While Ukraine was on high alert for air attacks on Monday, the country’s top military commander said tens of thousands of Russian troops were ready to advance on the Kursk region. "Following the order of their military leadership, they are trying to dislodge our troops and advance deep into the territory we control," Ukraine’s General Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine launched an incursion into Kursk in August, taking control of a number of towns and villages in the border region. Meanwhile, at least six people were killed in air attacks in southern Ukraine – five in Mykolaiv and one in Zaporizhzhia, where a residential building was destroyed, regional governors reported. At least a dozen people were injured in Zaporizhzhia, including five children between the ages of 4 and 17. Earlier, the Ukrainian air force put the nation on high alert for a large-scale missile attack, reporting that a large number of bombers were taking off from Russia and heading to Ukraine. "The air alert is related to the launch of cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers," the air force said on its Telegram channels. Power was cut to prevent further damage from attacks, and people were encouraged to seek shelter – including in Kyiv’s metro stations. But by 0630 GMT the missiles had not arrived. According to some Ukrainian military bloggers, the Russian bombers performed flights imitating the launch of missiles, Reuters reported. Report: Trump urges Putin not to escalate The Washington Post and Reuters reported that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine. Trump, calling from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, reminded Putin of America's sizable military presence in Europe, the Washington Post reported. Sources familiar with the call told the newspaper Trump expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss "the resolution of Ukraine's war soon." Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, did not confirm the exchange, saying in a written statement to AFP that "we do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders." The Kremlin on Monday denied that the conversation took place, and said Putin had no concrete plans to speak to Trump. "This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it's just false information," Reuters reported Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "There was no conversation." Information from Reuters and Agence France-Presse was included in this report.  

the hague, netherlands — Dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire in Amsterdam on Monday, police said, while the city is facing tensions following violence last week targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club. Police said the fire was quickly extinguished and riot officers cleared the square. Images online showed people damaging property and setting off firecrackers. Police said it was not clear who started the unrest or whether it was related to what happened last week. But they noted the tense atmosphere since five people were treated in the hospital and dozens detained Thursday following a Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match. Youths on scooters and on foot went in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing to evade police, according to Amsterdam’s mayor. Dutch police announced five new arrests Monday in their investigation into that earlier violence. The suspects are men aged 18 to 37 and are from Amsterdam or surrounding cities. Four are still in custody; the fifth has been released but remains a suspect. Earlier, police said that four other men who had been arrested last week would remain in custody while the investigation continued. Two of those are minors, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old from Amsterdam. The other two men are from Amsterdam and a nearby city. Police said they have identified over 170 witnesses and have taken forensics evidence from dozens. Prime Minister Dick Schoof said they were also examining videos posted to social media. Reports of antisemitic speech, vandalism and violence have been on the rise in Europe since the start of the war in Gaza, and tensions mounted in Amsterdam ahead of Thursday night’s match. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium. Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore a Palestinian flag off a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. There were also reports of Maccabi fans starting fights. The mayor has banned all demonstrations in the city and declared several parts of Amsterdam risk zones where police can stop and check anyone. Dozens were detained on Sunday for taking part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rushed to the Netherlands on Friday and offered Israel’s help in the police investigation. He met on Saturday with the Dutch prime minister and said in a statement that the attacks and demands to show passports “were reminiscent of dark periods in history.”

AMSTERDAM — The International Criminal Court's governing body will launch an external probe into its chief prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, it said in a statement on Monday, confirming a previous report by Reuters. "An external investigation is ... being pursued in order to ensure a fully independent, impartial and fair process," the statement said, also calling upon all parties to cooperate fully. Khan said in a statement that he would stay on in his key function of overseeing investigations into alleged war crimes, including in the Israel-Gaza conflict, while any issues relevant to the investigation would be handled by deputy prosecutors. Khan has previously denied allegations of misconduct that were reported to the court's governing body last month. At that time, he asked the court's own internal oversight body to investigate them. ICC judges are reviewing Khan's May request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, his defense chief and Hamas leaders. Khan said the misconduct allegations aligned with a misinformation campaign against his office. The ICC is a permanent court that can prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression in member states or by their nationals.

