities will pick a different type of disaster.

Alarms will ring out in the&nbsp;capital, whose warning system using seismic monitors aims to give residents up to two minutes' warning of earthquakes with epicenters along the Pacific Coast.

Mexico's official Covid-19 death toll of around 218,000 is one of the highest in the world, and the actual figure is believed to be significantly worse.

But in contrast to many parts of the world, new cases and fatalities have declined since a surge in January that the authorities blamed on social gatherings around the New Year.

Hospitalizations for Covid-19 have declined for 16 consecutive weeks, according to the health ministry.

In&nbsp;Mexico City, hospital occupancy has fallen to 16.5 per cent, from a peak of 90 per cent.

The country of 126 million has administered 20.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses, including more than 600,000 on Wednesday -- the most yet in a single day.

Mexican authorities announced Friday a further easing of pandemic lockdown measures in the capital and the resumption of earthquake simulation drills, reflecting a decline in new coronavirus cases and deaths.

Mexican authorities announced Friday a further easing of pandemic lockdown measures in the capital and the resumption of earthquake simulation drills, reflecting a decline in new coronavirus cases and deaths. Mexico City will move next week to yellow status, the second lowest of four under the country's traffic-light system, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced. The move will ease restrictions on capacity or opening hours for businesses including shops, cinemas, casinos, amusement parks and banks. Also read | Relatives of Mexico metro crash victims demand justice The government also announced nationwide plans to restart earthquake and other disaster drills that were suspended last year because of the pandemic. The exercises, held regularly before the health crisis, aim to prepare the country for the inevitable next major tremor to strike one of the most seismically active regions on Earth. In Mexico City and other areas of seismic risk, the May 19 drills will simulate an earthquake with a magnitude greater than seven, while elsewhere authorities will pick a different type of disaster. Alarms will ring out in the capital, whose warning system using seismic monitors aims to give residents up to two minutes' warning of earthquakes with epicenters along the Pacific Coast. Mexico's official Covid-19 death toll of around 218,000 is one of the highest in the world, and the actual figure is believed to be significantly worse. But in contrast to many parts of the world, new cases and fatalities have declined since a surge in January that the authorities blamed on social gatherings around the New Year. Hospitalizations for Covid-19 have declined for 16 consecutive weeks, according to the health ministry. In Mexico City, hospital occupancy has fallen to 16.5 per cent, from a peak of 90 per cent. The country of 126 million has administered 20.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses, including more than 600,000 on Wednesday -- the most yet in a single day.

Mexico to ease capital lockdown, resume quake drills

Just before an online meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador very publicly accused the US government of violating Mexico's sovereignty. &nbsp;

The issue apparently didn't arise in the meeting with Harris. "It's not on the agenda and it's not our intention to create a bad atmosphere," López Obrador said ahead of the talks.&nbsp;

The meeting itself 'the portion made public' focused on immigration, a key issue in US-Mexico relationship along with trade, border security and the pandemic.&nbsp;

"We are going to help on immigration,” López Obrador told Harris. “You can count on us."&nbsp;

But with Mexico facing key congressional and state elections on June 6, the nationalist president dedicated a good part of his news conference earlier in the day to expressing outrage over a funding decision by the US Agency for International Development.&nbsp;

"It is an interventionist act that violated our sovereignty," said López Obrador, who added that Mexico had filed a diplomatic note with the US Embassy.&nbsp;

Less than two hours later, it was all smiles and compliments when López Obrador and Harris met at least in the publicly shown prelude to the closed meeting, which comes ahead of a planned actual visit by Harris on June 8.&nbsp;

López Obrador commended US President Joe Biden for giving Harris the responsibility of finding ways to address the root causes of migration, and he said he planned to pitch again a proposal he floated last month at Biden's climate summit.&nbsp;

The Mexican president wants the US to fund a major expansion of one of his signature programmes, 'Planting Life’, which provides cash payments to farmers, who plant certain fruit and lumber trees.&nbsp;

The aim has been to help keep Mexicans in their rural communities.&nbsp;

Mexico has offered it as a way to help in Central America too. The more challenging part of López Obrador's pitch is that the US grant six-month work visas, and eventually citizenship, to those who participate in the programme.&nbsp;

The Biden administration, like the Trump and Obama administrations before it, has been overwhelmed by the number of migrant children and families arriving at the US-Mexico border and looked to Mexico for help in slowing transit across its territory.&nbsp;

Most of the migrants come from Central America, though the number of Mexican migrants has risen as well. Harris is also scheduled to visit Guatemala June 7.&nbsp;

"We agreed to work together to establish a strategic partnership to address root causes of migration, spur economic development, and expand security cooperation," Harris wrote later on Friday on Twitter.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Just before an online meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador very publicly accused the US government of violating Mexico's sovereignty.

