International
Kremlin says US ‘escalating tensions’ by putting troops on alert
AFP
The Kremlin on Tuesday accused the United States of escalating tensions over Ukraine by putting 8,500 troops on alert.
“The United States is escalating tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“We are watching these US actions with great concern.”
The Pentagon said Monday that a force of up to 8,500 US troops was on “heightened alert” for potential deployment to reinforce any activation of the NATO Response Force in response to the Ukraine crisis.
Russia has massed 100,000 troops close to the Ukrainian border, raising fears it plans to invade its pro-Western neighbour and prompting warnings from the West.
Peskov also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin would speak to French leader Emmanuel Macron by the end of the week.
The French government announced that Russian and Ukrainian officials would meet, along with French and German counterparts, in Paris on Wednesday to try to find a way out of the impasse.
International
Regional mexican music mourns the death of Banda Gota de Oro singer Giovanni Vera
Regional Mexican music is mourning the death of Giovanni Vera, lead vocalist of the band Banda Gota de Oro, who was among the victims of an armed attack that occurred on Sunday, December 28, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
The incident took place inside a residence located in the Los Presidentes neighborhood, in the municipality of Irapuato.
According to preliminary reports, several people were gathered at the house when armed men burst in and opened fire on those present. The attack left five people dead, including the singer.
Hours after the shooting, Banda Gota de Oro confirmed Vera’s death through its official Instagram account. In one of the posts, the group expressed its grief with an emotional message: “Today, the sky is dressed for a celebration because you are singing up there. Your voice and your joy will live on forever within us.”
Messages of support and condolences from fans and fellow musicians quickly flooded social media, paying tribute to the artist and expressing solidarity with his family and bandmates.
International
One Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Cree Nation in Saskatchewan
One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting reported early Tuesday in the Big Island Lake Cree Nation, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, according to local media.
Police said they were alerted to the incident in a remote area located approximately 392 kilometers northwest of the city of Saskatoon. Authorities issued a dangerous persons alert for two suspects, who were described as armed.
Saskatchewan police urged residents to seek shelter immediately, lock their doors, and avoid the area while the situation remains under investigation. Officers are working to determine whether the shooting was a targeted attack or a random act of violence.
As a precautionary measure, seven health-care facilities in the surrounding area were placed under lockdown, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in a post on X.
International
Mexico’s President Visits Victims After Train Derailment Kills 13 in Oaxaca
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum visited on Monday the victims injured in a train accident that left 13 people dead in the southern state of Oaxaca and announced financial assistance for those affected by the derailment of the Interoceanic Train, which was inaugurated in 2023.
The train, carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members, derailed on Sunday while traveling along the Interoceanic Corridor, a major infrastructure project that connects the Pacific coast with the Gulf of Mexico across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The corridor was one of the flagship initiatives of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration (2018–2024).
Sheinbaum visited three hospitals in the neighboring towns of Tehuantepec and Salina Cruz, where around 20 injured passengers remain hospitalized. She also went to a funeral home to accompany the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.
According to Mexico’s Navy Secretary, Raymundo Morales, the accident occurred when one of the locomotives derailed, causing all four railcars to leave the tracks.
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras: Zelaya Calls for Mobilization Amid Dispute Over Tegucigalpa Mayoral Race
-
International2 days agoMan accused of killing nine in Paramaribo dies by suicide in police custody
-
International2 days agoSix killed, including baby, in armed attack near tourist beach in Ecuador
-
International3 days agoWinter storm disrupts holiday travel, forcing 1,500 flight cancellations in the U.S.
-
International24 hours agoOne Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Cree Nation in Saskatchewan
-
International24 hours agoMexico’s President Visits Victims After Train Derailment Kills 13 in Oaxaca
-
International7 hours agoRegional mexican music mourns the death of Banda Gota de Oro singer Giovanni Vera

























