Mexican authorities have informed that dozens of dolphins were found stranded on a rocky beach along the coast of Baja California Sur State on Tuesday.&nbsp;

At least 21 dolphins were found dead out of the 54 that had washed up on the beach in northern Mexico, federal environmental protection agency said.&nbsp;

Workers attended to the dolphins and saved 33 of the short-beaked common dolphins, the Mexican environmental protection authority, Profepa, said in a statement.

The dolphins had bite marks that appeared to indicate they had been attacked by bottlenose dolphins, rescuers said.

An autopsy will be carried out on two of the animals for further analysis. Experts said it was the largest dolphin beaching incident seen in the state in recent years.

Photos released by the agency show dozens of dolphins washed up on the rocks and lined up in the sand, overseen by white-coated personnel.

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Atiende <a href="https://twitter.com/PROFEPA_Mx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PROFEPA_Mx</a> varamientos de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/delfines?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#delfines</a> en La Paz, Baja California Sur<a href="https://t.co/yQKPOQjiJC">https://t.co/yQKPOQjiJC</a> <a href="https://t.co/77Pgwwznjr">pic.twitter.com/77Pgwwznjr</a>
&mdash; PROFEPA (@PROFEPA_Mx) <a href="https://twitter.com/PROFEPA_Mx/status/963590821953130496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Despite their cute and friendly reputation, some dolphins, including the bottlenose, are known to attack and even kill other dolphins.

At least 21 dolphins were found dead out of the 54 that had washed up on the beach in northern Mexico, federal environmental protection agency said

Mexican authorities have informed that dozens of dolphins were found stranded on a rocky beach along the coast of Baja California Sur State on Tuesday. At least 21 dolphins were found dead out of the 54 that had washed up on the beach in northern Mexico, federal environmental protection agency said. Workers attended to the dolphins and saved 33 of the short-beaked common dolphins, the Mexican environmental protection authority, Profepa, said in a statement. The dolphins had bite marks that appeared to indicate they had been attacked by bottlenose dolphins, rescuers said. An autopsy will be carried out on two of the animals for further analysis. Experts said it was the largest dolphin beaching incident seen in the state in recent years. Photos released by the agency show dozens of dolphins washed up on the rocks and lined up in the sand, overseen by white-coated personnel. Atiende @PROFEPA_Mx varamientos de #delfines en La Paz, Baja California Surhttps://t.co/yQKPOQjiJC pic.twitter.com/77Pgwwznjr — PROFEPA (@PROFEPA_Mx) February 14, 2018 × Despite their cute and friendly reputation, some dolphins, including the bottlenose, are known to attack and even kill other dolphins.

21 dolphins dead, several washed up on Mexico beach

Marijuana should be legalized in two of Mexico&#39;s main tourist hot spots, Cancun and Los Cabos, in order to reduce criminal violence, Mexico&#39;s minister for tourism said on Thursday.

Minister Enrique de la Madrid said Mexico could follow the example of the United States and legalize marijuana in areas with support, urging Quintana Roo, where Cancun lies, and Baja California Sur, the home of Los Cabos, to move ahead with it.

&quot;It&#39;s absurd that we&#39;re not taking this step as a country,&quot; de la Madrid told reporters at a conference in Mexico City.

&quot;Even if there&#39;s work to do on the whole of the country, I&#39;d like to see that it might be done in Baja California and Quintana Roo,&quot; he added, describing the states as victims of a poor drug law.

Baja California and Quintana Roo have been two of the states hardest hit by a jump in gang violence in the country over the past year, helping to prompt verbal swipes from U.S. President Donald Trump about how dangerous it is in Mexico.

De la Madrid later said in a Twitter post that his comments reflected his personal views.

President Enrique Pena Nieto has said the United States and Mexico should not pursue diverging policies on marijuana. In 2016, he proposed a bill to allow Mexicans to carry up to an ounce of marijuana, but the measure stalled in Congress.

Carlos Mendoza, governor of Baja California Sur, told local media that if the idea were adopted, it should be implemented in various areas popular with tourists.

&quot;It seems foolish and illogical that we&#39;re here fighting with a strategy that costs lives in Mexico and magically, crossing the border, marijuana becomes legal,&quot; he said.

California this month became the sixth U.S. state to legalize the drug despite a federal ban.

Despite the trend toward legalization north of the border, cartels still make millions of dollars from smuggling marijuana into the United States. Mexico legalized marijuana use for medical and scientific needs in June.

He said marijuana should be legalised in two of Mexico's main tourist hot spots, Cancun and Los Cabos, in order to reduce criminal violence

Marijuana should be legalized in two of Mexico's main tourist hot spots, Cancun and Los Cabos, in order to reduce criminal violence, Mexico's minister for tourism said on Thursday. Minister Enrique de la Madrid said Mexico could follow the example of the United States and legalize marijuana in areas with support, urging Quintana Roo, where Cancun lies, and Baja California Sur, the home of Los Cabos, to move ahead with it. "It's absurd that we're not taking this step as a country," de la Madrid told reporters at a conference in Mexico City. "Even if there's work to do on the whole of the country, I'd like to see that it might be done in Baja California and Quintana Roo," he added, describing the states as victims of a poor drug law. Baja California and Quintana Roo have been two of the states hardest hit by a jump in gang violence in the country over the past year, helping to prompt verbal swipes from U.S. President Donald Trump about how dangerous it is in Mexico. De la Madrid later said in a Twitter post that his comments reflected his personal views. President Enrique Pena Nieto has said the United States and Mexico should not pursue diverging policies on marijuana. In 2016, he proposed a bill to allow Mexicans to carry up to an ounce of marijuana, but the measure stalled in Congress. Carlos Mendoza, governor of Baja California Sur, told local media that if the idea were adopted, it should be implemented in various areas popular with tourists. "It seems foolish and illogical that we're here fighting with a strategy that costs lives in Mexico and magically, crossing the border, marijuana becomes legal," he said. California this month became the sixth U.S. state to legalize the drug despite a federal ban. Despite the trend toward legalization north of the border, cartels still make millions of dollars from smuggling marijuana into the United States. Mexico legalized marijuana use for medical and scientific needs in June.

Make marijuana legal, at major beach resorts: Mexico Tourism Minister

Mexican immigration authorities&nbsp;found 109 Central American migrants crammed into the back of a trailer truck in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Out of the 109 migrants 39 were identified as children.

The migrants were found suffering from dehydration and asphyxia due to the time they had spent in the truck without food or water.

According to media reports, these were the victims of human trafficking and were being taken to the US.

The incident came to the light when the truck was stopped at an inspection checkpoint near Ciudad Victoria, capital city of Tamaulipas.

The truck driver was arrested along with his assistants over charges of human trafficking.

The rescued migrants include 83 Guatemalans, 17 Hondurans and nine from El Salvador.

Authorities are now assisting the rescued in their safe return by contacting their respective consulates.

Reports &nbsp;suggest hundreds and thousands of undocumented migrants cross Mexican territory every year to reach the United States. In the process, the migrants fall prey to extortion, kidnapping, murder, trafficking and all possible forms of abuse.&nbsp;

Mexican immigration authorities found 109 Central American migrants crammed into the back of a trailer truck in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Out of the 109 migrants 39 were identified as children. The migrants were found suffering from dehydration and asphyxia due to the time they had spent in the truck without food or water. According to media reports, these were the victims of human trafficking and were being taken to the US. The incident came to the light when the truck was stopped at an inspection checkpoint near Ciudad Victoria, capital city of Tamaulipas. The truck driver was arrested along with his assistants over charges of human trafficking. The rescued migrants include 83 Guatemalans, 17 Hondurans and nine from El Salvador. Authorities are now assisting the rescued in their safe return by contacting their respective consulates. Reports suggest hundreds and thousands of undocumented migrants cross Mexican territory every year to reach the United States. In the process, the migrants fall prey to extortion, kidnapping, murder, trafficking and all possible forms of abuse.

Over 100 Central American migrants found crammed in Mexican truck

The collapse of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would not be a disaster for Mexico, the top foreign policy advisor to leftist presidential election frontrunner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, adding that Mexico should depend less on the United States and not interfere with regional neighbours.

In an interview with Reuters on Thursday (February 08), veteran diplomat Hector Vasconcelos echoed Lopez Obrador&#39;s position that Mexico should suspend talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement until a new government is elected in July, and said Mexico had other trade options.

The United States takes about 80 percent of Mexico&#39;s exports, despite numerous international trade deals. The current government has stepped up efforts to diversify to other markets in response to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s threats to scrap the 1990s-era NAFTA, which also includes Canada.

Vasconcelos emphasised that Mexico would keep close ties to the United States if Lopez Obrador were to win, saying his government would seek an alliance for economic growth instead of a focus on police and military relations.

The diplomat pushed back at political rivals who say that Lopez Obrador&#39;s policies would take Mexico down a route similar to crisis-hit Venezuela, but said he did not support US&nbsp;sanctions on Venezuela&#39;s socialist government.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on a five-nation tour of Latin America and the Caribbean this week, said the United States was moving closer to a decision on imposing sanctions on Venezuelan oil.

Canada, Mexico, and the United States agreed to form a working group to study how to mitigate any fallout from the potential sanctions.

The top foreign policy advisor told this to leftist presidential election frontrunner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and added that Mexico should depend less on the United States and not interfere with regional neighbours

The collapse of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would not be a disaster for Mexico, the top foreign policy advisor to leftist presidential election frontrunner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, adding that Mexico should depend less on the United States and not interfere with regional neighbours. In an interview with Reuters on Thursday (February 08), veteran diplomat Hector Vasconcelos echoed Lopez Obrador's position that Mexico should suspend talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement until a new government is elected in July, and said Mexico had other trade options. The United States takes about 80 percent of Mexico's exports, despite numerous international trade deals. The current government has stepped up efforts to diversify to other markets in response to US President Donald Trump's threats to scrap the 1990s-era NAFTA, which also includes Canada. Vasconcelos emphasised that Mexico would keep close ties to the United States if Lopez Obrador were to win, saying his government would seek an alliance for economic growth instead of a focus on police and military relations. The diplomat pushed back at political rivals who say that Lopez Obrador's policies would take Mexico down a route similar to crisis-hit Venezuela, but said he did not support US sanctions on Venezuela's socialist government. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on a five-nation tour of Latin America and the Caribbean this week, said the United States was moving closer to a decision on imposing sanctions on Venezuelan oil. Canada, Mexico, and the United States agreed to form a working group to study how to mitigate any fallout from the potential sanctions.

End of NAFTA wouldn't be 'end of world': Mexican leftist's top diplomat

Any congressional immigration plan that does not provide for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border &#39;is a total waste of time,&#39; U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday as two top senators planned to unveil a bipartisan compromise plan.

&quot;Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal!&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

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Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/960522569492426753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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'Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time,' Trump tweeted

Any congressional immigration plan that does not provide for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border 'is a total waste of time,' U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday as two top senators planned to unveil a bipartisan compromise plan. "Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Dems seem not to care about DACA. Make a deal! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018 ×

Trump: Any immigration plan without border wall 'waste of time'

Mexican officials said on Sunday the government was set to unleash a new wave of troops to crack down on criminal groups in regions where a surge in violence led to more than 25,000 murders last year.

National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said federal police troops will work with local officials to round up known major criminals and bolster investigations.

The aim was &ldquo;to recover peace and calm for all Mexicans,&rdquo; he said. He did not provide details on the number of federal police to be deployed.

More than 25,000 murders were recorded last year as rival drug gangs increasingly splintered into smaller, more blood-thirsty groups after more than a decade of a military-led campaign to battle the cartels.

Violence is a central issue ahead of the presidential election in July. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto&rsquo;s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party is trailing in third place in recent polls.

Sales said federal police troops would be deployed in the states of Colima and Baja California Sur, the resort town of Cancun and the border city of Ciudad Juarez, among others. He said more details would be forthcoming within days.

Earlier this month, the United States slapped its most stringent travel warnings on the states of Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Guerrero, ranking them as bad as war-ravaged Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

At least 25 people were murdered in Mexico this weekend, according to officials and local media, including nine men who were executed at a house party in a suburb of the wealthy northern industrial city of Monterrey.

Masked gunmen burst into a home in San Nicholas de los Garza as a group watched a local soccer team play on television, according to state prosecutors. Seven were killed at the scene and two more died later at a hospital.

There were a wave of attacks in night spots late Saturday and early Sunday. A group of armed men killed three people in a bar in the resort city of Cancun, a Chilean tourist was killed in the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco, and two more were killed in a bar in the capital of Veracruz state.

Six more were killed in the border city of Ciudad Juarez and four more died in the border state of Tamaulipas, where at least 10 were killed during the week at outlaw road blockades and in shootouts, local media reported.

More than 25,000 murders were recorded last year as rival drug gangs increasingly splintered into smaller, more blood-thirsty groups

Mexican officials said on Sunday the government was set to unleash a new wave of troops to crack down on criminal groups in regions where a surge in violence led to more than 25,000 murders last year. National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said federal police troops will work with local officials to round up known major criminals and bolster investigations. The aim was “to recover peace and calm for all Mexicans,” he said. He did not provide details on the number of federal police to be deployed. More than 25,000 murders were recorded last year as rival drug gangs increasingly splintered into smaller, more blood-thirsty groups after more than a decade of a military-led campaign to battle the cartels. Violence is a central issue ahead of the presidential election in July. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto’s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party is trailing in third place in recent polls. Sales said federal police troops would be deployed in the states of Colima and Baja California Sur, the resort town of Cancun and the border city of Ciudad Juarez, among others. He said more details would be forthcoming within days. Earlier this month, the United States slapped its most stringent travel warnings on the states of Colima, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Guerrero, ranking them as bad as war-ravaged Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. At least 25 people were murdered in Mexico this weekend, according to officials and local media, including nine men who were executed at a house party in a suburb of the wealthy northern industrial city of Monterrey. Masked gunmen burst into a home in San Nicholas de los Garza as a group watched a local soccer team play on television, according to state prosecutors. Seven were killed at the scene and two more died later at a hospital. There were a wave of attacks in night spots late Saturday and early Sunday. A group of armed men killed three people in a bar in the resort city of Cancun, a Chilean tourist was killed in the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco, and two more were killed in a bar in the capital of Veracruz state. Six more were killed in the border city of Ciudad Juarez and four more died in the border state of Tamaulipas, where at least 10 were killed during the week at outlaw road blockades and in shootouts, local media reported.

