With just a plastic bag of belongings in his hand, a Mexican man who was deported from the United States Tuesday promptly killed himself, jumping off a bridge in view of the US border.

Sinaloa state native Guadalupe Olivas Valencia, 44, threw himself to his death, authorities said. He had jumped 30 metres (100 feet).

Witnesses said the man was in great distress after being sent back to Mexico for a third time.&nbsp;

The tragedy comes as US President Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the United States.

Trump has called Mexican migrants criminals and pledged to build a massive border wall.

(Reuters)

Sinaloa state native Guadalupe Olivas Valencia, 44, threw himself 100 feet to his death, authorities said

With just a plastic bag of belongings in his hand, a Mexican man who was deported from the United States Tuesday promptly killed himself, jumping off a bridge in view of the US border. Sinaloa state native Guadalupe Olivas Valencia, 44, threw himself to his death, authorities said. He had jumped 30 metres (100 feet). Witnesses said the man was in great distress after being sent back to Mexico for a third time. The tragedy comes as US President Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the United States. Trump has called Mexican migrants criminals and pledged to build a massive border wall. (Reuters)

Mexican migrant kills self after third deportation from US

Sergio Hernandez died at 15, shot dead by policeman Jesus Mesa. His would have been a story of American violence both tragic and banal if the victim had not been in Mexico and the shooter in the US.

The thorny legal question raised by the cross-border homicide heads to the US Supreme Court on Tuesday.

At issue is whether the teen&#39;s family has the constitutional right to sue Mesa, a Border Patrol agent, in US courts.

The Supreme Court takes up the case amid a deeply divisive national debate on President Donald Trump&#39;s vow to build a US wall on the border with Mexico to stem illegal immigration.

The shooting occurred June 7, 2010. Hernandez was playing around with three friends in the dry riverbed of the Rio Grande that separates the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez from its Texan neighbor El Paso.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Mesa later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him. Mesa left the scene without helping his victim</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Mesa later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him. Mesa left the scene without helping his victim" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

The four friends were racing up the concrete embankment to touch the barbed-wire fence on the US side, and racing back down. The unmarked border line runs through the middle of the culvert.

Their game bothered Mesa, who was patrolling the area on bicycle. He shot Hernandez in the head, and the teen died just 60 feet (18 meters) from the border on Mexican soil.

The Border Patrol agent later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him.

Mesa left the scene without helping his victim, accompanied by colleagues who had come to give him back-up.

According to the family of the victim, the teen was shot while unarmed and presented no danger.

Angry Mexico 
The case sparked protests in Ciudad Juarez and a diplomatic mini-crisis between the neighboring countries, with Mexico&#39;s then-president Felipe Calderon demanding a &quot;profound and impartial&quot; investigation by the Obama administration.

The previous week, another Mexican teenager, Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, had died after being beaten and shocked with a Taser by border police at the southwest crossing between Tijuana and the US city of San Diego.

It was in this context of repeated US official violence against Mexican nationals at the border that the parents of Hernandez decided to sue Mesa, accusing him of violating the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which bars unjustified deadly force.

Their lawsuit for unlawful use of lethal force also cites the Fifth Amendment, which among other provisions says that a life cannot be taken without the &quot;due process of law.&quot;

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ultimately upheld a decision to dismiss the case, stating that US courts had no jurisdiction since the victim was Mexican and died in Mexico.

&#39;Intolerable&#39; 
In the appeal, the New Orleans court decided that the complaint of unlawful use of lethal force could not be applied.

Rights group Amnesty International called the ruling &quot;intolerable&quot; and &quot;in violation of basic principles of international law.&quot;

According to Bob Hilliard, an attorney with Hilliard, Munoz, &amp; Gonzales, the firm representing the Hernandez family before the Supreme Court, US border patrols have fatally shot at least eight Mexicans between 2006 and 2016 in cross-border incidents.

&quot;Innocent Mexican nationals have been murdered with no ability to speak through the court system to the person who committed a crime,&quot; he said.

His partner, Jose Luis Munoz, pointed out the case has broad implications.

&quot;Beyond politics, this case is about humanity,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;Human worth is not determined by place of birth and justice is not determined by where a life ends -- especially a young life cut short when a US law enforcement agent, standing inside the US and governed by this country&#39;s constitutional constraints, pulls the trigger.&quot;

After lengthy hesitation, the Supreme Court decided last October to hear the case, which has gathered numerous arguments in support of the parties.

The US federal government is backing Mesa, warning that authorization of such lawsuits could &quot;significantly disrupt the ability of the political branches to respond to foreign situations involving&quot; US national interests.

The Mexican government has warned that blocking the case could damage US-Mexican relations.

&quot;Applying US law in this case would not interfere with operations of the Mexican government within Mexico,&quot; it said in a court brief.

&quot;On the contrary, providing an adequate and effective remedy would show appropriate respect for Mexico&#39;s sovereignty on its own territory and for the rights of its nationals.&quot;&#39;

(AFP)

Sergio Hernandez, 15, was playing around with friends on the dry riverbed of the Rio Grande which separates the two countries

Sergio Hernandez died at 15, shot dead by policeman Jesus Mesa. His would have been a story of American violence both tragic and banal if the victim had not been in Mexico and the shooter in the US. The thorny legal question raised by the cross-border homicide heads to the US Supreme Court on Tuesday. At issue is whether the teen's family has the constitutional right to sue Mesa, a Border Patrol agent, in US courts. The Supreme Court takes up the case amid a deeply divisive national debate on President Donald Trump's vow to build a US wall on the border with Mexico to stem illegal immigration. The shooting occurred June 7, 2010. Hernandez was playing around with three friends in the dry riverbed of the Rio Grande that separates the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez from its Texan neighbor El Paso. Mesa later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him. Mesa left the scene without helping his victim × The four friends were racing up the concrete embankment to touch the barbed-wire fence on the US side, and racing back down. The unmarked border line runs through the middle of the culvert. Their game bothered Mesa, who was patrolling the area on bicycle. He shot Hernandez in the head, and the teen died just 60 feet (18 meters) from the border on Mexican soil. The Border Patrol agent later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him. Mesa left the scene without helping his victim, accompanied by colleagues who had come to give him back-up. According to the family of the victim, the teen was shot while unarmed and presented no danger. Angry Mexico The case sparked protests in Ciudad Juarez and a diplomatic mini-crisis between the neighboring countries, with Mexico's then-president Felipe Calderon demanding a "profound and impartial" investigation by the Obama administration. The previous week, another Mexican teenager, Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, had died after being beaten and shocked with a Taser by border police at the southwest crossing between Tijuana and the US city of San Diego. It was in this context of repeated US official violence against Mexican nationals at the border that the parents of Hernandez decided to sue Mesa, accusing him of violating the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which bars unjustified deadly force. Their lawsuit for unlawful use of lethal force also cites the Fifth Amendment, which among other provisions says that a life cannot be taken without the "due process of law." The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ultimately upheld a decision to dismiss the case, stating that US courts had no jurisdiction since the victim was Mexican and died in Mexico. 'Intolerable' In the appeal, the New Orleans court decided that the complaint of unlawful use of lethal force could not be applied. Rights group Amnesty International called the ruling "intolerable" and "in violation of basic principles of international law." According to Bob Hilliard, an attorney with Hilliard, Munoz, & Gonzales, the firm representing the Hernandez family before the Supreme Court, US border patrols have fatally shot at least eight Mexicans between 2006 and 2016 in cross-border incidents. "Innocent Mexican nationals have been murdered with no ability to speak through the court system to the person who committed a crime," he said. His partner, Jose Luis Munoz, pointed out the case has broad implications. "Beyond politics, this case is about humanity," he told AFP. "Human worth is not determined by place of birth and justice is not determined by where a life ends -- especially a young life cut short when a US law enforcement agent, standing inside the US and governed by this country's constitutional constraints, pulls the trigger." After lengthy hesitation, the Supreme Court decided last October to hear the case, which has gathered numerous arguments in support of the parties. The US federal government is backing Mesa, warning that authorization of such lawsuits could "significantly disrupt the ability of the political branches to respond to foreign situations involving" US national interests. The Mexican government has warned that blocking the case could damage US-Mexican relations. "Applying US law in this case would not interfere with operations of the Mexican government within Mexico," it said in a court brief. "On the contrary, providing an adequate and effective remedy would show appropriate respect for Mexico's sovereignty on its own territory and for the rights of its nationals."' (AFP)

Teen playing on Mexico side of border shot by US cop, case now in Supreme Court

US President Donald Trump has said that he had an hour-long phone conversation with his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto on bilateral trade and the contentious wall issue, a day after the two had a blowup over who would foot the&nbsp;bill for the proposed border.

&quot;I will say that we had a very good call. I have been very strong on Mexico. I have great respect for Mexico. I love the Mexican people. I work with the Mexican people all the time. Great relationships. But Mexico has out negotiated us and beat us to a pulp through our past leaders,&quot; Trump told reporters at a joint news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May.

&quot;They&#39;ve made us look foolish. We have a trade deficit of $60 billion with Mexico. On top of that, the border is soft and weak, drugs are pouring in, and I&#39;m not going to let that happen,&quot; he said, adding that he talked with his Mexican counterpart for about an hour this morning.

&quot;We are going to be working on a fair relationship and a new relationship. But the United States cannot continue to lose vast amounts of business, vast amounts of companies, and millions and millions of people losing their jobs. That won&#39;t happen with me. We&#39;re no longer going to be the country that doesn&#39;t know what it&#39;s doing,&quot; Trump said in response to a question.

&quot;We are going to renegotiate our trade deals and we are going to renegotiate other aspects of our relationship with Mexico, and in the end, I think it&#39;ll be good for both countries,&quot; he asserted. 
Trump described the call as &quot;very, very friendly&quot;, and said he looks forward to the negotiations over the coming months.

&quot;But I&#39;m representing the people of the United States and I&#39;m going to represent them as somebody should represent them, not how they&#39;ve been represented in the past where we lose to every single country,&quot; Trump said. Meanwhile, the Mexican government said that President Pena Nieto and Trump had agreed to stop making public statements about the US leader&#39;s border wall plan and will seek to resolve differences as part of bilateral talks.

&quot;With regard to the payment of the border wall, both presidents acknowledged their clear and very public differences in position on this sensitive issue,&quot; the Mexican statement said.

&quot;The presidents also agreed at this point not to speak publicly about this controversial issue,&quot; it added.

The White House statement included near identical language on the border wall, but didn&#39;t mention a pledge not to speak publicly about the issue. On Thursday, Trump had tweeted that If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed&nbsp; 
wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting between him and Pena Nieto.

The Mexican President reacted, saying, &quot;I&#39;ve said time and again: Mexico won&#39;t pay for any wall.&quot; He later cancelled his trip to Washington planned for January 31.

(PTI)

President Trump said that he had an hour-long phone conversation with his Mexican President Nieto on the contentious wall issue

US President Donald Trump has said that he had an hour-long phone conversation with his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto on bilateral trade and the contentious wall issue, a day after the two had a blowup over who would foot the bill for the proposed border. "I will say that we had a very good call. I have been very strong on Mexico. I have great respect for Mexico. I love the Mexican people. I work with the Mexican people all the time. Great relationships. But Mexico has out negotiated us and beat us to a pulp through our past leaders," Trump told reporters at a joint news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May. "They've made us look foolish. We have a trade deficit of $60 billion with Mexico. On top of that, the border is soft and weak, drugs are pouring in, and I'm not going to let that happen," he said, adding that he talked with his Mexican counterpart for about an hour this morning. "We are going to be working on a fair relationship and a new relationship. But the United States cannot continue to lose vast amounts of business, vast amounts of companies, and millions and millions of people losing their jobs. That won't happen with me. We're no longer going to be the country that doesn't know what it's doing," Trump said in response to a question. "We are going to renegotiate our trade deals and we are going to renegotiate other aspects of our relationship with Mexico, and in the end, I think it'll be good for both countries," he asserted. Trump described the call as "very, very friendly", and said he looks forward to the negotiations over the coming months. "But I'm representing the people of the United States and I'm going to represent them as somebody should represent them, not how they've been represented in the past where we lose to every single country," Trump said. Meanwhile, the Mexican government said that President Pena Nieto and Trump had agreed to stop making public statements about the US leader's border wall plan and will seek to resolve differences as part of bilateral talks. "With regard to the payment of the border wall, both presidents acknowledged their clear and very public differences in position on this sensitive issue," the Mexican statement said. "The presidents also agreed at this point not to speak publicly about this controversial issue," it added. The White House statement included near identical language on the border wall, but didn't mention a pledge not to speak publicly about the issue. On Thursday, Trump had tweeted that If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting between him and Pena Nieto. The Mexican President reacted, saying, "I've said time and again: Mexico won't pay for any wall." He later cancelled his trip to Washington planned for January 31. (PTI)

Trump, Mexican president engage in ' friendly talk' over phone to end wall row

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday called off a meeting with Donald Trump, hours after the US president challenged him to cancel his visit if Mexico was not willing to pay for the wall on the countries&#39; border.