North Korea troops have begun fighting alongside Russians, a U.S. State Department spokesman said during a briefing on Tuesday. "Over 10,000 DPRK (North Korean) soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk Oblast, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces," spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters. A day earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian troops were facing 50,000 troops, including 11,000 North Korean troops deployed by Russia to its Kursk region, although Moscow will neither confirm nor deny their involvement. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke Tuesday with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov “to discuss battlefield dynamics and provide an update on U.S. security assistance” for the Eastern European country, according to Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder. Ryder said, "the secretary reaffirmed President [Joe] Biden's commitment to surge security assistance to Ukraine." The Pentagon also clarified the amount of money that remains available for Ukraine's military assistance. There is about $7.1 billion left in the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which includes $4.3 billion approved by Congress in April, plus $2.8 billion that became available after recalculations. Additionally, there is about $2.2 billion available under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative program. Ryder again underscored that the U.S. would rush aid to Ukraine and use all available funds. Ryder said the two defense leaders also talked about the implications of the thousands of North Korean troops now assessed to be mostly in western Kursk Oblast. Airstrike kills mother, children A Russia airstrike on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s hometown killed a mother and her three children and left 14 people wounded, officials said Tuesday. Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said rescue and recovery operations were complete after the residential building in Kryvyi Rig was hit a day earlier. The office of the prosecutor general said a 32-year-old woman and children who were 10 years, 2 years and 2 months old were killed. In Russia’s Belgorod region, a Ukrainian drone attack started a fire at an oil depot, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov posted on the Telegram messaging app. He said a tank caught fire and 10 fire crews responded in the Starkooskolsky District near the Ukrainian border. The Russian defense ministry also said 13 Ukrainian drones were destroyed overnight, all in regions bordering Ukraine. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 46 Russian drones overnight. In addition, Ukrainian’s military was “holding back a fairly large grouping of Russian troops – 50,000 of the occupier’s army personnel,” in the Kursk region, Zelenskyy said in his address to the nation Monday. “Our forces' strikes on Russian arsenals have reduced the amount of artillery used by the occupier, and this is noticeable at the front. That is why we need decisions from our partners – America, Britain, Germany – on long-range capabilities,” Zelenskyy said. “This is vital. The further our missiles and drones can hit, the less real combat capability Russia will have.” North Korea defense pact The forces in Kursk include 11,000 North Korean troops deployed by Russia to Kursk, Zelenskyy has said, although Moscow will neither confirm nor deny their involvement. State media in North Korea reported that country ratified a defense agreement with Russia on Tuesday, formalizing months of deepening security ties. The deal "was ratified as a decree" of leader Kim Jong Un, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Tuesday. The notice comes after Russian lawmakers voted unanimously last week to ratify the deal, which President Vladimir Putin later signed. "The treaty will take effect from the day when both sides exchanged the ratification instruments," KCNA said. Putin and Kim signed the strategic pact in June, during Putin’s visit to North Korea. Material from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse was used in this report.

Germany's main political parties have agreed to hold a general election in February, following the collapse of the ruling coalition government earlier this month. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the vote could have big implications for Ukrainian military aid — just as Europe prepares for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's second term.

LONDON — British writer Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday with "Orbital," a short, wonder-filled novel set aboard the International Space Station that ponders the beauty and fragility of the Earth. Harvey was awarded the 50,000-pound ($64,000) prize for what she has called a "space pastoral" about six orbiting astronauts, which she began writing during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The confined characters loop through 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets over the course of a day, trapped in one another's company and transfixed by the globe's ever-changing vistas. "To look at the Earth from space is like a child looking into a mirror and realizing for the first time that the person in the mirror is herself," said Harvey, who researched her novel by reading books by astronauts and watching the space station's live camera. "What we do to the Earth we do to ourselves." She said the novel "is not exactly about climate change, but implied in the view of the Earth is the fact of human-made climate change." She dedicated the prize to everyone who speaks "for and not against the Earth, for and not against the dignity of other humans, other life." "All the people who speak for and call for and work for peace — this is for you," she said. Writer and artist Edmund de Waal, who chaired the five-member judging panel, called "Orbital" a "miraculous novel" that "makes our world strange and new for us." Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, noted that "in a year of geopolitical crisis, likely to be the warmest year in recorded history," the winning book was "hopeful, timely and timeless." Harvey, who has written four previous novels and a memoir about insomnia, is the first British writer since 2020 to win the Booker. The prize is open to English-language writers of any nationality and has a reputation for transforming writers' careers. Previous winners include Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Hilary Mantel. De Waal praised the "crystalline" writing and "capaciousness" of Harvey's succinct novel — at 136 pages in its U.K. paperback edition, one of the shortest-ever Booker winners. "This is a book that repays slow reading," he said. He said the judges spent a full day picking their winner and came to a unanimous conclusion. Harvey beat five other finalists from Canada, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands, chosen from among 156 novels submitted by publishers. American writer Percival Everett had been the bookies' favorite to win with "James," which reimagines Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" from the point of view of its main Black character, the enslaved man Jim. The other finalists were American writer Rachel Kushner's spy story "Creation Lake"; Canadian Anne Michaels' poetic novel "Held"; Charlotte Wood's Australian saga "Stone Yard Devotional"; and "The Safekeep" by Yael van der Wouden, the first Dutch author to be shortlisted for the Booker. Harvey is the first female Booker winner since 2019, though one of five women on this year's shortlist, the largest number in the prize's 55-year history. De Waal said issues such as the gender or nationality of the authors were "background noise" that did not influence the judges. "There was absolutely no question of box ticking or of agendas or of anything else. It was simply about the novel," he said before the awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate, a grand former Victorian fish market in central London. Founded in 1969, the Booker Prize is open to novels originally written in English published in the U.K. or Ireland. Last year's winner was Irish writer Paul Lynch for post-democratic dystopia "Prophet Song." Lynch handed Harvey her Booker trophy at the ceremony, warning her that her life was about to change dramatically because of the Booker publicity boost. Harvey said she was "overwhelmed" but remained down-to-earth about spending her prize money. She said she'd disburse "some of it on tax. I want to buy a new bike. And then the rest — I want to go to Japan."

