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Mexican drug lord's murder sparks revenge attacks. Cars and businesses are set on fire, highways are blocked.
Gunmen believed to be El Mencho's supporters, who were suspected of blocking highways and setting cars and businesses on fire, blocked several states within hours of the military raid that killed Mexican drug lord Nemesio seguera. Truckers and tourists were warned to return to their depots or take safe routes until the violence abated. On Sunday, several airlines, including Air Canada United Airlines and Aeromexico cancelled flights to Puerto Vallarta. The beachside resort was the scene of awe-inspiring footage taken by tourists who watched smoke plumes rising in the air from fires. Mexicans have seen the violence erupt across more than a half dozen states for two decades. They've watched successive governments wage war against drug cartels and ravage large swaths in their country. A member of Oseguera’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel said that the fires and gunfire were done in revenge for Oseguera’s death by the government. He warned of more bloodshed if other groups try to seize control of the cartel. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the attacks were in retaliation for the death of the leader, and at first, against the government, as well as out of discontent. The groups that are moving in to take control will kill the people. A video posted on social media showed that beachgoers in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, were stunned when they saw thick clouds of smoke covering the blue ocean. Daniel Drolet is a Canadian resident who has wintered in Puerto Vallarta since years. He said that in a telephone interview, he was worried about a new era in violence settling in the usually peaceful resort area. "I've never seen anything quite like this," he said. Authorities in Jalisco reported gunmen attacking a military police base of the National Guard. They advised guests to stay inside their hotels and suspended public transportation. Videos shared by sources in government security captured other scenes of criminal activities and military responses. A green tank was seen driving through a residential area in Aguascalientes. The heavily traveled Mexico-Puebla Highway was paralyzed by roadblocks. In Colima state, cartel members in pickup trucks blocked the road. In a press release, a trucking industry association said it was "profoundly concerned" about the violence on highways and advised truckers to stay in safe areas or to return to their 'operating yards' until conditions improve. Guanajuato state, a CJNG-stronghold, reported 55 incidents in 23 municipalities with 18 arrests. However, by evening, all incidents had been brought under control. Carlo Gutierrez lives in Guadalajara (the capital of Jalisco) and said that his friends were encouraging people on WhatsApp groups to stay at home. He said that there was a great deal of fear and caution in the city. It is one of three major venues in Mexico for World Cup soccer games this summer. VIOLENCE IN WAKE? The authorities have not reported any casualties other than the cartel members and officials who were killed in the military operation. Prior cartel arrests, killings and violence have led to violence. Whether it is members seeking revenge for their dead leader or rival gangs invading their territory, the Mexican authorities hesitated before launching major campaigns. Ovidio Guzman was arrested in 2019 but released quickly, sparking a series of gun battles. In 2023, his arrest sparked more violence. The arrest in 2024 of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada ignited a bloody struggle for power within the criminal group. This fight continues to this day. In a social media post, Christopher Landau, former?ambassador of Mexico and U.S. deputy secretary of state, said: "I am watching the scenes of violence in Mexico with great sorrow and concern." It's not surprising to see that the terrorists are responding in terror. "We must not lose our nerve." In a post on social media, Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged the violence but maintained a calm tone. She said that "in most of the territory, activities are taking place with complete normalcy." Reporting by Leila Miller in Buenos Aires and Emily Green, Lizbeth Diaz and Michael Perry from Mexico City. Editing by Daina-Beth Solomon and Michael Perry.
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Most households in Ukraine’s Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia Region have power restored
The emergency crews restored power to most areas?affected?by the cuts?after a major Ukrainian assault on energy infrastructure?, said the Russia-installed Governor of the part of Zaporizhzhia?region controlled?by Moscow. Yevgeny Balatsky wrote on Telegram that power had been restored to all households except for 12,000 in a single district. He said that emergency crews were working to complete the task. Balitsky said earlier that two power outages occurred in the area in southeast Ukraine. Workers have already restored power in 50% of the region, and generators are supporting critical infrastructure. According to Leonid Pasechnik the?leader of Russia-controlled Luhansk, in Ukraine's north, a fuel reservoir caught fire after a Ukrainian drone attacked an oil depot. Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Ron Popeski, David Gregorio and Guy Faulconbridge
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Sources say DAE Capital is close to a deal with Macquarie Airfinance to purchase aircraft leasing company.