Mexico to send troops to stem violence after record 25,000 murders

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-slams-pakistan-after-pm-abbasi-says-no-case-registered-against-hafiz-saeed-30013" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-slams-pakistan-after-pm-abbasi-says-no-case-registered-against-hafiz-saeed-30013" target="_blank"> slams Pakistan after PM Abbasi says &#39;no case registered against Hafiz Saeed&#39;</a>

US state department spokesman Heather Nauert reacting to Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi statement that &quot;no case was registered against Hafiz Saeed&quot; said the US believes Saeed was the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan PM Shahid Abbasi during an interview to Geo TV had declared recently that &quot;there is no case against Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan.&quot; &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pak-troops-open-fire-again-along-loc-indian-army-retaliates-30011" target="_blank">Pak troops open fire again along LoC, Indian army retaliates</a>

In less than 24 hours, Pakistan troops once again opened fire in the RS Pura sector along the line of control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian security forces immediately retaliated.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-largest-underwater-cave-discovered-in-mexico-30009" target="_blank">World&#39;s largest underwater cave discovered in Mexico</a>

Underwater archaeologists and divers have discovered a passage connecting two underwater caves in what is said to be the world&#39;s largest flooded cave in Mexico. This discovery could open doors to lost secrets of the ancient Maya civilization.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bus-fire-kills-52-uzbek-citizens-in-kazakhstan-30003" target="_blank">Bus fire kills 52 Uzbek citizens in Kazakhstan</a>

Fifty-two Uzbek citizens have been killed in a bus fire in northwestern Kazakhstan on Thursday. The bus, carrying 55 passengers, was on a route used by migrant workers on their way to Russia that links Samara to Shymkent, the Kazakh Interior Ministry said. The fire took place in northwestern Aktobe region.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-when-aishwarya-rai-and-vivek-oberoi-posed-for-a-selfie-together-30007" target="_blank">When Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi posed for a selfie together</a>

Years ago, Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi had done a film together called Kyun! Hogaya Na&hellip; There were rumours that the two even started dating during the making of the film. The alleged affair created havoc in Aishwarya Rai&#39;s life as her former boyfriend Salman Khan disapproved of the relationship and threatened Vivek Oberoi one night with incessant calls. Vivek Oberoi promptly held a press conference to talk about Khan&#39;s behaviour and we all know how went downhill for Oberoi&#39;s career after that.&nbsp;

US slams Pakistan after PM Abbasi says 'no case registered against Hafiz Saeed' US state department spokesman Heather Nauert reacting to Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi statement that "no case was registered against Hafiz Saeed" said the US believes Saeed was the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan PM Shahid Abbasi during an interview to Geo TV had declared recently that "there is no case against Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan." Pak troops open fire again along LoC, Indian army retaliates In less than 24 hours, Pakistan troops once again opened fire in the RS Pura sector along the line of control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian security forces immediately retaliated. World's largest underwater cave discovered in Mexico Underwater archaeologists and divers have discovered a passage connecting two underwater caves in what is said to be the world's largest flooded cave in Mexico. This discovery could open doors to lost secrets of the ancient Maya civilization. Bus fire kills 52 Uzbek citizens in Kazakhstan Fifty-two Uzbek citizens have been killed in a bus fire in northwestern Kazakhstan on Thursday. The bus, carrying 55 passengers, was on a route used by migrant workers on their way to Russia that links Samara to Shymkent, the Kazakh Interior Ministry said. The fire took place in northwestern Aktobe region. When Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi posed for a selfie together Years ago, Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi had done a film together called Kyun! Hogaya Na… There were rumours that the two even started dating during the making of the film. The alleged affair created havoc in Aishwarya Rai's life as her former boyfriend Salman Khan disapproved of the relationship and threatened Vivek Oberoi one night with incessant calls. Vivek Oberoi promptly held a press conference to talk about Khan's behaviour and we all know how went downhill for Oberoi's career after that.

WION Morning News brief, January 19, 2018

Underwater archaeologists and divers have discovered a passage connecting two underwater caves in what is said to be the world&#39;s largest flooded cave in Mexico.&nbsp;

This discovery could open doors to lost secrets of the ancient Maya civilization.&nbsp;

The Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) has informed that the cave stretches to about 347 kilometres and was discovered after months of exploring a maze of underwater channels.

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Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) (Reuters)
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The region hosts a stunning 358 submerged cave systems, representing some 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) of flooded freshwater tunnels hidden under the surface.

Near the beach resort of Tulum, the group found that the cave system known as Sac Actun once measured at 263 km, communicated with the 83-km Dos Ojos system. For that reason, Sac Actun now absorbs Dos Ojos.

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&quot;This immense cave represents the most important submerged archaeological site in the world. It allows us to appreciate much more clearly how the rituals, the pilgrimage sites and ultimately the great pre-Hispanic settlements that we know emerged,&quot; says underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda from Mexico&#39;s National Institute of Anthropology and History.

&quot;It has more than a hundred archaeological contexts, among which are evidence of the first settlers of America, as well as extinct fauna and, of course, the Maya culture,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

The Yucatan Peninsula, where the cave is located, reportedly still holds treasures from the ancient Mayan community.

The Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) has informed that the cave stretches to about 347 kilometres and discovered after months of exploring a maze of underwater channels

Underwater archaeologists and divers have discovered a passage connecting two underwater caves in what is said to be the world's largest flooded cave in Mexico. This discovery could open doors to lost secrets of the ancient Maya civilization. The Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) has informed that the cave stretches to about 347 kilometres and was discovered after months of exploring a maze of underwater channels. Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) (Reuters) × The region hosts a stunning 358 submerged cave systems, representing some 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) of flooded freshwater tunnels hidden under the surface. Near the beach resort of Tulum, the group found that the cave system known as Sac Actun once measured at 263 km, communicated with the 83-km Dos Ojos system. For that reason, Sac Actun now absorbs Dos Ojos. Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM) (Reuters) × "This immense cave represents the most important submerged archaeological site in the world. It allows us to appreciate much more clearly how the rituals, the pilgrimage sites and ultimately the great pre-Hispanic settlements that we know emerged," says underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History. "It has more than a hundred archaeological contexts, among which are evidence of the first settlers of America, as well as extinct fauna and, of course, the Maya culture," he added. The Yucatan Peninsula, where the cave is located, reportedly still holds treasures from the ancient Mayan community.

World's largest underwater cave discovered in Mexico

Tarun Mansukhani&rsquo;s Dostana starring John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra and Abhishek Bachchan was a cult movie in many ways.&nbsp;

The movie had its own humorous take on homosexuality which entertained many.

The comical chemistry between the male protagonists delighted many fans.&nbsp;

While the movie portrayed its lead actors in a glamorous avatar, it also popularised John Abraham like never before.

Undeniably, John Abraham is known for his unmatchable fitness, chiselled physique and good looks not only in India but all across the globe.

The former Gladrags Manhunt winner recently made headlines for a rather shocking reason.&nbsp;

Social media cracked up when images from a cruise in Mexico went viral.

Wet &amp; Wild Gay Cruise in Mexico has been using John&rsquo;s image to promote itself.

The poster of the cruise sports John&#39;s picture plastered all over and reads, &quot;sexy crew and sexy lotion studs onboard&quot;.&nbsp;

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Super curious if John Abraham knows they are using his image to promote gay cruises in Mexico. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dostana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dostana</a> <a href="https://t.co/swURiDX793">pic.twitter.com/swURiDX793</a>
&mdash; Nia Levy King (@ArtActivistNia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtActivistNia/status/944738911217000448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The cruise offers open bar facility along with &quot;lunch at an exotic restaurant location with great music,&quot; the poster notes.&nbsp;

The image of the poster was posted online by a Twitter user who wondered if the Force 2&nbsp;actor is aware of his photo being used &quot;to promote gay cruises in Mexico.&quot;

The former Gladrags Manhunt winner recently made headlines for a rather shocking reason

Tarun Mansukhani’s Dostana starring John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra and Abhishek Bachchan was a cult movie in many ways. The movie had its own humorous take on homosexuality which entertained many. The comical chemistry between the male protagonists delighted many fans. While the movie portrayed its lead actors in a glamorous avatar, it also popularised John Abraham like never before. Undeniably, John Abraham is known for his unmatchable fitness, chiselled physique and good looks not only in India but all across the globe. The former Gladrags Manhunt winner recently made headlines for a rather shocking reason. Social media cracked up when images from a cruise in Mexico went viral. Wet & Wild Gay Cruise in Mexico has been using John’s image to promote itself. The poster of the cruise sports John's picture plastered all over and reads, "sexy crew and sexy lotion studs onboard". Super curious if John Abraham knows they are using his image to promote gay cruises in Mexico. #Dostana pic.twitter.com/swURiDX793 — Nia Levy King (@ArtActivistNia) December 24, 2017 × The cruise offers open bar facility along with "lunch at an exotic restaurant location with great music," the poster notes. The image of the poster was posted online by a Twitter user who wondered if the Force 2 actor is aware of his photo being used "to promote gay cruises in Mexico."

Mexican gay cruise is using John Abraham's picture for promotions

As India tries to figure out ways to combat toxic smog, Mexico can lend a helping hand. Melba Maria Pria Olavarrieta, Mexico&rsquo;s ambassador to India, has some suggestions.

&ldquo;We have worked on tackling pollution for 25 years, and we are here to share that experience. We did a lot of things like, like pushed&nbsp;all the industries out of the city limits, added&nbsp;catalytic converters in cars, changed type of fuel we were using. We buy about one million cars from India, and add catalytic converters in all of them. Ironically, the car I use here in India does not have any such device,&rdquo; Ms Olavarrieta said in an exclusive interview to WION.

She added, &ldquo;Pollution affects the life of everyone - you, me, our children. Pollution brings problems for economy because you have to spen too much to improve the air quality. So we need to have a long-term solution to the problem. Today we are talking so much&nbsp;about pollution because the air quality index has reached 800. In 10 days, when things will normalise, everyone will forget about this. This needs to change.&rdquo;

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Mexico has been battling pollution for years now. In 1992, the United Nations declared Mexico City the most polluted on the planet. It is said that Mexico City&#39;s air has gone from being among the world&#39;s cleanest to among the dirtiest.

&quot;We always keep our children inside whenever pollution level reaches 150. I didn&#39;t have lead in my blood when I was young, but my children do. And this is serious,&quot;&nbsp;Ms Olavarrieta said. &quot;We asked school children about the colour of the sky. Eighty per cent of the kids said it&#39;s grey. The half of remaining 20 per cent said it&#39;s brown, and only the remaining said it was blue.&quot;

There was no respite from toxic&nbsp;smog&nbsp;and dangerously high levels of air pollution for New Delhi on Friday with residents complaining of irritated eyes and respiratory problems.

Pollution in New Delhi has been hovering at alarming levels with air quality readings of tiny particulate matter PM 2.5 hitting over 796 on Friday, the most severe level on the government&#39;s scale. A reading of anything over 100 is considered unhealthy.&nbsp;

PM 2.5 is particulate matter about 30 times finer than a human hair. The particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

Residents complained of headaches, coughs and smarting eyes. Many stayed home and restaurants in some of the city&#39;s most crowded parts were deserted.

Illegal crop burning in the farm states surrounding New Delhi, vehicle exhaust emissions in a city with limited public transport and swirling construction dust have caused the crisis, which arises every year. The problem has been compounded this year by still conditions, the weather office said.

There was no respite from toxic smog and dangerously high levels of air pollution for New Delhi on Friday with residents complaining of irritated eyes and respiratory problems.

As India tries to figure out ways to combat toxic smog, Mexico can lend a helping hand. Melba Maria Pria Olavarrieta, Mexico’s ambassador to India, has some suggestions. “We have worked on tackling pollution for 25 years, and we are here to share that experience. We did a lot of things like, like pushed all the industries out of the city limits, added catalytic converters in cars, changed type of fuel we were using. We buy about one million cars from India, and add catalytic converters in all of them. Ironically, the car I use here in India does not have any such device,” Ms Olavarrieta said in an exclusive interview to WION. She added, “Pollution affects the life of everyone - you, me, our children. Pollution brings problems for economy because you have to spen too much to improve the air quality. So we need to have a long-term solution to the problem. Today we are talking so much about pollution because the air quality index has reached 800. In 10 days, when things will normalise, everyone will forget about this. This needs to change.” File photo of Mexico's ambassador to India, Melba Maria Pria Olavarrieta (Facebook) × Mexico has been battling pollution for years now. In 1992, the United Nations declared Mexico City the most polluted on the planet. It is said that Mexico City's air has gone from being among the world's cleanest to among the dirtiest. "We always keep our children inside whenever pollution level reaches 150. I didn't have lead in my blood when I was young, but my children do. And this is serious," Ms Olavarrieta said. "We asked school children about the colour of the sky. Eighty per cent of the kids said it's grey. The half of remaining 20 per cent said it's brown, and only the remaining said it was blue." There was no respite from toxic smog and dangerously high levels of air pollution for New Delhi on Friday with residents complaining of irritated eyes and respiratory problems. Pollution in New Delhi has been hovering at alarming levels with air quality readings of tiny particulate matter PM 2.5 hitting over 796 on Friday, the most severe level on the government's scale. A reading of anything over 100 is considered unhealthy. PM 2.5 is particulate matter about 30 times finer than a human hair. The particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and respiratory diseases. Residents complained of headaches, coughs and smarting eyes. Many stayed home and restaurants in some of the city's most crowded parts were deserted. Illegal crop burning in the farm states surrounding New Delhi, vehicle exhaust emissions in a city with limited public transport and swirling construction dust have caused the crisis, which arises every year. The problem has been compounded this year by still conditions, the weather office said.

Toxic smog: How Mexico can help Delhi

Hong Kong will become the first Asian city to host the Gay Games in 2022 with rights campaigners celebrating the winning bid for a city often criticised for lagging on LGBT rights.

Hong Kong beat Mexico&#39;s Guadalajara and Washington DC to host the 11th edition of the event, with the jubilant bid team saying it would attract 15,000 participants and bring HK$1 billion into the local economy.&nbsp;

Organised by the LGBT community, the Gay Games features a range of sports and is open to all participants, &quot;without regard to sexual orientation, and there are no qualifying standards&quot;, the Hong Kong bid team said in a statement.&nbsp;

Competitors come from many countries, including those where homosexuality remains illegal, it added.&nbsp;

The Gay Games was founded by former Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell and first held in San Francisco in 1982. The next edition will be held in Paris in August next year, featuring 36 sports, from mountain biking to fencing and athletics.&nbsp;

Hong Kong&#39;s Pink Alliance, which promotes equal rights for the LGBT community, said the games would &quot;help to bring a wider understanding and acceptance of our community&quot;, not only in the southern Chinese city but throughout the region.&nbsp;

When the constitutional court in neighbouring Taiwan ruled in favour of allowing gay marriage in May, campaigners in socially conservative Hong Kong highlighted the city&#39;s lack of progress on equality issues.&nbsp;

Hong Kong does not recognise gay marriage and only decriminalised homosexuality in 1991.

But a landmark court decision in September that granted a British lesbian in Hong Kong&nbsp;known as &quot;QT&quot; the right to live and work in the city as a dependant of her long-term partner was hailed as a decision that could reduce more hurdles for same-sex couples.

QT had previously been denied a dependant visa by immigration authorities, forcing her instead to stay in Hong Kong on a visitor visa, which did not allow her to work.

Hong Kong&#39;s Gay Games bid chair Dennis Philipse said there was a &quot;spirit and passion for increased inclusion and diversity&quot; in Hong Kong.

However, the campaign for LGBT rights continues to elicit fury from anti-gay campaigners.&nbsp;

Last year, banking giant HSBC placed a pair of rainbow-painted lions in front of its landmark building in the heart of the city to promote support of gay rights, a move slammed as &quot;disgusting&quot; by opponents who rallied in protest.

Hong Kong will become the first Asian city to host the Gay Games in 2022 with rights campaigners celebrating the winning bid for a city often criticised for lagging on LGBT rights. Hong Kong beat Mexico's Guadalajara and Washington DC to host the 11th edition of the event.

Hong Kong will become the first Asian city to host the Gay Games in 2022 with rights campaigners celebrating the winning bid for a city often criticised for lagging on LGBT rights. Hong Kong beat Mexico's Guadalajara and Washington DC to host the 11th edition of the event, with the jubilant bid team saying it would attract 15,000 participants and bring HK$1 billion into the local economy. Organised by the LGBT community, the Gay Games features a range of sports and is open to all participants, "without regard to sexual orientation, and there are no qualifying standards", the Hong Kong bid team said in a statement. Competitors come from many countries, including those where homosexuality remains illegal, it added. The Gay Games was founded by former Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell and first held in San Francisco in 1982. The next edition will be held in Paris in August next year, featuring 36 sports, from mountain biking to fencing and athletics. Hong Kong's Pink Alliance, which promotes equal rights for the LGBT community, said the games would "help to bring a wider understanding and acceptance of our community", not only in the southern Chinese city but throughout the region. When the constitutional court in neighbouring Taiwan ruled in favour of allowing gay marriage in May, campaigners in socially conservative Hong Kong highlighted the city's lack of progress on equality issues. Hong Kong does not recognise gay marriage and only decriminalised homosexuality in 1991. But a landmark court decision in September that granted a British lesbian in Hong Kong known as "QT" the right to live and work in the city as a dependant of her long-term partner was hailed as a decision that could reduce more hurdles for same-sex couples. QT had previously been denied a dependant visa by immigration authorities, forcing her instead to stay in Hong Kong on a visitor visa, which did not allow her to work. Hong Kong's Gay Games bid chair Dennis Philipse said there was a "spirit and passion for increased inclusion and diversity" in Hong Kong. However, the campaign for LGBT rights continues to elicit fury from anti-gay campaigners. Last year, banking giant HSBC placed a pair of rainbow-painted lions in front of its landmark building in the heart of the city to promote support of gay rights, a move slammed as "disgusting" by opponents who rallied in protest.