Manila, Philippines — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said the International Criminal Court (ICC) should 'hurry up' with its probe of his war on drugs, remaining firm in his defense of the brutal campaign as he said the investigation should start immediately. "I'm asking the ICC to hurry up, and if possible, they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow," Duterte said in a congressional inquiry on his war on drugs. "If I am found guilty, I will go to prison." According to police data, more than 6,200 people died in anti-drug operations under Duterte's presidency, during which police typically said they had killed suspects in self-defense. Human rights groups believe the real toll to be far greater, with thousands more users and small-time peddlers killed in mysterious circumstances by unknown assailants. "I assume full responsibility for whatever happened in the actions taken by law enforcement agencies of this country to... stop the serious problem of drugs affecting our people," said Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022. The ICC last year cleared the way for an investigation into the several thousand deaths and other suspected rights abuses. The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in March 2019. Appeals judges at the ICC subsequently ruled prosecutors still had jurisdiction over the alleged crimes because they occurred when the Philippines was an ICC member.

In a session led by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, the Senate approved a resolution concerning the recent Supreme Court decision on military courts. Senator Dilawar Khan, presenting the resolution, expressed concerns about the court’s interference with Parliament’s legislative authority. The resolution stressed the importance of using military courts, operational since 1967, for actions against terrorists, suggesting ... Read more

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Responding to the World Cup disappointment in India, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named former all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez as the team director on Wednesday. In an official statement on X, the PCB disclosed the restructuring of the coaching staff’s portfolio, emphasizing that “all coaches will continue to work in the National Cricket Academy while PCB ... Read more

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Amidst the celebrations following Australia’s triumphant win against India in the Cricket World Cup, a viral picture of Australian batsman Mitchell Marsh has stirred controversy on social media. The World Cup victory, marking Australia’s sixth title in cricket history, took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, igniting fervent celebrations among the Kangaroos. Post-match ... Read more

The post Controversy Erupts as Mitchell Marsh’s Posture with World Cup Trophy Sparks Outcry appeared first on Pakistan Tribune.

Amid increasing speculation of King Charles III contemplating an early exit, Prince William, the current Prince of Wales and heir apparent, is on the verge of assuming the British throne. “Insights from a royal author suggest a carefully laid plan for King Charles III to abdicate to his eldest son, Prince William, potentially at the ... Read more

The post Royal Succession Speculation: Prince William Nears Throne Amidst King Charles III Abdication Plan appeared first on Pakistan Tribune.

