News Summary for June 6th, 2009

A terrible terrible tragedy in Hermosillo. As of right now (00:54 Saturday June 6th) 31 babies and toddlers have died after a nursery caught on fire in Hermosillo, Sonora. Still no details as to what happened, but there are reports that more then 30 children are getting medical attention, some of them are gravely ill. As we get more information, we will be posting the latest. (Comment: I can´t describe the profound sadness. My hometown is Hermosillo, and I have been on and off the phone for the last couple of hours. I just can´t imagine how a community can lose more then 30 children. ¿How will these families, their neighbors, the entire city recuperate from this tragedy?)

++ In more news…Washington announced a new all-encompassing strategy to fight drug trafficking on the border with Mexico… The U.S. government will invest 15 billion dollars, 10 times more than what has been funneled into the Mérida Intitiative.

++ Army troops arrested six more members of the Monterrey police force on the fifth day of operations in Nuevo León to arrest police agents linked to organized crime.

++ Authorities ordered the temporary arrest of six agents and the head of the Transit Department of Veracruz, as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Maritime Customs Office administrator Francisco Serrano Aramoni, who has gone missing.

++ Aviacsa obtained a legal protection that restored flight operations that had been ordered suspended by the Communications and Transportation Secretariat last Tuesday… Aviacsa said it was very likely flights would be resumed shortly…

++ Trying to fend off a “blank vote” campaign, national leaders of the country’s political parties will on Monday come together in a joint taped video message to urge citizens to vote in midterm elections on July 5th.

++ As part of World Environment Day, President Felipe Calderón presented the Special Climate Change Program that aims to notably reduce carbon dioxide emissions – the goal is 50 million tons of the gas, starting now.

++ Eleven schools in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, might have to suspend classes because of suspected A H1N1 outbreak of influenza cases. Two Guatemalan citizens detained in the San Luis Potosí immigration office were found to be suffering from A H1N1 influenza.