Hong Kong to become first Asian host of Gay Games

The earthquake that hit Mexico on September 19 did not discriminate in its destruction, leveling homes in rich and poor neighborhoods alike.

But one month on, the tragedies facing Mexico City&#39;s newly homeless depend largely on class.

Residents of upscale neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa face a frenzied rush to rent or buy new homes in other neighbourhoods nearby, creating a real estate bubble.

Meanwhile, in far-flung corners like Xochimilco in the south, residents say the government has forgotten them and they fight to cling to whatever they can.

More than 8,000 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed by the 7.1-magnitude quake, which left a trail of destruction that cut across Mexico City from north to south, hitting a broad cross-section of neighbourhoods.

&quot;You think it won&#39;t happen to you, until it does,&quot; said Gerardo Alvarez, who had to flee his home in the trendy Zona Rosa with his pregnant wife.

&quot;My house is collapsing, there are diagonal scars on the walls,&quot; he told AFP.

For now, he and his wife are staying with friends. But they are struggling to find a new home.

Homeless and shell-shocked residents are exiting the capital`s hip central neighborhoods in drones, leading to a frothy real estate bubble in surrounding&nbsp;neighborhoods built on more solid ground.

&quot;Prices have gone through the roof,&quot; said Paola Navarrete, a 31-year-old consultant.

She had to abandon her badly damaged building in Condesa. The authorities would only let her return to salvage three outfits of clothes and her documents.

Condesa, a hipster playground of trendy restaurants, bars and boutiques, looked like a wasteland after the quake, which killed 369 people, mostly in the capital.

There are no official figures on the number of newly homeless.

Some 600 people are staying in shelters. But many more are staying with relatives, friends or colleagues -- or a succession of all three.

These sometimes awkward stays have revived an old expression in Mexico: &quot;There are two things that start to stink after three days: dead bodies and guests.&quot;

Many companies are also looking to move.

Demand for new office buildings with the latest anti-earthquake features has surged by 30 to 40 percent since the same period last year, according to figures from real estate agency Coldwell Banker Mexico cited in the newspaper El Financiero.Far from the froth, many modest homes are also in ruins or on the verge of collapse in Xochimilco, on the southern outskirts of the capital.

The area, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is popular with tourists for its ancient floating gardens and languid canals.

Some quake exiles have taken to setting up communal tables on the unpaved streets outside their wrecked homes, fighting tragedy with conviviality.

Residents have also instituted a rotating night watch to help each other fend off looters.

But solidarity can&#39;t fix all their problems.

&quot;We still have no water, and the electricity only just came back,&quot; said Hortensia Fernandez, 50, in the empty plot where her house used to stand.

She has cleared away the rubble of her former home, leaving her with a desk, some broken wooden chairs, a small yard and an apple tree. She uses a plastic tarp to protect a few boxes of scattered belongings from the elements.

&quot;We&rsquo;re all sitting here waiting for them to come rebuild our homes, even if it`s just a ramshackle little house,&quot; she said.

&quot;But this is just a neighborhood of little houses, not big buildings like the ones that collapsed so spectacularly.&quot;

Across the way, the Lopez family house is on the verge of collapse, its windows broken and its porch covered in rubble.

&quot;The authorities said they&rsquo;d have to tear it down. But then they never came back. They&rsquo;ve forgotten about us,&quot; said Lorena Lopez.

Her family of six is staying with her sister-in-law down the street. But that house is damaged too.

&quot;It&rsquo;s tough,&quot; she said. &quot;There are nine of us staying in a house that used to hold six. We sleep on the floor, all squeezed in together.&quot;

Her septuagenarian mother breaks into tears as she speaks.

&quot;The worst part is losing our family heirlooms,&quot; she said.

More than 8,000 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed by the 7.1-magnitude quake.

The earthquake that hit Mexico on September 19 did not discriminate in its destruction, leveling homes in rich and poor neighborhoods alike. But one month on, the tragedies facing Mexico City's newly homeless depend largely on class. Residents of upscale neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa face a frenzied rush to rent or buy new homes in other neighbourhoods nearby, creating a real estate bubble. Meanwhile, in far-flung corners like Xochimilco in the south, residents say the government has forgotten them and they fight to cling to whatever they can. More than 8,000 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed by the 7.1-magnitude quake, which left a trail of destruction that cut across Mexico City from north to south, hitting a broad cross-section of neighbourhoods. "You think it won't happen to you, until it does," said Gerardo Alvarez, who had to flee his home in the trendy Zona Rosa with his pregnant wife. "My house is collapsing, there are diagonal scars on the walls," he told AFP. For now, he and his wife are staying with friends. But they are struggling to find a new home. Homeless and shell-shocked residents are exiting the capital`s hip central neighborhoods in drones, leading to a frothy real estate bubble in surrounding neighborhoods built on more solid ground. "Prices have gone through the roof," said Paola Navarrete, a 31-year-old consultant. She had to abandon her badly damaged building in Condesa. The authorities would only let her return to salvage three outfits of clothes and her documents. Condesa, a hipster playground of trendy restaurants, bars and boutiques, looked like a wasteland after the quake, which killed 369 people, mostly in the capital. There are no official figures on the number of newly homeless. Some 600 people are staying in shelters. But many more are staying with relatives, friends or colleagues -- or a succession of all three. These sometimes awkward stays have revived an old expression in Mexico: "There are two things that start to stink after three days: dead bodies and guests." Many companies are also looking to move. Demand for new office buildings with the latest anti-earthquake features has surged by 30 to 40 percent since the same period last year, according to figures from real estate agency Coldwell Banker Mexico cited in the newspaper El Financiero.Far from the froth, many modest homes are also in ruins or on the verge of collapse in Xochimilco, on the southern outskirts of the capital. The area, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is popular with tourists for its ancient floating gardens and languid canals. Some quake exiles have taken to setting up communal tables on the unpaved streets outside their wrecked homes, fighting tragedy with conviviality. Residents have also instituted a rotating night watch to help each other fend off looters. But solidarity can't fix all their problems. "We still have no water, and the electricity only just came back," said Hortensia Fernandez, 50, in the empty plot where her house used to stand. She has cleared away the rubble of her former home, leaving her with a desk, some broken wooden chairs, a small yard and an apple tree. She uses a plastic tarp to protect a few boxes of scattered belongings from the elements. "We’re all sitting here waiting for them to come rebuild our homes, even if it`s just a ramshackle little house," she said. "But this is just a neighborhood of little houses, not big buildings like the ones that collapsed so spectacularly." Across the way, the Lopez family house is on the verge of collapse, its windows broken and its porch covered in rubble. "The authorities said they’d have to tear it down. But then they never came back. They’ve forgotten about us," said Lorena Lopez. Her family of six is staying with her sister-in-law down the street. But that house is damaged too. "It’s tough," she said. "There are nine of us staying in a house that used to hold six. We sleep on the floor, all squeezed in together." Her septuagenarian mother breaks into tears as she speaks. "The worst part is losing our family heirlooms," she said.

Mexico quake hit rich and poor alike, but tragedies differ

Nate reached hurricane status as it bore down on popular Mexican beach resorts and headed for the US Gulf Coast early Saturday after dumping heavy rains on Central America and leaving at least 28 people dead.

New Orleans, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, leaving hundreds dead, and other cities on the US Gulf coast were under a hurricane warning.&nbsp;

Louisiana, the state home to New Orleans, said President Donald Trump had quickly approved the release of federal aid to help mitigate the impact of the storm.

With the storm&#39;s top winds swirling at 129 kilometers (80 miles) per hour some 240 miles northwest of the western tip of Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that in the United States, &quot;the combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.&quot;

The water was expected to peak at up to 2.5 meters (eight feet) above ground in some areas.

Luis Felipe Puente, the national coordinator of Civil Protection, recommended &quot;avoiding aquatic, touristic and recreational activities&quot; in Quintana Roo.

After moving across the Gulf of Mexico, the storm was set to make landfall along the central US Gulf Coast late Saturday, the NHC said.

Authorities cancelled school in seven Mexican coastal towns and declared an orange alert for the northern half of Quintana Roo state.

Swells expected to affect northwestern Caribbean land over the weekend &quot;are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,&quot; according to the US forecasters.

New Orleans issued a mandatory curfew for Saturday from 6:00 pm (2300 GMT), and mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders were issued for certain low-lying areas.

&quot;Our greatest threat... is not necessarily rain, but strong winds and storm surge,&quot; said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

Unlike Hurricane Harvey, which dumped record amounts of rain while hovering over neighbouring Texas for a week, fast-moving Nate was expected to quickly pass along a northerly path.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned that while Nate was forecast to be a weak hurricane, it could still cause unexpected damage.

&quot;Anyone in low-lying areas... we are urging them to prepare now,&quot; he said.

In the neighbouring state of Mississippi, lines formed at gas stations in areas within the potential path of the storm.

Some offshore oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have evacuated ahead of the storm&#39;s advance.

Nate was still wreaking havoc in Central America, where heavy rains continued causing floods.

Authorities in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have declared a maximum or red alert.

On Thursday, intense rains forced thousands from their homes, uprooted trees, knocked out bridges and turned roads into rivers across a swath of Central America.

&quot;We were drowning. Thank God (emergency workers) helped us. The river swelled so much it swept away our house, our pigs, our chickens -- it swept away everything,&quot; said Bonavide Velazquez, 60, who was evacuated from her home in southern Nicaragua.

Nicaragua bore 13 of the deaths, according to Vice President Rosario Murillo.

In Costa Rica, where a national emergency was declared, 10 people died, including a three-year-old girl, after they were hit by falling trees and mudslides. An alert was issued for people to be wary of crocodiles that might be roaming after rivers and estuaries flooded.

Three other people were killed in Honduras, and two in El Salvador.

More than 30 people are listed as missing across the region.

The United States is recovering from two major hurricanes: Harvey, which tore through Texas in August, and Irma in September.

Another powerful storm, Hurricane Maria, ripped through the Caribbean in late September, devastating several islands, including Dominica and Puerto Rico.

Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and the southern United States suffer an Atlantic hurricane season every year that runs from June to November.

But 2017 is already one of the worst years on record.

It bore down on popular Mexican beach resorts and headed for the US Gulf Coast early Saturday

Nate reached hurricane status as it bore down on popular Mexican beach resorts and headed for the US Gulf Coast early Saturday after dumping heavy rains on Central America and leaving at least 28 people dead. New Orleans, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, leaving hundreds dead, and other cities on the US Gulf coast were under a hurricane warning. Louisiana, the state home to New Orleans, said President Donald Trump had quickly approved the release of federal aid to help mitigate the impact of the storm. With the storm's top winds swirling at 129 kilometers (80 miles) per hour some 240 miles northwest of the western tip of Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that in the United States, "the combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline." The water was expected to peak at up to 2.5 meters (eight feet) above ground in some areas. Luis Felipe Puente, the national coordinator of Civil Protection, recommended "avoiding aquatic, touristic and recreational activities" in Quintana Roo. After moving across the Gulf of Mexico, the storm was set to make landfall along the central US Gulf Coast late Saturday, the NHC said. Authorities cancelled school in seven Mexican coastal towns and declared an orange alert for the northern half of Quintana Roo state. Swells expected to affect northwestern Caribbean land over the weekend "are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," according to the US forecasters. New Orleans issued a mandatory curfew for Saturday from 6:00 pm (2300 GMT), and mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders were issued for certain low-lying areas. "Our greatest threat... is not necessarily rain, but strong winds and storm surge," said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Unlike Hurricane Harvey, which dumped record amounts of rain while hovering over neighbouring Texas for a week, fast-moving Nate was expected to quickly pass along a northerly path. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned that while Nate was forecast to be a weak hurricane, it could still cause unexpected damage. "Anyone in low-lying areas... we are urging them to prepare now," he said. In the neighbouring state of Mississippi, lines formed at gas stations in areas within the potential path of the storm. Some offshore oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have evacuated ahead of the storm's advance. Nate was still wreaking havoc in Central America, where heavy rains continued causing floods. Authorities in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have declared a maximum or red alert. On Thursday, intense rains forced thousands from their homes, uprooted trees, knocked out bridges and turned roads into rivers across a swath of Central America. "We were drowning. Thank God (emergency workers) helped us. The river swelled so much it swept away our house, our pigs, our chickens -- it swept away everything," said Bonavide Velazquez, 60, who was evacuated from her home in southern Nicaragua. Nicaragua bore 13 of the deaths, according to Vice President Rosario Murillo. In Costa Rica, where a national emergency was declared, 10 people died, including a three-year-old girl, after they were hit by falling trees and mudslides. An alert was issued for people to be wary of crocodiles that might be roaming after rivers and estuaries flooded. Three other people were killed in Honduras, and two in El Salvador. More than 30 people are listed as missing across the region. The United States is recovering from two major hurricanes: Harvey, which tore through Texas in August, and Irma in September. Another powerful storm, Hurricane Maria, ripped through the Caribbean in late September, devastating several islands, including Dominica and Puerto Rico. Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and the southern United States suffer an Atlantic hurricane season every year that runs from June to November. But 2017 is already one of the worst years on record.

Deadly Hurricane Nate bears down on Mexico, US

At least 14 people were killed and eight injured tuesday&nbsp;night in northern Mexico when an armed group opened fire in a drug addiction rehabilitation center, local police said. 
 
In a statement security officials in the city of Chihuahua said &quot;an armed group entered the Uniting Families rehabilitation center,&quot; attacking those inside with assault rifles. 
 
First responders arrived on scene to care for the wounded in the center, where some 25 people were estimated to have been during the attack.&nbsp; 
 
The state of Chihuahua, which borders the United States, has endured some of the worst violence in Mexico&#39;s decade-long militarised battle against drug trafficking.&nbsp; 
 
In the past decade at least half a dozen attacks have taken place in rehabilitation centers, and according to authorities are generally perpetrated by gang members settling scores with rivals hiding in the centers. 
 
Since the Mexican government launched its war on cartels in 2006, more than 200,000 people have died or disappeared amid the violence.

The state of Chihuahua, which borders the US, has endured some of the worst violence in Mexico's decade-long militarised battle against drug trafficking

At least 14 people were killed and eight injured tuesday night in northern Mexico when an armed group opened fire in a drug addiction rehabilitation center, local police said. In a statement security officials in the city of Chihuahua said "an armed group entered the Uniting Families rehabilitation center," attacking those inside with assault rifles. First responders arrived on scene to care for the wounded in the center, where some 25 people were estimated to have been during the attack. The state of Chihuahua, which borders the United States, has endured some of the worst violence in Mexico's decade-long militarised battle against drug trafficking. In the past decade at least half a dozen attacks have taken place in rehabilitation centers, and according to authorities are generally perpetrated by gang members settling scores with rivals hiding in the centers. Since the Mexican government launched its war on cartels in 2006, more than 200,000 people have died or disappeared amid the violence.

Attack on Mexico drug rehab center leaves 14 dead

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-signs-order-to-build-wall-along-mexico-border-11693" target="_blank">President Donald Trump&#39;s border&nbsp;wall&nbsp;with&nbsp;Mexico</a>&nbsp;came a&nbsp;step closer to reality on September 26 as construction and testing of prototype structures that will influence the design of the divisive project began.

&quot;Today marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the President&#39;s executive order on border security and immigration improvement,&quot; said acting chief border patrol agent Roy Villareal at the construction site.

&quot;Construction of the eight&nbsp;wall&nbsp;prototypes began today here in San Diego,&quot; he said, adding that four of the structures will be made of concrete and four others will be comprised of other materials he didn&#39;t name.