A caravan of approximately 3,000 migrants set off on Tuesday from southern Mexico, headed toward the United States on the day when U.S. voters were deciding between U.S. presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Immigration has been a key issue in the U.S. election campaign. Before heading northward, the migrants gathered in Tapachula, the capital of the southern Chiapas state, carrying banners with messages such as "NO MORE MIGRANT BLOOD" and images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, an important religious and cultural symbol in Mexico, according to Reuters witnesses. "We want U.S. authorities to see us, to see that we are people who want to work, not to harm anyone," said Honduran migrant Roy Murillo, who joined the caravan with his two children and his pregnant wife. In recent years, several caravans with people hoping to enter the United States have attempted to reach the U.S.-Mexican border, traveling in mass groups for safety. Most have dispersed along the way. "I'm afraid to travel alone with my family. Here, the cartels either kidnap you or kill you. ... That's why we're coming in the caravan," Murillo said. Murillo recounted his unsuccessful attempts to secure an asylum appointment through a mobile app developed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. Tapachula, a mandatory crossing point for tens of thousands of migrants, has become one of Mexico's most violent cities in recent months, with migrants frequently targeted by organized crime, according to official data. "I feel suffocated here. That's why we decided to leave," said 28-year-old Venezuelan migrant Thais, who spoke on condition that her surname not be used due to safety concerns. She joined the caravan with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. "I wish Mr. Trump and Ms. Kamala would see that we are human beings, that we want to live and support our families," she added. Voters cast ballots on Tuesday in the race between Vice President Harris, a Democrat seeking to become the first female U.S. president, and Trump, a Republican immigration hard-liner aiming to regain the presidency.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday as it swirled past the Cayman Islands and chugged toward western Cuba.  It was another stroke of bad news for Cuba, which has been struggling with blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island.  The storm was located 20 miles (35 kilometers) southeast of Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands on Tuesday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour) and was moving northwest at 15 mph (24 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.    Forecasters warned that Rafael was expected to slam into Cuba on Wednesday after dumping rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. The center warned of floods, storm surges and mudslides.  The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to non-essential staff and American citizens, and advising others to “reconsider travel to Cuba due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.”  On Tuesday morning, the Cuban Civil Defense called on Cubans to prepare as soon as possible, because when the storm makes landfall “it’s important to stay where you are.” The day before, authorities said they had issued an evacuation order for 37,000 people in far eastern Cuba, in the province of Guantanamo, due to bad weather.  A hurricane warning was in effect Tuesday for the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.    A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge, and Dry Tortugas. The warning was lifted in Jamaica after the storm passed by the western coast. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Camaguey and Las Tunas.  Officials in the Cayman Islands closed schools and government offices as they urged residents to prepare. Long lines were reported at grocery stores as the storm approached.    Forecasters warned Rafael would unleash heavy rains across the western Caribbean that could lead to flooding and mudslides in parts of Cuba and the Cayman Islands.  Heavy rainfall also was expected to spread north into Florida and nearby areas of the southeast U.S. during the middle to late part of the week. The Hurricane Center predicted storm surges in Florida could reach 1 to 3 feet in Dry Tortugas and 1 to 2 feet in the Lower Florida Keys. A few tornadoes also were expected Wednesday over the Keys and southwestern Florida.    Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane season was likely to be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast called for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.    An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes. 

BUENOS AIRES — Three people have been charged in connection with the death of Liam Payne, a former member of musical group One Direction who died after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires last month, Argentine prosecutors said Thursday. Prosecutor Andrés Madrea charged the three suspects, whose identities were not revealed, with the crimes of "abandonment of a person followed by death" and "supplying and facilitating the use of narcotics," the prosecutor's office said. Madrea also requested their arrest to judge Laura Bruniard, who ruled the three cannot leave the country. Payne fell from his room's balcony on the third floor of his hotel in the upscale neighborhood of Palermo, in the Argentine capital. His autopsy said he died from multiple injuries and external bleeding. Prosecutors also said that Payne's toxicological exams showed that his body had "traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant" in the moments before his death. Investigators said hours after Payne's death that he was by himself when he fell. But the prosecutors' office said Thursday that one of the people charged was often with the singer during his time in Buenos Aires. The second is a hotel staffer who allegedly gave Payne cocaine during his stay between October 13 and 16. And the third is a drug dealer. The charges in Payne's case bear some resemblance to the U.S. cases stemming from the death of Friends star Matthew Perry a year ago. The actor's personal assistant and a longtime friend are among those charged with helping supply him with ketamine in the final months of his life, leading up to his overdose on the anesthetic. Three young men were similarly charged in the opioid-overdose death of rapper Mac Miller in 2018. Local authorities gathered, among other pieces of evidence, Payne's cellphone records, material for forensics and testimonies. They are yet to unlock the singer's personal computer – which is damaged – and other devices that were seized. Payne's autopsy showed his injuries were neither caused by self-harm nor by physical intervention of others. The document also said that he did not have the reflex of protecting himself in the fall, which suggests he might have been unconscious. Prosecutors in Argentina also ruled out the chances of Payne dying by suicide. One Direction was among the most successful boy bands of recent times. It announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and Payne — like his former bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson — pursued a solo career. The singer had posted on his Snapchat account that he traveled to Argentina to attend Horan's concert in Buenos Aires on October 2. He shared videos of himself dancing with his girlfriend, American influencer Kate Cassidy, and singing along in the stands. Cassidy had left Argentina after the show, but Payne stayed behind. 