Two industry sources have confirmed that DAE Capital, a Dubai-based aircraft lessor, is "closing" in on a deal to buy Macquarie AirFinance's leasing platform. Two firms declined to comment on a request. DAE, along with Saudi Arabia's AviLease and Qatar’s Lesha Bank, was reported to be a final contender for the Macquarie aircraft lease?assets in?January. The sale of aircraft follows a round of competitive bidding, as the demand for planes soars. Commercial planesmakers Boeing & Airbus are unable to meet demand. This has created a 'great opportunity for lessors who can sell their aircraft at premium multiples. In 2017, ?Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Buy Tickets Dublin-based AWAS is the world's tenth largest aircraft lessor. Reporting by?Allison Lampert and Tim Hepher, in Montreal and Paris respectively; editing by Edmund Klamann & Chizu Nomiyama)
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The US reverses course and will continue to operate the TSA PreCheck Program
The Trump administration reversed course on Sunday and announced that the program, which allows millions of airline passengers to get expedited screenings for security purposes, will remain in operation. Earlier it had said it would be suspended due to the shutdown of the Homeland Security Department. The Department of Transportation said that the Transportation Security Administration PreCheck program would remain operational. However, the administration has apparently suspended a second programme called Global Entry, which expedites U.S. Customs and Immigration clearance for low-risk, pre-approved international travelers who enter the United States. Travel groups and airlines were alarmed by the initial announcement of the PreCheck program being halted at 6 am EST (1100 GMT), on Sunday. This was because the busy spring break travel season in the United States begins. PreCheck is a program that has more than 20 million members. It allows passengers who are approved to use a faster, dedicated security lane in U.S. Airports. This reduces wait times and streamlines screening. A partial shutdown of the Homeland Security Department has been triggered by a funding lapse on Capitol Hill due to differences between Republicans and Democrats over immigration enforcement policies. In a late announcement on Saturday, the department cited the shutdown as the reason for the suspension of the PreCheck program and the Global Entry program. During the 43-day shutdown of the government last year, neither program was suspended by the department. A TSA spokesperson said that PreCheck would "remain operational without any change to the traveling public" about four hours after the suspension was supposed to begin. TSA will adjust its operations as staffing issues arise. The Department did not respond immediately to a comment request on the status Global Entry. Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic Leader, said that the suspension of Global Entry was another example of bullying tactics used by Donald Trump and DHS. The Trump administration chose to cause pain to the public rather than?adopting ICE reforms that are commonsense," Schumer said, referring specifically to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has played a major role in implementing the Republican president's strict immigration enforcement policies. Geoff Freeman, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, praised the decision to keep PreCheck operational. Freeman added that the PreCheck program is funded by user fees and that there was no reason to suspend it at this time. TSA announced that it would suspend courtesy escorts for Congress members. Chris Sununu CEO of industry group Airlines for America expressed concerns after the announcement earlier of the suspension?of the PreCheck and Global Entry program. Sununu stated that the announcement came at a very short notice, leaving travelers little time to prepare. This is particularly troubling in this period of record air travel. Sununu represents American Airlines as well as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines Southwest Airlines, and other major carriers. Due to the DHS shut down, the Trump Administration ordered on Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (a part of DHS) suspend the deployments of hundreds of relief workers in disaster-affected regions of the United States.