&quot;We informed the White House this morning that I will not attend the working meeting scheduled for next Tuesday&nbsp;with Trump in Washington,&quot; the Mexican leader said on Twitter. &quot;Mexico reiterates its willingness to work with the United States to reach agreements in both nations&#39; interests,&#39; he added on Twitter.

On Wednesday, Trump&nbsp;signed an order to build a border wall to keep out illegal migrants whom he blames for crime -- a controversial key pledge of his election campaign.

&quot;The US&nbsp;has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers... of jobs and companies lost. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting,&quot; Trump had earlier said on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The U.S. has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers...
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/824615820391305216">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
of jobs and companies lost. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/824616644370714627">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Mexican finance minister Jose Antonio Meade had earlier said cancellation of the meeting would fuel uncertainty.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto had openly said in a televised address to the nation that&nbsp;he condemned the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall. He openly asserted: &quot;I have said it time and again, Mexico will not pay for any wall&quot;.&nbsp;

Experts say building the wall would be an expensive mistake. Trump says it would take $8 billion to build the wall, estimates suggest it would be more than double&nbsp;which would be paid for by the American tax payers&nbsp;if Trump is unable to get Mexico to pay for the wall.

(WION)

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in a televised address had openly said that 'Mexico will not pay for any wall'

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday called off a meeting with Donald Trump, hours after the US president challenged him to cancel his visit if Mexico was not willing to pay for the wall on the countries' border. "We informed the White House this morning that I will not attend the working meeting scheduled for next Tuesday with Trump in Washington," the Mexican leader said on Twitter. "Mexico reiterates its willingness to work with the United States to reach agreements in both nations' interests,' he added on Twitter. On Wednesday, Trump signed an order to build a border wall to keep out illegal migrants whom he blames for crime -- a controversial key pledge of his election campaign. "The US has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers... of jobs and companies lost. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting," Trump had earlier said on Twitter. The U.S. has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2017 × of jobs and companies lost. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2017 × Mexican finance minister Jose Antonio Meade had earlier said cancellation of the meeting would fuel uncertainty. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto had openly said in a televised address to the nation that he condemned the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall. He openly asserted: "I have said it time and again, Mexico will not pay for any wall". Experts say building the wall would be an expensive mistake. Trump says it would take $8 billion to build the wall, estimates suggest it would be more than double which would be paid for by the American tax payers if Trump is unable to get Mexico to pay for the wall. (WION)

Mexican president cancels meeting with Trump over wall row

US President Donald Trump pledged Sunday to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement in upcoming talks with the leaders of Mexico and Canada.

&quot;We&#39;re meeting with the prime minister of Canada and we will be meeting with the president of Mexico, who I know, and we&#39;re going to start some negotiations having to do with NAFTA,&quot; Trump said while addressing White House staff on his second full day in office.

Trump will receive his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto on January 31. No date has been given for a meeting with Canada&#39;s Justin Trudeau, but it is expected &quot;soon,&quot; according to a readout from a call between the two leaders on Saturday.

Trump praised the Mexican leader, saying: &quot;The president has been really very amazing and I think we are going to have a very good result for Mexico, for the United States, for everybody involved. It&#39;s very important.&quot;

The White House website was updated immediately after Trump&#39;s swearing-in to reflect his campaign commitment to renegotiate the free trade agreement that has linked Canada, the United States and Mexico since 1994.

On the campaign trail, Trump called NAFTA the worst trade deal the United States has ever signed and vowed to renegotiate or rip it up.

The rules governing the free trade agreement allow any country to withdraw simply by notifying other parties. This would start a 180-day clock to allow for new negotiations.&nbsp;

If no new deal is reached by then, the accord would be dissolved.

Since Trump&#39;s November victory, both Canada and Mexico have announced that they are willing to sit down with the new US administration to reexamine the free trade agreement.

Canada has said it expects to keep its 1989 bilateral free trade agreement with the US even if Trump withdraws from NAFTA.

(AFP)

The White House website was updated immediately after Trump's swearing-in to reflect his campaign commitment to renegotiate the agreement

US President Donald Trump pledged Sunday to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement in upcoming talks with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. "We're meeting with the prime minister of Canada and we will be meeting with the president of Mexico, who I know, and we're going to start some negotiations having to do with NAFTA," Trump said while addressing White House staff on his second full day in office. Trump will receive his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto on January 31. No date has been given for a meeting with Canada's Justin Trudeau, but it is expected "soon," according to a readout from a call between the two leaders on Saturday. Trump praised the Mexican leader, saying: "The president has been really very amazing and I think we are going to have a very good result for Mexico, for the United States, for everybody involved. It's very important." The White House website was updated immediately after Trump's swearing-in to reflect his campaign commitment to renegotiate the free trade agreement that has linked Canada, the United States and Mexico since 1994. On the campaign trail, Trump called NAFTA the worst trade deal the United States has ever signed and vowed to renegotiate or rip it up. The rules governing the free trade agreement allow any country to withdraw simply by notifying other parties. This would start a 180-day clock to allow for new negotiations. If no new deal is reached by then, the accord would be dissolved. Since Trump's November victory, both Canada and Mexico have announced that they are willing to sit down with the new US administration to reexamine the free trade agreement. Canada has said it expects to keep its 1989 bilateral free trade agreement with the US even if Trump withdraws from NAFTA. (AFP)

Trump vows to 'start renegotiating' NAFTA with Mexico, Canada

President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as U.S. president saying he would like to strengthen ties, but that sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans would be paramount.

Pena Nieto, criticized for meeting Trump last year even after the New York businessman had insulted Mexicans in the election campaign, said on Twitter he would seek &quot;respectful&quot; dialogue with the new US&nbsp;government.

Trump is expected to take executive action on renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that underpins Mexico&#39;s economy &quot;very shortly,&quot; his spokesman said on Thursday.

&quot;Sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans, will guide relations with the new government of the United States,&quot; Pena Nieto said.

In his campaign, Trump derided Mexicans as rapists and murderers and vowed to build a wall along the US&nbsp;southern border to keep them out.

There were subdued protests across Mexico on Friday as Republican Trump was inaugurated and Democrat Barack Obama left office after eight years in the White House.

One political activist held up a banner on Mexico City&#39;s main thoroughfare that read &quot;Racist, gringo Trump...son of Satan, you are a danger to the world.&quot;

More than three quarters of Mexicans have a bad or very bad opinion of the US&nbsp;President, according to a poll of 600 people conducted earlier this month by Gabinete de Comunicacion Estrategica.

&quot;Trump if you are Christian, don&#39;t crucify Mexicans,&quot; Sergio Tamay wrote on a fuschia-colored sign at a migrant protest in the northern city of Mexicali on the border with the US&nbsp;state of California.

Mexico&#39;s peso was the strongest performing among the top 10 most-traded currencies after Trump&#39;s speech in Washington made no mention of the country. It was up more than 1.6 per cent at 21.582 per dollar in the early afternoon.

(Reuters)

He congratulated Trump, but cautioned that the sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans would be paramount

President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as U.S. president saying he would like to strengthen ties, but that sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans would be paramount. Pena Nieto, criticized for meeting Trump last year even after the New York businessman had insulted Mexicans in the election campaign, said on Twitter he would seek "respectful" dialogue with the new US government. Trump is expected to take executive action on renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that underpins Mexico's economy "very shortly," his spokesman said on Thursday. "Sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans, will guide relations with the new government of the United States," Pena Nieto said. In his campaign, Trump derided Mexicans as rapists and murderers and vowed to build a wall along the US southern border to keep them out. There were subdued protests across Mexico on Friday as Republican Trump was inaugurated and Democrat Barack Obama left office after eight years in the White House. One political activist held up a banner on Mexico City's main thoroughfare that read "Racist, gringo Trump...son of Satan, you are a danger to the world." More than three quarters of Mexicans have a bad or very bad opinion of the US President, according to a poll of 600 people conducted earlier this month by Gabinete de Comunicacion Estrategica. "Trump if you are Christian, don't crucify Mexicans," Sergio Tamay wrote on a fuschia-colored sign at a migrant protest in the northern city of Mexicali on the border with the US state of California. Mexico's peso was the strongest performing among the top 10 most-traded currencies after Trump's speech in Washington made no mention of the country. It was up more than 1.6 per cent at 21.582 per dollar in the early afternoon. (Reuters)

Mexico: President Enrique Pena Nieto vows to protect Mexicans as he seeks close ties with Trump

Drug kingpin Joaquin &quot;El Chapo&quot; Guzman appeared in a US&nbsp;court on Friday after his surprise extradition from Mexico and pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran the world&#39;s largest drug-trafficking organisation during a decades-long criminal career.

El Chapo (Spanish for &quot;Shorty&quot;), who twice made dramatic escapes from Mexican prisons and was one of the world&#39;s most wanted drug lords, was accompanied by two lawyers during the appearance in federal court in Brooklyn.

The extradition came on the eve of Donald Trump&#39;s inauguration, a coincidence some officials said was an olive branch to the incoming US&nbsp;president who declared he would kick Guzman&#39;s &quot;ass&quot; on taking office.

The Mexican attorney general&#39;s office rejected claims the move was related to Trump&#39;s swearing-in, noting that Guzman faces 10 pending cases in Mexico following his US&nbsp;sentence.

Guzman, 59, wore a blue jump suit and had no visible expression on his face as he entered the courtroom and listened to questions from a judge. He did not appear to be wearing handcuffs. Guzman&#39;s lawyers declined to comment to reporters.

After US&nbsp;Magistrate Judge James Orenstein asked Guzman if he understood the charges against him, Guzman responded through a Spanish interpreter, &quot;Well, I didn&#39;t know until now.&quot;

An additional hearing was scheduled for Feb&nbsp;3.

The indictment in Brooklyn against him, with 17 criminal counts, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, Robert Capers, the US&nbsp;attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said at a news conference earlier in the day.

US&nbsp;prosecutors have more than 40 witnesses ready to testify against Guzman, Capers told reporters, adding that the eventual trial will likely last &quot;many&quot; weeks.

Leading the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman oversaw perhaps the world&#39;s largest transnational cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling operation, playing a key role in Mexico&#39;s decade-long drug war that has killed over 100,000 people.

Guzman arrived in a small jet at Long Island&#39;s MacArthur Airport after nightfall on Thursday from a prison in Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua, where his cartel rules.

A few hours earlier, Guzman, who stands 5 feet six inches, was bundled out of the Mexican cell block with his hands cuffed above his bowed head, Mexican television footage showed.

(Reuters)

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's cartel smuggled billions of dollars worth of cocaine across Mexico's border into the United States

Drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman appeared in a US court on Friday after his surprise extradition from Mexico and pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran the world's largest drug-trafficking organisation during a decades-long criminal career. El Chapo (Spanish for "Shorty"), who twice made dramatic escapes from Mexican prisons and was one of the world's most wanted drug lords, was accompanied by two lawyers during the appearance in federal court in Brooklyn. The extradition came on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, a coincidence some officials said was an olive branch to the incoming US president who declared he would kick Guzman's "ass" on taking office. The Mexican attorney general's office rejected claims the move was related to Trump's swearing-in, noting that Guzman faces 10 pending cases in Mexico following his US sentence. Guzman, 59, wore a blue jump suit and had no visible expression on his face as he entered the courtroom and listened to questions from a judge. He did not appear to be wearing handcuffs. Guzman's lawyers declined to comment to reporters. After US Magistrate Judge James Orenstein asked Guzman if he understood the charges against him, Guzman responded through a Spanish interpreter, "Well, I didn't know until now." An additional hearing was scheduled for Feb 3. The indictment in Brooklyn against him, with 17 criminal counts, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, Robert Capers, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said at a news conference earlier in the day. US prosecutors have more than 40 witnesses ready to testify against Guzman, Capers told reporters, adding that the eventual trial will likely last "many" weeks. Leading the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman oversaw perhaps the world's largest transnational cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling operation, playing a key role in Mexico's decade-long drug war that has killed over 100,000 people. Guzman arrived in a small jet at Long Island's MacArthur Airport after nightfall on Thursday from a prison in Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua, where his cartel rules. A few hours earlier, Guzman, who stands 5 feet six inches, was bundled out of the Mexican cell block with his hands cuffed above his bowed head, Mexican television footage showed. (Reuters)

Mexico drug lord 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty in US court

Shooting erupted during an electronic music festival at a Mexican beach resort early Monday, leaving five people dead, including one in a stampede as revellers fled in panic. Fifteen other people were injured after a gunman opened fire on security guards preventing him from entering the Blue Parrot nightclub during the BPM festival in Playa del Carmen, the Quintana Roo state, prosecutor&#39;s office said in a statement.

The prosecutor, Miguel Angel Pech, has confirmed that one Canadian - not two as previously thought - and one Italian were among the five dead. At least three of those killed were security personnel, according to event organizers.