Trump has insisted&nbsp;Mexico should pay for building the&nbsp;wall, which experts said could cost about $22 billion and take more than three years to complete. With<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-border-wall-decision-hacks-off-mexicans-11700" target="_blank">&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;refusing to pay,</a> Trump has said since taking office in January that the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;will initially need US funding but that he will find a way to make&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;ultimately pay for it.

Last month the Trump administration said it had selected four construction companies to build concrete prototypes for a&nbsp;wall, which will be&nbsp;30 feet (9 meters) tall and about 30 feet wide and will be tested in San Diego.

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-protest-against-trump-in-mexico-12325" target="_blank">Tens of thousands protest against Trump in Mexico</a>)

Villareal said the prototype phase is expected to last 30 days and that he expects protests at the site during that time.

&quot;We expect that there may be protesting and we are going to do everything to make sure that we provide that opportunity and we maintain civility and lawfulness along the border,&quot; he said.

President Donald Trump's border?wall?with?Mexico?came on step closer to reality on September 26 as construction and testing of prototype structures that will influence the design of the divisive project began

President Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico came a step closer to reality on September 26 as construction and testing of prototype structures that will influence the design of the divisive project began. "Today marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the President's executive order on border security and immigration improvement," said acting chief border patrol agent Roy Villareal at the construction site. "Construction of the eight wall prototypes began today here in San Diego," he said, adding that four of the structures will be made of concrete and four others will be comprised of other materials he didn't name. Trump has insisted Mexico should pay for building the wall, which experts said could cost about $22 billion and take more than three years to complete. With Mexico refusing to pay, Trump has said since taking office in January that the wall will initially need US funding but that he will find a way to make Mexico ultimately pay for it. Last month the Trump administration said it had selected four construction companies to build concrete prototypes for a wall, which will be 30 feet (9 meters) tall and about 30 feet wide and will be tested in San Diego. Also Read: Tens of thousands protest against Trump in Mexico) Villareal said the prototype phase is expected to last 30 days and that he expects protests at the site during that time. "We expect that there may be protesting and we are going to do everything to make sure that we provide that opportunity and we maintain civility and lawfulness along the border," he said.

Trump's Mexico border wall goes into prototype phase

Early in the morning on <a href="https://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/sept09/independence.html">Sept. 16, 1810</a>, priest, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bell of his church in the small town of Dolores, near Guanajuato, Mexico. His parishioners gathered round, and he <a href="https://books.google.com.sv/books?id=uuBVAAAAMAAJ&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s">urged them</a> to revolt against Spain&rsquo;s two-year-old Napoleonic government.

Hidalgo&rsquo;s call to arms, which later became known later as the Grito de Dolores <a href="http://www.revistadelauniversidad.unam.mx/6709/carballo/67carballo.html">(Cry of Dolores)</a>, triggered the Mexican War of Independence. Every September 15, the president of Mexico takes to the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City to <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=4Zn_nCFYY_4C&amp;pg=PA243&amp;dq=grito+de+Dolores+Hidalgo&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q=grito%20de%20Dolores&amp;f=false">reenact</a> it.

This year, just a week before Independence Day, a historic <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-seismologists-didnt-see-mexicos-deadly-earthquake-coming-83865">earthquake struck Mexico&rsquo;s southern coast</a>, killing <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2017/09/11/mexico/1505157398_686934.html">nearly 100 people</a>. So President Enrique Pe&ntilde;a Nieto added a poignant element to his Grito by including in the incantation a reference to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/09/world/americas/mexico-earthquake-juchitan-de-zaragoza.html?mcubz=3&amp;_r=0">impoverished states that were most devastated</a> by the quake, crying &ldquo;Long live the solidarity of Mexicans with Chiapas and Oaxaca!&rdquo;

It was a nice twist on tradition, but these two states will need more than expressions of solidarity to recover. The <a href="https://twitter.com/SismologicoMX/status/906132423275986945">8.2 magnitude</a> quake is the <a href="https://twitter.com/EPN/status/906079206987194368">strongest</a> Mexico has experienced in 100 years, surpassing even the Sept. 19, 1985 earthquake that killed an estimated <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080610175800/http:/www.ssn.unam.mx/website/jsp/Carteles/sismo85.jsp">40,000 people</a> in and around Mexico City.

It was also significantly more powerful than the recent <a href="https://twitter.com/SSNMexico/status/910223086263336961">7.1 magnitude</a> earthquake that <a href="http://www.reforma.com/aplicaciones/articulo/default.aspx?id=1213679&amp;v=15">killed upwards of 200 people</a> in and around Mexico&rsquo;s capital on September 19.

Natural and man-made disasters

This latest quake shook Mexico City 32 years to the day after the 1985 &ldquo;big one.&rdquo; I was 11 years old when the quake hit, and I recall the government of President Miguel de la Madrid reacting with what can only be described as criminal apathy: In the first days after the disaster, he <a href="http://www.informador.com.mx/mexico/2012/367226/6/de-la-madrid-el-presidente-recordado-por-el-terremoto-de-1985.htm">prevented the army from rescuing victims</a> and rejected international aid.

The people of Mexico City, however, <a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/09/11/mas-jesus.html">took to the streets</a>, distributing food, water and blankets among those who needed them and digging neighbors free from the rubble with their <a href="http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/metropoli/df/2015/09/13/terremoto-de-1985-la-solidaridad-en-su-maxima-expresion#imagen-1">bare hands</a>.

This time around, the death toll is significantly lower than it was in 1985: 78 fatalities in Oaxaca, 16 in Chiapas and four in Tabasco for the <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2017/09/11/mexico/1505157398_686934.html">first earthquake</a>, and more than 220 for the <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2017/09/19/actualidad/1505845600_736646.html">second</a>. In part, this reflects <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/25/world/mexicans-link-damage-in-quake-to-breaches-of-city-building-code.html?mcubz=3">improvements</a> in building regulations since 1985 and the creation of both a <a href="http://www.cires.org.mx/">Mexican Seismic Alert System</a> and a <a href="https://www.gob.mx/proteccion-civil">National Civil Protection System</a>.

Still, the damages are daunting. Scores of buildings in Mexico City have suffered <a href="https://twitter.com/Enrique_Acevedo/status/910227100896022528">catastrophic damage</a>.

But it was Oaxaca and Chiapas &ndash; Mexico&rsquo;s two poorest states &ndash; that took the harshest blow. More than 2,500 <a href="http://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/2017/09/18/dano-el-sismo-2-646-escuelas-en-oaxaca-y-chiapas">schools</a> have been severely harmed and 85,000 <a href="http://www.animalpolitico.com/2017/09/censo-danos-oaxaca-chiapas/">houses</a> have been affected &ndash; more than 17,000 of them beyond repair.

Poverty makes these disaster impacts worse in the south. On average, <a href="https://www.forbes.com.mx/los-10-estados-con-mas-pobres-en-mexico/">46 percent of Mexican households live in poverty</a>. But <a href="http://www.coneval.org.mx/coordinacion/entidades/Oaxaca/Paginas/Pobreza-2016.aspx">70 percent of Oaxaca&rsquo;s population</a> earns less than what&rsquo;s needed to satisfy basic family needs, according to the government&rsquo;s CONEVAL agency, and 77 percent of <a href="http://www.coneval.org.mx/coordinacion/entidades/Chiapas/Paginas/Pobreza-2016.aspx">Chiapas</a> households do.

In both states, the lowest-income families making as little as <a href="http://www.animalpolitico.com/2017/08/ingreso-menos-ganan-mayor-inegi/">37 pesos</a> (US$2) per day, less than half&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sat.gob.mx/informacion_fiscal/tablas_indicadores/paginas/salarios_minimos.aspx">the Mexican minimum wage</a>, which is 80.04 pesos, or around $4.50 a day.

The World Bank lists Mexico as the <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?year_high_desc=true">15th most powerful economy</a> in the world, but its wealth has not trickled down to the southern states.

That fact has left many on the ground wondering whether the <a href="http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/seguridad/garantizan-recursos-para-damnificados">16 billion Mexican pesos</a> ($901 million) in federal disaster assistance being offered to <a href="http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5497237&amp;fecha=14/09/2017">283 municipalities in Oaxaca</a> and <a href="http://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5497236&amp;fecha=14/09/2017">97 in Chiapas</a> will get to where it needs to go.

Unequal development in Mexico is an ongoing challenge. A <a href="http://www.banxico.org.mx/publicaciones-y-discursos/publicaciones/informes-periodicos/reportes-sobre-las-economias-regionales/%7BF88DFFC0-499D-D23B-BB92-E8D9539B76D1%7D.pdf">recent report from the Bank of Mexico</a> showed that during the second trimester of 2017, the Mexican economy grew in north (0.9 percent), center-north (1.2 percent) and central zones (0.7 percent), home to such powerhouse cities as Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, but contracted over 1 percent in the rural south.

If there&rsquo;s a silver lining to these twin earthquakes, it&rsquo;s that the post-disaster recovery analyses have finally shed some light on the <a href="http://cuentame.inegi.org.mx/monografias/informacion/chis/poblacion/default.aspx?tema=me&amp;e=07">historical neglect of Chiapas</a> and <a href="http://cuentame.inegi.org.mx/monografias/informacion/oax/poblacion/">Oaxaca</a>, together home to around nine million Mexicans.

What the earthquake unearthed

It is not incidental that many of those residents are of indigenous descent. Upwards of <a href="https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/121653/Infografia_INDI_FINAL_08082016.pdf">40 percent</a> of Mexico&rsquo;s indigenous peoples live in the southern states of <a href="http://www.cuentame.inegi.org.mx/monografias/informacion/oax/poblacion/diversidad.aspx">Oaxaca</a>, <a href="http://cuentame.inegi.org.mx/monografias/informacion/chis/poblacion/diversidad.aspx?tema=me&amp;e=07">Chiapas</a> and <a href="http://www.cuentame.inegi.org.mx/monografias/informacion/yuc/poblacion/diversidad.aspx?tema=me&amp;e=31">Yucat&aacute;n</a>.

Their economic exclusion dates back to the colonial era. In 1813, a Chiapas priest, Mariano Robles Dom&iacute;nguez de Mazariegos, testified in Spain to the &ldquo;<a href="http://weblioteca.uv.es/cgi/view7.pl?sesion=201709181948475512&amp;source=uv_im_b15136097&amp;div=34">violent humiliations</a>&rdquo; suffered by the indigenous inhabitants of Chiapas, who, he said, lived a life of &ldquo;<a href="http://weblioteca.uv.es/cgi/view7.pl?sesion=201709181948475512&amp;source=uv_im_b15136097&amp;div=41">agitation and continuous terror and distress</a>&rdquo; because they were treated with such &ldquo;<a href="http://weblioteca.uv.es/cgi/view7.pl?sesion=201709181948475512&amp;source=uv_im_b15136097&amp;div=41">contempt and hatred</a>.&rdquo;

More than 200 years later, on New Year&rsquo;s Day 1994, the <a href="http://hemisphericinstitute.org/hemi/en/su10-tourism/item/879-su10-brief-historical-background-zapatista-movement">Zapatistas</a>, whose ranks consist of largely of poor Mayans from Chiapas, used similar words to justify an indigenous rebellion against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which had just been signed.

Condemning NAFTA as a death sentence for traditional agricultural methods still practiced on collectively owned indigenous lands, the <a href="http://schoolsforchiapas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/1st-Declaration-of-the-Lacandona-Jungle.pdf">First Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle</a> asserted that Chiapas&rsquo; rural population had &ldquo;nothing&rdquo;: &ldquo;no land, no work, no health care, no food nor education&rdquo; &ndash; not even a roof over their heads.

As the recent earthquake reveals, the plight of indigenous Mexicans has not improved markedly over the past 200 years. Their homes offered tenuous shelter from the quake at&nbsp;best, and their food supplies, long delicate, are <a href="https://lasillarota.com/nacion/a-una-semana-del-sismo-padecen-hambre-e-incertidumbre/176692">now running short</a>.

The worst and the best of Mexico

Mexico is and always will be a land of earthquakes. Pre-Columbian records <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-seismologists-didnt-see-mexicos-deadly-earthquake-coming-83865">report</a> seismic activity attributed to the wrath of gods said to be unhappy about the state of human affairs.

Today, quakes still <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=vAF-9pNtpg8C&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=gbs_ge_summary_r&amp;cad=0#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">unearth</a> the best and the worst in Mexico.

It&rsquo;s not clear that Pe&ntilde;a Nieto, whose government is dogged by <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-many-mexicans-this-government-spying-scandal-feels-eerily-familiar-79981">scandals</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/governors-gone-wild-mexico-faces-a-lost-generation-of-corrupt-leaders-76858">wildly public corruption</a>, can make use of this crisis to bring social change to Oaxaca and Chiapas.

Other politicians are falling short of this high bar, too. In a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anahimusic/videos/10155462147581368/">Facebook video</a>, the wife of <a href="http://www.24-horas.mx/reconoce-manuel-velasco-a-enrique-pena-nieto-como-aliado-de-chiapas/">Chiapas Governor Manuel Velasco</a>, a member of Pe&ntilde;a Nieto&rsquo;s inner circle, toured a ruined Chiapas home to show the administration &ldquo;is helping&rdquo; but lamented her &ldquo;tousled&rdquo; hair.

The populace, at least, is coming to its own assistance. Right after the quake in Mexico City, people formed veritable <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/19/552141609/at-least-42-people-killed-as-powerful-earthquake-convulses-central-mexico">factory lines of diggers</a> to excavate their buried neighbors and lent out bicycles so stranded colleagues could make their way home.

Residents of Mexico&rsquo;s southern region have also shown the country what resilience looks like, even in the face of overwhelming historical odds. In the town of Juchit&aacute;n, Oaxaca, where the historic town hall pancaked after the earthquake, a man picked up a Mexican flag that had previously decorated its facade, shook off the dust and then, in an act that touched millions, he placed it atop the debris.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/twin-earthquakes-expose-mexicos-deep-inequality-84012" nofollow="" rel="">original article</a>.

Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico?s two poorest states, have taken the harshest blow in the recent earthquakes.