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA — A constitutional court in Bolivia has barred former President Evo Morales from running again for office, ushering in a new phase in the country's long-running political crisis. Morales, who led Bolivia from 2006 to 2019, had been vying for the candidacy of his MAS party, alongside his former mentee-turned-rival, President Luis Arce. But, in a decision last week that was reported on Friday, Bolivia's constitutional court ruled that presidents were limited to serving two terms, whether consecutive or nonconsecutive. After his first two terms, a court ruling allowed Morales to serve a third term because his first preceded a constitutional rewrite. He ran for a fourth term in the 2019 elections but fled the country after the results were disputed and unrest ensued. Arce was elected in 2020. "Without a doubt, this ushers in a new era of politics in Bolivia," opposition lawmaker Marcelo Pedrazas told journalists Friday. "In 2025, we'll have an election without Evo Morales on the ballot." Morales' lawyer, Orlando Ceballos, called the court's ruling politically motivated. "What are they trying to do? To get rid of MAS, to disqualify Evo, that's the point," Ceballos said in a radio interview, adding that they would take up the matter with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Morales and Arce have increasingly butted heads in past weeks, with Morales supporters using roadblocks to halt commerce and raiding military bases. Morales has called for peaceful talks with the government but went on a nearly weeklong hunger strike in protest of what he considers political persecution by Arce's administration. On Friday, lawmakers loyal to Morales caused chaos in Congress, shouting and throwing flowers at the vice president ahead of Arce's planned yearly address and forcing him to deliver his speech from the presidential palace.

Mexico City — Mexico and the United States said they have reached an agreement they hope will help Mexico to be timelier with its water-sharing payments in the Rio Bravo watershed, also known as the Rio Grande.  The agreement announced Saturday provides Mexico with tools and flexibility to deliver water earlier in a five-year cycle under the 1944 U.S.-Mexico water treaty, according to the bilateral International Border and Water Commission.  The proposed tools include better coordination on water conservation, re-use, alternative water sources and other measures.  The treaty moves in five-year cycles and allows Mexico to run a water debt in the first four years, if it can make it up in the fifth. That has led Mexico to fall behind, hoping a hurricane or other heavy rains will dump water in the border area.  That has frustrated Texas farmers, who need a predictable supply of water. When a hurricane or tropical storm hits the region, Mexico can play catch-up but at that point, the water isn't needed, and that doesn't always happen. Mexico has long used that wait-and-hope strategy, but it has led to problems in the past, both at home and in the U.S.  Mexico is obliged to deliver 430 million cubic meters of water per year, or about 2.15 billion cubic meters over five years. An acre-foot of water is enough to flood a one-acre field with one foot of water. The United States, in return, gives Mexico even more water from other water sources farther west.  But in the current cycle, which began in 2020, Mexico has so far delivered only about 525 million cubic meters overall, or about one-quarter of what it owes for the five-year period, which ends in October 2025.  Mexico has to release water from dams on tributaries feeding into the Rio Grande but that angers Mexican farmers, who want it for themselves and call it "our water." The treaty gives the United States rights to one-third of the flows from six Mexican tributaries.  In 2020, a dispute over water payments to the United States boiled over into violence, with angry farmers pushing back National Guard troops guarding a dam, because Mexico had fallen behind on payments in that cycle and had to deliver water quickly to the United States.  Mexico dispatched National Guard officers to protect the La Boquilla dam, but hundreds of farmers pushed them back hundreds of yards in a failed bid to take over the dam's control room.  Before that, farmers took over another dam near the border town of Ojinaga. Both dams are near the Texas border, west of the Big Bend area.  During the 2020 conflict, Mexican farmers also burned vehicles and blocked railway lines. In the end, the United States allowed Mexico to transfer rights to water held in joint international reservoirs, in a face-saving solution. 

