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Alejandro Arredondo, the Mexican architect who helped rebuild Notre Dame

Mexican who helped rebuild Notre Dame
Mexican who helped rebuild Notre Dame, his name is Alejandro Arredondo, among more than 2 thousand people, originally from Coacalco, State of Mexico, he was the only Latin American who participated in the project.

 Another pride for Mexico!

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Alejandro Arredondo was the only Latin American architect to participate in the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, as he designed the digital model used in the restoration after the 2019 fire.

Among more than 2,000 people, Alejandro Arredondo, originally from Coacalco, State of Mexico, was the only Latin American who participated in the project. 

“It was impressive to see the remains of burnt wood on the floor, to see the main vault open with nothing on it, it was impressive. It was a moment of shock,” Arredondo said in an interview with AD from France, where he lives. 

His interest in architecture was born thanks to his father, who saw him build several works in Coacalco since he was a child.

“He is not an architect, but he built the house where we lived, he built it across the street, he built a house next door. I saw several of his works growing up. And one of his friends was a carpenter. So I remember that I liked the smell of wood and the smell of the workshop,” he said. CONNECT, the news site of the Monterrey Institute of Technology.

The graduate of PrepaTec and Tec de Monterrey State of Mexico campus is a specialist in Building Information Modeling (BIM), and with the developed model it was possible to reconstruct walls, spaces, ceilings and other parts of the emblematic building.

Arredondo coordinated a team that used three-dimensional scanners and high-precision drones to capture information and angles of the affected site. 

“At first it was unknown, it’s not something you do every week,” said the Tec de Monterrey graduate, who also explained that he shared this task with an American classmate and an Italian classmate, during an interview with Architectural Digest (AD). 

The architect arrived in Paris without a job and looked for work at several agencies until he was hired by Art Graphique et Patrimoine, an engineering agency specialising in historical monuments that has participated in interventions in sites such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre Museum, which was chosen by the authorities to develop the 3D projects that were the basis for the reconstruction.

Notre Dame Cathedral, considered one of the most emblematic monuments in France, was reopened on December 7, after more than 5 years of reconstruction work.

During his interview with AD, he shared the challenges he faced during the Notre Dame project, where there were masks, filters and overalls, but also the use of technology without damaging the architectural value of the work, since it is usually conceived to create new buildings, without considering the ravages of the passage of time such as inclinations and subsidence. 

“Software is designed to create modern buildings where everything is straight, and Notre Dame broke with that,” explained Arredondo, who has participated in several public works projects in Mexico.

Since 2022, Alejandro has been a professor at the Sorbonne University, where he teaches digital modeling, specializing in historical monuments.

“I try to support students who are also involved in these engineering activities,” he said.

Regarding the future, he said during his interview with CONECTA of Tec de Monterrey that he would like to support the conservation of historical monuments in the world, in addition to continuing to give inspiring messages.

 “Being a foreigner, being able to say that I contributed my stone to the building is something I would like many people to be able to feel,” he added.

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Weapons and drug trafficking, double standards in the US: journalist Manuel Ortiz

Weapons and drug trafficking
Armas y tráfico de drogas en México, un problema que ha generado diversos discursos de doble moral por parte de Donald Trump, quien no considera que las armas que llegan a México provienen de Estados Unidos.

 

El presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, ha advertido que declarará a los carteles mexicanos como organizaciones terroristas extranjeras, enfatizando el problema de armas y drogas que tiene México, convirtiéndose en un discurso de doble moral, señaló el periodista Manuel Ortiz.

Las declaraciones de Trump reflejan la idea de que Estados Unidos puede hacer “lo que se le da la gana” en el mundo, sin ninguna consecuencia, expresó Manuel Ortiz en entrevista con Marcos Gutiérrez durante el programa de radio Península 360 Press en Hecho en California

“Donald Trump ha sido hipócrita y doble cara en el asunto de las armas, pues al hablar de armas se debería considerar el mercado de armamento que tiene Estados Unidos. Otro punto es el tráfico de drogas en Estados Unidos, otra doble cara, otra hipocresía, aquí no se habla absolutamente nada de eso, y la tercera, que lo dijo la presidenta de México, las adicciones, que es un asunto gravísimo de salud”, dijo.

Durante el programa de radio, Manuel y Marcos comentaron sobre la importancia de la salud física, pero también mental; la salud es un sector que preocupa y que  Trump pone en riesgo.