Just before an online meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador very publicly accused the US government of violating Mexico's sovereignty. The issue apparently didn't arise in the meeting with Harris. "It's not on the agenda and it's not our intention to create a bad atmosphere," López Obrador said ahead of the talks. The meeting itself 'the portion made public' focused on immigration, a key issue in US-Mexico relationship along with trade, border security and the pandemic. "We are going to help on immigration,” López Obrador told Harris. “You can count on us." But with Mexico facing key congressional and state elections on June 6, the nationalist president dedicated a good part of his news conference earlier in the day to expressing outrage over a funding decision by the US Agency for International Development. "It is an interventionist act that violated our sovereignty," said López Obrador, who added that Mexico had filed a diplomatic note with the US Embassy. Less than two hours later, it was all smiles and compliments when López Obrador and Harris met at least in the publicly shown prelude to the closed meeting, which comes ahead of a planned actual visit by Harris on June 8. López Obrador commended US President Joe Biden for giving Harris the responsibility of finding ways to address the root causes of migration, and he said he planned to pitch again a proposal he floated last month at Biden's climate summit. The Mexican president wants the US to fund a major expansion of one of his signature programmes, 'Planting Life’, which provides cash payments to farmers, who plant certain fruit and lumber trees. The aim has been to help keep Mexicans in their rural communities. Mexico has offered it as a way to help in Central America too. The more challenging part of López Obrador's pitch is that the US grant six-month work visas, and eventually citizenship, to those who participate in the programme. The Biden administration, like the Trump and Obama administrations before it, has been overwhelmed by the number of migrant children and families arriving at the US-Mexico border and looked to Mexico for help in slowing transit across its territory. Most of the migrants come from Central America, though the number of Mexican migrants has risen as well. Harris is also scheduled to visit Guatemala June 7. "We agreed to work together to establish a strategic partnership to address root causes of migration, spur economic development, and expand security cooperation," Harris wrote later on Friday on Twitter. (With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of Harris meeting, Mexico president accuses US 

Demands for&nbsp;justice&nbsp;mounted Thursday as&nbsp;relatives&nbsp;buried the&nbsp;victims&nbsp;of&nbsp;Mexico City's&nbsp;metro&nbsp;disaster, accusing the authorities of negligence that cost the lives of 25 people.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has rejected accusations that his austerity drive was a factor in Monday's accident, when a section of elevated track collapsed, bringing a train crashing down.

But at funerals in the capital, devastated families demanded an explanation for how the tragedy occurred and called for those at fault to be held to account.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Mexico city train derailment kills at least 20, injures dozens more">Mexico city train derailment kills at least 20, injures dozens more</a>

"It wasn't our fault. The authorities are responsible," 17-year-old Luis Diaz told AFP after burying his father Juan Luis Diaz, who usually traveled by bus, but on the day of the accident took the&nbsp;metro&nbsp;instead.

"We were not the only ones affected. Other people also lost their&nbsp;relatives. Many people are injured," he said.

Luis Hernandez, whose father was also among the dead, said that he wanted "justice&nbsp;for my mother, because my father was the breadwinner of the household."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nothing-to-do-with-austerity-drive-claims-mexican-president-after-metro-crash-383102">'Nothing to do with austerity drive', claims Mexican President after metro crash</a>

The 61-year-old &nbsp;was traveling in one of the two carriages that fell when the overpass collapsed.

"My father's dead and nobody can bring him back," Hernandez said.

"We're going to file a lawsuit, but right now we want to get through all this," his mother said, crying inconsolably.

The&nbsp;victims&nbsp;also included a 12-year-old boy, Brandon Giovanny, who was laid to rest on Wednesday.

Mexico City&nbsp;Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told a news conference that Norwegian engineering company DNV, which has been tasked with helping prosecutors with the investigation, would carry out "a root cause analysis" of the accident.

"That is, what's caused this situation in general terms since its construction," she said.

The&nbsp;metro&nbsp;line which partially collapsed, the city's newest, has been plagued by a series of problems since it was inaugurated in 2012.

A&nbsp;metro&nbsp;workers union has complained that engineers had already reported concerns about the line on various occasions.&nbsp;

The organization Mexicans Against Corruption has alleged that Lopez Obrador's austerity drive resulted in cuts to the&nbsp;metro&nbsp;network's budget.

The employers' association Coparmex has also suggested that the accident was linked to public spending reductions -- a claim that the president has strongly denied.

