The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mexico

  • Asian shares gain on U.S.-Mexico trade optimism

    Asian shares advanced again on Tuesday while major currencies held on to gains as the U.S. and Mexico made a deal to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement.

    Oil prices were buoyant, with Brent up 25 cents to 76.46 dollars a barrel and U.S. crude rising 19 cents to 69.07 dollars.

    Investors expect Canada too would agree to the new terms to preserve a three-nation pact, ultimately dispelling the economic uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to ditch the 1994 NAFTA accord.

    MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 0.3 per cent for a second straight day of gains. Australian shares added 0.5 per cent while Japan’s Nikkei jumped 0.8 per cent.

    New York’s S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes hit record highs and bond yields rose, while prices for copper, considered a barometer of global growth, climbed.

    Read Also: Asian LNG prices hit highest in over two months on tight supply

    Investors will keep an eye on U.S. economic data with consumer confidence figures due later in the day and the latest estimate for second-quarter gross domestic product expected on Wednesday.

    “The NAFTA agreement is clearly a positive to the extent that it reduces the risk of a generalized global trade war,” JPMorgan analysts said in a note.

    The dollar index paused near one-month lows against major currencies to be last at 94.762.

    Against the yen, the greenback held at 111.20.

    The euro held near a one-month top at 1.1680 dollars.

    The Australian dollar, which is often used as a liquid hedge for global growth, hovered around 0.7345 dollars to stay well above a trough of $0.7248.

    The Chinese yuan held near a four-week high to the dollar, a day after the country’s central bank took steps to support the currency.

    Commodity markets showed signs of optimism in global economic growth prospects. Copper, a favoured indicator of industrial momentum, held near a two-week high of 6,112.00 dollars a tonne.

    Gold too was firm too with spot prices at 1211.36 dollars an ounce.

  • Mexican prosecutors recover 20 bodies in Jalisco

    Twenty bodies showing signs of gunshot wounds have been found within one week in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, home to one of the country’s most powerful drug cartels, prosecutors said.

    The bodies of six men and one woman were found on Thursday in a building in the city of Tlajomulco, state prosecutor, Raul Sanchez said.

    The bodies of three other men had already been found in the same building on Tuesday but due to a foul smell police used sniffer dogs to search for further victims, eventually digging up the other bodies.

    Three of those found had been reported missing, Sanchez said.

    Several days before the bodies were found, a man, who was shot in the same area as the building was treated in hospital for a gunshot wound.

    The man, who died of his injuries, was believed to be the leader of a local unit of the drug trafficking group Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Sanchez said.

    The cartel is notorious for its violence and is in a fierce battle for control of the regional drug trade with rival gangs including Los Zetas.

    Tuesday’s discovery came after authorities found 10 bodies at a property in Guadalajara, the state capital on Friday.

    Four of those victims had been identified as missing people, Sanchez said.

    Also on Thursday, police in Mexico City announced the arrest of one of the capital’s most wanted crime bosses, Roberto “N,” known as El Betito, who had made major changes in his appearance in order to evade arrest.

    National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said El-Betito had had hair implants and undergone gastric bypass surgery to lose more than 30 kilogrammes in weight.

    El-Betito, believed to head a gang called La Union Tepito, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon on a city street with his brother, who was acting as his bodyguard.

    Sales said he was believed to be “one of the main generators of violence” in the capital.

    Interior Minister, Alfonso Navarrete, said he had been linked to two murders in June in the Tlatelolco neighbourhood, which were believed to be the result of a territorial battle between gangs.

    Although the capital ranks 21 out of the country’s 32 states in terms of the number of murders, the city has witnessed a recent uptick in violence, according to the Mexico City Security and Justice Observatory, an NGO which tracks violence in the city.

    In a report released on Wednesday, it said Mexico City was at its most murderous since 1997, with murders up 7.7 per cent on the same period in 2017, a rate of almost four per day.
    Seventy per cent of victims were shot.

  • Trump accuses China of targeting U.S. farmers, being ‘vicious’

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused China of targeting American farmers in a “vicious” way and using them as leverage to get concessions on trade.

    “China is targeting our farmers, who they know I love & respect, as a way of getting me to continue allowing them to take advantage of the U.S. They are being vicious in what will be their failed attempt.

    “We were being nice – until now!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

    Farmers have been a particular target in the current clash over trade policy as other countries seek to retaliate for U.S. duties on Chinese goods as well as on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

    Read Also: Trump, Iran’s president trade words over nuclear deal

    The affected countries have in turn targeted U.S. agricultural products, including soybeans, dairy, meat, produce and liquor.

    The U. S. exported 138 billion dollars in agriculture products in 2017, including 21.5 billion dollars of soybeans, the most valuable export.