“Parte del problema que nos genera tanta violencia en México, es la problemática de salud mental que hay en los Estados Unidos, no solo a las drogas, al alcoholismo, y si nos vamos más allá, al azúcar en la comida. Por otra parte, hay una descomposición social en los Estados Unidos que viene de hace mucho tiempo, donde cualquier político nos quiere dar clases de moral”, explicó Ortiz. 

Marcos Gutiérrez informó que, por primera vez, México está haciendo demandas en contra de 5 compañías, en particular de Arizona, que venden armas, mismas que han sido encontradas en territorio mexicano. 

Se estima que anualmente entran de contrabando a México entre 200 mil y medio millón de armas de fuego estadounidenses, hecho por el cual el gobierno mexicano ha interpuesto demandas: una contra el fabricante de armamento Smith & Wesson y uno de sus mayoristas, y una más que incluye a cinco tiendas de armas estadounidenses.

Por su parte, Claudia Sheinbaum ha comentado que México tiene la intención de colaborar y trabajar en conjunto, no así la permisión de que otros países, como Estados Unidos, interfieran en la seguridad nacional.

“Nosotros colaboramos, coordinamos, trabajamos juntos, pero nunca nos vamos a subordinar. México es un país libre, soberano e independiente y no aceptamos injerencias en nuestro país”, puntualizó la mandataria.

Sheinbaum refirió que, en México, se implementa la Estrategia Nacional de Seguridad, que tiene como eje principal la atención a las causas, para evitar que los jóvenes se acerquen a grupos delictivos y asimismo se fortalece la cero impunidad.

“Lo más importante para nosotros es construir la paz, en todo el país”, aseveró la presidenta de México.

 

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Pro-Trump organization threatens to “jail” US officials who protect immigrants

Pro Trump Organization
Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy, has a degree in political science but is not a lawyer, and has warned that 249 public officials and employees of sanctuary zones could be prosecuted for interfering in the application of federal immigration laws. Photo: aflegal.org

An organization chaired by the far-right activist Stephen Miller, adviser to President Donald Trump, sent several letters, warning that 249 public officials and employees of sanctuary zones, such as those in California, could be prosecuted for interfering with the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

“Federal law is clear: illegal immigrants are subject to removal from the country, and it is a crime to hide, harbor, or protect them. Sanctuary policies are contrary to law, make a mockery of America’s democratic principles, and demonstrate an outrageous lack of respect for our Constitution and our citizens. Officials in charge of sanctuary jurisdictions have no excuse and must be held accountable,” said America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers.

The letters signed by the far-right organization America First Legal (AFL) Foundation are addressed to various public servants, including the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, and the San Diego County Supervisor, Nora Vargas, who recently resigned, arguing that she needed to protect her safety.

The message comes just weeks after the San Diego Board of Supervisors enacted a measure prohibiting local law enforcement from notifying immigration authorities about cases of undocumented individuals in local jails without a court order.

Pro Trump Organization
AFL has launched a multi-pronged initiative to hold elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions across the country accountable for allegedly violating federal immigration laws. Image: X @America1stLegal

The new ordinance does not allow law enforcement officers to notify ICE about non-citizen inmates who are about to be released unless they have committed a serious crime.

Before the letter was released, California officials had already asked the Legislature for a budget of $25 million to spend on litigation costs with the Trump administration, including on immigration-related issues.

In turn, the AFL created a new interactive website called “Sanctuary Strongholds” (Sanctuary Fortresses) to provide detailed information about sanctuary jurisdictions across the country and contact information for elected officials who violate federal law. 

 

The Sanctuary Strongholds website claims to be designed to “help Americans identify those responsible for imposing and maintaining illegal sanctuary policies so that appropriate legal action can be taken to hold them accountable.”

America First Legal is a far-right, pro-Trump group led by his former adviser, Stephen Miller, who has filed lawsuits against companies, among others, that support LGBTQ+ rights, arguing that they discriminate against white men.

“America First Legal is the long-awaited response to the ACLU. We are committed to an unwavering defense of true equality under the law, national borders and sovereignty, freedom of speech and religion, classical values and virtues, the sanctity of life and the centrality of the family, and our timeless legal and constitutional legacy. Through tireless litigation and oversight, we will protect America first, last, and always,” Miller says on the AFL website.

Miller, who was appointed by Trump himself as deputy director of the White House Policy Staff, has a degree in political science but is not a lawyer.

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Mexico's project to simplify and digitize consular procedures abroad grows

Mexican consular procedures abroad
Mexican consular procedures abroad will be different. The Mexican Government is simplifying and digitalizing 52 existing procedures, starting with civil registry procedures, actions that will save time and hassle. Photo: Photo: Courtesy of the Presidency of Mexico.