The shooting sowed terror in a part of Mexico that has been largely spared from the drug violence afflicting other parts of the country. Playa del Carmen and nearby Cancun are in a Caribbean region known as the Mayan Riviera, which is popular among American and European tourists.

&quot;We suddenly had to jump over the metal security barriers because they were shooting. It was horrible. We were very scared,&quot; Eric Alvarez, a 40-year-old Mexican DJ, said outside the club, which has a blue parrot painted on the facade.

&quot;A lot of people were panicking,&quot; said Alvarez, who lost his prosthetic teeth while fleeing.&nbsp;

The Italian man was shot dead while another man died from bullet wounds at a hospital, according to local prosecutors. A woman was trampled to death. &quot;Witnesses said that a person tried to enter the establishment with a weapon but was blocked by security guards, triggering the attack,&quot; said the statement from Pech&#39;s office.

Pech said two people, apparently security guards, had fired back at the assailant.

Four people were detained near the scene of the crime and authorities are investigating if they were connected to the shooting, he added. Rashed Qassem, a Lebanese events promoter who lives in the United States, said he was sitting at a table near the club&#39;s exit when the shooting started.

&quot;We thought it was fireworks placed in the club. Then we realised that someone had entered through the exit door and had begun shooting,&quot; Qassem said. Qassem, 36, saw a man fall to the ground after he suffered a head wound. Then one of his friends was shot in the back.

&quot;When it became clear that someone was shooting, everyone went into a state of panic. We immediately threw ourselves to the ground as the gunman continued shooting, after he killed a guard at the entrance,&quot; he said.

&quot;He fired more than 10 times before he left via the exit door. We kept lying on the ground until the police arrived and asked us to leave.&quot;

Amateur video footage showed people cowering and running down the street.&nbsp;An editor for London-based music magazine, Mixmag, who was in the backstage area of the Blue Parrot said at least four or five shots were fired at around 3am local time.

&quot;People started running because there&#39;s an exit in the back. We stopped and hid behind a cement wall, then crawled under a metal table,&quot; Valerie Lee, Mixmag&#39;s US digital editor, was quoted as saying by the magazine.

Lee wrote on Twitter that the music was so loud that people likely didn&#39;t hear the gunshots inside. She said friends outside the entrance were just 20 feet from the shooter and that there were &quot;bodies on the ground.&quot; The Colombian foreign ministry said Quintana Roo authorities had informed them that &quot;no citizens of Colombian nationality died in the shooting,&quot; as authorities had previously thought.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

One of the deaths was caused by the resulting stampede

Shooting erupted during an electronic music festival at a Mexican beach resort early Monday, leaving five people dead, including one in a stampede as revellers fled in panic. Fifteen other people were injured after a gunman opened fire on security guards preventing him from entering the Blue Parrot nightclub during the BPM festival in Playa del Carmen, the Quintana Roo state, prosecutor's office said in a statement. The prosecutor, Miguel Angel Pech, has confirmed that one Canadian - not two as previously thought - and one Italian were among the five dead. At least three of those killed were security personnel, according to event organizers. The shooting sowed terror in a part of Mexico that has been largely spared from the drug violence afflicting other parts of the country. Playa del Carmen and nearby Cancun are in a Caribbean region known as the Mayan Riviera, which is popular among American and European tourists. "We suddenly had to jump over the metal security barriers because they were shooting. It was horrible. We were very scared," Eric Alvarez, a 40-year-old Mexican DJ, said outside the club, which has a blue parrot painted on the facade. "A lot of people were panicking," said Alvarez, who lost his prosthetic teeth while fleeing. The Italian man was shot dead while another man died from bullet wounds at a hospital, according to local prosecutors. A woman was trampled to death. "Witnesses said that a person tried to enter the establishment with a weapon but was blocked by security guards, triggering the attack," said the statement from Pech's office. Pech said two people, apparently security guards, had fired back at the assailant. Four people were detained near the scene of the crime and authorities are investigating if they were connected to the shooting, he added. Rashed Qassem, a Lebanese events promoter who lives in the United States, said he was sitting at a table near the club's exit when the shooting started. "We thought it was fireworks placed in the club. Then we realised that someone had entered through the exit door and had begun shooting," Qassem said. Qassem, 36, saw a man fall to the ground after he suffered a head wound. Then one of his friends was shot in the back. "When it became clear that someone was shooting, everyone went into a state of panic. We immediately threw ourselves to the ground as the gunman continued shooting, after he killed a guard at the entrance," he said. "He fired more than 10 times before he left via the exit door. We kept lying on the ground until the police arrived and asked us to leave." Amateur video footage showed people cowering and running down the street. An editor for London-based music magazine, Mixmag, who was in the backstage area of the Blue Parrot said at least four or five shots were fired at around 3am local time. "People started running because there's an exit in the back. We stopped and hid behind a cement wall, then crawled under a metal table," Valerie Lee, Mixmag's US digital editor, was quoted as saying by the magazine. Lee wrote on Twitter that the music was so loud that people likely didn't hear the gunshots inside. She said friends outside the entrance were just 20 feet from the shooter and that there were "bodies on the ground." The Colombian foreign ministry said Quintana Roo authorities had informed them that "no citizens of Colombian nationality died in the shooting," as authorities had previously thought. (AFP)

Gunman opens fire at Mexico electronic music festival, 5 dead

At least five people, including four foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday when a shooter opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico&#39;s Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival, state officials said.

Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech told a press conference that two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian were killed. A woman died in the stampede to exit the club.

Pech said the incident began when a person entered the Blue Parrot nightclub armed around 3:00&nbsp;am&nbsp;on Monday morning, during the closing of the festival. Another person tried to stop the person, sparking a gunfight that drew in security staff.

The shooting represents a major blow to Mexico&#39;s tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy thanks to a weak peso exchange rate.

Pech added that 15 people were injured, of whom 10 are still in hospital. The state government said in a statement that one person was in grave condition. Four people were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the incident.

Pech said two of the dead were BPM security workers but the festival said in a statement that three members of their security team were killed. BPM said the shooting was carried out by a lone shooter.

Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively low murder rates. However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen.

Videos purportedly shot at the scene shown on television and social media appear to show dancers ducking for cover and running out on the streets to safety.

&quot;This is a very, very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected,&quot; Scottish DJ Jackmaster, who was performing at BPM, said on Twitter.

The BPM festival, which was entering its 10th year, has grown to be one of the biggest electronic music events in the world, with top DJs flying in every January to play the clubs of Playa del Carmen along Mexico&#39;s Caribbean coast.

In recent years, Mexico&#39;s Caribbean coast has drawn a growing number of DJs and fans of electronic music to the beautiful, balmy region, looking to escape the frigid European and North American winters.

(Reuters)

The organisers said three members of their security team were killed in the shooting, which it said was perpetrated by a lone shooter

At least five people, including four foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday when a shooter opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico's Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival, state officials said. Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech told a press conference that two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian were killed. A woman died in the stampede to exit the club. Pech said the incident began when a person entered the Blue Parrot nightclub armed around 3:00 am on Monday morning, during the closing of the festival. Another person tried to stop the person, sparking a gunfight that drew in security staff. The shooting represents a major blow to Mexico's tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy thanks to a weak peso exchange rate. Pech added that 15 people were injured, of whom 10 are still in hospital. The state government said in a statement that one person was in grave condition. Four people were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the incident. Pech said two of the dead were BPM security workers but the festival said in a statement that three members of their security team were killed. BPM said the shooting was carried out by a lone shooter. Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively low murder rates. However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen. Videos purportedly shot at the scene shown on television and social media appear to show dancers ducking for cover and running out on the streets to safety. "This is a very, very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected," Scottish DJ Jackmaster, who was performing at BPM, said on Twitter. The BPM festival, which was entering its 10th year, has grown to be one of the biggest electronic music events in the world, with top DJs flying in every January to play the clubs of Playa del Carmen along Mexico's Caribbean coast. In recent years, Mexico's Caribbean coast has drawn a growing number of DJs and fans of electronic music to the beautiful, balmy region, looking to escape the frigid European and North American winters. (Reuters)

At least 5 dead, 15 hurt in gun fight at Mexico electronic music festival

Mexico will name a new ambassador to the US, The Hill reports, citing&nbsp;Mexican Foreign Relations Secretariat sources.&nbsp;

The current ambassador Carlos Sada Solana will be replaced by Geronimo Gutierrez, who is currently the managing director of the North American Development Bank.&nbsp;Previously, Gutierrez was the undersecretary for North American affairs at the Foreign Relations Secretariat, The Hill reports.

The announcement is expected to come on Friday, The Hill reports. 
&nbsp; 
The change in appointment comes as relations between the country are strained, as Trump has promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), build a wall along the border that the President-elect says Mexico will fund, deport millions of mexicans and place tariffs on goods manufactured in Mexico.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
This post is considered to be Mexico&#39;s highest appointment because of the historical closeness between the two countries and because millions of Mexicans currently live in America.

&nbsp;(WION)

The change comes at a crucial juncture, with Donald Trump about to become US president

Mexico will name a new ambassador to the US, The Hill reports, citing Mexican Foreign Relations Secretariat sources. The current ambassador Carlos Sada Solana will be replaced by Geronimo Gutierrez, who is currently the managing director of the North American Development Bank. Previously, Gutierrez was the undersecretary for North American affairs at the Foreign Relations Secretariat, The Hill reports. The announcement is expected to come on Friday, The Hill reports. The change in appointment comes as relations between the country are strained, as Trump has promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), build a wall along the border that the President-elect says Mexico will fund, deport millions of mexicans and place tariffs on goods manufactured in Mexico. This post is considered to be Mexico's highest appointment because of the historical closeness between the two countries and because millions of Mexicans currently live in America. (WION)

Mexico to name new US ambassador: Reports

&nbsp;

Mexico&#39;s new foreign minister vowed that his country will negotiate with US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s administration &quot;without fear.&quot; President Enrique Pena Nieto brought former finance minister Luis Videgaray back to his cabinet last week to seek &quot;constructive&quot; relations with Trump, who has vowed to upend trade ties with Mexico.

Videgaray had resigned as finance minister in September, a week after it was revealed that he orchestrated a much-criticized pre-election meeting between Trump and Pena Nieto in Mexico City.

&quot;We will negotiate with great confidence in ourselves, without fear, knowing how important Mexico is for the United States in economic, social and political terms,&quot; Videgaray said at a meeting with Mexican ambassadors.

Trump has angered Mexicans with his anti-immigrant rhetoric and his vow to make the neighboring country pay for a giant wall along their border. The Republican President-elect, who takes office on January 20, has also caused the peso to plunge as investors fret over his plan to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada.

Trump has also pledged to slap import tariffs of as much as 35 per cent on companies that ship jobs abroad. Trump made similar threats to US automaker General Motors and Japan&#39;s Toyota last week for making cars in Mexico, while Ford announced the cancellation of a new $1.6 billion factory in the neighboring country.

Despite concerns about Trump&#39;s protectionist policies, exports of Mexican-made cars to the United States rose by 9.6 per cent in December compared to the same month in 2015, according to the Mexican Automobile Industry Association (AMIA). AMIA president Eduardo Solis said the United States would have to withdraw from NAFTA in order to impose tariffs because the pact&#39;s rules keep such import taxes for cars at zero per cent.

The Mexican government could also take legal action at the World Trade Organization if tariffs of more than 2.5 per cent are imposed on light vehicles and 25 per cent on pickup trucks, Solis said.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Mexico's new foreign minister has vowed to take a tough stand during US-Mexico trade negotiations

Mexico's new foreign minister vowed that his country will negotiate with US President-elect Donald Trump's administration "without fear." President Enrique Pena Nieto brought former finance minister Luis Videgaray back to his cabinet last week to seek "constructive" relations with Trump, who has vowed to upend trade ties with Mexico. Videgaray had resigned as finance minister in September, a week after it was revealed that he orchestrated a much-criticized pre-election meeting between Trump and Pena Nieto in Mexico City. "We will negotiate with great confidence in ourselves, without fear, knowing how important Mexico is for the United States in economic, social and political terms," Videgaray said at a meeting with Mexican ambassadors. Trump has angered Mexicans with his anti-immigrant rhetoric and his vow to make the neighboring country pay for a giant wall along their border. The Republican President-elect, who takes office on January 20, has also caused the peso to plunge as investors fret over his plan to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. Trump has also pledged to slap import tariffs of as much as 35 per cent on companies that ship jobs abroad. Trump made similar threats to US automaker General Motors and Japan's Toyota last week for making cars in Mexico, while Ford announced the cancellation of a new $1.6 billion factory in the neighboring country. Despite concerns about Trump's protectionist policies, exports of Mexican-made cars to the United States rose by 9.6 per cent in December compared to the same month in 2015, according to the Mexican Automobile Industry Association (AMIA). AMIA president Eduardo Solis said the United States would have to withdraw from NAFTA in order to impose tariffs because the pact's rules keep such import taxes for cars at zero per cent. The Mexican government could also take legal action at the World Trade Organization if tariffs of more than 2.5 per cent are imposed on light vehicles and 25 per cent on pickup trucks, Solis said. (AFP)

We will negotiate without fear with US on trade: Mexico

&nbsp;

The suspect in the shooting of a US consular official in Mexico&#39;s western city of Guadalajara has been arrested, Mexican officials have told news agencies.