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US airlines warn of a pause in travel programs following DHS shutdown
A grouping major?U.S. Airlines said that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security "gave travellers scant notice" before the temporary suspension of their?PreCheck? and Global Entry? programs on?Sunday. The DHS programs will be suspended at 6 a.m. After the partial shutdown started last week due to the failure of Republicans and Democrats in reaching an agreement on immigration enforcement reforms, the DHS will stop all programs at 6 a.m. Chris Sununu, Chief Executive Officer of Airlines for America, said that the traveling public would be used once again as a political football during another government shutdown. The suspensions were announced at "extremely little notice, leaving travelers with very little time to plan," the president said in a press release, calling on Congress to "get an agreement done." He said that a similar shutdown in the fall of last year caused losses of $6.1 billion to the travel industry, and other related sectors. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Nuem stated that "TSA, Customs and Border Protection and?Prioritizing general travelers at our airports?and ports of entry?and suspending courtesy?and special privilege escorts?." She added that "we are making hard but necessary decisions about our workforce and resources to minimize the damage" in a DHS press release. Washington Post reported that DHS has taken emergency measures to redirect staffing after Congress failed to provide it with more funding for more than a full week. The TSA reported that PreCheck has'more than 20 millions active members in 2024.' Meanwhile,?total airline?passengers vetted by the DHS traveler programs including Global Entry have exceeded 40 million. PreCheck allows passengers to go through a dedicated lane for a faster security screening at U.S. Airports. It is designed to reduce the?wait time and streamline screening. Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Immigration clearance program for low-risk, pre-approved international travelers who enter the United States. The Trump administration had ordered last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a constituent of DHS, suspend the deployment of disaster relief workers in areas affected by the shutdown. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard, Clarence Fernandez and David Shepardson in Bengaluru; Reporting by Rishabh J. Jaiswal and David Shepardson)
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Hungary blocks new EU sanctions against Russia over Ukraine Pipeline dispute
The foreign minister of Hungary said that Hungary would block the next set of EU sanctions against Russia. This is the latest move to get Ukraine to resume a pipeline that supplies Hungarian refineries with Russian oil. Since January 27, Ukraine has said that a Russian drone attack on pipeline equipment in Western Ukraine was responsible for the interruption of shipments?of Russian crude oil to Hungary, Slovakia and other countries via the Druzhba Pipeline. Slovakia and Hungary blame Ukraine for the extended outage. The EU is preparing the 20th package of sanctions against Russia for?the conflict in Ukraine. Many member countries are still in negotiations, but they would like to have the package agreed by Tuesday, the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The EU is aiming to adopt its 20th package of sanctions at tomorrow's Foreign Affairs Council. Hungary will block this,"?Foreign minister Peter Szijjarto stated on X platform. Szijjarto wrote in a post: "Until Ukraine resumes oil transport to Hungary and Slovakia via Druzhba, we will prevent decisions important for Kyiv from moving forward." DEEPENING DISPUTE This issue has caused the most 'angry disputes' between Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia. Both countries are EU members and NATO members. However, their leaders have bucked the pro-Ukrainian majority in Europe by cultivating warm ties with Moscow. Szijjarto announced on Friday that Hungary would not approve a 90 billion euro ($106 billion) EU Loan for Ukraine in order to fund the country's defence against Russia until Druzhba Shipments resumed. To unlock the loan, the EU must?amend their budget law - which requires unanimous support. Hungary and Slovakia?have also threatened to halt electricity supplies to Ukraine. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has condemned the "ultimatums" and "blackmail" that were imposed by the Hungarian government and Slovak government on Saturday. (Reporting and editing by Helen Popper; Additional reporting by Andrew Gray, Lili Bayer and Lili Bayer)
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Slovakia has threatened to cut off electricity to Ukraine until Kyiv resumes pipeline Russian oil
Robert Fico, Slovakia's prime minister, threatened to cut off electricity to Ukraine if Kyiv did not act within two days and resume the re-supply of Russian oil through Ukraine to Slovakia. This supply had been cut off for a little over a month. Slovakia and Hungary are the only two EU nations that still depend on large amounts of Russian crude oil transported via the Soviet Druzhba pipe over Ukraine. Both countries have leaders who have maintained close ties with Moscow bucking the largely pro Ukrainian European?consensus. Since January 27, the flow of Russian oil through Druzhba has been halted. Kyiv claims that a Russian drone struck pipeline equipment in Western Ukraine. Slovakia and Hungary are increasingly vocal this week about their demand for it to resume. Slovakia is also an important source of electricity in Europe for Ukraine. This was needed because Russian attacks had damaged the grid. Experts in the energy sector say that Slovakia supplied?18%?of record-breaking Ukrainian electricity imports?last month. Fico wrote in a blog post that if oil supplies are not resumed to Slovakia on Monday, he will ask SEPS (the state-owned joint stock company) to stop the emergency electricity supply to Ukraine. Ukraine has suggested alternative transit routes for shipping oil to Europe, while urgent pipeline repairs are underway. The Ukrainian mission to EU suggested in a letter that shipments could be made through Ukraine's oil transport system or via a maritime route. This would include the Odesa - Brody pipeline connecting Ukraine's major Black Sea port with the EU. It said that Ukraine "constantly reiterates its continuous readiness to ensure the transportation of oil within the legal framework available". Since October of last year, Russia has intensified its drones and missiles attacks on the Ukrainian?energy?system. This has knocked out electricity and heating and plunged millions of Ukrainians in long blackouts, during bitterly cold temperatures. The Ukraine government has allowed Russian energy exports into Europe to continue, despite the fact that they have been severely curtailed, but not stopped. (Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru, Olena Harmash in Kyiv Editing by Peter Graff)