Early in the morning on Sept. 16, 1810, priest, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bell of his church in the small town of Dolores, near Guanajuato, Mexico. His parishioners gathered round, and he urged them to revolt against Spain’s two-year-old Napoleonic government. Hidalgo’s call to arms, which later became known later as the Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores), triggered the Mexican War of Independence. Every September 15, the president of Mexico takes to the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City to reenact it. This year, just a week before Independence Day, a historic earthquake struck Mexico’s southern coast, killing nearly 100 people. So President Enrique Peña Nieto added a poignant element to his Grito by including in the incantation a reference to the impoverished states that were most devastated by the quake, crying “Long live the solidarity of Mexicans with Chiapas and Oaxaca!” It was a nice twist on tradition, but these two states will need more than expressions of solidarity to recover. The 8.2 magnitude quake is the strongest Mexico has experienced in 100 years, surpassing even the Sept. 19, 1985 earthquake that killed an estimated 40,000 people in and around Mexico City. It was also significantly more powerful than the recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake that killed upwards of 200 people in and around Mexico’s capital on September 19. Natural and man-made disasters This latest quake shook Mexico City 32 years to the day after the 1985 “big one.” I was 11 years old when the quake hit, and I recall the government of President Miguel de la Madrid reacting with what can only be described as criminal apathy: In the first days after the disaster, he prevented the army from rescuing victims and rejected international aid. The people of Mexico City, however, took to the streets, distributing food, water and blankets among those who needed them and digging neighbors free from the rubble with their bare hands. This time around, the death toll is significantly lower than it was in 1985: 78 fatalities in Oaxaca, 16 in Chiapas and four in Tabasco for the first earthquake, and more than 220 for the second. In part, this reflects improvements in building regulations since 1985 and the creation of both a Mexican Seismic Alert System and a National Civil Protection System. Still, the damages are daunting. Scores of buildings in Mexico City have suffered catastrophic damage. But it was Oaxaca and Chiapas – Mexico’s two poorest states – that took the harshest blow. More than 2,500 schools have been severely harmed and 85,000 houses have been affected – more than 17,000 of them beyond repair. Poverty makes these disaster impacts worse in the south. On average, 46 percent of Mexican households live in poverty. But 70 percent of Oaxaca’s population earns less than what’s needed to satisfy basic family needs, according to the government’s CONEVAL agency, and 77 percent of Chiapas households do. In both states, the lowest-income families making as little as 37 pesos (US$2) per day, less than half the Mexican minimum wage, which is 80.04 pesos, or around $4.50 a day. The World Bank lists Mexico as the 15th most powerful economy in the world, but its wealth has not trickled down to the southern states. That fact has left many on the ground wondering whether the 16 billion Mexican pesos ($901 million) in federal disaster assistance being offered to 283 municipalities in Oaxaca and 97 in Chiapas will get to where it needs to go. Unequal development in Mexico is an ongoing challenge. A recent report from the Bank of Mexico showed that during the second trimester of 2017, the Mexican economy grew in north (0.9 percent), center-north (1.2 percent) and central zones (0.7 percent), home to such powerhouse cities as Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, but contracted over 1 percent in the rural south. If there’s a silver lining to these twin earthquakes, it’s that the post-disaster recovery analyses have finally shed some light on the historical neglect of Chiapas and Oaxaca, together home to around nine million Mexicans. What the earthquake unearthed It is not incidental that many of those residents are of indigenous descent. Upwards of 40 percent of Mexico’s indigenous peoples live in the southern states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Yucatán. Their economic exclusion dates back to the colonial era. In 1813, a Chiapas priest, Mariano Robles Domínguez de Mazariegos, testified in Spain to the “violent humiliations” suffered by the indigenous inhabitants of Chiapas, who, he said, lived a life of “agitation and continuous terror and distress” because they were treated with such “contempt and hatred.” More than 200 years later, on New Year’s Day 1994, the Zapatistas, whose ranks consist of largely of poor Mayans from Chiapas, used similar words to justify an indigenous rebellion against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which had just been signed. Condemning NAFTA as a death sentence for traditional agricultural methods still practiced on collectively owned indigenous lands, the First Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle asserted that Chiapas’ rural population had “nothing”: “no land, no work, no health care, no food nor education” – not even a roof over their heads. As the recent earthquake reveals, the plight of indigenous Mexicans has not improved markedly over the past 200 years. Their homes offered tenuous shelter from the quake at best, and their food supplies, long delicate, are now running short. The worst and the best of Mexico Mexico is and always will be a land of earthquakes. Pre-Columbian records report seismic activity attributed to the wrath of gods said to be unhappy about the state of human affairs. Today, quakes still unearth the best and the worst in Mexico. It’s not clear that Peña Nieto, whose government is dogged by scandals and wildly public corruption, can make use of this crisis to bring social change to Oaxaca and Chiapas. Other politicians are falling short of this high bar, too. In a Facebook video, the wife of Chiapas Governor Manuel Velasco, a member of Peña Nieto’s inner circle, toured a ruined Chiapas home to show the administration “is helping” but lamented her “tousled” hair. The populace, at least, is coming to its own assistance. Right after the quake in Mexico City, people formed veritable factory lines of diggers to excavate their buried neighbors and lent out bicycles so stranded colleagues could make their way home. Residents of Mexico’s southern region have also shown the country what resilience looks like, even in the face of overwhelming historical odds. In the town of Juchitán, Oaxaca, where the historic town hall pancaked after the earthquake, a man picked up a Mexican flag that had previously decorated its facade, shook off the dust and then, in an act that touched millions, he placed it atop the debris. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Twin earthquakes expose Mexico's deep inequality

Rescuers dug Wednesday for survivors of a 7.1- magnitude earthquake that killed at least 230 people in Mexico, as the nation watched anxiously for signs of life at a collapsed school in the capital.

Firefighters, police, soldiers and volunteers worked frantically to remove rubble in scenes repeated across a swath of central states in Mexico&#39;s second killer earthquake this month.

The most agonizing search was at a school in the south of Mexico City where 21 children -- aged between seven and 13 -- and five adults were crushed to death. Many children were still missing.

By Wednesday afternoon, 24 hours after the quake struck, rescuers working under the gaze of anguished parents had managed to locate several signs of life under the rubble using a thermal scanner.

&quot;They are alive! Alive!&quot; shouted Civil Protection volunteer Enrique Garcia, 37. &quot;Someone hit a wall several times in one place, and in another there was a response to light signals with a lamp,&quot; he said.

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<h5>The quake hit on the anniversary of a huge quake in 1985 that killed more than 10,000 people. Tuesday&#39;s quake struck just two hours after Mexico held a national earthquake drill, as it does every September 19 to remember the 1985 disaster</h5>
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&quot;We have been at this since yesterday, but we cannot reach them, because they are trapped between two slabs...&quot;&nbsp;

So far, 11 children and at least one teacher have been rescued from the rubble of the Enrique Rebsamen elementary and middle school.

&quot;No one can possibly imagine the pain I&#39;m in right now,&quot; said one mother, Adriana Fargo, who was standing outside what remained of the school waiting for news of her seven-year-old daughter.

In the Condesa neighborhood, Karen Guzman sat on a stool in the street with her back to one of the collapsed buildings. She said she could not bear the tension of the search for around 30 people thought to be under the rubble, among them her brother.

Beside her were two street poles tagged with lists of rescued people, but they do not include the name of her brother Juan Antonio, a 43-year-old accountant who worked on the top floor of the four-story building.

&quot;My mom is looking for him in hospitals because we don&#39;t trust those lists. Sometimes I think nobody knows anything,&quot; she said.

Rescue workers reported that families were getting WhatsApp messages pleading for help from desperate relatives trapped under debris.

President Enrique Pena Nieto visited the hard-hit city of Jojutla in the state of Morelos and appealed for people to help in reconstruction efforts.&nbsp;

&quot;It is important for people to be part of this group effort,&quot; said the president, who also declared three days of national mourning.

Mexico City mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told Televisa TV that 39 buildings in the capital had collapsed. Searches were under way in all but five where rescuers had determined that nobody remained trapped, he said.

At least 53 people have been found alive in two of the collapsed buildings.&nbsp;

Nowhere to go 
Many residents were preparing to spend a second night in parks and plazas, in tents or makeshift shelters, unable or unwilling to return to their homes as authorities inspected some 600 buildings whose walls swayed and cracked when the quake struck.&nbsp;

Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray thanked the international community for offers of help in an unusual special intervention at the UN General Assembly.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump called Pena Nieto and offered assistance and search-and-rescue teams which are now being deployed, the White House said.&nbsp;

Chile and El Salvador pledged aid, while Israel said it was sending a team of 70 soldiers including engineers and search and rescue specialists which would arrive Friday.&nbsp;

The quake hit on the anniversary of a huge quake in 1985 that killed more than 10,000 people, the disaster-prone country&#39;s deadliest ever.

Tuesday&#39;s struck just two hours after Mexico held a national earthquake drill, as it does every September 19 to remember the 1985 disaster.

A system of quake sensors was set up in 1993 along the Pacific coast, where tremors are more common. People in Mexico City were not warned by it on Tuesday because the epicenter was only 120 kilometers (75 miles) outside the capital and thus outside the main area of sensor coverage, said Carlos Valdes of National Center for Disaster Prevention.&nbsp;

Adding to the national sense of vulnerability, the earthquake struck just 12 days after another quake that killed nearly 100 people in southern Mexico.

Experts said the two quakes did not appear to be related, as their epicenters were far apart.

Mexico sits atop five tectonic plates, making it particularly vulnerable to earthquakes.

Luis Felipe Puente, the national disaster response agency chief, said that of the dead, 100 were in Mexico City, 69 in Morelos, 43 in Puebla, 13 in Mexico state, four in Guerrero and one in Oaxaca.

In Puebla, a picturesque colonial city near the quake&#39;s epicenter, several churches were damaged and one collapsed, killing 11 people, officials said.

Power had been restored to 85 percent of the Mexican capital, although the state electricity company maintained cuts to areas where rescue work was taking place, for fear of accidental electrocution or fires.

In the states of Puebla and Morelos, rescue work is also continuing in homes and destroyed buildings.

Mexico&#39;s professional and other football leagues suspended all games scheduled for the weekend.

The most agonising search was at a school in Mexico City where 21 children -- aged between seven and 13 -- and five adults were crushed to death

Rescuers dug Wednesday for survivors of a 7.1- magnitude earthquake that killed at least 230 people in Mexico, as the nation watched anxiously for signs of life at a collapsed school in the capital. Firefighters, police, soldiers and volunteers worked frantically to remove rubble in scenes repeated across a swath of central states in Mexico's second killer earthquake this month. The most agonizing search was at a school in the south of Mexico City where 21 children -- aged between seven and 13 -- and five adults were crushed to death. Many children were still missing. By Wednesday afternoon, 24 hours after the quake struck, rescuers working under the gaze of anguished parents had managed to locate several signs of life under the rubble using a thermal scanner. "They are alive! Alive!" shouted Civil Protection volunteer Enrique Garcia, 37. "Someone hit a wall several times in one place, and in another there was a response to light signals with a lamp," he said. The quake hit on the anniversary of a huge quake in 1985 that killed more than 10,000 people. Tuesday's quake struck just two hours after Mexico held a national earthquake drill, as it does every September 19 to remember the 1985 disaster × "We have been at this since yesterday, but we cannot reach them, because they are trapped between two slabs..." So far, 11 children and at least one teacher have been rescued from the rubble of the Enrique Rebsamen elementary and middle school. "No one can possibly imagine the pain I'm in right now," said one mother, Adriana Fargo, who was standing outside what remained of the school waiting for news of her seven-year-old daughter. In the Condesa neighborhood, Karen Guzman sat on a stool in the street with her back to one of the collapsed buildings. She said she could not bear the tension of the search for around 30 people thought to be under the rubble, among them her brother. Beside her were two street poles tagged with lists of rescued people, but they do not include the name of her brother Juan Antonio, a 43-year-old accountant who worked on the top floor of the four-story building. "My mom is looking for him in hospitals because we don't trust those lists. Sometimes I think nobody knows anything," she said. Rescue workers reported that families were getting WhatsApp messages pleading for help from desperate relatives trapped under debris. President Enrique Pena Nieto visited the hard-hit city of Jojutla in the state of Morelos and appealed for people to help in reconstruction efforts. "It is important for people to be part of this group effort," said the president, who also declared three days of national mourning. Mexico City mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told Televisa TV that 39 buildings in the capital had collapsed. Searches were under way in all but five where rescuers had determined that nobody remained trapped, he said. At least 53 people have been found alive in two of the collapsed buildings. Nowhere to go Many residents were preparing to spend a second night in parks and plazas, in tents or makeshift shelters, unable or unwilling to return to their homes as authorities inspected some 600 buildings whose walls swayed and cracked when the quake struck. Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray thanked the international community for offers of help in an unusual special intervention at the UN General Assembly. US President Donald Trump called Pena Nieto and offered assistance and search-and-rescue teams which are now being deployed, the White House said. Chile and El Salvador pledged aid, while Israel said it was sending a team of 70 soldiers including engineers and search and rescue specialists which would arrive Friday. The quake hit on the anniversary of a huge quake in 1985 that killed more than 10,000 people, the disaster-prone country's deadliest ever. Tuesday's struck just two hours after Mexico held a national earthquake drill, as it does every September 19 to remember the 1985 disaster. A system of quake sensors was set up in 1993 along the Pacific coast, where tremors are more common. People in Mexico City were not warned by it on Tuesday because the epicenter was only 120 kilometers (75 miles) outside the capital and thus outside the main area of sensor coverage, said Carlos Valdes of National Center for Disaster Prevention. Adding to the national sense of vulnerability, the earthquake struck just 12 days after another quake that killed nearly 100 people in southern Mexico. Experts said the two quakes did not appear to be related, as their epicenters were far apart. Mexico sits atop five tectonic plates, making it particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. Luis Felipe Puente, the national disaster response agency chief, said that of the dead, 100 were in Mexico City, 69 in Morelos, 43 in Puebla, 13 in Mexico state, four in Guerrero and one in Oaxaca. In Puebla, a picturesque colonial city near the quake's epicenter, several churches were damaged and one collapsed, killing 11 people, officials said. Power had been restored to 85 percent of the Mexican capital, although the state electricity company maintained cuts to areas where rescue work was taking place, for fear of accidental electrocution or fires. In the states of Puebla and Morelos, rescue work is also continuing in homes and destroyed buildings. Mexico's professional and other football leagues suspended all games scheduled for the weekend.

Mexico earthquake: 230 dead, rescuers search frantically for survivors

Panama&nbsp;has agreed to extradite a&nbsp;former&nbsp;state&nbsp;governor&nbsp;from Mexico&#39;s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who is wanted in his homeland on&nbsp;corruptioncharges, the two countries said on Monday.

Roberto Borge, who from 2010 to 2016 was&nbsp;governor&nbsp;of the state of Quintana Roo, home to the tourist resort Cancun, was detained in&nbsp;Panama&nbsp;City airport in June with the aid of Interpol as he was preparing to board a flight to Paris.

Corruption&nbsp;promises to be one of the major issues in Mexico&#39;s July 2018 presidential election, with public discontent widespread over a spate of conflict-of-interest rows that have dogged the Cabinet and President Enrique Pena Nieto himself.

The law bars&nbsp;Mexican&nbsp;presidents from seeking re-election.

Mexican&nbsp;prosecutors accuse Borge of using funds obtained illegally, embezzlement and abuse of public office.

The&nbsp;Mexican&nbsp;Foreign Ministry and the attorney general&#39;s office said in a statement&nbsp;Panama&#39;s Foreign Ministry had notified Borge that the&nbsp;extradition&nbsp;was going ahead.

Panama&#39;s Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement that, after being notified, Borge announced that he would have his lawyers appeal against the&nbsp;extradition. The ministry did not give details of how the&nbsp;Mexican&nbsp;aimed to justify his appeal.

Borge had long been accused of&nbsp;corruption&nbsp;by opposition parties, although he has denied the allegations.

Other&nbsp;former&nbsp;PRI&nbsp;governors are also facing prosecution in the run-up to next year&#39;s presidential contest.

Javier Duarte, who governed the&nbsp;Mexican&nbsp;state of Veracruz for the PRI until last year, was extradited from Guatemala to Mexico on July 17. He is accused of embezzlement and engaging in organized crime.

Roberto Borge, who from 2010 to 2016 was?governor?of the state of Quintana Roo, home to the tourist resort Cancun, was detained in?Panama?City airport in June with the aid of Interpol as he was preparing to board a flight to Paris.

Panama has agreed to extradite a former state governor from Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who is wanted in his homeland on corruptioncharges, the two countries said on Monday. Roberto Borge, who from 2010 to 2016 was governor of the state of Quintana Roo, home to the tourist resort Cancun, was detained in Panama City airport in June with the aid of Interpol as he was preparing to board a flight to Paris. Corruption promises to be one of the major issues in Mexico's July 2018 presidential election, with public discontent widespread over a spate of conflict-of-interest rows that have dogged the Cabinet and President Enrique Pena Nieto himself. The law bars Mexican presidents from seeking re-election. Mexican prosecutors accuse Borge of using funds obtained illegally, embezzlement and abuse of public office. The Mexican Foreign Ministry and the attorney general's office said in a statement Panama's Foreign Ministry had notified Borge that the extradition was going ahead. Panama's Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement that, after being notified, Borge announced that he would have his lawyers appeal against the extradition. The ministry did not give details of how the Mexican aimed to justify his appeal. Borge had long been accused of corruption by opposition parties, although he has denied the allegations. Other former PRI governors are also facing prosecution in the run-up to next year's presidential contest. Javier Duarte, who governed the Mexican state of Veracruz for the PRI until last year, was extradited from Guatemala to Mexico on July 17. He is accused of embezzlement and engaging in organized crime.