    China alone imported 12.3 billion dollars of U.S. soybeans last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    On Tuesday, the Trump administration said it will use a Great Depression-era program to pay up to 12 billion dollars to help U.S. farmers weather the growing trade war.

  • Russia 2018: Brazil beat Mexico to reach quarter-finals

    Neymar barged his way into the 2018 FIFA World Cup limelight with a goal, an assist and another helping of histrionics as Brazil roared into the quarter-finals.

    The five-times champions secured a 2-0 victory over Mexico on Monday to help inflict a seventh straight second round exit on the central Americans.

    The PSG forward was both architect and executioner for Brazil, sliding home in the second half and then teeing up Roberto Firmino late on.

    But he also brought some drama into the game as he writhed on the floor, seemingly in agony, after Mexico’s Miguel Layun had made slight contact with his ankle.

    However, that should not overshadow his generally positive display, as the former champions beat an otherwise stubborn Mexico.

    The Mexicans’ World Cup began with such promise with a victory over champions Germany, but ended in familiar fashion in the first knockout round.

    It was the seventh World Cup running that Brazil have reached the last eight, where they will now face Belgium or Japan.

    On their part, Mexico have not made it to that stage since they hosted the tournament in 1986.

    Mexico, who enjoyed an enviable recent record against Brazil having won seven of their previous 15 matches against them, were a threat on the counter in the first half.

    But they then faded, without ever really being put to the sword.

    For all their quasi-mythological attacking traditions, this Brazil side have a pragmatism that keeps them in check.

    Read Also: THIAGO SILVA: I let my football do the talking

    This is done in such a way that you cannot see them ever truly cutting loose at this tournament.

    Having kept clean sheets in seven of their previous eight games, they were never going to commit men forward.

    That would have allowed Mexico to pick them off on the counter in the same way that Germany did in the group stage.

    That is not to say that they were not under the cosh in the early stages as Mexico sought to isolate the Brazilian fullbacks Fagner and Filipe Luis.

    They both looked vulnerable as Carlos Vela and Hirving Lozano bore down on them.

    Lozano had an effort blocked after two minutes as did Hector Herrera, but as the first half wore on Brazil got on top in the stifling Samara heat.

    A glaring spotlight had been on Neymar after his opening three performances saw him miss a litany of chances, frequently squandering possession and spending far too long on the turf.

    Yet he answered a number of questions with his performance and a decisive finish early in the second half from a move he had started himself.

    Minutes after the restart Brazil took the lead in exquisite fashion with Neymar starting and ending the move.

    He darted across the edge of the area before a perfect backheel released Willian, whose low cross fizzed into the danger area where Neymar slid in to turn the ball home.

    It was a choking blow for Mexico, who had been the better side for the opening half an hour, pegging Brazil back and creating several half chances.

    Brazil had to wait until the 88th minute to put the match to bed when Neymar was the architect again, crossing for Firmino to tap the ball home.

    They will have to do without defensive midfielder Casemiro in the quarter-finals, however, after he was booked for the second time.

    NAN

  • Breaking! Brazil are through to the World Cup quarter-finals

    • Brazil 2-0 Mexico
    • Sub Firmino add second (88)
    • Neymar breaks deadlock (51)
    • Filipe replaces Marcelo
    • Marquez start for Mexico
    • Ayala replaces suspended Moreno
    • World Cup round of 16
    • Brazil reached every QF since ’90
    • Mexico lost in last-16 last 6 WCs

    It’s all over! Brazil reach their seventh consecutive World Cup quarter-final thanks to second-half goals from Neymar and Roberto Firmino. Meanwhile, MeIt’s all over! Brazil reach their seventh consecutive World Cup quarter-final thanks to second-half goals from Neymar and Roberto Firmino. Meanwhile, Mexico exit at the last 16 stage for the seventh straight World Cup.xico exit at the last 16 stage for the seventh straight World Cup.

    GOAL! BRAZIL 2-0 MEXICO (Firmino, 88)

    Game, set and match to Brazil. Neymar beats the offside trap and bears down on goal. He takes the shot on early but Ochoa gets a boot to the ball. The rebound falls kindly for Firmino, who taps home from close range to spark wild Brazilian celebrations.

    GOAL! BRAZIL 1-0 MEXICO (Neymar, 51)

    Neymar starts the move off with a beautiful back heel to Willian, who bursts around the outside before playing a low cross towards the back post. There are yellow shirts queuing up to tap the ball into the back of the net and it’s Neymar who gets the final touch for his 57th international goal.

     

    HT: There’s no stoppage time at the end of the first-half. The referee brings a close to an opening 45 minutes which saw Mexcio star brightly. The pace they have in attack was causing problems but Brazil eventually grew into the game. They had chances through Neymar and Jesus but neither could beat Ochoa as head into the break goalless.

    Preview

    Will Neymar follow both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo out of the World Cup?