MEXICO CITY — Cassandra Garduño squinted in the sunlight, her pink boots smudged by dirt as she gazed out over her family's chinampa — one of the islands first built up by the Aztecs with fertile mud from the bottom of a lake that, later drained, would one day become Mexico City. Food from these islands has fed people for hundreds of years, but the chinampas are under threat from urbanization. The produce grown here doesn't fetch much money, and many families are abandoning the ancient practice to rent out or sell their land for more lucrative uses such as soccer fields. "People don't want to farm anymore," said Garduño. "They don't see it as a necessity, they don't want to produce, and people don't want to buy the products." Some of those remaining, like Garduño, are banding together to preserve and promote the traditional use of the chinampas. "None of this can exist without human hands, the hands of those who worked here and created the chinampa a thousand years ago," she said on a recent morning as the smell of celery growing nearby filled the air. The gardens crisscrossed by canals in the capital's southern Xochimilco borough are built up from layers of dredged soil, held together by tall, thin ahuejotes — a kind of willow tree — planted around their perimeter. Xochimilco has more than 2,500 acres of protected land owned by generations of local chinamperos, as those who farm the islands are known. Garduño's earliest memories of her family's chinampa came from peering through her grandparents' window at the plot of land and watching canoes weave in and out of the canals. Even then, she saw how the chinampas were deteriorating under pressure from urbanization and as some farmers began to drop the practice. When her grandfather died in 2010 and her uncles didn't want to carry on, Garduño took it upon herself to learn and conserve generations of farming. Her neighbors and relatives were skeptical at first, but she bought land for her own chinampa from a friend's uncle in 2020 and now grows an assortment of produce, including sunflowers, eggplant, and the Mexican marigold "cempasuchil." Now the 32-year-old Garduño is one of the growing collective called Chinampa Refuge, started by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and she and other famers encourage chinamperos to preserve their land. They follow ancient growing techniques but are trying new commercial approaches to compete with cheaper produce grown on massive farms elsewhere in Mexico. That includes a special tag — Etiqueta Chinampera — that tells buyers the produce came from a chinampa, and may tout things like water quality or the chinampa's status as a biodiversity refuge. "Change comes with educating the new generations," said Garduño. "Talking about the origins and efforts to conserve and why it's important to do it." Luis Zambrano, an ecologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico who has worked in Xochimilco for decades, said the fields are largely self-sustaining. Nourished by the lake, they can produce three to five crops of vegetables a year without the need of chemicals or irrigation, he said. Moreover, the ecosystem of Xochimilco benefits the sprawling city. Many different species of birds and fish thrive there, and the extensive canals help reduce the city's overall temperature, he said. But now, on weekends, it's common to see more soccer players boating to islands in their jerseys and cleats than farmers tending their crops. The soccer fields stretch for miles along the canals after what Zambrano called "a massive increase" over the past two to three years. In Xochimilco, many people are reluctant to talk about transforming their chinampas to soccer fields. One landowner who declined to be identified for fear of legal or community backlash said keeping the chinampas productive required more work and financial investment and yielded less revenue. Instead, she has established multiple businesses on her land — a soccer field for weekend games, a food stand and kayaking tours for foreign visitors. "If you do well (farming) you could earn $5,000 to $10,000 (100,000 to 200,000 pesos) a year," Garduño said. "In the tourist area you could have that within a couple of weekends." But converting the agricultural fields carries ecological impact. While traditional farming methods avoid insecticides and fertilizers, the soccer fields are another story. "It doesn't look that detrimental because there's no construction," said Zambrano. But "it's just as damaging because the amount of chemicals that are used, the amount of pollution that is generated is very, very large." The chinampas are among the significant features that led Mexico City's historic center and Xochimilco to be recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO. But any protective measures are up to federal, state and local authorities. Carlos Vasquez, director of the Natural Protected Areas under Mexico City's Environmental Department, said they are working on proposals to address the soccer fields. "Many are counter to the conservation of the ecosystems," he said. "We're looking to regulate these activities." After a long day's work out in the sun, Garduño and some neighboring farmers congregate under Garduño's makeshift hut for a feast of chicken and tortillas. They catch up on their tasks and outline what's left to do. Juan Ávalos, 63, and his brother Salvador Gonzalez Ávalos, 55, have been working on chinampas all their lives. Their family has several plots in Xochimilco's San Gregorio neighborhood. A year ago, after some convincing by Garduño, the brothers joined Chinampa Refuge to adopt a more holistic approach to their farming. Salvador said the approach is a continuous reminder of his family's legacy in maintaining the ancient practices — something they want to pass on to their grandchildren. "That's something we need to work on as grandparents," he said. "That they integrate themselves with a taste for this earth." 

Mexico City — Gunmen in a truck pulled up to a bar in central Mexico and opened fire, killing 10 people, authorities said, in an area that had been spared the worst of the country's raging criminal violence.  Security camera footage published by local media showed the perpetrators leaping from the vehicle and bursting into the venue as terrified customers fled or dived to the floor.   The attack late Saturday on Los Cantaritos bar in Queretaro's downtown district left 10 people dead and at least seven injured, according to the city's public security department chief Juan Luis Ferrusca.   "Emergency services arrived at the scene and confirmed that at least four people armed with long weapons had arrived on board a pickup truck," Ferrusca said in a video on social media.  One suspect was detained and the vehicle used in the attack was found abandoned and set on fire, he said.  The victims included three women, according to the Queretaro state prosecutor's office, which said forensic experts were examining the scene of the attack and the vehicle.  Queretaro, the capital of Queretaro state, is considered one of the safer cities in Mexico, which has been plagued by years of drug cartel-related violence.  "The entire security system of Queretaro is mobilized to find the criminals" behind the attack, state governor Mauricio Kuri said on social media platform X.  "We will continue to shield our borders and maintain the security of our state," he said, adding, "Those responsible for this brutal act will be punished."  Queretaro, a city known more for its colonial architecture than for its crime, is around 200 kilometers northwest of Mexico City.   Across Mexico, spiraling violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered since 2006.   Tackling the murders and kidnappings that are a daily occurrence is among the major challenges facing President Claudia Sheinbaum.  The former Mexico City mayor, who became the country's first woman president on October 1, has ruled out declaring "war" on drug cartels.  Instead, she has pledged to continue her predecessor's strategy of using social policy to tackle crime at its roots, while also making better use of intelligence.   The northwestern cartel stronghold of Sinaloa has seen a surge in violence since the July arrest of drug lord Ismael Zambada in the United States unleashed a wave of gang infighting.   There has also been a spike in bloodshed in the southern state of Guerrero, the scene of long-running gang turf wars.   Authorities said Thursday that the bodies of 11 people, including two minors, were found abandoned in a pickup truck in the state capital Chilpancingo.  They were part of a group of 17 people -- reported to be traveling merchants -- who were declared missing last month.         