The identity of the suspect, who is an American, was not released, and authorities did not comment on a possible motive for the attack.

Mexican authorities said the US official, who has not been identified, is now in stable condition. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation had offered a reward of $20,000 for information to help identify and arrest the shooter.

A video posted online by the consulate in Guadalajara showed the shooter appearing to wait for the official&#39;s car to pull up at a car park barrier before shooting directly at the driver and running away.&nbsp;Authorities also released video of the suspect walking down a hallway and around a white van, where his face was more clearly visible.

(Agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RU3g4egCbr8"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
Mexican authorities have arrested the alleged gunman who, while disguised as a nurse, shot and wounded a US consular official in Guadalajara (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The suspect in the shooting of a US consular official in Mexico's western city of Guadalajara has been arrested

The suspect in the shooting of a US consular official in Mexico's western city of Guadalajara has been arrested, Mexican officials have told news agencies. The identity of the suspect, who is an American, was not released, and authorities did not comment on a possible motive for the attack. Mexican authorities said the US official, who has not been identified, is now in stable condition. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation had offered a reward of $20,000 for information to help identify and arrest the shooter. A video posted online by the consulate in Guadalajara showed the shooter appearing to wait for the official's car to pull up at a car park barrier before shooting directly at the driver and running away. Authorities also released video of the suspect walking down a hallway and around a white van, where his face was more clearly visible. (Agencies) Mexican authorities have arrested the alleged gunman who, while disguised as a nurse, shot and wounded a US consular official in Guadalajara (WION) ×

US consular shooting: Gunman arrested in Mexico

Fiat Chrysler has&nbsp;announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States, coming as President-elect Donald Trump has been publicly scolding automakers for investing in Mexico.

The American-Italian firm will invest $1 billion by 2020 in two of its factories in the Midwestern states of Michigan and Ohio, where the new jobs will be based, the company said in a statement coming on the eve of the Detroit auto show.

&quot;FCA US is further demonstrating its commitment to strengthening its US manufacturing base,&quot; it said, adding that it has created 25,000 jobs in the country since 2009.

Trump, who campaigned on promises of creating industrial jobs in the American heartland, took to Twitter this past week to blast automakers with operations or plans to build plants in Mexico. He slammed General Motors for making some of its Chevy Cruze models south of the border, and Toyota, which is building a new plant there.

On Tuesday, US automaker Ford announced it was scrapping construction of a plant in Mexico to instead invest in the United States and create 700 jobs, citing a &quot;vote of confidence&quot; in the economic agenda of the incoming president.&nbsp;

Fiat Chrysler so far has escaped Trump&#39;s Twitter wrath, but it&#39;s due to start importing Jeep Compass models from Mexico as soon as this month.

Other auto groups have pre-emptively said they will be flexible in the new era of American politics.

&quot;We are pragmatic, we will adapt to any situation,&quot; said the chief of the Renault-Nissan alliance, Carlos Ghosn, speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.&nbsp;In December, American air conditioner manufacturer Carrier backed off a planned transfer of 1,000 jobs to the Mexico, after a deal with Trump - and for $7 million in tax cuts.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Fiat Chrysler has?announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States

Fiat Chrysler has announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States, coming as President-elect Donald Trump has been publicly scolding automakers for investing in Mexico. The American-Italian firm will invest $1 billion by 2020 in two of its factories in the Midwestern states of Michigan and Ohio, where the new jobs will be based, the company said in a statement coming on the eve of the Detroit auto show. "FCA US is further demonstrating its commitment to strengthening its US manufacturing base," it said, adding that it has created 25,000 jobs in the country since 2009. Trump, who campaigned on promises of creating industrial jobs in the American heartland, took to Twitter this past week to blast automakers with operations or plans to build plants in Mexico. He slammed General Motors for making some of its Chevy Cruze models south of the border, and Toyota, which is building a new plant there. On Tuesday, US automaker Ford announced it was scrapping construction of a plant in Mexico to instead invest in the United States and create 700 jobs, citing a "vote of confidence" in the economic agenda of the incoming president. Fiat Chrysler so far has escaped Trump's Twitter wrath, but it's due to start importing Jeep Compass models from Mexico as soon as this month. Other auto groups have pre-emptively said they will be flexible in the new era of American politics. "We are pragmatic, we will adapt to any situation," said the chief of the Renault-Nissan alliance, Carlos Ghosn, speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In December, American air conditioner manufacturer Carrier backed off a planned transfer of 1,000 jobs to the Mexico, after a deal with Trump - and for $7 million in tax cuts. (AFP)

Fiat Chrysler to invest $1 billion in two US factories

Some drug lords take their ostentatious lifestyle literally to the grave: a cemetery in Mexico is blooming with two-story tombs fitted with living rooms, air conditioning and bulletproof glass.

Mexico marked on Sunday 10 years since the government deployed troops in a drug war that has killed tens of thousands of people, with many victims buried unceremoniously in mass graves, dumped on roadsides or left hanging on bridges.

But the drug barons of Sinaloa state, the northwestern bastion of imprisoned kingpin Joaquin &quot;El Chapo&quot; Guzman, have given themselves more dignified final resting places at Jardines del Humaya cemetery in the regional capital, Culiacan.

One crypt looks like a chapel with white columns, angels on stained glass windows and a statue of Jesus Christ standing on the roof.&nbsp;

Others resemble small modern apartments with glass doors, stairs leading to a second floor and living rooms with couches for mourners. At least two of them were adorned with Christmas trees.

A crypt said to hold the remains of a Sinaloa drug cartel hitman has a bulletproof glass door, a cross that lights up in the dark on top of a dome, and surveillance cameras pointing toward the entrance. Inside, a glass case holds four small swords.

As night falls, lights are automatically activated outside several tombs. Many have alarm systems. One has fort-like towers, and another has a roof terrace with fans.&nbsp;

Most crypts have large pictures or paintings of the deceased on the wall -- several look like young men in their 20s or 30s -- but many of these tombs have no name to identify the person.

&quot;It&#39;s an expression of the power that they once had and a manifestation of their desire for eternity, which is natural in any human being,&quot; said Juan Carlos Ayala, a philosophy professor at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa who specialises in &quot;narco culture.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s also a demonstration for those who survive them that this man was important,&quot; Ayala said.

New lavish mausoleums were under construction this week, awaiting for more drug cartel honchos to be gunned down. Ayala estimates that some of the crypts cost as much as $290,000 to build.

&#39;Narco culture&#39;

The luxurious graves have become one of the symbols of the &quot;narco culture&quot; that has spread in the past decade, adding a religious facet to an underworld that has also inspired music, television shows, movies and fashion.

&quot;Drug trafficking is permeating the community, through traditional culture, and now we almost have trouble seeing where one ends and the other begins,&quot; Ayala said.

Some local governments have fined musicians who publicly perform polka-like ballads known as &quot;narco corridos&quot; that sing the praises of drug barons.

Some federal lawmakers wanted last month to prevent television networks from broadcasting &quot;narco series&quot; during primetime hours over concerns they could influence children.

The actors Sean Penn and Kate Del Castillo met with Guzman while he was on the run last year. After his capture in January, it was revealed that Del Castillo, who is Mexican-American, wanted to make a film about Guzman.&nbsp;

&#39;Supernatural protection&#39;

Narco culture has also intertwined with religion.

Criminals&nbsp;and millions of Mexicans&nbsp;worship a skeletal death saint known as Santa Muerte, which is rejected by the Roman Catholic church as blasphemous but has even gained followers in the United States.

But many also pray to another folk saint called Jesus Malverde, who according to legend was a Robin Hood-type bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor until he was hanged in Culiacan in 1909.

&quot;There&#39;s a strong religious component to narco culture because if anyone needs supernatural protection it&#39;s narcos who could be gunned down by rivals or law enforcement at any minute,&quot; said Andrew Chesnut, professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of the book &quot;Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint.&quot;

A green Jesus Malverde Chapel was built in his honour in Culiacan, where people can kneel in front of a bust of the dark-haired and moustachioed saint to pray for miracles.

People have left pesos on the walls but also dollar bills and currencies from Canada, Colombia and Cuba, along with pictures and thank you notes.

Fernando Lopez, a 35-year-old banker on vacation from central Mexico, visited the chapel &quot;out of curiosity&quot; because &quot;you hear about this place all over Mexico.&quot;

Nestor Paul Torres, a local 29-year-old flower seller, said he prayed to Malverde after he was wrongly jailed on bank robbery charges. He was acquitted two years later.

While in jail, he made an ornate wooden bust of Malverde, which now stands among other gifts left by worshippers whose prayers were answered.

&quot;I got out thanks to him,&quot; Torres, a Catholic who wears a cross, said after praying in front of the altar, which is surrounded by candles in a small room.

&quot;A lot of people who come here are poor. That doesn&#39;t mean we are narcos,&quot; he said.

&quot;Right now I&#39;m asking for another miracle,&quot; said Torres, who plans to hire a musician to sing to Malverde if he helps him buy a car. &quot;I know that he will be able to do it.&quot;

(AFP)

As night falls, lights are automatically activated outside several tombs. Many have alarm systems

Some drug lords take their ostentatious lifestyle literally to the grave: a cemetery in Mexico is blooming with two-story tombs fitted with living rooms, air conditioning and bulletproof glass. Mexico marked on Sunday 10 years since the government deployed troops in a drug war that has killed tens of thousands of people, with many victims buried unceremoniously in mass graves, dumped on roadsides or left hanging on bridges. But the drug barons of Sinaloa state, the northwestern bastion of imprisoned kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, have given themselves more dignified final resting places at Jardines del Humaya cemetery in the regional capital, Culiacan. One crypt looks like a chapel with white columns, angels on stained glass windows and a statue of Jesus Christ standing on the roof. Others resemble small modern apartments with glass doors, stairs leading to a second floor and living rooms with couches for mourners. At least two of them were adorned with Christmas trees. A crypt said to hold the remains of a Sinaloa drug cartel hitman has a bulletproof glass door, a cross that lights up in the dark on top of a dome, and surveillance cameras pointing toward the entrance. Inside, a glass case holds four small swords. As night falls, lights are automatically activated outside several tombs. Many have alarm systems. One has fort-like towers, and another has a roof terrace with fans. Most crypts have large pictures or paintings of the deceased on the wall -- several look like young men in their 20s or 30s -- but many of these tombs have no name to identify the person. "It's an expression of the power that they once had and a manifestation of their desire for eternity, which is natural in any human being," said Juan Carlos Ayala, a philosophy professor at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa who specialises in "narco culture." "It's also a demonstration for those who survive them that this man was important," Ayala said. New lavish mausoleums were under construction this week, awaiting for more drug cartel honchos to be gunned down. Ayala estimates that some of the crypts cost as much as $290,000 to build. 'Narco culture' The luxurious graves have become one of the symbols of the "narco culture" that has spread in the past decade, adding a religious facet to an underworld that has also inspired music, television shows, movies and fashion. "Drug trafficking is permeating the community, through traditional culture, and now we almost have trouble seeing where one ends and the other begins," Ayala said. Some local governments have fined musicians who publicly perform polka-like ballads known as "narco corridos" that sing the praises of drug barons. Some federal lawmakers wanted last month to prevent television networks from broadcasting "narco series" during primetime hours over concerns they could influence children. The actors Sean Penn and Kate Del Castillo met with Guzman while he was on the run last year. After his capture in January, it was revealed that Del Castillo, who is Mexican-American, wanted to make a film about Guzman. 'Supernatural protection' Narco culture has also intertwined with religion. Criminals and millions of Mexicans worship a skeletal death saint known as Santa Muerte, which is rejected by the Roman Catholic church as blasphemous but has even gained followers in the United States. But many also pray to another folk saint called Jesus Malverde, who according to legend was a Robin Hood-type bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor until he was hanged in Culiacan in 1909. "There's a strong religious component to narco culture because if anyone needs supernatural protection it's narcos who could be gunned down by rivals or law enforcement at any minute," said Andrew Chesnut, professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of the book "Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint." A green Jesus Malverde Chapel was built in his honour in Culiacan, where people can kneel in front of a bust of the dark-haired and moustachioed saint to pray for miracles. People have left pesos on the walls but also dollar bills and currencies from Canada, Colombia and Cuba, along with pictures and thank you notes. Fernando Lopez, a 35-year-old banker on vacation from central Mexico, visited the chapel "out of curiosity" because "you hear about this place all over Mexico." Nestor Paul Torres, a local 29-year-old flower seller, said he prayed to Malverde after he was wrongly jailed on bank robbery charges. He was acquitted two years later. While in jail, he made an ornate wooden bust of Malverde, which now stands among other gifts left by worshippers whose prayers were answered. "I got out thanks to him," Torres, a Catholic who wears a cross, said after praying in front of the altar, which is surrounded by candles in a small room. "A lot of people who come here are poor. That doesn't mean we are narcos," he said. "Right now I'm asking for another miracle," said Torres, who plans to hire a musician to sing to Malverde if he helps him buy a car. "I know that he will be able to do it." (AFP)

Mexican narcos beat heat in air conditioned tombs

Donald Trump might be threatening to build a wall all along it but on Saturday -- Sunday is UN Children&#39;s Day -- the US-Mexico border &quot;opened&quot; for just a little bit. Three minutes to be exact.