    Two of the world’s three most celebrated footballers – Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo – exited the World Cup on Saturday just hours apart, as Argentina suffered a 4-3 defeat against France and European champions Portugal lost 2-1 to Uruguay.

    The third member of football’s most acclaimed triumvirate – Brazil striker Neymar – will hope to avoid the same fate when his team tackle Mexico. Neymar and Brazil should march on, but Russia 2018 has been crammed with tales of the unexpected.

    After finishing top of Group E following a slow start, five-time winners Brazil are now looking to reach the last eight for the seventh straight World Cup. Meanwhile, Mexico, who impressed in the group stage with a famous victory over Germany, are looking to reach the last eight for the first time since hosting in 1986.

    We’ll be bringing you all build-up from the Samara Arena , including the all-important team news shortly.

    The action then gets underway at 3pm and you can follow match updates here!

    MEXICO TEAM NEWS

    Team to face Brazil: Ochoa, Alvarez, Salcedo, Ayala, Gallardo, Herrera, Marquez, Lozano, Vela, Guardado, Hernandez.

    Subs: Corona, Gutierrez, J. dos Santos, Layun, Fabian, Jimenez, G. dos Santos, Talavera, Corona, Peralta, Aquino.

    BRAZIL TEAM NEWS

    Team to face Mexico: Alisson, Fagner, Silva, Miranda, Luis, Casemiro, Paulinho, Willian, Coutinho, Neymar, Jesus.

    Subs: Geromel, Augusto, Marcelo, Marquinhos, Danilo, Cassio, Fernandinho, Fred, Firmino, Taison, Moraes.

    OPTA STAT

    Brazil last failed to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup back in 1990. Since then, they’ve always made it to the last eight of the tournament.

  • GM to build new SUV in Mexico

    General Motors confirmed on Friday that it would produce a new sport utility model in Mexico, despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to put on pressure United States companies to add manufacturing at home.

    The new version of the Chevrolet Blazer, a revival of an old brand name, will be built in Mexico and exported to the US, said GM spokesman Patrick Morrissey.

    Morrissey said GM makes decisions on where vehicles will be made “years in advance. This decision was made several years ago and was based on available capacity at the time. We remain committed to investing and growing jobs in the US,” Morrissey said.

    The move comes as the US, Canada and Mexico remain mired in tough negotiations over a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has an extensive record of calling out companies that manufacture overseas and export to the US.

    Morrissey said GM was “committed to working with the administration on a modernised NAFTA”.

    GM has described the Blazer as a midsized SUV, a market that has surged in recent years with lower gasoline prices. GM said the car would be available in early next year.

     

  • Mexico set for more attacking style

    Jung Woo-young says South Korea are braced to tackle a Mexico side set to play a more attacking style after El Tri stunned holders Germany at the World Cup.

    In Rostov-on-Don today, they will meet a Mexico team enjoying an unexpectedly commanding position following their stunning success against Joachim Low’s defending champions.

    But, according to Jung, El Tri are unlikely to employ the same counter-attacking approach at Rostov Arena, where Juan Carlos Osorio’s side will justifiably be considered the favourites.

    “Mexico have quick players who are good in one-on-one situations and like to penetrate [the opposition’s defence],” the midfielder said.

    “Compared to the match against Germany, I believe Mexico will play differently against us. Of course, we’re also not going to [play] like Germany.

    “You can compare the two teams on paper, but we know we have to produce results that can [disprove] people’s predictions. We’re not thinking about whether we are less talented or not a better team [than] Mexico.

    “We just think about how we can stop Mexico from playing their style of game.”

    Mexico coach Osorio confirmed Jung’s assessment, calling on his players to demonstrate their quality on the big stage as they seek to secure passage to the round of 16.

  • FIFA fines Mexico, Serbia over fans’ misbehaviour

    The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed a 10,000 Swiss Francs fine on both the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and the Serbian Football Federation for the misconduct of their fans.

    FIFA said in a statement on Thursday that the disciplinary measure, which was in line with article 67 of its Disciplinary Code, was in relation to discriminatory and insulting chants by the fans.

    The Mexicans committed the offence during the first half of the 2018 FIFA World Cup match played between Germany and Mexico on Sunday at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Group F opening match ended 1-0 in favour of Mexico.

    “The decision was passed after a thorough assessment of the relevant match reports, the FMF’s precedents and the evidence provided.

    “The evidence included videotapes of the incidents and examples of certain sustainable actions taken by the FMF to raise awareness among its supporters.

    “Moreover, the Disciplinary Committee gave a warning to the FMF, who may face additional sanctions in case of repeated infringements of this type,’’ the committee said in the statement.

    The Disciplinary Committee, chaired by a Ghanaian, Yeboah Anin, also sanctioned the Serbian Football Association with a fine of 10,000 Swiss Francs for the display of an offensive and political banner by Serbian fans.

