Assailants hurled an explosive device at a US consulate in a northern Mexico border city, damaging windows but causing no injuries, the consulate said on Saturday.
The device was thrown over a wall surrounding the consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas State, across the border from Laredo, Texas, on Friday night. The consulate said in a statement it would be closed indefinitely. It was the latest attack on US consulates and consulate staff in Mexico.
Suspected drug hitmen killed three people linked to the US consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, across the border from El Paso, Texas, last month, provoking outrage from US President Barack Obama and putting new pressure on Mexico to stop the growing violence. Gunmen also threw a grenade at the US consulate in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon State, in 2008.
Drug violence is raging across Mexico and almost 20,000 people have died in the fight among cartels and with Mexican security forces since Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown on drug gangs in 2006.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
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