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SAN JUAN: Gunmen opened fire early Sunday at a bar in southeastern Mexico, killing six people and injuring at least five others, according to local media reports. The attack occurred in the coastal province of Tabasco, which has been grappling with a recent surge in violence. Public Safety Secretary Omar García Harfuch stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the shooting took place in Villahermosa. He also noted that federal authorities are collaborating with local officials to investigate and address the crime. No arrests have been reported, and the motive for the shooting remains unclear. Videos circulating on social media depict people fleeing the bar while some survivors stayed behind to assist the victims as police arrived. Sunday’s attack adds to the wave of violent incidents that have escalated as a new president takes office amid widespread unrest. Earlier this month, another shooting occurred at a bar in central Mexico, claiming the lives of 10 people and injuring 13. That attack took place in the historic city center of Querétaro, a region that had until recently been relatively insulated from the violence plaguing neighboring states like Guerrero.

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NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kidsHyderabad: AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has reacted to the ongoing violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district where three people have reportedly died in police firing following clashes with police opposing a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. In an X post, Owaisi “strongly condemned the firing by Uttar Pradesh police”. He called for an impartial investigation of the incident and strict action against those involved with the killing of the three men. “How many people’s blood do you need, O my countryman? who can make your colourless earth bloom How many sighs will cool your heart How many tears should fill your desert with flowers,” his X post said in Hindi. तुझ को कितनों का लहू चाहिए ऐ अर्ज़-ए-वतन? जो तिरे आरिज़-ए-बे-रंग को गुलनार करें कितनी आहों से कलेजा तिरा ठंडा होगा कितने आँसू तिरे सहराओं को गुलज़ार करें #संभल में पुर-अमन एहतिजाज करने वालों पर उत्तर प्रदेश पुलिस द्वारा फायरिंग करने कि हम कड़ी निंदा करते हैं, पुलिस की फायरिंग... Tension mounted in Sambhal on Sunday after protestors clashed with police resulting in the death of three young men – Naeem, Bilal and Nauman. Police alleged the protesters tried to torch government vehicles and pelted stones at them. Gunshots were also fired. “We are investigating where the shots were fired from, particularly in the Deepa Sarai area,” said a police officer. Videos of youths throwing stones at police, purportedly near the site of the survey in Sambhal have surfaced on the Internet. Additional police units have been deployed near the mosque to ensure law and order and officials are closely monitoring the situation. #SambhalViolence ... pic.twitter.com/NWWZoLWVOg Tension has been brewing in Sambhal since Tuesday when the Mughal-era Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the site. Ten people have been detained and a probe has been launched, an official said, adding that some people even tried to set afire some motorcycles parked on the roadside. On Sunday, a second survey was conducted by an “Advocate Commissioner” as part of a court-ordered examination into the disputed site started around 7 am and a crowd began gathering there. District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia said, “The situation was normal when the survey began and at around 9:15 am we received the information that some people gathered outside the mosque. The crowd started pelting stones at police, but at that time we controlled the situation.” “Again, at around 10 am, when we announced that the survey was complete, suddenly, a huge crowd gathered and started pelting stones. 20 police officials have been injured and three have been killed, out of which two have been shot by country-made pistols and we will know more after the postmortem. Right now the situation is under control,” says Pensia. VIDEO | Sambhal violence: "The situation was normal when the survey began and at around 9:15 am we received the information that some people gathered outside the mosque. The crowd started pelting stones at police, but at that time we controlled the situation. Again, at around 10... pic.twitter.com/vyrdy8pmZr “Around 10 people have been detained in connection with the stone-pelting incident. They are being interrogated,” he added. Uttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar told PTI that the situation was under control in Sambhal. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at the BJP , saying the ruling party, government and the administration orchestrated the violence “to divert attention from electoral malpractice”. At a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav said, “A serious incident occurred in Sambhal. A survey team was deliberately sent in the morning to disrupt discussions about the elections. The intention was to create chaos so that no debate on election issues could happen.” “I don’t want to go into the legal or procedural aspects, but the other side was not even heard. This was intentionally done to provoke emotions and avoid discussions on election rigging,” he said. “What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP, the government and the administration to divert attention from electoral malpractices,” the former UP chief minister alleged.

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EDMONTON — The Alberta government has announced plans to ban new mountaintop removal and open-pit coal developments on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, but the new rules wouldn't apply to advanced projects like a contentious mine proposed for the Crowsnest Pass. Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean announced Friday the new policies expected in late 2025, along with a round of consultations with industry players on how to implement them. Jean said under the "long overdue" rule revamp, all coal mining projects would be held to the highest environmental standards. "Our job will be to develop a policy that will attract investment and create jobs while respecting and protecting the air, land, water and wildlife," he said. Jean said royalty revenues are also to be “substantially increased,” with rates to be revised after the consultations. "They're too low. We're going to bring them up," he said of the province's current rates. The new bans wouldn’t apply to advanced proposals, including the proposed Grassy Mountain open-pit mine in the Crowsnest Pass, which has been fought by environmental groups and communities downstream. Alberta Energy Regulator hearings into that project are to continue in January. Jean said the Grassy Mountain project, which aims to reclaim a site that was mined over 60 years ago but was never properly restored, would be monitored closely if approved. He said the province needs to find innovative ways to clean up those contaminated sites. "I hope (Albertans) look at us and say, 'Wow, that's smart. What a smart government,'" he said. Concerns over coal mining blew up in spring 2020, when the province announced it would remove rules that had protected the eastern slopes of the Rockies from open-pit coal mining since 1976. Public reaction was swift and angry, and the United Conservative Party government reinstated the protections and stopped selling exploration leases. Friday's announcement also comes three years after the government received a report and recommendations on the issue, including public feedback ranging from environmental concerns to dissatisfaction with the regulatory process. Jean said the COVID-19 pandemic, last year's provincial election and fights with the federal government over resource jurisdiction led to the delay of the new initiative. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the plan to collect more royalties represents a plan to increase production in Alberta, with no economic benefit and a lot of environmental risk. "They may want to mess around with the rates, but what they really are trying to do is increase the amount of coal mining in the province," he said. He said the policy previously in place since 1976 was lifted for a brief period so the UCP could "sneak" a few projects through the regulatory process. "It's economically illiterate. It's not going to create the jobs and the economic benefits that we need in Alberta," Nenshi said. Under the new rules, companies would be required to show they can prevent toxic selenium from leaching into watersheds. Jean said technology, including "high wall mining" to catch overburden, the layer of soil and rock that sits above coal, would be used to keep it in check. But NDP environment and protected areas critic Sarah Elmeligi said she's skeptical technology to remove selenium from waterways works at scale, outside a lab. "That technology doesn't currently exist and, if it does, I would love to see it." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2024. Lisa Johnson, The Canadian PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks “forward to continuing the fight to save our country,” adding, “Just maybe from a different post.” Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn’t think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday of his clients. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department’s investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz’s political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson that he did not intend to take the oath of office. He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state launched a special election process to fill the vacancy. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a “positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put country first and I am pleased with his decision.” Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was “disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hoped that Trump will pick someone “equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.” Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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