Migrant advocacy group Border Angels got six Mexican-American families to meet their long-separated relatives from across the border as part of its &quot;Opening the Door of Hope&quot; event.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_i933v-20161120045930.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Border Patrol agents patrol the United States-Mexico Border wall during the &#39;Opening the Door Of Hope&#39; event. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

One by one, each family was escorted to the opening in the steel fence separating the San Diego suburb of San Ysidro from Tijuana in Mexico, and for three minutes -- under the watchful eye of border agents&nbsp;-- hugged and kissed their loved ones who had waited on the other side.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_i933n-20161120045132.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
For 20 years, Laura Avila (in picture)&nbsp;had yearned to hug her mother again. On Saturday, tears streaming down her face, the 35-year-old had her wish finally come true. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;I last saw my mother when she was 50 and next week she turns 71,&quot; Avila, who lives in the Los Angeles area, told AFP after the emotional reunion. &quot;It was an early Christmas present for the two of us, and a birthday present for her.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_i92v2-20161120045458.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Laura Avila hugs her daughter Laura Vera Martinez after seeing her own mother. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;She had to take a four-hour flight from Puebla (in east-central Mexico) to see us,&quot; Avila said of her mother who had been deported after illegally entering the US.&nbsp;Most of the six families had had parents deported back to Mexico.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_i92uu-20161120054227.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Luis Hernandez hugs his Father Eduardo. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Many like Luis Hernandez were allowed to stay in the US because of President Barack Obama&#39;s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme which allows immigrants who arrived in the US as children to work and study in the country on a temporary basis, while the parents are deported.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_i92uy-20161120051830.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Adrian Gonalez Morales consoles his daughter Aileen after seeing, and hugging, her grandparents. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

These so-called &quot;Dreamers&quot; &nbsp;are now worried that Trump will repeal the action, leading to tragic consequences for&nbsp;some 750,000 people. &#39;I am terrified,&#39;&nbsp;said Luis Hernandez, 25, who hadn&#39;t seen his father in five years.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_i933q-20161120051023.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Fears over Trump pushing ahead with his harsh immigration proposals were on everyone&#39;s mind. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&#39;What Trump has proposed is so scary for a lot of minorities, myself included,&#39;&nbsp;said Hernandez, who runs a television and Internet service in Los Angeles. &#39;He has said he plans to undo the law that protects me.&#39;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Briefly on Saturday, 6 Mexican-American families got to meet long-separated parents who'd been deported back to Mexico from the States

Donald Trump might be threatening to build a wall all along it but on Saturday -- Sunday is UN Children's Day -- the US-Mexico border "opened" for just a little bit. Three minutes to be exact. Migrant advocacy group Border Angels got six Mexican-American families to meet their long-separated relatives from across the border as part of its "Opening the Door of Hope" event. Border Patrol agents patrol the United States-Mexico Border wall during the 'Opening the Door Of Hope' event. (AFP) × One by one, each family was escorted to the opening in the steel fence separating the San Diego suburb of San Ysidro from Tijuana in Mexico, and for three minutes -- under the watchful eye of border agents -- hugged and kissed their loved ones who had waited on the other side. For 20 years, Laura Avila (in picture) had yearned to hug her mother again. On Saturday, tears streaming down her face, the 35-year-old had her wish finally come true. (AFP) × "I last saw my mother when she was 50 and next week she turns 71," Avila, who lives in the Los Angeles area, told AFP after the emotional reunion. "It was an early Christmas present for the two of us, and a birthday present for her." Laura Avila hugs her daughter Laura Vera Martinez after seeing her own mother. (AFP) × "She had to take a four-hour flight from Puebla (in east-central Mexico) to see us," Avila said of her mother who had been deported after illegally entering the US. Most of the six families had had parents deported back to Mexico. Luis Hernandez hugs his Father Eduardo. (AFP) × Many like Luis Hernandez were allowed to stay in the US because of President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme which allows immigrants who arrived in the US as children to work and study in the country on a temporary basis, while the parents are deported. Adrian Gonalez Morales consoles his daughter Aileen after seeing, and hugging, her grandparents. (AFP) × These so-called "Dreamers" are now worried that Trump will repeal the action, leading to tragic consequences for some 750,000 people. 'I am terrified,' said Luis Hernandez, 25, who hadn't seen his father in five years. Fears over Trump pushing ahead with his harsh immigration proposals were on everyone's mind. (AFP) × 'What Trump has proposed is so scary for a lot of minorities, myself included,' said Hernandez, who runs a television and Internet service in Los Angeles. 'He has said he plans to undo the law that protects me.' (WION with inputs from AFP)

In pictures: After 20 years, 3 minutes to embrace on US-Mexico border

Mexico&#39;s government said Monday it will discuss with US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s incoming administration his plan to jail or deport &nbsp;millions of undocumented migrants with criminal records.

President Enrique Pena Nieto has given instructions to his ministries to consider any &quot;contingencies&quot; in case Trump undertakes massive deportations when he takes office in January, government spokesman Eduardo Sanchez said.

&quot;We will have to see how many of these deportations, which the US government usually carries out, ... correspond to Mexico,&quot; Sanchez said at a news conference.

&quot;This and other issues will be part of the agenda that Mexico will put on the table in the bilateral meetings that will take place with the government of President-elect Donald Trump,&quot; he said.

Pena Nieto said last week that he had agreed to meet with Trump, possibly before the Republican billionaire takes office in January, and that he felt &quot;optimistic&quot; about future relations.

Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS television&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; program that up to three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records would be deported or incarcerated.

The United States has an estimated 11-12 million undocumented migrants, mostly of Mexican origin.

Sanchez recalled that Pena Nieto has rejected Trump&#39;s call for Mexico to pay for the barrier.

The presidential spokesman said the foreign ministry will launch a campaign in the United States to keep Mexicans informed and protect them through Mexico&#39;s consular network.

Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu huddled with consular officials on Saturday to design plans to protect and assist Mexicans in the United States.

While Pena Nieto prepares for the new US administration, he spoke by phone with President Barack Obama on Monday about economic ties, fighting organised crime and &quot;managing migration,&quot; the White House said in a statement.

&quot;Both presidents agreed to continue to take steps to solidify the relationship and institutionalise mechanisms of cooperation that have been created with bipartisan support to ensure that the strong and mutually beneficial partnership between Mexico and the United States endures,&quot; the statement said.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

The United States has an estimated 11 to 12 million undocumented migrants, mostly of Mexican origin

Mexico's government said Monday it will discuss with US President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration his plan to jail or deport millions of undocumented migrants with criminal records. President Enrique Pena Nieto has given instructions to his ministries to consider any "contingencies" in case Trump undertakes massive deportations when he takes office in January, government spokesman Eduardo Sanchez said. "We will have to see how many of these deportations, which the US government usually carries out, ... correspond to Mexico," Sanchez said at a news conference. "This and other issues will be part of the agenda that Mexico will put on the table in the bilateral meetings that will take place with the government of President-elect Donald Trump," he said. Pena Nieto said last week that he had agreed to meet with Trump, possibly before the Republican billionaire takes office in January, and that he felt "optimistic" about future relations. Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS television's "60 Minutes" program that up to three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records would be deported or incarcerated. The United States has an estimated 11-12 million undocumented migrants, mostly of Mexican origin. Sanchez recalled that Pena Nieto has rejected Trump's call for Mexico to pay for the barrier. The presidential spokesman said the foreign ministry will launch a campaign in the United States to keep Mexicans informed and protect them through Mexico's consular network. Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu huddled with consular officials on Saturday to design plans to protect and assist Mexicans in the United States. While Pena Nieto prepares for the new US administration, he spoke by phone with President Barack Obama on Monday about economic ties, fighting organised crime and "managing migration," the White House said in a statement. "Both presidents agreed to continue to take steps to solidify the relationship and institutionalise mechanisms of cooperation that have been created with bipartisan support to ensure that the strong and mutually beneficial partnership between Mexico and the United States endures," the statement said. (AFP)

Mexico to discuss deportations with Trump

Mexican lawmakers want the country&#39;s terrestrial television networks to stop broadcasting &quot;narco series&quot; during primetime hours over concerns they could influence children in a country beset by organized crime.

Senator Zoe Robledo and Lia Limon, chairs of the television committees in the two chambers of Congress, said networks have recently announced shows that violate federal telecommunications laws regarding the hours they can be broadcast.

Robledo said the narco series should be televised between midnight and 5:00 am (local time) instead of 9:00 pm, when children could be watching the country&#39;s national channels.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Mexico&#39;s decade-old drug war has given rise to &#39;narco cultura&#39;, a fascination with the underworld that has inspired singers to write &#39;narcocorridos&#39; (drug ballads)</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Mexico's decade-old drug war has given rise to 'narco cultura', a fascination with the underworld that has inspired singers to write 'narcocorridos' (drug ballads)" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

TV Azteca, for instance, currently has a show titled &quot;Rosario Tijeras&quot; , about a female assassin, that airs at 9:00 pm.

&quot;We don&#39;t want to ban narco series. We want them to be on television at the appropriate hours,&quot; Robledo told Radio Formula.

Robledo said children should not be exposed to shows that &quot;glorify crime&quot; and could make them &quot;grow up with the idea that a hero is one who breaks the law.&quot;

The lawmakers plan to summon officials from the interior ministry and the Federal Telecommunications Institute to discuss whether the networks should be sanctioned.&nbsp;

Robledo said cable channels and streaming services are different because parents have the ability to block shows not suitable for children.

Mexico&#39;s decade-old drug war has given rise to &quot;narco cultura,&quot; a fascination with the underworld that has inspired singers to write &quot;narcocorridos&quot; (drug ballads).

Some local governments have sought to prevent bands from performing narcocorridos by imposing fines.

Other drug war-inspired television shows have made a splash in recent years, including &quot;El Senor de los Cielos&quot; (&quot;The Lord of the Skies&quot;) and &quot;La Reina del Sur&quot; (&quot;The Queen of the South&quot;).

DVDs of &quot;La Reina del Sur,&quot; starring Kate del Castillo as a drug lord, were found in the house where real-life drug kingpin Joaquin &quot;El Chapo&quot; Guzman was captured in January in the northwestern state of Sinaloa.

Castillo has been under investigation since it was revealed that she arranged a meeting between US actor Sean Penn and Guzman last year when the Sinaloa drug cartel leader was on the lam.

(AFP)

They said children should not be exposed to shows that 'glorify crime'

Mexican lawmakers want the country's terrestrial television networks to stop broadcasting "narco series" during primetime hours over concerns they could influence children in a country beset by organized crime. Senator Zoe Robledo and Lia Limon, chairs of the television committees in the two chambers of Congress, said networks have recently announced shows that violate federal telecommunications laws regarding the hours they can be broadcast. Robledo said the narco series should be televised between midnight and 5:00 am (local time) instead of 9:00 pm, when children could be watching the country's national channels. Mexico's decade-old drug war has given rise to 'narco cultura', a fascination with the underworld that has inspired singers to write 'narcocorridos' (drug ballads) × TV Azteca, for instance, currently has a show titled "Rosario Tijeras" , about a female assassin, that airs at 9:00 pm. "We don't want to ban narco series. We want them to be on television at the appropriate hours," Robledo told Radio Formula. Robledo said children should not be exposed to shows that "glorify crime" and could make them "grow up with the idea that a hero is one who breaks the law." The lawmakers plan to summon officials from the interior ministry and the Federal Telecommunications Institute to discuss whether the networks should be sanctioned. Robledo said cable channels and streaming services are different because parents have the ability to block shows not suitable for children. Mexico's decade-old drug war has given rise to "narco cultura," a fascination with the underworld that has inspired singers to write "narcocorridos" (drug ballads). Some local governments have sought to prevent bands from performing narcocorridos by imposing fines. Other drug war-inspired television shows have made a splash in recent years, including "El Senor de los Cielos" ("The Lord of the Skies") and "La Reina del Sur" ("The Queen of the South"). DVDs of "La Reina del Sur," starring Kate del Castillo as a drug lord, were found in the house where real-life drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was captured in January in the northwestern state of Sinaloa. Castillo has been under investigation since it was revealed that she arranged a meeting between US actor Sean Penn and Guzman last year when the Sinaloa drug cartel leader was on the lam. (AFP)

Mexico lawmakers go after narco TV series, say bad for kids

Mexican ambassador to India, Melba Priya, has ditched the comfort of fuel-guzzling luxury cars for a beautifully customised auto rickshaw. She uses the white auto rickshaw, replete with floral patterns, to travel across the city.&nbsp; 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7moiptES5Pg?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> &nbsp; 
 
This quirky chauffeur-driven auto rickshaw is definitely a breath of fresh air to the city, considering the high air pollution levels that Delhi is grappling with. Her attention-catching auto rickshaw has also created a stir on social media.&nbsp; 
 
Here&rsquo;s a glimpse of Priya travelling in her auto rickshaw, which she considers as her favourite mode of transport. Watch her ride in style!