    This reportedly occurred during the Group E match played between Serbia and Costa Rica on Sunday at the Samara Arena.

    The committee added that it took its decisions after analysing all specific circumstances of each case.

    “These, in particular, were the match officials’ reports, the position adopted by the association (if any), as well as the relevant evidence available.

    “This included the report of the anti-discrimination match observers, who have been deployed for the first time at a FIFA World Cup,’’ it said.

    FIFA has a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and has stated it would not tolerate such behaviour from fans in the stadium.

    A series of measures to fight discrimination and promote diversity have been implemented, including an anti-discrimination monitoring system, which has been active since 2015.

    “This has been in place to observe and report on all 871 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and all matches of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup,’’ the committee said in the statement.

    Furthermore, FIFA has published a Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination to support all of its member associations.

    “In general terms, FIFA calls on all fans to come to the stadiums in a spirit of unity, peace and friendship,’’ the committee added.

  • Mexico stun champions Germany 1-0

    Defending champions Germany crashed to defeat in their first game at the World Cup on Sunday as an enterprising Mexico refused to be intimidated and came away 1-0 winners.

    A shaky warm-up campaign had called into question the dominant form the Germans showed in qualifying, but experience and records were on their side.

    This iks because they have won every opening game at major tournaments since Joachim Low took over as coach in 2006.

    But Juan Osorio’s Mexican side had other ideas, however, holding their own against the favourites’ fearsome but slowing midfield and finding space at the back.

    They needed this, because they were seeking to end 33 years without a win against Germany.

    After wasting a handful of first-half chances while living dangerously in their own half in the thrill-packed Group F opener, Hirving Lozano’s 35th-minute strike on the break proved just reward.

    When German centre back Mats Hummels lost possession deep in the Mexican half, Javier Hernandez was released through the middle to outpace Jerome Boateng.

    With a less than perfect pass he found Lozano, who controlled the ball, cut inside Mesut Ozil, held off a charging Toni Kroos and slotted coolly past Manuel Neuer.

    At the other end, Guillermo Ochoa tipped a blistering Kroos free kick on to the bar minutes later, in what was to prove the Germans’ closest effort of the match.

    The match in Moscow was one in which the Germans had more than 60 percent possession, but they could not make it count.

    Germany pressed in the second half but struggled to find the target, as Osorio beefed up his defences to hang on.

    He removed Lozano with 15 minutes left and sent on 39-year-old Rafael Marquez at the back to become the third man ever to play in five World Cups.

    Low threw on Marco Reus in place of Sami Khedira and, with 10 minutes to go, switched left-back Marvin Plattenhardt for a second striker, Mario Gomez, to reinforce Timo Werner.

    Werner had failed to make much of a mark in the German spearhead.

    Mexico had much of the 80,000 crowd in Luzhniki Stadium on its feet as the Germans left ever greater gaps at the back.

    The wastefulness notably of Hernandez on the final pass may reassure future opponents that Mexico, while determined to end a Cinderella reputation, have not replaced Germany as favourites.

    Youngster Julian Brandt nearly saved Low’s night after taking over from Werner in the final minutes when he blasted a shot past Ochoa’s right post.

    Goalkeeper Neuer even came up for a corner kick in injury time.

    But it was not to be.

    Mexico can dream of going better than a consistent record of reaching the last 16 of the last six World Cups.

    They can even think perhaps of improving on the quarter-final they last reached in 1986.

    “They are the best team in the world,” goalscorer Lozano said, describing his strike as “the best goal of my life”.

    The Germans now face Sweden and South Korea and should still qualify from Group F.

    But their reputation is not what it was.

    “We are now under pressure. We have to get six points from the next games,” Kroos said. “We did not do well. We had our chances but didn’t score.”(Reuters/NAN)

  • UK trade minister delighted over Trump steel tariff extension

    Britain’s trade minister Liam Fox said on Tuesday he was delighted that United States President Donald Trump had decided to extend a temporary exemption on steel and aluminum tariffs.

    He was quoted as saying hitting British imports made no sense. The White House announced it was postponing tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico shortly before temporary extensions were due to expire at 12:01 a.m. ( 0401 GMT ) on Tuesday.

    “We’ve been very clear that we think that the mechanism that dealing with Chinese steel overproduction in this case is the wrong one, we would rather see it dealt with on a multilateral basis,” Fox told the Media.

    Read Also: What Trump and I discussed, by Buhari

    “I’m delighted that there’s a 30 day extension now for us to try to get a longer term deal with the U.S.

    “I think the idea of penalising Britain when the small amount of steel that Britain sends to the United States is incorporated into its military programme, to penalise us on grounds of national security would not make any sense.

    ”I’m glad we’ve got a breathing space on that.”

    NAN