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Through a one-stop shop for consular services, the Mexican government is simplifying and digitizing 52 existing procedures, starting with civil registration, actions that will save time and trips, for example, to one of the 53 Mexican consulates in the United States.

The announcement was made by José Antonio Peña Merino, head of the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency, during the morning press conference of the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, where she specified that this type of action will increase the availability of appointments with uploading of documents for prior review, without the compatriots having to go to the consulate, making additional turns.

Mexican consular procedures abroad
José Antonio Peña Merino, stated that this type of action will increase the availability of appointments with upload of documents for prior review, without the compatriots having to go to the consulate, making additional turns. Photo: Courtesy of the Presidency of Mexico.

Through the site https://miconsulado.sre.gob.mx/ Mexican immigrants in other countries will also be able to consult an Observatory of Anti-Immigrant Laws and Measures, as well as the protection of Mexicans abroad, and a direct link to the Institute for Mexicans Abroad.

With this simplification and digitalization of documents, immigrants will be able to make, for example, changes to their birth certificate, avoiding having to go to the civil registry of the entity in which they were born.

Among the procedures that can currently be done online are: finding birth certificates, correcting errors in certificates, clarifying or correcting data recorded in original or original certificates, certified copy of birth certificates, and obtaining the Unique Population Registry Code (CURP).

However, the procedures for dual nationality, registration of persons born abroad, death certificate, administrative recognition of gender identity, and marriage certificate are procedures that continue to be carried out in person.

In the calendar for digitalization and simplification of procedures, it is expected that by January 2025 it will be possible to process passports for minors for the first time, as well as their renewal; passports for senior citizens for the first time and renewal; OP71 and OP72 formats.

By February, it is expected that the following visas will be processed: a visitor visa without permission to carry out paid activities, an electronic visa, and a long-term visa (10 years); a visitor visa to carry out adoption procedures; a temporary residence visa; a temporary student resident visa; a permanent residence visa; visas whose process must be initiated in Mexico before the National Institute of Migration (INM); a temporary or permanent residence visa requested from the Institute by family unit; and a visitor visa without permission to carry out paid activities, requested from the Institute for humanitarian reasons.

As well as a temporary residence visa or a visitor visa with permission to carry out paid activities, requested from the Institute for a job offer; a visitor visa without permission to carry out paid activities for humanitarian reasons, a visitor visa with permission to carry out paid activities, a temporary residence visa or a permanent residence visa, processed by the Institute; and a consular registration.

By March, it is expected that household goods for Mexican people can be processed digitally; legalization of signatures and/or seals on foreign public documents; visa for a permit to transit remains; visa for an embalming certificate; visa for an analysis certificate; visa for a certificate of free sale; visa for a medical certificate; certificate of criminal record; certificate to prove the survival of Federal Government pensioners; certificate of provisional navigation pass; certificate at the request of a party; certificates for the Importation of psychotropic and narcotic drugs; and flag resignation.

In April, the following will be held: declaration of nationality; open public will; testimony of notarial acts; will; public faith; Parental Authority Agreements; Power of attorney for a natural person; Power of attorney for a legal person; revocation of powers; and apostille of documents.

In May: postponement of incorporation into the SMN; military card; notice of change of address; exemption from the SMN for being over 40 years old; SMN exemption procedure; and renewal or replacement of the card.

Meanwhile, in June, it will be possible to remotely process voter ID cards, temporary vehicle importation, and tax exemptions.

The official said that in the case of dual nationality, the requirements went from 9 to 3; while the registration of people born in Mexico who reside abroad and were not registered in national territory will go from 10 to 3, and the administrative recognition of gender identity from 3 to 2.

In the case of marriage, the requirements went from 12 to five, and in the case of death from three to two.

 

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Colombian U.S. Congresswoman Proposes Executing Immigrants Who Commit Crimes Against Americans

Proposes to execute immigrants
Colombian Valentina Gomez explicitly proposes to execute immigrants. The proposal is to publicly execute undocumented immigrants who commit crimes against Americans. Photo: Screenshot.

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The Colombian Valentina Gomez has caused a stir on social media after he explicitly said during his campaign as a candidate for the United States Congress from Texas that undocumented immigrants who commit crimes against Americans should be publicly executed.

In a powerful and controversial video, the woman of Colombian origin, carries a gun and shoots at a mannequin tied to a chair, then says: “It's that simple. Public executions for any illegal who rapes or kills an American. They don't deserve deportation, they deserve to be terminated.”