This quirky chauffeur-driven auto rickshaw is definitely a breath of fresh air to Delhi.

Mexican ambassador to India, Melba Priya, has ditched the comfort of fuel-guzzling luxury cars for a beautifully customised auto rickshaw. She uses the white auto rickshaw, replete with floral patterns, to travel across the city. This quirky chauffeur-driven auto rickshaw is definitely a breath of fresh air to the city, considering the high air pollution levels that Delhi is grappling with. Her attention-catching auto rickshaw has also created a stir on social media. Here’s a glimpse of Priya travelling in her auto rickshaw, which she considers as her favourite mode of transport. Watch her ride in style!

Video: An auto-rickshaw is the Mexican ambassador's official vehicle

The Mexican authorities have seized $450 million worth of debt securities at an airport near the capital that were sent from the United States to a Mexican company, an official said Tuesday.

&nbsp;

The certificates were sent via a parcel service and found at the Toluca airport marked as &quot;business correspondence,&quot; customs agency administrator Ricardo Trevino told local radio.

&nbsp;

Trevino said officials know which company sent the securities from the United States and which Mexican firm was the intended recipient.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He declined to identify them but he told Radio Formula that the Mexican company has a &quot;global presence.&quot;

&nbsp;

A man involved in the operation has also been identified, but Trevino also refused to name him.

&nbsp;

The certificates, which were in an envelope, &quot;can be cashed at any bank,&quot; he said. They were detected in an X-ray machine.

&nbsp;

The authorities will determine whether the certificates stem from legal activities, in which case the penalty would be a fine for not declaring their value according to international rules, which require any amount over $10,000 to be declared at customs.

&nbsp;

Trevino, however, said it could also be linked to &quot;tax evasion&quot; and that any crime would be investigated.

&nbsp;

The certificates were found as part of a global customs operation undertaken between September 19 and October 10 to detect weapons or money shipments.

&nbsp;

Mexico seized a total of $452 million, including the major haul in one action in Toluca, earning plaudits from the World Customs Organization.

&nbsp;

Agents often seize cash or drugs at airports in Mexico, mostly linked to drug cartels.

&nbsp;

(AFP)&nbsp;

The certificates were found as part of a global customs operation undertaken between September 19 and October 10 to detect weapons or money

The Mexican authorities have seized $450 million worth of debt securities at an airport near the capital that were sent from the United States to a Mexican company, an official said Tuesday. The certificates were sent via a parcel service and found at the Toluca airport marked as "business correspondence," customs agency administrator Ricardo Trevino told local radio. Trevino said officials know which company sent the securities from the United States and which Mexican firm was the intended recipient. He declined to identify them but he told Radio Formula that the Mexican company has a "global presence." A man involved in the operation has also been identified, but Trevino also refused to name him. The certificates, which were in an envelope, "can be cashed at any bank," he said. They were detected in an X-ray machine. The authorities will determine whether the certificates stem from legal activities, in which case the penalty would be a fine for not declaring their value according to international rules, which require any amount over $10,000 to be declared at customs. Trevino, however, said it could also be linked to "tax evasion" and that any crime would be investigated. The certificates were found as part of a global customs operation undertaken between September 19 and October 10 to detect weapons or money shipments. Mexico seized a total of $452 million, including the major haul in one action in Toluca, earning plaudits from the World Customs Organization. Agents often seize cash or drugs at airports in Mexico, mostly linked to drug cartels. (AFP)

Mexican airport agents seize $450 million in bonds from US

After upsetting Mexicans with his &quot;build a wall&quot; rhetoric, US Presidential candidate Donald Trump is now being blamed for the free fall of the North American country&#39;s national currency. 
 
The currency dipped to a record 20 pesos to the dollar on Monday, which is a 2.15 per cent&nbsp;fall from last week, according to Mexican banking firm Banamex, reported AFP. 
 
Fear of a possible interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve, backed vigorously by Trump, is bing cited as the key factor behind the Peso&#39;s drop. 
 
But analysts now say that &nbsp;the Federal Reserve will keep it unchanged when it meets on Tuesday and Wednesday, AFP reported. 
 
&quot;This &#39;Trump effect&#39; causes much concern for Mexico&#39;s future,&quot; Raul Feliz, an&nbsp;analyst at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching think tank in Mexico City, told AFP. 
 
Talking to AFP about Trump&#39;s threat to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the US, renegotiate a trilateral free trade deal with Mexico and Canada, and make Mexico pay for a giant border wall, Feliz said, &quot; This would have a very negative impact and, facing this anxiety, investors are taking shelter behind the dollar&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The country&#39;s finance minister Jose Antonio Meade feels that the US election, itself , is playing a role against the peso. 
 
&quot;We are not sure that it is an issue linked to Trump or not,&quot; Meade told AFP, adding that it could be due to &quot;the douts that are always generated by the possible result of the election in the country that is our main trade partner.&quot; 
 
,Mexican central bank&#39;s deputy governor, Manuel Sanchez, had told reporters last week that, in addition to fears over a US rate hike, the peso could also be impacted by Mexico&#39;s weak fiscal position, disappointment over the country&#39;s lower-than-expected growth and &quot;uncertainty (over) the forthcoming US presidential election and its implications.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The currency dipped to a record 20 pesos to the dollar on Monday, which is a 2.15 per cent?fall from last week

After upsetting Mexicans with his "build a wall" rhetoric, US Presidential candidate Donald Trump is now being blamed for the free fall of the North American country's national currency. The currency dipped to a record 20 pesos to the dollar on Monday, which is a 2.15 per cent fall from last week, according to Mexican banking firm Banamex, reported AFP. Fear of a possible interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve, backed vigorously by Trump, is bing cited as the key factor behind the Peso's drop. But analysts now say that the Federal Reserve will keep it unchanged when it meets on Tuesday and Wednesday, AFP reported. "This 'Trump effect' causes much concern for Mexico's future," Raul Feliz, an analyst at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching think tank in Mexico City, told AFP. Talking to AFP about Trump's threat to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the US, renegotiate a trilateral free trade deal with Mexico and Canada, and make Mexico pay for a giant border wall, Feliz said, " This would have a very negative impact and, facing this anxiety, investors are taking shelter behind the dollar". The country's finance minister Jose Antonio Meade feels that the US election, itself , is playing a role against the peso. "We are not sure that it is an issue linked to Trump or not," Meade told AFP, adding that it could be due to "the douts that are always generated by the possible result of the election in the country that is our main trade partner." ,Mexican central bank's deputy governor, Manuel Sanchez, had told reporters last week that, in addition to fears over a US rate hike, the peso could also be impacted by Mexico's weak fiscal position, disappointment over the country's lower-than-expected growth and "uncertainty (over) the forthcoming US presidential election and its implications." (AFP)

Trump's call for interest rate hike sends Mexican Peso tumbling down

Thousands took to the streets of Mexico city on Thursday to demand the resignation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, weeks after he was criticised for hosting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&nbsp;has repeatedly threatened to make Mexico pay for the wall, which he plans to build between US and Mexico. Nieto was also accused of not stressing on Mexico&#39;s interests during the meeting, Reuters reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The demonstrations took place just hours before Independence Day celebrations were kicked off. 
 
Alicia Mercado, a protester told the international news agency: &quot;It&#39;s also a time to yell &quot;out with Pena&quot; because it&#39;s a terrible government, inept, we should not have to prop him up.&quot; 
 
Discontent with Pena Nieto&#39;s government is widespread, with corruption scandals involving the First Lady and suspected massacre of 43 students, his approval rate has gone down. 
 
According to polls conducted this year, 66 per cent said they disapproved his performance as President, while 30 per cent approved it.&nbsp; 
 
Fernando Rubi, a protester told Reuters: &quot;This is just a show, the public should be riled up all over the country and not celebrate today.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The protests took place just weeks after Pena Nieto was criticised for hosting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump

Thousands took to the streets of Mexico city on Thursday to demand the resignation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, weeks after he was criticised for hosting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly threatened to make Mexico pay for the wall, which he plans to build between US and Mexico. Nieto was also accused of not stressing on Mexico's interests during the meeting, Reuters reported today. The demonstrations took place just hours before Independence Day celebrations were kicked off. Alicia Mercado, a protester told the international news agency: "It's also a time to yell "out with Pena" because it's a terrible government, inept, we should not have to prop him up." Discontent with Pena Nieto's government is widespread, with corruption scandals involving the First Lady and suspected massacre of 43 students, his approval rate has gone down. According to polls conducted this year, 66 per cent said they disapproved his performance as President, while 30 per cent approved it. Fernando Rubi, a protester told Reuters: "This is just a show, the public should be riled up all over the country and not celebrate today." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

'Out with Pena':  Mexicans protest against President on Independence Day

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reasserted his hardline position against illegal immigrants in the country, hours after he came back from Mexico having met president Enrique Pena Nieto.&nbsp; 
 
Reiterating his plans to curb illegal immigration into the country, Trump said he would &quot;build a great wall along the southern border&quot; if he came to power. 
 
&quot;And Mexico will pay for the wall -- 100 per cent. They don&#39;t know it yet but they are going to pay for the wall,&quot; he said while making a public speech in Arizona. 
 
The statement comes some time after Mexican president Nieto told Trump in a face-to-face meeting that Mexico would not incur the costs of building the wall. 
 
&quot;At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall,&quot; Pena Nieto had said in a tweet. 
 
Trump, meanwhile, adopted a tough stance in Arizona against the &quot;11 million&quot; illegal immigrants in the US. 
 
He said people will be have to return to their home country and re-apply again to enter the United States.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our message to the world will be this: You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country,&quot; Trump said. 
 
&quot;People will know you can`t just smuggle in, hunker down and wait to be legalized,&quot; he said. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's comments come hours after Mexican president refused to pay for the wall

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reasserted his hardline position against illegal immigrants in the country, hours after he came back from Mexico having met president Enrique Pena Nieto. Reiterating his plans to curb illegal immigration into the country, Trump said he would "build a great wall along the southern border" if he came to power. "And Mexico will pay for the wall -- 100 per cent. They don't know it yet but they are going to pay for the wall," he said while making a public speech in Arizona. The statement comes some time after Mexican president Nieto told Trump in a face-to-face meeting that Mexico would not incur the costs of building the wall. "At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall," Pena Nieto had said in a tweet. Trump, meanwhile, adopted a tough stance in Arizona against the "11 million" illegal immigrants in the US. He said people will be have to return to their home country and re-apply again to enter the United States. "Our message to the world will be this: You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country," Trump said. "People will know you can`t just smuggle in, hunker down and wait to be legalized," he said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Mexico will pay for border wall: Trump

Mexican Diplomat in India prefers auto rickshaw as a mode of commute over luxury cars

Mexico to India: Auto Rickshaw style

Argentina and Chile advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa America on Saturday with Chile beating Mexico 7-0 and Lionel Messi getting a goal in Argentina&#39;s 4-1 win over Venezuela to equal his country&#39;s all-time scoring record. 
 
Messi scored in the 60th minute to take his career tally for Argentina to 54 goals, matching the record held by Gabriel Batistuta. 
 
Argentina will now face the United States in the first semi-final on Tuesday in Houston. 
 
Reigning champions Chile joined them in the last four after a 7-0 demolition of Mexico in Santa Clara. 
 
Hoffenheim striker Eduardo Vargas scored four goals to help them set up a semi-final date with Colombia on Wednesday. 
 
Messi won the Man-of-the-Match award in an action-packed game against underdogs Venezuela in Foxborough. 
 
Argentina got off to the perfect start after just seven minutes when Gonzalo Higuain dived to turn a delicate cross from Messi past goalkeeper Dani Hernandez. 
 
The in-form Napoli striker doubled the lead 20 minutes later when he latched on to a slack back pass to round the goalkeeper and slot the ball into the empty net. 
 
Salomon Rondon twice came close for Venezuela and his side should have pulled a goal back two minutes from half time after Sergio Romero brought down Josef Martinez in the box. 
 
However, the Manchester United goalkeeper redeemed himself when he stood firm and Seijas&#39; carelessly dinked penalty sailed right into his arms. 
 
Messi, who started for the first time in the tournament after three substitute appearances, put Argentina 3-0 ahead when he worked a lovely one-two with Nicolas Gaitan and then poked the ball under Hernandez with his left foot. 
 