Havana — A 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook eastern Cuba on Sunday, after weeks of hurricanes and blackouts that have left many on the island reeling.  The epicenter of the quake was located approximately 40 km south of Bartolomé Masó, Cuba, according to a report by the United States Geological Survey.  The rumbling was felt across the eastern stretch of Cuba, including in bigger cities like Santiago de Cuba. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.  Residents in Santiago, Cuba's second largest city, were left shaken on Sunday. Yolanda Tabío, 76, said people in the city flocked to the streets and were still nervously sitting in their doorways. She said she felt at least two aftershocks following the quake, but that among friends and family she hadn't heard of any damages.  "You had to see how everything was moving, the walls, everything," she told The Associated Press.  The earthquake comes during another tough stretch for Cuba.  On Wednesday, Category 3 Hurricane Rafael ripped through western Cuba, with strong winds knocking out power island-wide, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people. Days after, much of the island was still struggling without power.  Weeks before in October, the island was also hit by a one-two punch. First, it was hit by island-wide blackouts stretching on for days, a product of the island's energy crisis. Shortly after, it was slapped by a powerful hurricane that struck the eastern part of the island and killed at least six people.  The blackouts and wider discontent among many struggling to get by has stoked small protests across the island. 

Port-au-Prince, Haiti — A transitional council created to reestablish democratic order in Haiti signed a degree Sunday firing the country's interim Prime Minister Garry Conille and replacing him with Alix Didier Fils-Aime, a businessman who was previously considered for the job. The decree, set to be published on Monday, was provided to The Associated Press by a government source. It marks even more turmoil in an already rocky democratic transition process for Haiti, which hasn't held democratic elections in years in large part due to the soaring levels of gang violence plaguing the Caribbean nation. Fils-Aime, is the former president of Haiti's Chamber of Commerce and Industry and in 2015 ran an unsuccessful campaign for Senate. The businessman studied at Boston University and was previously considered for the position as a private sector candidate for the post before Conille took the seat. Conille, a longtime civil servant who has worked with the United Nations, served as prime minister for only six months. The transitional council was established in April, tasked with choosing Haiti's next prime minister and Cabinet with the hope that it would help quell turmoil Haiti. But the council has been plagued with politics and infighting and has long been at odds with Conille. Organizations like the Organization of American States tried and failed last week to mediate disagreements in an attempt to save the fragile transition, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The process suffered another blow in October when three members on the council faced corruption accusations, from anti-corruption investigators alleging that they demanded $750,000 in bribes from a government bank director to secure his job. The report was a significant blow to the nine-member council and is expected to further erode people's trust in it. Those same members accused of bribery, Smith Augustin, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Louis Gerald Gilles, were among those to sign the decree. Only one member, Edgard Leblanc Fils, did not sign the order.

IQUIQUE, Chile — Over a thousand years ago, the hundreds of giant geoglyphs carved into the desert in northern Chile were a bustling scene. They marked sources of water in the vast arid landscape and were where locals came together to trade skins, animals and fish. Now the carvings are scarred with hundreds of tire tracks from motorcycles and off-road vehicles tearing through the art creations in the landscape and permanently disfiguring them. "It's practically destroyed by motorcycles, off-roaders," said Jose Barraza, general director of the regional national patrimony office. He said various groups were trying to preserve the site to prevent any more destruction - but also without restoring it to its former glory, to show the error of people's ways in the future. "[It] will be an example that shows future generations what not to do with our heritage, no matter how painful or how much anger, discomfort or resentment we feel towards it," he said. Local resident Angelo Araya says the community has been working with a local museum and authorities to try and "put an end to the destruction." The goal, Araya says, is to stop motorcycle and off-road vehicles from damaging the site further and "to make everyone aware that this is not just a heritage site, but that it belongs to all of us." The site has gone through many phases, going from a place to barter, to an abandoned site, to one where people were looking for gold. Eventually Chile's national forests association CONAF turned the area into part of the Pampa del Tamarugal National Reserve. Sand board instructor Franco Diaz said the government should physically close off access to the sites as the geoglyphs are difficult to spot. "If a jeep driver goes behind the hill, he won't notice if there's a geoglyph," Diaz said. "They should close the perimeter and protect these sites that are over 1,000 years old."