Panama authorizes extradition of former Mexican governor on corruption charges

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People gather on a street in Mexico City during an earthquake. An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck southern Mexico late Thursday and was felt as far away as Mexico City. (AFP)
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The death toll in the earthquake which struck off southern Mexico overnight on Thursday has risen to six.&nbsp;A tsunami warning was issued immediately.

The two fatalities came in the southern state of Chiapas, interior minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told AFP. The quake hit off the coast of Chiapas.

The quake triggered waves as high as 2.3 ft (0.7 m) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

As far as 14,000 km (8700 miles) away in the Philippines, the national disaster agency put the country&rsquo;s entire eastern seaboard on alert for a possible tsunami.

Mexico&#39;s interior ministry said the quake had a magnitude of 8.4, while the US Geological Survey put it at a revised 8.1, up from 8.0 initially.

Earlier reports said the earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale had hit&nbsp;off the southern coast of Mexico.

The earthquake shook&nbsp;buildings across the centre and south of the country, Reuters reported.

There were no immediate reports of major damage.

The epicentre was 123 km (76 miles) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan, at a depth of 33 km (21 miles). Widespread, hazardous tsunami waves were possible, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

&quot;Based on all available date ... widespread hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts,&quot; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

&quot;Tsunami waves reaching more than three meters above the tide level are possible along the coasts of Mexico,&quot; it said, with lower waves in other countries.

The tsunami warning was for the coasts of Mexico, down through Central America into Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras, and as far south as &nbsp;Ecuador.

Mexico&#39;s civil protection agency said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since a devastating 1985 tremor that toppled buildings and killed thousands.

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8.2 earthquake off Mexico coast via <a href="https://t.co/UFrwwrgV2d">pic.twitter.com/UFrwwrgV2d</a>
&mdash; NJL ?? ?? MEDIA ?? (@ANTI_ALP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANTI_ALP/status/906039054759636992">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Mexico City earthquake sets off mysterious bright lights <a href="https://t.co/81VL9Wiwsk">https://t.co/81VL9Wiwsk</a> <a href="https://t.co/X7wwtVPkzr">pic.twitter.com/X7wwtVPkzr</a>
&mdash; Louise Stainton (@LouiseStaintonU) <a href="https://twitter.com/LouiseStaintonU/status/906034653856858116">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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People gather on a street in downtown Mexico City during an earthquake. (AFP)
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Mexico Earthquake (AFP)
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The quake is strongest to hit the country since 1985

People gather on a street in Mexico City during an earthquake. An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck southern Mexico late Thursday and was felt as far away as Mexico City. (AFP) × The death toll in the earthquake which struck off southern Mexico overnight on Thursday has risen to six. A tsunami warning was issued immediately. The two fatalities came in the southern state of Chiapas, interior minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told AFP. The quake hit off the coast of Chiapas. The quake triggered waves as high as 2.3 ft (0.7 m) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. As far as 14,000 km (8700 miles) away in the Philippines, the national disaster agency put the country’s entire eastern seaboard on alert for a possible tsunami. Mexico's interior ministry said the quake had a magnitude of 8.4, while the US Geological Survey put it at a revised 8.1, up from 8.0 initially. Earlier reports said the earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale had hit off the southern coast of Mexico. The earthquake shook buildings across the centre and south of the country, Reuters reported. There were no immediate reports of major damage. The epicentre was 123 km (76 miles) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan, at a depth of 33 km (21 miles). Widespread, hazardous tsunami waves were possible, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. "Based on all available date ... widespread hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. "Tsunami waves reaching more than three meters above the tide level are possible along the coasts of Mexico," it said, with lower waves in other countries. The tsunami warning was for the coasts of Mexico, down through Central America into Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras, and as far south as Ecuador. Mexico's civil protection agency said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since a devastating 1985 tremor that toppled buildings and killed thousands. 8.2 earthquake off Mexico coast via pic.twitter.com/UFrwwrgV2d — NJL ?? ?? MEDIA ?? (@ANTI_ALP) September 8, 2017 × Mexico City earthquake sets off mysterious bright lights https://t.co/81VL9Wiwsk pic.twitter.com/X7wwtVPkzr — Louise Stainton (@LouiseStaintonU) September 8, 2017 × People gather on a street in downtown Mexico City during an earthquake. (AFP) × Mexico Earthquake (AFP) ×

At least six dead as massive earthquake strikes off Mexico, tsunami warning issued

Oil prices edged up early on Thursday, clawing back some ground after losses in the previous session.

Traders said the market was range-bound as falling crude inventories provided price support while high output was capping gains.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $50.43 per barrel at 0101 GMT, up 16 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their last close.

US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures&nbsp;were at $46.88 a barrel, up 10 cents, or 0.2 per cent.

The slight gains followed a more than 1 per cent fall in the previous session.

Data published late on Wednesday by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed that commercial US&nbsp;crude oil stocks have fallen by almost 13 per cent from their peaks in March to 466.5 million barrels, well below this time last year.

&quot;If inventory declines continue at this pace, stocks will fall back below the five-year average in around two months,&quot; said William O&#39;Loughlin, investment analyst at Australia&#39;s Rivkin Securities.

&quot;The pace of the declines indicates that the OPEC production cuts are having an effect, although the current oil price suggests that the market is sceptical about the longer-term prospects for rebalancing of the oil market,&quot; he added.

ANZ bank said the market on Wednesday seemed &quot;to focus on the rise in (US) production&quot;, which jumped by 79,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 9.5 million bpd last week, its highest level since July 2015, and 12.75 per cent above the most recent low in mid-2016.

Some traders said that the soaring US&nbsp;output is eroding efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries which, together with non-OPEC producers like Russia, has pledged to restrict output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) between January this year and March 2018 to tighten the market and prop up prices.

Brent prices are down by almost 12 per cent since the start of the cuts in January.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $50.43 per barrel at 0101 GMT, up 16 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their last close

Oil prices edged up early on Thursday, clawing back some ground after losses in the previous session. Traders said the market was range-bound as falling crude inventories provided price support while high output was capping gains. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $50.43 per barrel at 0101 GMT, up 16 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their last close. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $46.88 a barrel, up 10 cents, or 0.2 per cent. The slight gains followed a more than 1 per cent fall in the previous session. Data published late on Wednesday by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed that commercial US crude oil stocks have fallen by almost 13 per cent from their peaks in March to 466.5 million barrels, well below this time last year. "If inventory declines continue at this pace, stocks will fall back below the five-year average in around two months," said William O'Loughlin, investment analyst at Australia's Rivkin Securities. "The pace of the declines indicates that the OPEC production cuts are having an effect, although the current oil price suggests that the market is sceptical about the longer-term prospects for rebalancing of the oil market," he added. ANZ bank said the market on Wednesday seemed "to focus on the rise in (US) production", which jumped by 79,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 9.5 million bpd last week, its highest level since July 2015, and 12.75 per cent above the most recent low in mid-2016. Some traders said that the soaring US output is eroding efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries which, together with non-OPEC producers like Russia, has pledged to restrict output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) between January this year and March 2018 to tighten the market and prop up prices. Brent prices are down by almost 12 per cent since the start of the cuts in January.

Oil edges up on decline in crude stocks

Nine inmates were killed on Thursday as gang members stabbed and bludgeoned their rivals to death in a prison brawl in Mexico, authorities said, the latest deadly violence in the country&#39;s jails.

The fight broke out at a prison in Reynosa, a city near the US border in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas.

&quot;Two groups of prisoners were involved in a clash, using weapons such as clubs, stones, and shanks,&quot; the state government said in a statement.

&quot;Nine inmates died and two were wounded.&quot;

The riot broke out on visitation day, and guards &quot;focused their efforts on protecting (inmates&#39;) families,&quot; it said.

State police were sent in to bring the brawl under control, firing shots in the air to break it up.

Mexico&#39;s overcrowded prisons are plagued by riots, revenge killings, and jailbreaks, and powerful gangs often hold de facto control inside.

Last month, 28 inmates were hacked to death by their rivals at a prison in Acapulco, a resort town on Mexico&#39;s Pacific coast.

The prison system in Tamaulipas, a state racked by the deadly violence of Mexico&#39;s drug cartel wars, had already made bad headlines twice this year.

In March, 29 inmates escaped through a tunnel from a prison in Ciudad Victoria. And in June, seven people were killed, including three police, when officers stormed the same prison to regain control from inmates who had been stockpiling guns.

State police were sent in to bring the brawl under control, firing shots in the air to break it up

Nine inmates were killed on Thursday as gang members stabbed and bludgeoned their rivals to death in a prison brawl in Mexico, authorities said, the latest deadly violence in the country's jails. The fight broke out at a prison in Reynosa, a city near the US border in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas. "Two groups of prisoners were involved in a clash, using weapons such as clubs, stones, and shanks," the state government said in a statement. "Nine inmates died and two were wounded." The riot broke out on visitation day, and guards "focused their efforts on protecting (inmates') families," it said. State police were sent in to bring the brawl under control, firing shots in the air to break it up. Mexico's overcrowded prisons are plagued by riots, revenge killings, and jailbreaks, and powerful gangs often hold de facto control inside. Last month, 28 inmates were hacked to death by their rivals at a prison in Acapulco, a resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast. The prison system in Tamaulipas, a state racked by the deadly violence of Mexico's drug cartel wars, had already made bad headlines twice this year. In March, 29 inmates escaped through a tunnel from a prison in Ciudad Victoria. And in June, seven people were killed, including three police, when officers stormed the same prison to regain control from inmates who had been stockpiling guns.

Nine inmates killed in prison fight in Mexican border city

The G-20 (Group of 20)&nbsp;is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial&nbsp;issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance.

G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than&nbsp;80 per cent of the global economic&nbsp;output.&nbsp;

Around two-third&nbsp;of the global population lives in G-20 member countries.&nbsp;

The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community.

In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders&rsquo; Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions.&nbsp;Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global&nbsp;economic recovery.&nbsp;

How it works 
Each year in December&nbsp;a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a &ldquo;troika&rdquo; (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat.&nbsp;

The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes &ndash; often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year &ndash; are coordinated by the respective host country.

Members of G20 
The twenty members of the forum are :

<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Argentina</li>
				<li>Australia</li>
				<li>Brazil</li>
				<li>Canada</li>
				<li>China</li>
				<li>France</li>
				<li>Germany</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>India</li>
				<li>Indonesia</li>
				<li>Italy</li>
				<li>Japan</li>
				<li>Republic of Korea</li>
				<li>Mexico</li>
				<li>Russia</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Saudi Arabia</li>
				<li>South Africa</li>
				<li>Turkey</li>
				<li>The United Kingdom</li>
				<li>The united States</li>
				<li>The European Union</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

 
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The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others)
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At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017.

Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit.&nbsp;

India and G20

India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. &nbsp;

For instance, India enacted the&nbsp;National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people.&nbsp;

India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India.

G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

G20 is an international informal forum where India has made the mark of an emerging economy which aspires to take the world along with it towards development

The G-20 (Group of 20) is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance. G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than 80 per cent of the global economic output. Around two-third of the global population lives in G-20 member countries. The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community. In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders’ Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions. Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global economic recovery. How it works Each year in December a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a “troika” (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat. The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes – often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year – are coordinated by the respective host country. Members of G20 The twenty members of the forum are : Argentina Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Italy Japan Republic of Korea Mexico Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey The United Kingdom The united States The European Union The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others) × At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017. Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit. India and G20 India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. For instance, India enacted the National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people. India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India. G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.

All you need to know about G-20

US President Donald Trump said Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state.

Asked at the start of the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to cough up the cash, Trump declared: &quot;Absolutely&quot;.

But Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who took part in the meeting, said the wall issue -- as agreed -- did not come up in the actual talks, and that he and Pena Nieto did not even hear Trump&#39;s comment.

&quot;It wasn&rsquo;t part of our conversation (with Trump),&quot; he told Mexico&rsquo;s Radio Formula.

&quot;We didn&#39;t touch on that subject in our conversation, which lasted about half an hour -- partly because we have a well-known, significant difference of opinion on that,&quot; he said.

&quot;Both sides had a prior agreement that the issue would not be on the agenda. If he made that comment, he must have made it very quietly, because I didn&#39;t hear it.&quot;

Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration and the inflow of drugs -- and Mexico paying for it -- was a signature campaign pledge of Trump&#39;s in last year&#39;s election.

The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on getting it built or even on who will foot the hefty bill for the 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) barrier.

Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of a border fence.

The real battle will play out starting in October when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest.

Last month Trump suggested covering the wall with solar panels and to use the energy to cover some of the construction costs.

&quot;And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that&#39;s good. Right?&quot;, Trump told a crowd in Texas on June 22. &quot;Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!&quot;

US-Mexico relations

US-Mexican relations have meanwhile nosedived since Trump entered the White House in January.

In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump&#39;s insistence on the issue, plunging the countries&#39; relations into their biggest crisis in decades.

In addition Trump has angered Mexico with attacks on Mexican immigrants as &quot;criminals, drug dealers and rapists&quot; and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations with its southern neighbour.

Since the cancellation of the trip, the two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings between the two countries have eased the tension.

Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate.

In their Hamburg encounter Friday, before the comment about the wall, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the &quot;successful day&quot; at the G20 so far.

&quot;We&#39;re negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we&#39;ll see how it all turns out, but I think we&#39;ve made very good progress,&quot; Trump said.

Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a &quot;flowing dialogue&quot;, in particular &quot;for the security of both nations, especially for our borders.&quot;

The Mexican president noted that &quot;migration&quot; is an issue that has &quot;occupied&quot; both administrations. He added that it was a &quot;co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues.&quot;

Trump made the comments in response to a question he was asked at the start of the meeting. Nieto was sitting next to him

US President Donald Trump said Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state. Asked at the start of the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to cough up the cash, Trump declared: "Absolutely". But Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who took part in the meeting, said the wall issue -- as agreed -- did not come up in the actual talks, and that he and Pena Nieto did not even hear Trump's comment. "It wasn’t part of our conversation (with Trump)," he told Mexico’s Radio Formula. "We didn't touch on that subject in our conversation, which lasted about half an hour -- partly because we have a well-known, significant difference of opinion on that," he said. "Both sides had a prior agreement that the issue would not be on the agenda. If he made that comment, he must have made it very quietly, because I didn't hear it." Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration and the inflow of drugs -- and Mexico paying for it -- was a signature campaign pledge of Trump's in last year's election. The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on getting it built or even on who will foot the hefty bill for the 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) barrier. Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of a border fence. The real battle will play out starting in October when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest. Last month Trump suggested covering the wall with solar panels and to use the energy to cover some of the construction costs. "And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that's good. Right?", Trump told a crowd in Texas on June 22. "Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!" US-Mexico relations US-Mexican relations have meanwhile nosedived since Trump entered the White House in January. In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence on the issue, plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades. In addition Trump has angered Mexico with attacks on Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers and rapists" and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations with its southern neighbour. Since the cancellation of the trip, the two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings between the two countries have eased the tension. Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate. In their Hamburg encounter Friday, before the comment about the wall, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the "successful day" at the G20 so far. "We're negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think we've made very good progress," Trump said. Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a "flowing dialogue", in particular "for the security of both nations, especially for our borders." The Mexican president noted that "migration" is an issue that has "occupied" both administrations. He added that it was a "co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues."

G20: Trump says he 'absolutely' wants Mexico to pay for border wall in meeting with President Nieto

At least 14 people have died in a shootout between police and rival drug gangs in Mexico.

The shootout took place near Las Varas which is infamous for being Mexico&#39;s drug trafficking region.

Investigators believe the groups involved in the shootout were &quot;La Linea&quot; -- the armed wing of the Juarez cartel -- and hitmen from the powerful Sinaloa cartel, Esparza told AFP.

Both groups opened fire on officers when they arrived on the scene, state police chief Oscar Aparicio told AFP

&quot;We can&#39;t rule out that there are more people dead. It was a very intense confrontation. There were more than 60 (gunmen),&quot; he told Mexican radio network Formula.

Last Friday, 17 gunmen were killed in a&nbsp;shootout with police on a highway in Sinaloa.