Venezuela were not out of it, though, and Rondon got the lightest of touches on a cross to head home and make it 3-1 after 70 minutes. 
 
However, their hopes were short-lived as just seconds later Erik Lamela, who had been on the field for only four minutes, shot home from 12 yards to make it 4-1 for Argentina. 
 
Chile were unstoppable in the other quarter-final in Santa Clara as they hammered a surprisingly fragile Mexico. 
 
Edson Puch got his first international goal after 15 minutes when he fired home after keeper Guillermo Ochoa could only parry a long-range shot. 
 
Vargas got a second just before half time when he was first to pounce on a cross ball. 
 
Alexis Sanchez was involved in most of Chile&#39;s great work and he made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half. 
 
Three minutes later Vargas got his second and Chile&#39;s fourth as Mexico -- without captain Rafael Marquez, who was left on the bench -- wilted under the pressure. 
 
Mexico had no answer to the pace and running of Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, and it was Sanchez who helped Vargas to a hat-trick when the Hoffenheim striker hammered home from close-in after Ochoa had parried Sanchez&#39;s shot. 
 
Vargas got a fourth after 73 minutes when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net after dithering Mexican defenders failed to clear. 
 
Puch completed the rout in the 87th minute when he dinked the ball over Ochoa after a fast break by Sanchez. 
(Reuters)

Eduardo Vargas scored 4 goals for Chile; Man-of-the -Match Messi's 54th goal tied country's all-time scoring record

Argentina and Chile advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa America on Saturday with Chile beating Mexico 7-0 and Lionel Messi getting a goal in Argentina's 4-1 win over Venezuela to equal his country's all-time scoring record. Messi scored in the 60th minute to take his career tally for Argentina to 54 goals, matching the record held by Gabriel Batistuta. Argentina will now face the United States in the first semi-final on Tuesday in Houston. Reigning champions Chile joined them in the last four after a 7-0 demolition of Mexico in Santa Clara. Hoffenheim striker Eduardo Vargas scored four goals to help them set up a semi-final date with Colombia on Wednesday. Messi won the Man-of-the-Match award in an action-packed game against underdogs Venezuela in Foxborough. Argentina got off to the perfect start after just seven minutes when Gonzalo Higuain dived to turn a delicate cross from Messi past goalkeeper Dani Hernandez. The in-form Napoli striker doubled the lead 20 minutes later when he latched on to a slack back pass to round the goalkeeper and slot the ball into the empty net. Salomon Rondon twice came close for Venezuela and his side should have pulled a goal back two minutes from half time after Sergio Romero brought down Josef Martinez in the box. However, the Manchester United goalkeeper redeemed himself when he stood firm and Seijas' carelessly dinked penalty sailed right into his arms. Messi, who started for the first time in the tournament after three substitute appearances, put Argentina 3-0 ahead when he worked a lovely one-two with Nicolas Gaitan and then poked the ball under Hernandez with his left foot. Venezuela were not out of it, though, and Rondon got the lightest of touches on a cross to head home and make it 3-1 after 70 minutes. However, their hopes were short-lived as just seconds later Erik Lamela, who had been on the field for only four minutes, shot home from 12 yards to make it 4-1 for Argentina. Chile were unstoppable in the other quarter-final in Santa Clara as they hammered a surprisingly fragile Mexico. Edson Puch got his first international goal after 15 minutes when he fired home after keeper Guillermo Ochoa could only parry a long-range shot. Vargas got a second just before half time when he was first to pounce on a cross ball. Alexis Sanchez was involved in most of Chile's great work and he made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half. Three minutes later Vargas got his second and Chile's fourth as Mexico -- without captain Rafael Marquez, who was left on the bench -- wilted under the pressure. Mexico had no answer to the pace and running of Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, and it was Sanchez who helped Vargas to a hat-trick when the Hoffenheim striker hammered home from close-in after Ochoa had parried Sanchez's shot. Vargas got a fourth after 73 minutes when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net after dithering Mexican defenders failed to clear. Puch completed the rout in the 87th minute when he dinked the ball over Ochoa after a fast break by Sanchez. (Reuters)

Copa report: Chile romp to stunning 7-0 defeat over Mexico, Argentina bests Venezuela 4-1

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a canal system under a temple in the Mayan ruins of Palenque that experts believe could be a symbolic gateway to the underworld for the ancient civilisation. 
 
The hydraulic system was uncovered using sonar technology at the Temple of the Inscriptions, which houses the seventh-century tomb of the Mayan ruler Pakal. The significance of the ancient ruler and the temple have lead many to conclude that the canal is of particular significance to the Mayan afterlife. 
 
An inscription in Pakal&#39;s tomb also gives weight to the theory as it states that to be accepted into the Mayan underworld the dead must be submerged in water. 
 
Images released by Mexico&#39;s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) provides the first glimpses into the ancient canal network which has different levels and still has running water. 
 
&quot;There are 17 linear metres, which is as far as we could get although we can see in the images that at the furthest point they [the channels] still continue. These 17 metres (55 linear feet), if one puts it on a map to scale, we are almost at the threshold of the northern wall of the burial chamber. The case here is interesting, important for being under the Temple of the Inscriptions and for being the most important building of the site,&quot; said INAH archaeologist, Arnoldo Gonzaldez. 
 
There are still many unanswered questions regarding the canal system such as its length and where it begins but archaeologists have determined the hydraulic system was built before the construction of the Temple of the Inscriptions. 
 
&quot;With this discovery, the perspective changes a little of how it was done or how the temple was built. The initial approach - well, this construction was ripped out with the construction of the burial chamber and from there, all the bodies, the nine bodies that make up the temple were put with the building in the upper part. Now with this new information, we can clearly think of it in a different way,&quot; added Gonzaldez. 
 
The Mayan ruins at Palenque is one of Mexico&#39;s most mysterious with new discoveries made regularly. Last year, investigators finally decoded the hieroglyphic name of the Mayan King Pakal at the temple decades after the modern-day discovery of the site. 
 
The Maya civilisation, which developed hieroglyphic writing, a calendar and astronomical system, reached its peak of influence between AD 250 and 900, extending its reach over what is now Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. 
 
Palenque was its most important city of the low western lands during the late Classic period, reaching its peak between 600 and 800 AD. 
 
Along with Tikal and Calakmul, it was one of the most powerful Classic Mayan cities, as well as the seat of the distinguished Pakal dynasty. 
 
(Reuters)

An inscription in 7th century ruler Pakal's tomb indicates that Mayans will be accepted into the underworld if they are submerged in water

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a canal system under a temple in the Mayan ruins of Palenque that experts believe could be a symbolic gateway to the underworld for the ancient civilisation. The hydraulic system was uncovered using sonar technology at the Temple of the Inscriptions, which houses the seventh-century tomb of the Mayan ruler Pakal. The significance of the ancient ruler and the temple have lead many to conclude that the canal is of particular significance to the Mayan afterlife. An inscription in Pakal's tomb also gives weight to the theory as it states that to be accepted into the Mayan underworld the dead must be submerged in water. Images released by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) provides the first glimpses into the ancient canal network which has different levels and still has running water. "There are 17 linear metres, which is as far as we could get although we can see in the images that at the furthest point they [the channels] still continue. These 17 metres (55 linear feet), if one puts it on a map to scale, we are almost at the threshold of the northern wall of the burial chamber. The case here is interesting, important for being under the Temple of the Inscriptions and for being the most important building of the site," said INAH archaeologist, Arnoldo Gonzaldez. There are still many unanswered questions regarding the canal system such as its length and where it begins but archaeologists have determined the hydraulic system was built before the construction of the Temple of the Inscriptions. "With this discovery, the perspective changes a little of how it was done or how the temple was built. The initial approach - well, this construction was ripped out with the construction of the burial chamber and from there, all the bodies, the nine bodies that make up the temple were put with the building in the upper part. Now with this new information, we can clearly think of it in a different way," added Gonzaldez. The Mayan ruins at Palenque is one of Mexico's most mysterious with new discoveries made regularly. Last year, investigators finally decoded the hieroglyphic name of the Mayan King Pakal at the temple decades after the modern-day discovery of the site. The Maya civilisation, which developed hieroglyphic writing, a calendar and astronomical system, reached its peak of influence between AD 250 and 900, extending its reach over what is now Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Palenque was its most important city of the low western lands during the late Classic period, reaching its peak between 600 and 800 AD. Along with Tikal and Calakmul, it was one of the most powerful Classic Mayan cities, as well as the seat of the distinguished Pakal dynasty. (Reuters)

Passage to Afterlife: Canals discovered beneath ancient Mayan temple

The mayor of a town in one of Mexico&#39;s most violent drug corridors was shot to death, the second mayor killed in Mexico in two days.&nbsp; 
Ambrosio&nbsp;Soto was mayor of a township that includes Ciudad&nbsp;Altamirano, a known haven for drug traffickers in southern Guerrero state.&nbsp; 
 
Roberto Alvarez, spokesman for southern Guerrero state, said yesterday that gunmen blocked a highway just over the state line in&nbsp;neighbouring&nbsp;Michoacan&nbsp;state with pickup trucks and opened fire on the mayor&#39;s vehicle late Saturday.&nbsp;He said two federal officers serving as Soto&#39;s bodyguards were wounded in the attack.&nbsp; 
 
Soto had received threats and was under protection from federal police. A local drug gang had reportedly threatened him because he refused to turn over part of the city budget as a protection payment.&nbsp; 
 
In recent years, business owners in Ciudad&nbsp;Altamirano&nbsp;say they have been forced to pay extortion to the Knights Templar drug cartel.&nbsp; 
The leftist Democratic Revolution Party said the mayor had taken &quot;special protection measures&quot; after he dared to file complaints and complained that the security patrols had abandoned the area. 
&nbsp; 
The party said 75 mayors have been killed in the last decade.&nbsp; 
 
On Saturday, a mayor and four others were shot to death in the town of San Juan&nbsp;Chamula&nbsp;in southern Chiapas state.&nbsp; 
 
(AP)

A local drug gang had reportedly threatened him because he refused to turn over part of the city budget as a protection payment

The mayor of a town in one of Mexico's most violent drug corridors was shot to death, the second mayor killed in Mexico in two days. Ambrosio Soto was mayor of a township that includes Ciudad Altamirano, a known haven for drug traffickers in southern Guerrero state. Roberto Alvarez, spokesman for southern Guerrero state, said yesterday that gunmen blocked a highway just over the state line in neighbouring Michoacan state with pickup trucks and opened fire on the mayor's vehicle late Saturday. He said two federal officers serving as Soto's bodyguards were wounded in the attack. Soto had received threats and was under protection from federal police. A local drug gang had reportedly threatened him because he refused to turn over part of the city budget as a protection payment. In recent years, business owners in Ciudad Altamirano say they have been forced to pay extortion to the Knights Templar drug cartel. The leftist Democratic Revolution Party said the mayor had taken "special protection measures" after he dared to file complaints and complained that the security patrols had abandoned the area. The party said 75 mayors have been killed in the last decade. On Saturday, a mayor and four others were shot to death in the town of San Juan Chamula in southern Chiapas state. (AP)

Mexican mayor Ambrosio?Soto shot to death, second mayor dead in two days

Authorities will plant 18 million trees in Mexico City and its surrounding suburbs as part of efforts to combat air pollution, the government said Monday. 
 
Environment Minister Rafael Pacchiano dubbed it a &quot;historic reforestation&quot; to reinforce the &quot;green belt in the megalopolis&quot;. 
 
The greater Mexico City area was hit by the worst air pollution in more than a decade in March, prompting authorities to restrict traffic for the 5.4 million vehicles that circulate daily. 
 
Pacchiano said that the lack of wind and record high temperatures in March contributed to an increase in ozone levels. 
 
Other new measures announced by Pacchiano include replacing 1,000 taxis that are more than 10 years old with hybrid cars and stepping up a program to renew cargo and passenger transport vehicles.&nbsp;Anti-pollution rules will also be tightened in industry. 
 
The government imposed temporary car restrictions between April and June 30, forcing all vehicles to stay home at least once a week. Normally, older vehicles and those that fail emissions tests have traffic restrictions. 
 
Last month, the environment ministry unveiled new rules to prevent corruption at emission inspection centres that have allowed polluting cars to remain on the road. 
 