The video, which was broadcast on January 18, has been removed from the social network X, where it was first broadcast through Valentina Gómez's account.

Gómez belongs to the extreme republican wing and puts his Christianity as part of his banner.

“I’m running for Congress in Texas and I’m going to take down a rhino and a dinosaur once and for all, because Congress is filled with criminals like Speaker Johnson, who is nothing but a little man with no balls who funds Ukraine and betrays the American people every chance he gets. And Dan Crenshaw, who only serves to betray his fellow Navy Seals. I’m 25 years old, with an MBA, fluent in several languages, a former NCAA Division 1 swimmer, and with many more accolades to my name, but this is the only reason you should vote for me: because I don’t give a damn what all these Washington DC bureaucrats think of me. I’m coming to Texas to tell the truth, cook criminals, and save children. Buckle up Texas, because this ain’t my first rodeo,” says the candidate in one of her videos.

He also wrote: “I am not afraid of PDFs, nor of criminals, nor of Washington criminals. I only fear God.”

Valentina Gomez has an online store where she sells products such as sweatshirts and caps to finance her campaign. The slogan “Don't Be Weak and Gay” abounds in it.

The responses were not long in coming and the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, himself spoke out on the matter.

“She is not just an American fascist. She is Colombian. And being a migrant, what she wants is to unleash hatred against migrants. Most Americans are killed by Americans,” Petro said through his X account.

For its part, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has strongly condemned the call for public executions made on social media by Valentina Gómez.

Gomez's video, she said in a statement, glorifies the kind of vigilantism that has had deadly consequences in the United States and fuels the anti-immigrant lie.

“LULAC denounces violent crimes in our nation and expresses its deepest condolences to its victims and their loved ones,” said Roman Palomares, national president and chairman of the board. “However, we believe in the Christian principles of justice, not retribution. Using public executions as a hook for a politically motivated message fuels blind hatred. This type of language is intended to appeal to an extremist base of individuals who believe the lie that all immigrants are here to harm others.”

LULAC Texas also deplored the irresponsible actions of the candidate seeking public office.

“The mass shooting at the Walmart in El Paso killed 23 people and injured 22 precisely because of racial hate speech. Social media should ban this type of reckless display of attention-getting,” said LULAC Texas State Director Gabriel Rosales.

“Every person subject to deportation has the right to due process,” said Gloria Leal, general counsel for LULAC. 

“Such social media posts incite violence and vigilantism, and we do not support them,” he said.

 

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Mexican government to implement “Alert Button” for immigrants in the US in the face of possible deportations

Alert button for immigrants
Alert button for immigrants, will send a real-time message to predetermined personal contacts, to the nearest consulate and to the SRE, it will be implemented so that those immigrants who are facing imminent arrest, with this they can be supported by the nearest consulate. Photo: Presidency

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The Mexican government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), announced that it will implement a cell phone application that will have an “alert button” so that immigrants who are facing imminent arrest can receive support from the nearest consulate.

During the morning press conference of the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente, who specified that this “alert button” will send a message in real time to predetermined personal contacts, the nearest consulate and the SRE.

“Soon, you will also have the option of activating, through a very simple procedure, an 'alert button', which has already been put into practice on a small scale in some places and seems to be working very well, where, in the event that you find yourself facing an imminent arrest, you press an alert button, this sends a signal to the nearest consulate and to the relatives that you have previously preloaded in that application and of course to the foreign ministry in Mexico, so that this would allow us to be alert at the moment in which someone perceives the imminent risk that they could be subject to arrest,” said De la Fuente.

The Alert Button was created in conjunction with the Digital Transformation Agency and will be implemented across the United States on January 6, 2025.

The idea is that it will be a very simple application, because we want it fundamentally for cases of real emergency, at the moment when you need it. When might you need it? When you feel that you are facing an imminent arrest," explained the Mexican foreign minister.

And, he explained, if someone, for whatever reason, is detained, regardless of their immigration status, the consulate must be informed, something that, by law, the agency that carried out the detention would have to do.

In addition, he said, there is a centre for information and assistance to Mexicans abroad, which already operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Alert button for immigrants

From the United States and Canada, Mexican citizens can call 520 623 7874, while from Mexico they can dial 001 520 623 7874.

This is to guide them on issues related to their rights abroad and how consulates can help them exercise them, among others.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also implemented consular protection in legal matters, with a Legal Assistance Program through External Legal Advisors (PALE), strengthened with 329 contracts for legal advice and representation in labor, civil, criminal, immigration, and administrative matters; in addition to verification of due process and the guarantee of consular notification.