Mexico has seen a series of shootouts after Joaqu&iacute;n Archivaldo Guzm&aacute;n, a drug lord who headed the Sinaloa Cartel, was extradited to the United States in January, since then rival drug gangs and inter-gang rivalry within the Sinaloa cartel has led to several deaths and police shootouts.

The shootout took place near Las Varas which is infamous for being Mexico's drug trafficking region.

At least 14 people have died in a shootout between police and rival drug gangs in Mexico. The shootout took place near Las Varas which is infamous for being Mexico's drug trafficking region. Investigators believe the groups involved in the shootout were "La Linea" -- the armed wing of the Juarez cartel -- and hitmen from the powerful Sinaloa cartel, Esparza told AFP. Both groups opened fire on officers when they arrived on the scene, state police chief Oscar Aparicio told AFP "We can't rule out that there are more people dead. It was a very intense confrontation. There were more than 60 (gunmen)," he told Mexican radio network Formula. Last Friday, 17 gunmen were killed in a shootout with police on a highway in Sinaloa. Mexico has seen a series of shootouts after Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán, a drug lord who headed the Sinaloa Cartel, was extradited to the United States in January, since then rival drug gangs and inter-gang rivalry within the Sinaloa cartel has led to several deaths and police shootouts.

At least 14 killed in shootout between police, rival drug gangs in Mexico

Standing in the middle of lettuce and onion fields that reek of gasoline, the farmers pause from their work to watch an army convoy drive by.

Gripping their machine guns, the soldiers return the farmers&#39; wary gaze. It&#39;s impossible to know which villagers are involved in the multi-million-dollar oil theft racket that has become a way of life in this remote pocket of central Mexico.

&quot;It&#39;s very difficult to detect who&#39;s involved in this activity,&quot; says one soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The village, Tepeaca, is at the heart of Mexico&#39;s &quot;Red Triangle&quot;, a lawless mountain region in the state of Puebla that sits on top of the underground pipeline that delivers oil, gasoline and diesel from the Gulf coast to the capital.

The region is perfect for the business of stealing fuel. Its mountainous terrain isolates it from much of the country, while widespread poverty ensures there is a large work force ready to help.

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Security personnel of state-owned oil giant PEMEX and Mexican Army soldiers patrol a clandestine fuel siphoning area in Tepeaca, Puebla State, Mexico (AFP)
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It takes a village&nbsp;

It takes a village to stage a successful pipeline theft -- a dangerous affair that can end in deadly explosions or shootouts with soldiers.

Those who puncture the pipeline reportedly take home $10,000 for less than 20 minutes&#39; work. Wielding the hoses used to extract the fuel can meanwhile earn you $8,000. Children earn up to $500 a month for acting as lookouts.

The stolen gasoline is sold on the black market for $0.50 a litre -- well below the market price of about $0.87.

These days, business is booming. State oil company Pemex says the number of pipeline thefts has soared from 186 in 2012 to 6,837 last year.

And the pace has only accelerated since January, when the government increased the price of gasoline by 20 per cent in an effort to deregulate the energy sector and revitalise an ailing Pemex.

There were 2,683 thefts in the first three months of 2017 -- nearly 30 a day. Pemex says the problem has cost it $2.4 billion since 2010.

Revered outlaws&nbsp; 
 
Oil thieves are known here as &quot;huachicoleros,&quot; and a popular sub-culture has emerged around them. They even have their own saint -- depicted with gas can and hose in hand -- and songs celebrating their outlaw exploits, like the &quot;narcocorridos&quot; dedicated to Mexico&#39;s drug traffickers.

The economic impact of the stolen fuel trade is visible in Tepeaca, where flashy three-storey houses rise above unpaved streets.

&quot;We think one of them (the cartel bosses) lives in that house and the other one over there,&quot; a Pemex official on patrol with the soldiers told AFP.

Pemex has an entire unit dedicated to stopping fuel theft. When the company detects a pipeline puncture, it shuts off the pumps. But Puebla&#39;s hills mean gravity keeps the fuel flowing long enough for thieves to steal dozens of truckloads at a time.

A video taken recently by a Pemex drone shows trucks waiting at a pipeline puncture, lined up all the way to the edge of the frame in both directions.

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Workers of state-owned oil giant PEMEX repair a leak in a clandestine fuel siphoning area in Tepeaca, Puebla State, Mexico (AFP)
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Deadly business&nbsp;

But even when Pemex detects such operations, soldiers are slow to arrive -- and when they do, the confrontations can be deadly.

Last month, a shootout in the village of Palmar de Bravo left four soldiers and six civilians dead.

The other risk is explosions. In the most recent incident, on May 13, four people burned to death in a fiery blast at a pipeline puncture.

Still, there is no shortage of locals eager to join in. When one recent puncture went awry -- sending a jet of diesel into the air -- residents rushed to scoop up the fuel with buckets and sponges, even as the authorities watched.

The stolen fuel gets sold on the street in plain sight, or even to gas stations. Last week, authorities shut down seven service stations for selling stolen fuel.&nbsp;

Investigators worry corrupt Pemex employees, local officials and police are involved. Pemex executive Carlos Murrieta called for harsher sentences for fuel theft -- currently punishable by a maximum eight years in prison.

&quot;Fuel theft shouldn&#39;t be treated like any other theft,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;It involves a broad part of society, it destroys the social fabric. It&#39;s a very serious crime.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Villagers of Tepeaca are involved in the multi-million-dollar oil theft racket that has become a way of life in this remote pocket of central Mexico

Standing in the middle of lettuce and onion fields that reek of gasoline, the farmers pause from their work to watch an army convoy drive by. Gripping their machine guns, the soldiers return the farmers' wary gaze. It's impossible to know which villagers are involved in the multi-million-dollar oil theft racket that has become a way of life in this remote pocket of central Mexico. "It's very difficult to detect who's involved in this activity," says one soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The village, Tepeaca, is at the heart of Mexico's "Red Triangle", a lawless mountain region in the state of Puebla that sits on top of the underground pipeline that delivers oil, gasoline and diesel from the Gulf coast to the capital. The region is perfect for the business of stealing fuel. Its mountainous terrain isolates it from much of the country, while widespread poverty ensures there is a large work force ready to help. Security personnel of state-owned oil giant PEMEX and Mexican Army soldiers patrol a clandestine fuel siphoning area in Tepeaca, Puebla State, Mexico (AFP) × It takes a village It takes a village to stage a successful pipeline theft -- a dangerous affair that can end in deadly explosions or shootouts with soldiers. Those who puncture the pipeline reportedly take home $10,000 for less than 20 minutes' work. Wielding the hoses used to extract the fuel can meanwhile earn you $8,000. Children earn up to $500 a month for acting as lookouts. The stolen gasoline is sold on the black market for $0.50 a litre -- well below the market price of about $0.87. These days, business is booming. State oil company Pemex says the number of pipeline thefts has soared from 186 in 2012 to 6,837 last year. And the pace has only accelerated since January, when the government increased the price of gasoline by 20 per cent in an effort to deregulate the energy sector and revitalise an ailing Pemex. There were 2,683 thefts in the first three months of 2017 -- nearly 30 a day. Pemex says the problem has cost it $2.4 billion since 2010. Revered outlaws Oil thieves are known here as "huachicoleros," and a popular sub-culture has emerged around them. They even have their own saint -- depicted with gas can and hose in hand -- and songs celebrating their outlaw exploits, like the "narcocorridos" dedicated to Mexico's drug traffickers. The economic impact of the stolen fuel trade is visible in Tepeaca, where flashy three-storey houses rise above unpaved streets. "We think one of them (the cartel bosses) lives in that house and the other one over there," a Pemex official on patrol with the soldiers told AFP. Pemex has an entire unit dedicated to stopping fuel theft. When the company detects a pipeline puncture, it shuts off the pumps. But Puebla's hills mean gravity keeps the fuel flowing long enough for thieves to steal dozens of truckloads at a time. A video taken recently by a Pemex drone shows trucks waiting at a pipeline puncture, lined up all the way to the edge of the frame in both directions. Workers of state-owned oil giant PEMEX repair a leak in a clandestine fuel siphoning area in Tepeaca, Puebla State, Mexico (AFP) × Deadly business But even when Pemex detects such operations, soldiers are slow to arrive -- and when they do, the confrontations can be deadly. Last month, a shootout in the village of Palmar de Bravo left four soldiers and six civilians dead. The other risk is explosions. In the most recent incident, on May 13, four people burned to death in a fiery blast at a pipeline puncture. Still, there is no shortage of locals eager to join in. When one recent puncture went awry -- sending a jet of diesel into the air -- residents rushed to scoop up the fuel with buckets and sponges, even as the authorities watched. The stolen fuel gets sold on the street in plain sight, or even to gas stations. Last week, authorities shut down seven service stations for selling stolen fuel. Investigators worry corrupt Pemex employees, local officials and police are involved. Pemex executive Carlos Murrieta called for harsher sentences for fuel theft -- currently punishable by a maximum eight years in prison. "Fuel theft shouldn't be treated like any other theft," he told AFP. "It involves a broad part of society, it destroys the social fabric. It's a very serious crime." (AFP)

In Mexico's 'Red Triangle', stealing oil is a way of life

NAFTA partners Mexico, Canada and the United States plan to swiftly renegotiate their free trade deal, the White House announced Wednesday.

President Donald Trump &quot;agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time and the leaders agreed to proceed swiftly... to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal,&quot; a statement said.

The announcement came after reports in US media had said that Trump was considering giving formal notice of pulling the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

A draft executive order was in the final stages of review, two White House officials told the Politico news website, and could be unveiled within a week or two. The New York Times had quoted a senior administration official saying Trump was likely to sign such an executive order.

But late Wednesday Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross brushed off the reports as &quot;rumor&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;There was a rumor today that there would be an executive order, just a rumor, and my practice is to comment on things we have actually done or are doing as opposed to commenting on rumors,&quot; he said.

Trump calls NAFTA, established January 1, 1994, a &quot;disaster&quot; and has pledged to renegotiate the terms or abandon the pact altogether.

He blames NAFTA for the loss of millions of US industrial jobs, mostly to Mexico.

His administration also slapped tariffs in recent days on some imports of Canadian timber and threatened to retaliate against Canadian moves that harm US dairy farmers. Timber and milk, however, are not covered by NAFTA.

The White House statement said Trump spoke late Wednesday with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.&nbsp;

&quot;Both conversations were pleasant and productive,&quot; it said.

Trump was quoted in the statement saying &quot;it is my privilege to bring NAFTA up to date through renegotiation. It is an honor to deal with both President Pena Nieto and Prime Minister Trudeau, and I believe that the end result will make all three countries stronger and better.&quot;

(AFP)

President Donald Trump "agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time and the leaders agreed to proceed swiftly... to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal," a statement said

NAFTA partners Mexico, Canada and the United States plan to swiftly renegotiate their free trade deal, the White House announced Wednesday. President Donald Trump "agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time and the leaders agreed to proceed swiftly... to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal," a statement said. The announcement came after reports in US media had said that Trump was considering giving formal notice of pulling the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement. A draft executive order was in the final stages of review, two White House officials told the Politico news website, and could be unveiled within a week or two. The New York Times had quoted a senior administration official saying Trump was likely to sign such an executive order. But late Wednesday Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross brushed off the reports as "rumor". "There was a rumor today that there would be an executive order, just a rumor, and my practice is to comment on things we have actually done or are doing as opposed to commenting on rumors," he said. Trump calls NAFTA, established January 1, 1994, a "disaster" and has pledged to renegotiate the terms or abandon the pact altogether. He blames NAFTA for the loss of millions of US industrial jobs, mostly to Mexico. His administration also slapped tariffs in recent days on some imports of Canadian timber and threatened to retaliate against Canadian moves that harm US dairy farmers. Timber and milk, however, are not covered by NAFTA. The White House statement said Trump spoke late Wednesday with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada. "Both conversations were pleasant and productive," it said. Trump was quoted in the statement saying "it is my privilege to bring NAFTA up to date through renegotiation. It is an honor to deal with both President Pena Nieto and Prime Minister Trudeau, and I believe that the end result will make all three countries stronger and better." (AFP)

US, Mexico and Canada agree to renegotiate NAFTA: White House

Donald Trump and US lawmakers inched closer to a deal Tuesday avoiding a government shutdown, as the president, eager to showcase a win marking his first 100 days, retreated from a demand to fund a border wall.

With the government set to exhaust its current funding at midnight Friday, the White House is under the gun to craft a compromise that would keep the government running while not appearing to cave on Trump&#39;s demand that Congress fund a wall on the border with Mexico.

&quot;Hopefully, we&#39;ll reach an agreement some time in the next couple of days,&quot; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, but he did not rule out passing a short-term extension that gives lawmakers time to craft a final deal.

While lawmaker said the funding legislation would steer clear of including funding for a border wall, it is expected to cover broader border security measures, such as the use of drones or anti-tunnelling technology.

But a deal remained far from certain. Among the sticking points is the fate of cost-sharing arrangements that help reduce health insurance costs for low-income Americans buying plans through the Affordable Care Act, the reform implemented by Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump had been on a collision course with lawmakers over the wall, demanding that Congress include funding to start construction in its new spending bill.

Democrats blasted the approach, warning that Republicans risked being blamed for shuttering the government barely three months into Trump&#39;s administration.

&quot;There aren&#39;t enough Republican votes to put the wall in&quot; to the spending bill, said veteran Senator Patrick Leahy, top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.

With jitters rippling through Washington, Trump apparently agreed to soften his demand days before the deadline.

- Optimism - 
He told a group of conservative journalists he was open to delaying funding for the wall&#39;s construction until September, a White House official said, according to The Washington Post.

By Tuesday, the administration was acknowledging Trump&#39;s plan could be pushed back.

&quot;Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him,&quot; advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.&nbsp;

&quot;But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year.&quot;

With shutdown fever appearing to break in Washington, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said he was &quot;optimistic&quot; about reaching a timely deal, provided Republicans do not include controversial other issues such as defunding Planned Parenthood clinics.

&quot;We&#39;re pleased he&#39;s backing off,&quot; Schumer said of Trump&#39;s funding demand.&nbsp;

Instead of a wall, lawmakers are expressing support for a broader set of border security measures, including using drones and other high technology.

&quot;We&#39;re not opposed to border security,&quot; Schumer said.&nbsp;

&quot;We are opposed to the wall. And we&#39;re not going to allow any dollars in any kind of border security appropriation to be used for a wall. Period.&quot;

Building the wall was Trump&#39;s signature campaign promise, but Democrats note that Trump pledged Mexico would pay for it.

Even as the White House appeared to soften its rigid posture, Trump sent mixed messages.

&quot;Don&#39;t let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc,&quot; he said Tuesday on Twitter.

The president then insisted the wall would be built &quot;soon,&quot; but offered no time frame other than within his four-year term.

&quot;The wall&#39;s going to get built, folks,&quot; Trump told reporters.

- &#39;Active negotiations&#39; - 
Congress, returning from a two-week break, now has three days to strike a deal.

Lawmakers have warned that a stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, may be needed to give Congress breathing room to finalize the spending details.

&quot;This is active negotiations,&quot; Republican Senator David Purdue said.

With the 100-day mark landing on Saturday and few legislative victories under his belt, Trump is pressing to fulfill another campaign pledge.

As a candidate, he repeatedly vowed to reform the tax code and slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent.&nbsp;

An announcement on such reforms is due Wednesday.

Conservatives have sought a reduction in tax rates for years, but they are also adamant about reducing the debt. Some Republicans appeared hesitant to embrace such slashes to &nbsp;corporate tax rates.

&quot;Fifteen percent might be too low,&quot; House Republican Leonard Lance told CNN.

Democrats have expressed little appetite for dramatically reducing taxes, especially for big business.

If there are no significant tax breaks for small business or working-class Americans, &quot;that would certainly for me be a non-starter,&quot; Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said.