"Investigations have already begun to find the causes of this accident... and punish those responsible," the left-wing populist told reporters on Thursday.

The&nbsp;metro&nbsp;system's budget is based on an annual projection of ticket sales and contributions from the government.

"Given the pandemic, there was a reduction associated with the fall in its own income," said Sheinbaum, a close ally of Lopez Obrador.

"The government had to make an additional subsidy to the&nbsp;subway," she told reporters.

The accident comes just a month before June 6 midterm legislative elections in which Lopez Obrador's party aims to retain control of the lower house of Congress.

The furor has engulfed two of&nbsp;his political proteges and leading contenders to be the ruling party candidate in the 2024 presidential elections.

One of them, Sheinbaum, faces questions about whether the network has been adequately maintained since she took office in 2018.

The other, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, oversaw the development and inauguration of the line involved in the&nbsp;crash&nbsp;in his former position as&nbsp;Mexico City&nbsp;mayor.

Ebrard has promised to cooperate fully with the investigation into the accident.

He said that his administrative responsibility for the project ended after his 2006-2012 term.

"It's known that the first indications about the faults in the elevated part of the line occurred after the 2017 earthquake," which left 370 people dead, mainly in the capital, Ebrard said.

Demands for justice mounted Thursday as relatives buried the victims of Mexico City's metro disaster, accusing the authorities of negligence that cost the lives of 25 people.

Demands for justice mounted Thursday as relatives buried the victims of Mexico City's metro disaster, accusing the authorities of negligence that cost the lives of 25 people. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has rejected accusations that his austerity drive was a factor in Monday's accident, when a section of elevated track collapsed, bringing a train crashing down. But at funerals in the capital, devastated families demanded an explanation for how the tragedy occurred and called for those at fault to be held to account. Also read | Mexico city train derailment kills at least 20, injures dozens more "It wasn't our fault. The authorities are responsible," 17-year-old Luis Diaz told AFP after burying his father Juan Luis Diaz, who usually traveled by bus, but on the day of the accident took the metro instead. "We were not the only ones affected. Other people also lost their relatives. Many people are injured," he said. Luis Hernandez, whose father was also among the dead, said that he wanted "justice for my mother, because my father was the breadwinner of the household." Also read | 'Nothing to do with austerity drive', claims Mexican President after metro crash The 61-year-old was traveling in one of the two carriages that fell when the overpass collapsed. "My father's dead and nobody can bring him back," Hernandez said. "We're going to file a lawsuit, but right now we want to get through all this," his mother said, crying inconsolably. The victims also included a 12-year-old boy, Brandon Giovanny, who was laid to rest on Wednesday. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told a news conference that Norwegian engineering company DNV, which has been tasked with helping prosecutors with the investigation, would carry out "a root cause analysis" of the accident. "That is, what's caused this situation in general terms since its construction," she said. The metro line which partially collapsed, the city's newest, has been plagued by a series of problems since it was inaugurated in 2012. A metro workers union has complained that engineers had already reported concerns about the line on various occasions. The organization Mexicans Against Corruption has alleged that Lopez Obrador's austerity drive resulted in cuts to the metro network's budget. The employers' association Coparmex has also suggested that the accident was linked to public spending reductions -- a claim that the president has strongly denied. "Investigations have already begun to find the causes of this accident... and punish those responsible," the left-wing populist told reporters on Thursday. The metro system's budget is based on an annual projection of ticket sales and contributions from the government. "Given the pandemic, there was a reduction associated with the fall in its own income," said Sheinbaum, a close ally of Lopez Obrador. "The government had to make an additional subsidy to the subway," she told reporters. The accident comes just a month before June 6 midterm legislative elections in which Lopez Obrador's party aims to retain control of the lower house of Congress. The furor has engulfed two of his political proteges and leading contenders to be the ruling party candidate in the 2024 presidential elections. One of them, Sheinbaum, faces questions about whether the network has been adequately maintained since she took office in 2018. The other, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, oversaw the development and inauguration of the line involved in the crash in his former position as Mexico City mayor. Ebrard has promised to cooperate fully with the investigation into the accident. He said that his administrative responsibility for the project ended after his 2006-2012 term. "It's known that the first indications about the faults in the elevated part of the line occurred after the 2017 earthquake," which left 370 people dead, mainly in the capital, Ebrard said.

Relatives of Mexico metro crash victims demand justice

Dutch researchers have trained bees, which have an unusually keen sense of smell, to detect COVID-19 infected samples, a finding they said could cut the waiting time for test results to seconds.

Dutch researchers train bees to detect coronavirus

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