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Cargill's Santarem terminal is occupied by indigenous protesters in Brazil
Cargill, a U.S. grain dealer, said in a Saturday statement that indigenous protesters had occupied the Santarem 'river port terminal' in Brazil's Para State. They "completely" disrupted operations on the site. The firm stated that protesters forced employees of?Cargill? to evacuate the private terminal Friday evening. It added that it was in contact with the local authorities to ensure an eviction would be conducted "in a safe and orderly manner." According to data from the port sector, Cargill shipped over 5.5 million metric tons of corn and soybeans through Santarem in 2017. Santarem's total grain volume was 70% exported volume. This volume mainly originated from Brazil's Center West Region. Cargill stated that there was "strong evidence" of vandalism at the terminal. The occupation is a sign of escalation in the dispute between protesters and the company over plans to dredge rivers like Tapajos where grains such as soy or corn are transported before being exported. Cargill says it does not have any control over plans to drag the rivers. Since January 22, protesters have blocked trucks from entering the terminal. However, this has had a minimal impact on Cargill operations as the majority of grains are transported by barge to the terminal before being loaded onto ships. In a post-occupation letter, protesters asked that the Brazilian government reconsider its decree which would have opened up the Amazon Rivers to dredging. The letter stated that rivers are not just export channels, but also a source of sustenance, memories, and identities for thousands of families. It added that dredging could impact the water quality, as well as the fishing they depend on to survive. The?government of Brazil did not respond immediately to a comment request. The government has said that dredging was a regular practice to maintain river traffic in low-water periods. (Reporting and editing by Kirsten Doovan; Fabio Teixeira)
El Mencho, the Mexican cartel leader killed by military raid
Mexican officials announced on Sunday that Mexican drug lord Nemesio seguera (commonly known as "El Mencho") was killed in a raid by the military. The?government of Mexico has increased pressure on cartels following?U.S. ?intervention threats.
Mexico's Defense Ministry said Oseguera was seriously injured in a shooting incident that occurred in Jalisco, a western state. He died on the flight to Mexico City. The ministry stated that U.S. officials had provided "complementary" information.
The operation sparked a wave violence with cars torched and gunmen blocking roads in more than a half dozen states.
Oseguera, an ex-policeman, was the mysterious leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a group named after the western state which is home to Guadalajara, one of Mexico's largest cities.
In a short time, the CJNG has evolved into a criminal enterprise that rivals former allies, such as the Sinaloa Cartel gang, led by captured kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and now held in an American prison.
The U.S. threatened to intervene directly on Mexican soil, and a campaign of pressure was launched by the Trump administration to increase the crackdown against drug trafficking.
A government source said that the Defense Ministry led the arrest operation, which ended in his death.
Christopher Landau, the U.S. deputy secretary of state, said that the killing of Oseguera was a "great event" for both the U.S.
The killing of the kingpin is a major win for Mexico in its war against drug cartels responsible for smuggling millions of dollars worth cocaine and fentanyl to the U.S. The killing is expected to spark a new wave of violence in Mexico.
Vanda Felbab Brown, a specialist in international organized crime, said that "a tremendous amount of violence will happen."
She compared Oseguera with other drug figures who have been taken down in the past few years: Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Guzman, both from the rival Sinaloa cartel.
El Mencho, the biggest prize in many years, has been El Mencho, apart from the Sinaloa cartel leaders.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro urged citizens to remain at home 'until this situation is brought under control. The U.S. embassy also advised their citizens to shelter-in-place.
Social media videos showed Jalisco roads with cars on fire, spewing dark smoke in the air. Mexican media reported gunmen and burning cars blocking highways across more than a half dozen states, particularly in the north and the west.
Air Canada announced on Sunday that it had temporarily suspended its operations in Jalisco’s Puerto Vallarta, located on the Pacific coast. This popular beach resort is popular with Canadians and Americans.
United Airlines and American Airlines have announced that they will no longer be operating flights to Puerto Vallarta or Guadalajara.
In an email to customers, United Airlines announced that all flights from PVR were cancelled.
American Airlines said in a separate press release that it has?cancelled flights from and to PVR and GDL until the end of Sunday, February 22. Reporting by Emily Green and Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Daina-Beth Solomon; Editing and proofreading by Christian Plumb. Additional reporting and editing by Andrea Shalal, Jasper Ward, Gnaneshwarrajan, and Disha Mishra, in Bengaluru.
(source: Reuters)