(AFP)

Donald Trump and US lawmakers inched closer to a deal Tuesday avoiding a government shutdown, as the president, eager to showcase a win marking his first 100 days, retreated from a demand to fund a border wall. With the government set to exhaust its current funding at midnight Friday, the White House is under the gun to craft a compromise that would keep the government running while not appearing to cave on Trump's demand that Congress fund a wall on the border with Mexico. "Hopefully, we'll reach an agreement some time in the next couple of days," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, but he did not rule out passing a short-term extension that gives lawmakers time to craft a final deal. While lawmaker said the funding legislation would steer clear of including funding for a border wall, it is expected to cover broader border security measures, such as the use of drones or anti-tunnelling technology. But a deal remained far from certain. Among the sticking points is the fate of cost-sharing arrangements that help reduce health insurance costs for low-income Americans buying plans through the Affordable Care Act, the reform implemented by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. Trump had been on a collision course with lawmakers over the wall, demanding that Congress include funding to start construction in its new spending bill. Democrats blasted the approach, warning that Republicans risked being blamed for shuttering the government barely three months into Trump's administration. "There aren't enough Republican votes to put the wall in" to the spending bill, said veteran Senator Patrick Leahy, top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. With jitters rippling through Washington, Trump apparently agreed to soften his demand days before the deadline. - Optimism - He told a group of conservative journalists he was open to delaying funding for the wall's construction until September, a White House official said, according to The Washington Post. By Tuesday, the administration was acknowledging Trump's plan could be pushed back. "Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him," advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News. "But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year." With shutdown fever appearing to break in Washington, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said he was "optimistic" about reaching a timely deal, provided Republicans do not include controversial other issues such as defunding Planned Parenthood clinics. "We're pleased he's backing off," Schumer said of Trump's funding demand. Instead of a wall, lawmakers are expressing support for a broader set of border security measures, including using drones and other high technology. "We're not opposed to border security," Schumer said. "We are opposed to the wall. And we're not going to allow any dollars in any kind of border security appropriation to be used for a wall. Period." Building the wall was Trump's signature campaign promise, but Democrats note that Trump pledged Mexico would pay for it. Even as the White House appeared to soften its rigid posture, Trump sent mixed messages. "Don't let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc," he said Tuesday on Twitter. The president then insisted the wall would be built "soon," but offered no time frame other than within his four-year term. "The wall's going to get built, folks," Trump told reporters. - 'Active negotiations' - Congress, returning from a two-week break, now has three days to strike a deal. Lawmakers have warned that a stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, may be needed to give Congress breathing room to finalize the spending details. "This is active negotiations," Republican Senator David Purdue said. With the 100-day mark landing on Saturday and few legislative victories under his belt, Trump is pressing to fulfill another campaign pledge. As a candidate, he repeatedly vowed to reform the tax code and slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. An announcement on such reforms is due Wednesday. Conservatives have sought a reduction in tax rates for years, but they are also adamant about reducing the debt. Some Republicans appeared hesitant to embrace such slashes to corporate tax rates. "Fifteen percent might be too low," House Republican Leonard Lance told CNN. Democrats have expressed little appetite for dramatically reducing taxes, especially for big business. If there are no significant tax breaks for small business or working-class Americans, "that would certainly for me be a non-starter," Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said. (AFP)

US govt shutdown threat ebbs as Trump retreats from demand to fund wall

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he expected Mexico to pay for the wall he has promised to build along the southern border, resuscitating a campaign promise that roiled U.S. relations with Mexico in the first week of his presidency.

&quot;Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,&quot; Trump said in a Twitter post.

Trump returned to his Mexico demand on a morning in which he simultaneously tried to pressure congressional Democrats to include funding for the border wall in must-pass spending legislation needed to keep the U.S. government open beyond Friday.

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<h5>Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,&#39; Trump tweeted</h5>
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In Mexico City, a spokesman for the foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Trump&#39;s wall payment comment.

The Republican president&#39;s demand that Mexico pay for the border wall triggered a diplomatic crisis with the southern U.S. neighbor during the first week of his presidency. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 26 scrapped a planned trip to meet with Trump and the White House floated the idea of a 20 percent tax on goods from Mexico to pay for the wall.

The two leaders agreed the following day not to talk publicly about payment for the wall, the Mexican government said. The White House said the two recognized they had differences over the proposed wall but agreed to &quot;work these differences out.&quot;

Trump sought the wall, projected to cost more than $20 billion, as part of his effort to curb illegal immigration. Mexico has rejected payment for the construction project as out of the question.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot; on Sunday the wall would get paid for one way or another.

&quot;I don&#39;t expect the Mexican government to appropriate money for it but there are ways that we can deal with our trade situation to create the revenue to pay for it, no doubt about it,&quot; Sessions said.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Mexico has earlier said paying is out of the question

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he expected Mexico to pay for the wall he has promised to build along the southern border, resuscitating a campaign promise that roiled U.S. relations with Mexico in the first week of his presidency. "Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall," Trump said in a Twitter post. Trump returned to his Mexico demand on a morning in which he simultaneously tried to pressure congressional Democrats to include funding for the border wall in must-pass spending legislation needed to keep the U.S. government open beyond Friday. Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,' Trump tweeted × In Mexico City, a spokesman for the foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Trump's wall payment comment. The Republican president's demand that Mexico pay for the border wall triggered a diplomatic crisis with the southern U.S. neighbor during the first week of his presidency. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 26 scrapped a planned trip to meet with Trump and the White House floated the idea of a 20 percent tax on goods from Mexico to pay for the wall. The two leaders agreed the following day not to talk publicly about payment for the wall, the Mexican government said. The White House said the two recognized they had differences over the proposed wall but agreed to "work these differences out." Trump sought the wall, projected to cost more than $20 billion, as part of his effort to curb illegal immigration. Mexico has rejected payment for the construction project as out of the question. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday the wall would get paid for one way or another. "I don't expect the Mexican government to appropriate money for it but there are ways that we can deal with our trade situation to create the revenue to pay for it, no doubt about it," Sessions said. (Reuters)

Trump says Mexico 'eventually' will pay for border wall

Mexican presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday against US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s planned border wall and his administration&#39;s treatment of immigrants.

Lopez Obrador, a fiery leftist who has led recent polls for the 2018 election, said he expects the commission to &quot;speak out in accordance with the law to protect immigrants from the harassment they are suffering since Trump took office.&quot;

Trump has ordered a wall built along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200-km) U.S.-Mexico border, has moved to strip federal funding from &quot;sanctuary&quot; states and cities harboring illegal immigrants, and expanded the force of U.S. immigration agents.

During his election campaign, Trump described Mexican illegal immigrants as rapists and criminals and insisted that Mexico would pay for the wall. That caused simmering diplomatic tension and angered everyday citizens south of the border.

Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor and two-time runner-up for the presidency, said he hoped the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights would view Trump&#39;s moves as a &quot;violation of human rights and discriminatory.&quot;

The commission, an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights in the American hemisphere.

(Reuters)

Lopez Obrador, who has led recent polls for the 2018 election, filed his complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Mexican presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday against US President Donald Trump's planned border wall and his administration's treatment of immigrants. Lopez Obrador, a fiery leftist who has led recent polls for the 2018 election, said he expects the commission to "speak out in accordance with the law to protect immigrants from the harassment they are suffering since Trump took office." Trump has ordered a wall built along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200-km) U.S.-Mexico border, has moved to strip federal funding from "sanctuary" states and cities harboring illegal immigrants, and expanded the force of U.S. immigration agents. During his election campaign, Trump described Mexican illegal immigrants as rapists and criminals and insisted that Mexico would pay for the wall. That caused simmering diplomatic tension and angered everyday citizens south of the border. Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor and two-time runner-up for the presidency, said he hoped the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights would view Trump's moves as a "violation of human rights and discriminatory." The commission, an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights in the American hemisphere. (Reuters)

Mexico presidential hopeful files complaint against Trump wall

Mexico on Thursday gave a cool reception to visiting senior US officials, secretary of state Rex Tillerson and secretary of homeland security John Kelly, amid the deportation controversy.

Senior Mexican officials expressed &ldquo;worry and irritation&rdquo; about US policies while Trump&rsquo;s top envoys tried to cool tempers.

&quot;There exists among Mexicans worry and irritation about what are perceived to be policies that could be harmful for the national interest and for Mexicans here and abroad,&quot; foreign Minister Luis Videgaray told a news conference after talks with Tillerson and Kelly, news agency Reuters reported.

Videgaray added that it is &quot;a complex time&quot; for US-Mexican relations.

The already strained US-Mexico ties received another blow this week when the US government said it was seeking to deport many illegal immigrants to Mexico if they entered the US from there, regardless of their nationality.

The tensions over immigration come at a time when the two countries are already at loggerheads over Trump&rsquo;s vow to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and his attempts to get Mexico to give concessions on trade.

The two sides on Thursday pledged further dialogue on migration, security issues and trade, Reuters reported.

Kelly says no mass deportations or military force

Earlier on Thursday at the White House, Trump described the stepped-up deportation drive as &ldquo;a military operation&rdquo;, AFP reported.

&quot;We&rsquo;re getting really bad dudes out of this country, and at a rate that nobody&rsquo;s ever seen before,&quot; Trump said.

However, Kelly in Mexico contradicted Trump&rsquo;s statement by promising &quot;no mass deportations&quot; or military force against immigrants in the US.

&quot;There will be no, repeat no mass deportations&quot;, Kelly told a news conference in Mexico, AFP reported. &quot;There will be no use of military force for immigration operations.&quot;

Tillerson said the two sides &quot;reiterated our joint commitment to maintaining law and order along our shared border by stopping potential terrorists and dismantling the transnational criminal networks moving drugs and people into the United States.&quot;, AFP reported.

But he agreed that cooperation on border security had to work both ways.

&quot;We underscored the importance of stopping the illegal firearms and bulk cash that is originating in the United States and flowing into Mexico,&quot; he said, AFP reported.

&quot;There&#39;s no mistaking that the rule of law matters along both sides of the border.&quot;

While US officials said the trip was aimed at building positive relations, Trump said he was determined to reduce the $70 billion US trade deficit with Mexico even at the risk of harming ties.

&quot;We&rsquo;re going to have a good relationship with Mexico, I hope. And if we don&rsquo;t, we don&rsquo;t,&quot; he said, AFP reported.

Protest against envoys, Trump&#39;s &quot;wall&quot; set ablze at carnival

A group of protesters gathered outside Mexico&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Relations shouting slogans outside and holding banners that said &quot;The secretaries are not welcome,&quot; and &quot;Stop Donald Trump, Hate, Racism, Ignorance.&quot;

&quot;We delcare non gratis these secretaries of state (sic.), and we also declare non gratis Donald Trump for all the damage he has caused in the community, and continues causing,&quot;&nbsp;protester&nbsp;Maria Garcia told Reuters.

At the annual carnival of the Mexican city of Veracruz revellers burned &nbsp;an effigy representing Trump&#39;s proposed &quot;wall&quot;, Reuters reported. There was also a play parodying Trump with actors dressed as the president and his wife Melania.

&quot;It&#39;s like, we&#39;re rebelling against the United States. It&#39;s as if we are saying: &#39;Yes, we can.&#39; Because we Mexicans are better than United States,&quot; resident&nbsp;Luz Gutierrez told Reuters.

(WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

 
 
&nbsp;

Senior Mexican officials expressed 'worry and irritation' about US policies while Trump?s top envoys tried to cool tempers

Mexico on Thursday gave a cool reception to visiting senior US officials, secretary of state Rex Tillerson and secretary of homeland security John Kelly, amid the deportation controversy. Senior Mexican officials expressed “worry and irritation” about US policies while Trump’s top envoys tried to cool tempers. "There exists among Mexicans worry and irritation about what are perceived to be policies that could be harmful for the national interest and for Mexicans here and abroad," foreign Minister Luis Videgaray told a news conference after talks with Tillerson and Kelly, news agency Reuters reported. Videgaray added that it is "a complex time" for US-Mexican relations. The already strained US-Mexico ties received another blow this week when the US government said it was seeking to deport many illegal immigrants to Mexico if they entered the US from there, regardless of their nationality. The tensions over immigration come at a time when the two countries are already at loggerheads over Trump’s vow to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and his attempts to get Mexico to give concessions on trade. The two sides on Thursday pledged further dialogue on migration, security issues and trade, Reuters reported. Kelly says no mass deportations or military force Earlier on Thursday at the White House, Trump described the stepped-up deportation drive as “a military operation”, AFP reported. "We’re getting really bad dudes out of this country, and at a rate that nobody’s ever seen before," Trump said. However, Kelly in Mexico contradicted Trump’s statement by promising "no mass deportations" or military force against immigrants in the US. "There will be no, repeat no mass deportations", Kelly told a news conference in Mexico, AFP reported. "There will be no use of military force for immigration operations." Tillerson said the two sides "reiterated our joint commitment to maintaining law and order along our shared border by stopping potential terrorists and dismantling the transnational criminal networks moving drugs and people into the United States.", AFP reported. But he agreed that cooperation on border security had to work both ways. "We underscored the importance of stopping the illegal firearms and bulk cash that is originating in the United States and flowing into Mexico," he said, AFP reported. "There's no mistaking that the rule of law matters along both sides of the border." While US officials said the trip was aimed at building positive relations, Trump said he was determined to reduce the $70 billion US trade deficit with Mexico even at the risk of harming ties. "We’re going to have a good relationship with Mexico, I hope. And if we don’t, we don’t," he said, AFP reported. Protest against envoys, Trump's "wall" set ablze at carnival A group of protesters gathered outside Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Relations shouting slogans outside and holding banners that said "The secretaries are not welcome," and "Stop Donald Trump, Hate, Racism, Ignorance." "We delcare non gratis these secretaries of state (sic.), and we also declare non gratis Donald Trump for all the damage he has caused in the community, and continues causing," protester Maria Garcia told Reuters. At the annual carnival of the Mexican city of Veracruz revellers burned an effigy representing Trump's proposed "wall", Reuters reported. There was also a play parodying Trump with actors dressed as the president and his wife Melania. "It's like, we're rebelling against the United States. It's as if we are saying: 'Yes, we can.' Because we Mexicans are better than United States," resident Luz Gutierrez told Reuters. (WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Trump's top officials in Mexico: Not a warm reception for Rex Tillerson and John Kelly

In a rare gesture, Mexico&#39;s government has apologised to three indigenous women, who spent three years in jail, for falsely prosecuting them on charges of kidnapping seven police officers and carrying cocaine. &nbsp;

The apology came from the head of the attorney general&#39;s office, Raul Cervantes, as part of damages ordered by a tribunal.

The case of Alberta Alcantara, Jacinta Francisco and Teresa Gonzalez has shone a light on widespread human rights abuses by Mexico&#39;s authorities and problems in the justice system.

The head of the Pro Centre for Human Rights, Mario Patron, fought the case for 10 year. He said that accepting that the women were right was the minimum the Mexican government could do.&nbsp;

A formal apology from authorities for wrongdoing is extremely uncommon in Mexico.

He said that given the extraordinary rates of impunity, torture and &quot;disappeared&quot; people in Mexico, this should be considered an achievement.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The apology came from the head of the attorney general's office, Raul Cervantes, as part of damages ordered by a tribunal

In a rare gesture, Mexico's government has apologised to three indigenous women, who spent three years in jail, for falsely prosecuting them on charges of kidnapping seven police officers and carrying cocaine. The apology came from the head of the attorney general's office, Raul Cervantes, as part of damages ordered by a tribunal. The case of Alberta Alcantara, Jacinta Francisco and Teresa Gonzalez has shone a light on widespread human rights abuses by Mexico's authorities and problems in the justice system. The head of the Pro Centre for Human Rights, Mario Patron, fought the case for 10 year. He said that accepting that the women were right was the minimum the Mexican government could do. A formal apology from authorities for wrongdoing is extremely uncommon in Mexico. He said that given the extraordinary rates of impunity, torture and "disappeared" people in Mexico, this should be considered an achievement. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Mexico govt apologises to 3 indigenous women for wrongly jailing them

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