22 killed in Mexico drug shootouts
Fifteen alleged drug traffickers and two civilians were killed on Wednesday in a shootout with police in Mexico after gunmen killed five police in an earlier attack, officials said.
The clashes took place in the northwest state of Sonora between police and around 50 armed men traveling in a dozen or so vehicles, a spokesman at the state attorney's office said.
"A total of 15 assassins are dead. During the clashes the body of a kidnapped policeman was found, in addition to four city police from Cananea who were killed" earlier in the morning, Jose Larrinaga said.
"We also found the bodies of two civilians who had also been kidnapd in the morning," he said, adding that four other people were set free after being kidnapped.
Around 900 people have been killed so far this year as Mexican authorities battle powerful drug cartels.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Suspect in killing of four Muslim men arrested in New Mexico
Muhammad Syed, 51, an Albuquerque resident, was formally charged with two of the homicides: those of Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, killed on July 26 and August 1, respectively, but he is considered a suspect in all four murders, city Police Chief Harold Medina said at a news conference.
-
Kyiv urges travel ban on Russians as Moscow steps up assault in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants a one-year travel ban and the apparent expulsion of Russians living in the West so that they could live "in their own world until they change their philosophy." He complained that sanctions imposed so far on Russia to punish it for invading his country on February 24 were too weak.
-
Ukraine is not taking responsibility for Crimea explosions: Prez Zelensky aide
Mykhailo Podolyak, asked by the Dozhd online television channel whether Kyiv was taking responsibility, replied: "Of course not. What do we have to do with this?"
-
New ‘Langya’ virus hits China as 35 people found infected: How deadly is it?
Currently, no vaccine or treatment for Langya virus is available, and the only solution is supportive care to manage complications pertaining to the zoonotic disease. A study published earlier revealed that the Langya virus was first spotted in human beings in 2019, with majority of the recent cases this year.
-
Bangladesh minister warns against China's BRI lending, cites Sri Lanka's example
Bangladesh's finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has warned that developing countries must think twice about taking more loans through China's Belt and Road Initiative as global inflation and slowing growth add to the strains on indebted emerging markets. “Everybody is blaming China. China cannot disagree. It's their responsibility,” he added. The country, a participant in China's BRI, owes about $4 billion, or 6 per cent of its total foreign debt, to Beijing.