(AFP)

The city will also restrict traffic to combat air pollution, which is at its worst levels in a decade

Authorities will plant 18 million trees in Mexico City and its surrounding suburbs as part of efforts to combat air pollution, the government said Monday. Environment Minister Rafael Pacchiano dubbed it a "historic reforestation" to reinforce the "green belt in the megalopolis". The greater Mexico City area was hit by the worst air pollution in more than a decade in March, prompting authorities to restrict traffic for the 5.4 million vehicles that circulate daily. Pacchiano said that the lack of wind and record high temperatures in March contributed to an increase in ozone levels. Other new measures announced by Pacchiano include replacing 1,000 taxis that are more than 10 years old with hybrid cars and stepping up a program to renew cargo and passenger transport vehicles. Anti-pollution rules will also be tightened in industry. The government imposed temporary car restrictions between April and June 30, forcing all vehicles to stay home at least once a week. Normally, older vehicles and those that fail emissions tests have traffic restrictions. Last month, the environment ministry unveiled new rules to prevent corruption at emission inspection centres that have allowed polluting cars to remain on the road. (AFP)

Mexico City to plant 18 million trees in massive reforestation effort

Mexico&#39;s President Pena Nieto&nbsp;hit back at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s claim that if elected, he would make Mexico build a wall along its US border. 
 
The bombastic billionaire has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and insulted Mexican immigrants by calling them rapists, criminals and drug dealers. 
 
As his party&#39;s presumptive presidential candidate, Trump is now eyeing a clash in the November election with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 
 
&quot;There is no way to have Mexico pay (for) the wall. But any decisions inside (the) USA, is a decision of its government,&quot; Pena Nieto said yesterday. 
 
The Mexican president earlier had said Trump&#39;s campaign pledge was a non-starter, but he did not address the issue as specifically. 
 
Nieto said US-Mexican relations were based on coordination, collaboration and cooperation on security issues. 
 
The Mexican president earlier compared Trump&#39;s rhetoric to the rise of European dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. 
 
(AFP)

Pena Nieto says 'there is no way to have Mexico pay for the wall'

Mexico's President Pena Nieto hit back at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's claim that if elected, he would make Mexico build a wall along its US border. The bombastic billionaire has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and insulted Mexican immigrants by calling them rapists, criminals and drug dealers. As his party's presumptive presidential candidate, Trump is now eyeing a clash in the November election with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "There is no way to have Mexico pay (for) the wall. But any decisions inside (the) USA, is a decision of its government," Pena Nieto said yesterday. The Mexican president earlier had said Trump's campaign pledge was a non-starter, but he did not address the issue as specifically. Nieto said US-Mexican relations were based on coordination, collaboration and cooperation on security issues. The Mexican president earlier compared Trump's rhetoric to the rise of European dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. (AFP)

Mexico President tells Trump if he wants a wall, he can build it himself

Gunmen killed 14 people in northeastern Mexico early on Saturday in two attacks likely sparked by gang wars in the state of Tamaulipas, the local government said. 
 
State interior minister Herminio Garza Palacios said the shootings took place in Ciudad Victoria, capital of Tamualipas, a state on the Gulf of Mexico that has been mired in violence between warring drug cartels for years. 
 
In the first attack, armed men entered a house in a neighborhood near the center of Ciudad Victoria at 7 am local time (1200 GMT), killing 11 members of one family. 
 
Two of the dead were men and the other victims were all female, five of them minors, the state government said. 
 
The second shooting took place at a house further east about 45 minutes later, the government said. A man and two women were killed, and four other family members injured, Garza said. 
 
Federal and state forces were investigating the shootings, which were probably the result of a dispute between rival groups, Garza said. The city has been racked by infighting by factions of the Zetas drug gang, security experts say. 
 
Bordering Texas to the north, Tamaulipas has long been a major transit point for traffickers moving drugs and people into the United States. Turf wars between the Gulf Cartel and their former armed wing, the Zetas, have racked the state for years. 
 
Ciudad Victoria lies toward the southwest of Tamaulipas. 
 
(Reuters)

State interior minister says the shootings were probably the result of a dispute between rival groups

Gunmen killed 14 people in northeastern Mexico early on Saturday in two attacks likely sparked by gang wars in the state of Tamaulipas, the local government said. State interior minister Herminio Garza Palacios said the shootings took place in Ciudad Victoria, capital of Tamualipas, a state on the Gulf of Mexico that has been mired in violence between warring drug cartels for years. In the first attack, armed men entered a house in a neighborhood near the center of Ciudad Victoria at 7 am local time (1200 GMT), killing 11 members of one family. Two of the dead were men and the other victims were all female, five of them minors, the state government said. The second shooting took place at a house further east about 45 minutes later, the government said. A man and two women were killed, and four other family members injured, Garza said. Federal and state forces were investigating the shootings, which were probably the result of a dispute between rival groups, Garza said. The city has been racked by infighting by factions of the Zetas drug gang, security experts say. Bordering Texas to the north, Tamaulipas has long been a major transit point for traffickers moving drugs and people into the United States. Turf wars between the Gulf Cartel and their former armed wing, the Zetas, have racked the state for years. Ciudad Victoria lies toward the southwest of Tamaulipas. (Reuters)

Gunmen kill 14 in gang-plagued Mexican state on US border

Mexico&#39;s air force flew tonnes of grain to the southern state of Oaxaca on Friday as protests by teachers opposed to education reform spread across the country and road blocks led to dwindling food supplies in some remote regions. 
 
Tension in the state intensified after eight people died last month in clashes between police and the protesting teachers, and unrest has flared throughout Mexico. 
 
Local media reported protests by factions of Mexico&#39;s the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educaci?n (CNTE) teachers union on Friday in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Chiapas, Nuevo Leon and in Mexico City. 
 
The union has blockaded 11 highways in Oaxaca, a hotbed of dissent for protesters opposing President Enrique Pena Nieto&#39;s education reform that allows the federal government to remove teachers who fail evaluation exams. 
 
The protests have prevented food trucks from reaching remote coastal villages in Oaxaca, where some of Mexico&#39;s poorest people live, the country&#39;s federal food distribution chief Juan Manuel Valle said. 
 
Valle said 108 tonnes of corn would be flown in on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft by the end of the weekend, with additional provisions on standby in case the situation deteriorated. 
 
Araceli Hern?ndez Ramirez, manager of a grocery store in Puente de Coyula, a small town of some 500 inhabitants close to the beach resort of Huatulco, and located about 146 miles (235 kilometres) from the state capital, said she had no rice, corn or flour. 
 
&quot;There are no products,&quot; said Hernandez, waiting for a shipment from Diconsa to supply customers. &quot;They go home empty-handed.&quot; 
 
Fifty tonnes of corn were also sent from the neighbouring state of Guerrero by truck, in addition to regular shipments of beans, and rice. 
 
On Friday, Mexico&#39;s secretary of the interior promised action against the blockades in Oaxaca, saying dialogue with teachers&#39; unions could not continue without respect for citizens&#39; rights. 
 
&quot;Blockades and public damage must end,&quot; Miguel Osorio Chong said. &quot;Therefore, soon, we will be taking necessary decisions to allow traffic on strategic routes and supplies for communities.&quot; 
 
He did not specify what action the government would take. 
 
Osorio said the protests affected thousands of families, forcing businesses in Oaxaca and neighbouring Chiapas to close and impeding shipments of medicine. 
 
A spokesperson for the CNTE union could not be immediately reached for comment. 
 
The protests have affected fuel distribution in parts of Oaxaca, but a Pemex official said operations at Salina Cruz, the company&#39;s largest refinery, had not been affected. 
 
(Reuters)

Eight died last month in clashes between police and the protesters. The growing unrest has prevented poor, remote villages from getting food

Mexico's air force flew tonnes of grain to the southern state of Oaxaca on Friday as protests by teachers opposed to education reform spread across the country and road blocks led to dwindling food supplies in some remote regions. Tension in the state intensified after eight people died last month in clashes between police and the protesting teachers, and unrest has flared throughout Mexico. Local media reported protests by factions of Mexico's the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educaci?n (CNTE) teachers union on Friday in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Chiapas, Nuevo Leon and in Mexico City. The union has blockaded 11 highways in Oaxaca, a hotbed of dissent for protesters opposing President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform that allows the federal government to remove teachers who fail evaluation exams. The protests have prevented food trucks from reaching remote coastal villages in Oaxaca, where some of Mexico's poorest people live, the country's federal food distribution chief Juan Manuel Valle said. Valle said 108 tonnes of corn would be flown in on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft by the end of the weekend, with additional provisions on standby in case the situation deteriorated. Araceli Hern?ndez Ramirez, manager of a grocery store in Puente de Coyula, a small town of some 500 inhabitants close to the beach resort of Huatulco, and located about 146 miles (235 kilometres) from the state capital, said she had no rice, corn or flour. "There are no products," said Hernandez, waiting for a shipment from Diconsa to supply customers. "They go home empty-handed." Fifty tonnes of corn were also sent from the neighbouring state of Guerrero by truck, in addition to regular shipments of beans, and rice. On Friday, Mexico's secretary of the interior promised action against the blockades in Oaxaca, saying dialogue with teachers' unions could not continue without respect for citizens' rights. "Blockades and public damage must end," Miguel Osorio Chong said. "Therefore, soon, we will be taking necessary decisions to allow traffic on strategic routes and supplies for communities." He did not specify what action the government would take. Osorio said the protests affected thousands of families, forcing businesses in Oaxaca and neighbouring Chiapas to close and impeding shipments of medicine. A spokesperson for the CNTE union could not be immediately reached for comment. The protests have affected fuel distribution in parts of Oaxaca, but a Pemex official said operations at Salina Cruz, the company's largest refinery, had not been affected. (Reuters)

Mexico air lifts food into villages as teacher blockades spread

Human traffickers, who are finding increasingly creative ways to shuttle Central American migrants through Mexico to the US&nbsp;border, have begun to use the Uber ride-sharing service. 
 
On June 10, five vehicles carrying 34 Central American migrants were apprehended while traveling together between the northern Mexican states of Zacatecas and Coahuila, said Segismundo Doguin, a Coahuila state official at the National Migration Institute (INM). 
 
Four of the vehicles were linked to the Uber Technologies Inc platform, Doguin said, but it was unclear whether the human smugglers had hailed the drivers using the Uber app. The drivers said they weren&#39;t the owners of the cars but worked as Uber chauffeurs, he said. 
 
There has been a sharp rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year, a hot button issue in the US&nbsp;presidential race. Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to keep them out. 
 
Mexican migration officials attribute the increase to migrants finding new routes past checkpoints, increasingly through varied forms of transport. 
 
&quot;First we saw them on trains, then on buses, then on trucks and today we see them in rented vehicles,&quot; Doguin told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday. 
 
The drivers left the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and picked up the migrants in Matehuala, 323 kilometers (201 miles) further south, Doguin said. The caravan was headed for the city of Reynosa, 551 kilometers (342 miles) north, on the border with Texas. 
 
The migrants told investigators they each paid 3,000 pesos ($162) to make the journey, Doguin said. 
 
Uber Mexico said in a statement it bore no responsibility, but was cooperating with authorities. 
 
&quot;The company does not own the cars registered on the platform, nor does it employ the drivers, who are independent contractors,&quot; Uber said. 
 
Only three of the drivers were registered in the database, Uber said. One of them was dismissed nine months ago for unrelated reasons. The other two were discharged when the INM flagged the situation, the company said. 
 
This is not the first time Uber cars have been used to ferry migrants, Doguin said. 
 
&quot;About two months ago, seven other vehicles were detected in the area of San Luis Potosi state and were also in the Uber system,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

There has been a rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year

Human traffickers, who are finding increasingly creative ways to shuttle Central American migrants through Mexico to the US border, have begun to use the Uber ride-sharing service. On June 10, five vehicles carrying 34 Central American migrants were apprehended while traveling together between the northern Mexican states of Zacatecas and Coahuila, said Segismundo Doguin, a Coahuila state official at the National Migration Institute (INM). Four of the vehicles were linked to the Uber Technologies Inc platform, Doguin said, but it was unclear whether the human smugglers had hailed the drivers using the Uber app. The drivers said they weren't the owners of the cars but worked as Uber chauffeurs, he said. There has been a sharp rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year, a hot button issue in the US presidential race. Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to keep them out. Mexican migration officials attribute the increase to migrants finding new routes past checkpoints, increasingly through varied forms of transport. "First we saw them on trains, then on buses, then on trucks and today we see them in rented vehicles," Doguin told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday. The drivers left the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and picked up the migrants in Matehuala, 323 kilometers (201 miles) further south, Doguin said. The caravan was headed for the city of Reynosa, 551 kilometers (342 miles) north, on the border with Texas. The migrants told investigators they each paid 3,000 pesos ($162) to make the journey, Doguin said. Uber Mexico said in a statement it bore no responsibility, but was cooperating with authorities. "The company does not own the cars registered on the platform, nor does it employ the drivers, who are independent contractors," Uber said. Only three of the drivers were registered in the database, Uber said. One of them was dismissed nine months ago for unrelated reasons. The other two were discharged when the INM flagged the situation, the company said. This is not the first time Uber cars have been used to ferry migrants, Doguin said. "About two months ago, seven other vehicles were detected in the area of San Luis Potosi state and were also in the Uber system," he said. (Reuters)

Human traffickers smuggle migrants to US-Mexico border in Uber share-rides

mexico

Mexico, News on Mexico, stories on Mexico, articles on Mexico, Mexico stories at Wion, Mexico news, Mexico latest news