Likewise, the permanent updating of anti-immigrant laws and state actions has been added through an observatory which can be consulted at https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/index.php/observatorio-de-leyes-y-medidas-antiinmigrantes.

“Legal counsels must consider these three legal frameworks and an important part of what they will do and are already beginning to do is to ensure that due process is followed, and that they notify our consulates, as established by international conventions, when they detain any person, regardless of their immigration status,” the official stressed.

The “Know and Exercise Your Rights” Program has also been established to prevent and respond quickly to arrests, raids and other intimidating actions.

He said that each consulate has developed a Local Action Plan that includes specific recommendations on what to do and what not to do, as well as a community support network that includes churches, universities, organizations, Mexican-American businesspeople, health services, among others, who support and accompany migrants.

The Mexican foreign minister stressed that there is and will be greater consular presence in prisons and processing and detention centers, both from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP).

Among the actions that are added to this protection network are direct contact with the communities: with the expansion of the services they receive from the Government of Mexico through IMSS, Infonavit, SAT and Financiera para el Bienestar; with the attention of compatriots who return to Mexico either voluntarily or through deportation, as well as their families, as well as guidance and support to protect their assets.

Likewise, “Open Door Consulates”, a program that seeks to hold regular sessions at consular offices through mobile consulates or in community spaces, as well as to listen directly to the needs of the community and counter misinformation, and create a communication strategy with a preventive focus.

In this regard, he reiterated that dialogue will be promoted with mayors, councilors, governors, and federal and state legislators of the United States.

Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente explained that there are 38.4 million Mexicans in the United States, of which 11.5 million are first generation and 4.8 million are undocumented; while 26.9 million are second generation.

In this regard, he noted that from January to October 2024, Mexican compatriots are living in the United States under particular conditions: 433,840 are beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); 314,196 belong to H2A visas, a permit that allows American employers to hire foreign workers to perform temporary or seasonal agricultural work; 14,070 to TN visas, a non-immigrant visa that allows citizens of Canada and Mexico to work temporarily in the United States; and 99,884 H2B visas, a document that allows foreigners to work temporarily in the American Union in non-agricultural jobs.

On the other hand, he explained that on December 18, 2023, 12,498 encounters of people in an irregular migratory situation were recorded, the highest number in history; while, from that date to December 23, 2024, the number of encounters was 3,139, which means a decrease of 81 percent, so that, as of July 2024, the flows have stabilized.

To serve its Mexican compatriots, Mexico has the largest consular network in the world in a single country, such as the United States, with 53 consulates, the first one founded in 1824 in New Orleans and the last one in 2023 in New Brunswick, which together have added up to a total of 5 million 202 thousand 480 consular procedures from January 1 to December 26 of this 2024.

He added that Mexicans represent a very important workforce for the United States: In 2023, the US GDP was 27.4 trillion dollars, of which it is estimated that approximately 8 percent was generated by the population of Mexican origin.

Meanwhile, in 2023, Mexicans in the United States had an income of 340.9 billion dollars, of which 17.9 percent, or 60.9 billion dollars, are sent to Mexico as remittances; and 280 billion dollars stay in the United States, which means 82.1 percent of what they work for.

In turn, Juan Ramón de la Fuente explained that it is estimated that undocumented Mexican migrants contributed around 42.6 billion dollars in taxes to the U.S. government; while Mexican migrants in general contributed around 121.5 billion dollars.

“They are workers who make an important contribution to the development of their communities there and who, of course, play a fundamental role in supporting their families in Mexico.”

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Climate change has added 41 days of “dangerous heat” to 2024, researchers say

Climate change has added 41 days of “dangerous heat” to 2024, researchers say
El cambio climático añadió 41 días de “calor peligroso” al 2024, según investigadores. Foto: Pexels (Archivo)

 

La población mundial vivió alrededor de 41 días más de “calor peligroso” durante 2024 debido al cambio climático, de acuerdo con un grupo de investigadores y científicos del World Weather Attribution y Climate Central.

En un análisis presentado recientemente, los expertos indicaron que también empeoró el clima dañino del mundo durante este año que termina, aunado al hecho de que 2024 fue el año más caluroso que se ha medido hasta ahora.

El cambio climático hizo que el calor, las sequías, los ciclones tropicales y las fuertes lluvias “sean más probables e intensas en todo el mundo, destruyendo las vidas y los medios de subsistencia de millones”, afirmó la directora de World Weather Attribution, Friederike Otto.