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti’s international airport shut down temporarily Monday after gangs opened fire at a Spirit Airlines flight landing in Port-Au-Prince, the U.S. State Department and the airline said. The latest violence came as a new prime minister was sworn in.  The flight, headed from Fort Lauderdale to Port-Au-Prince, was hit multiple times by gunfire as it was set to land in Haiti’s capital, striking a flight attendant, who suffered minor injuries. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane. The flight was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic, according to Spirit Airlines. It appeared to be part of what the U.S. Embassy called “gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports.”  In other parts of Haiti’s capital, firefights between gangs and police broke out. Rounds of gunfire echoed through the streets as heavily armed officers ducked behind walls and civilians ran in terror. In other upper-class areas, gangs set fire to homes. Schools closed as panic spread in a number of areas. The turmoil comes a day after a council meant to reestablish democratic order in the Caribbean nation fired the interim Prime Minister Garry Conille, replacing him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime. The council has been marked by infighting and three members were recently accused of corruption. On Monday, suit-clad diplomats and security officials flocked to the swearing-in ceremony, set to take place in the afternoon. The country has seen weeks of political chaos, which observers warned could result in even more violence in a place where bloodshed has become the new normal. The country's gangs have long capitalized on political turmoil to make power grabs, shutting down airports, shipping ports and stirring chaos. The transitional council was established in April, tasked with choosing Haiti’s next prime minister and Cabinet with the hope that it would help quell violence, which exploded after Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021. The council was meant to pave the way to democratic elections, which haven’t been held in years in Haiti. Gangs have capitalized on that power vacuum to make their own power grabs. But the council has been plagued with politics and infighting, and has long been at odds with Garry Conille, the interim prime minister they handpicked six months ago, who they fired yesterday. Organizations including the Organization of American States tried and failed last week to mediate disagreements to save the fragile transition. 

The United States recognized businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime as the newly appointed prime minister of Haiti, a State Department spokesman said in a statement Tuesday.   Matthew Miller said the U.S. “looks forward to working with” Fils-Aime and the Transitional Presidential Council “to advance progress against urgent priorities in the coming months.”  Fils-Aime, the former chairman of the board of Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was sworn in Monday, replacing Garry Conille, who served as the country’s prime minister for only six months.    Conille is a doctor who previously ran UNICEF’s Latin American regional office. The TPC and Conille had been at odds. Several organizations recently tried to mediate the disagreements, according to the Miami Herald.  The transitional council was created in April to choose the Caribbean country’s prime minister and Cabinet, paving the way to the restoration of the democratic process to the gang violence-plagued country.   Democratic elections have not been held in Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.    “The United States welcomes the commitment of the TPC and the new prime minister to release a joint action plan that outlines their vision to improve security and governance, and to set a path toward free and fair elections,” Miller’s statement said.  “The United States views it as vital that they clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities of the TPC vis-à-vis the prime minister and include measures to hold one another accountable as appropriate while preventing further gridlock,” the spokesman said.  As Fils-Aime was being sworn in, gangs shot at a Spirit Airlines airplane as it was attempting to land at Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. The flight was diverted to the Dominican Republic, where it landed.    The U.S. Embassy in Haiti said in an alert Monday that it was “aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports and airports.”    The alert also said the U.S. Embassy was “aware of a temporary pause in operations at the Toussaint L'Ouverture airport.”    In addition to the gang violence that has clung to Haiti, the country has never fully recovered from a devastating earthquake in 2010.   Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press. 

The United States on Wednesday said Israel must avoid any Gaza-like military action in Lebanon after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned it risked "destruction" like that in the Palestinian territory.

Taiwan was on "alert" as it detected a Chinese aircraft carrier to its south on Sunday, the self-ruled island's defense ministry said.

The Paris climate agreement's goals "are in great peril" and 2024 is on track to break new temperature records, the United Nations warned Monday as COP29 talks opened in Baku.

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The Quad Committee of the House of Representatives, composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts continued its joint inquiry into the extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration's drug war on Wednesday, November 13. 

More than a decade’s worth of stagnant health packages lead to the build-up of PhilHealth’s idle funds, according to the government corporation’s chief.