Author: i2wtc

CUAUTLA, Mexico — The shots rang out just before 10 a.m. A motorcyclist roared past a modest building behind the old railway station here, firing three times. Minutes later, the gunman unloaded on a storefront a half-mile away, wounding a teenager.The assailant was from the feared Acapulcos gang, the authorities later concluded — an offshoot of a heroin-trafficking cartel. But the targets that November morning weren’t rival drug dealers or police informants.They were tortilla shops.Small businesses stamping out warm tortillas have long been a fixture of Mexican neighborhoods. Now, thousands are being threatened by armed groups, part of a transformation…

CNN — In states where the overturning of Roe v. Wade prompted voters to amend their state constitutions to protect abortion rights, long-standing abortion restrictions such as waiting periods and provider restrictions are now under legal attack. Abortion rights groups in Ohio and Michigan are pivoting to successful ballot initiatives in those states to challenge abortion restrictions that were in place before the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022. In Ohio, the ACLU is using recent amendments to the state’s constitution to rev up lawsuits attacking abortion regulations. One of the lawsuits challenges laws…

Texas will open a new business court within four months that it hopes will be able to handle complex cases more efficiently. While there is still uncertainty about how the court will operate, its structure and the powers of the Texas Legislature will help answer important questions.Will a pending case be transferred to a business court? Under the tentatively approved rules, parties in eligible cases can transfer those cases to the new court, but only for cases filed on or after September 1, 2024. Cases also must fall into several specific categories for which the Business Court has jurisdiction, including…

Despite the current economic and political turmoil in Pakistan, the Sino-Pakistani strategic nexus remains stable. Image: AFPAn International Monetary Fund (IMF) team arrived in Pakistan last Friday to hold talks as they requested a longer and larger bailout package under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Cash-strapped Pakistan needs a rollover of around $12 billion in debt from key allies in 2024–25 to meet the whopping $23 billion gap in its external financing. Pakistani insiders are hoping to get a rollover of $5 billion from Saudi Arabia, $3 billion from the UAE, and $4 billion from China. Meanwhile, they are seeking…

At the Viva Tech conference in Paris on Wednesday, Amazon’s chief technology officer Werner Vogels and James Manica, Google’s senior vice president of technology and society, spoke about the huge potential that AI can bring to economies and communities. The comments arrive just one day after the EU approved the AI ​​Act, a landmark law that sets out comprehensive rules governing artificial intelligence. Big U.S. tech companies are seeking to win the support of regulators as they face criticism that their massive operations hurt smaller businesses in sectors from advertising to retail to media production. PARIS, France — Leading U.S.…

NEW DELHI: The Indian National Congress on Thursday alleged that despite repeated promises, the Bharatiya Janata Party government has “failed” to provide permanent employment opportunities in Haryana and is instead promoting temporary contract employment through the Skilled Employment Corporation.Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh posed a question to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of a rally in Mahendragarh, Haryana.”Outgoing Chief Minister. Now that I have his attention, these are the questions I would like to ask him today in Mahendragarh: Who made Haryana number one in unemployment? Why has the BJP slowed down private investment in Haryana? Why are the residents…

CNN — China launched a large-scale, two-day military drill around Taiwan in what it called “punishment” for so-called “separatist acts”, days after the island’s new democratically elected leader called on Beijing to end its intimidation tactics. As part of the exercise, dozens of Chinese fighter jets armed with live ammunition, along with destroyers, frigates and missile speedboats, carried out mock attacks on “important military targets” of the “enemy,” state broadcaster CCTV said. . The drills, which began early Thursday and will encompass Taiwan, will be the first real test for newly appointed President Lai Ching-te as he tries to manage…

A massive leak of Mexican military intelligence has exposed for the first time in two decades U.S. gun shops and smugglers tied to 78,000 firearms recovered south of the border – and which types of guns are being trafficked.The nuggets of information are among roughly 10 million records hacked by an anonymous collective known as “Guacamaya” and shared with news outlets by the transparency organization Distributed Denial of Secrets, or DDoSecrets. The Mexican Defense Ministry leak previously made headlines for exposing military corruption and surveillance abuse, and now reveals the trace data on American-sold firearms recovered since 2018.Despite efforts to…

A new dad has lost thousands of dollars after falling victim to a vicious scam targeting tradespeople across Australia, which has also “severely restricted” Chris Wall’s ability to work and provide for his family.Last Wednesday, $14,000 worth of tools were stolen from a carpenter’s car parked outside his Melbourne home, with security camera footage apparently capturing the thief in action. It’s a problem that costs Victorian tradespeople $20 million a year, according to the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), but is on the rise in states and territories across the country.Brazen theft outside a merchant’s houseMr Wall, who recently…

ASTANA – Similar to successful approaches in Latin America, political leadership and effective policies could be crucial for Kazakhstan’s transition to a green economy, Andres Rebolledo, Secretary General of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) and Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Chile, said in an interview with The Astana Times. Andrés Rebolledo, Secretary General of OLADE and Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Chile. Photo provided by the author. Lessons from Latin America Latin America is one of the world’s most dynamic and resource-rich regions. There are areas with great potential for solar power, and many sites for wind and hydroelectric…