En declaraciones recogidas por la agencia de noticias Associated Press, la también científica climática del Imperial College, con sede en Londres, Inglaterra, sentenció: “Mientras el mundo siga quemando combustibles fósiles, esto solo empeorará”.

Los científicos concluyeron en el reporte que el cambio climático intensificó 26 de los 29 fenómenos meteorológicos estudiados, los cuales provocaron la muerte de al menos 3 mil 700 personas, al tiempo que orillaron al desplazamiento de millones.

 

 

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Russian air defenses shot down Azerbaijan Airlines plane, killing 38, international news agency says

Russian air defenses shot down Azerbaijan Airlines plane, killing 38, international news agency says
Russian defences shot down Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 38 dead, according to international agency. Photo: Russian Defence Export

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It was Russian air defences that caused Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 to crash on Wednesday, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others, according to sources cited by the Reuters news agency.

However, this does not mean that the downing of the plane, which crashed in Kazakhstan, was carried out intentionally, as it was believed to be an air defence system that Russia uses in that area to counter attacks by Ukrainian drones.

The international news agency interviewed at least six Azerbaijani sources, one of whom claimed that preliminary results of the investigation showed that the Embraer plane was specifically shot down by the Pantsir-S1 air defense system.

"Their communications were paralyzed by electronic warfare systems during the approach to Grozny," said the source, adding that the Azerbaijani government is waiting for Russia to acknowledge the downing of the plane.

According to the Russian state-owned company engaged in the export and import of defense-related products, the Pantsir-S1 defense system is capable of neutralizing aircraft, helicopters, missiles, drones and precision ammunition. It is a modern anti-aircraft shield that Russia uses in several cities in the context of the military conflict with Ukraine.

 

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San Francisco: Hilton hotel workers reach agreement after months of strike

Members of the Unite Here Local 2 union celebrate after securing a new contract in San Francisco, California, Monday, December 23, 2024, after more than three months of strike action. Photo: BCN

By Katy St. Clair/Bay City News

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Hilton hotel workers in San Francisco, who have been on strike for the past three months, have reached a tentative agreement and will vote to ratify it on Tuesday, the union announced Monday.

Once ratified, the new contract will mark a definitive end to strikes at Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton hotels across the city that began in the fall.

Marriott workers reached agreements on Thursday, followed by Hyatt on Friday. According to Ted Waechter, spokesman for the Unite Here Local 2 union, which represents the workers, the Hilton agreement is the same one ratified last week by striking Hyatt and Marriott workers.

The tentative agreement covers about 900 workers, 650 of whom have been on strike for more than three months, according to Waechter. The hotels include the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and about 250 workers at Hilton's Parc 55 hotel, who were prepared to strike.

All agreements with hotels include maintaining workers' health plans, wage increases and protections against staff shortages and increased workloads.

Many of the 2,500 workers have been on strike for about 93 days, demonstrating daily in Union Square, which is the site of a Hilton and the nearby Grand Hyatt on Stockton Street.

“San Francisco hotel workers are indomitable,” Lizzy Tapia, president of Unite Here Local 2, said Monday. “Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott workers refused to give up their health care or back down, and we showed on the picket line that we are not afraid of a tough fight. As contract negotiations with the city’s other full-service hotels begin in the new year, they should know that this is the new standard they must accept for their own employees.”

Hilton was not immediately available for comment.

Unite Here Local 2 represents approximately 15,000 hotel, airport and food service workers in San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

38 people killed and 29 injured in plane crash in Kazakhstan

 

 

38 people killed and 29 injured in plane crash in Kazakhstan
38 people killed and 29 injured in plane crash in Kazakhstan. Photo: From X account @azalofficial.

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An air crash left 38 people dead and 29 injured on Wednesday near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight deviated hundreds of kilometers from its scheduled route.

 

The plane from Baku, Azerbaijan, bound for Grozny, Russia, crashed on the coast of the Caspian Sea after deviating from its original route due to an emergency caused by a bird strike, according to Russian airport authorities.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that according to available information, the plane changed course due to bad weather, but the real cause of the accident is still unknown.

However, Reuters news agency cited an aviation expert who suggested the bird theory was unlikely, and said the original route of flight J2-8243 passed through an area defended by Russia against Ukrainian drone attacks.

Azerbaijan Airlines said the pilots of the Embraer 190 were forced to attempt an emergency landing 3 kilometres from Aktau.

 

 

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