Jalisco ranch was longstanding operation site for organised crime, Mexico AG says
The so-called "ranch of horror" was discovered in March littered with bone fragments, ashes and alleged makeshift crematoriums along with hundreds of shoes and backpacks, as bloody cartel violence continues to hit Mexico.
A large number of warheads, casings, operation targets, weapons and equipment used to train people were also found at the site, Gertz added during a press conference.
"It was a longstanding operation site, where people were recruited, trained and from where they went out to operate," Gertz answered when questioned about the links between organized crime and the ranch.
The attorney general also reiterated that the activities at the ranch and the people who controlled it were linked to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which authorities have accused of forcibly recruiting young people.
Jalisco is one of the states with the highest number of reported missing persons in Mexico, according to official data, and it is the home base of the CJNG. REUTERS
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Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump's distraction methods fall flat against Epstein uproar
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump wears a 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) hat as he attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, U.S., May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo President Donald Trump's super powers as a public figure have long included the ability to redirect, evade and deny. But the Republican's well-worn methods of changing the subject when a tough topic stings politically are not working as his White House fends off persistent unrest from his usually loyal base about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Trump has scolded reporters, claimed ignorance and offered distractions in an effort to quash questions about Epstein and the suspicions still swirling around the disgraced financier's case years after his 2019 death in prison. The demand for answers has only grown. "For a president and an administration that's very good at controlling a narrative, this is one that's been harder," said Republican strategist Erin Maguire, a former Trump campaign spokeswoman. Unlike political crises that dogged Trump's first term, including two impeachments and a probe into alleged campaign collusion with Russia, the people propelling the push for more transparency on Epstein have largely been his supporters, not his political foes. Trump has fed his base with conspiracy theories for years, including the false "birther" claim that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Trump's advisers fanned conspiracies about Epstein, too, only to declare them moot upon entering office. That has not gone over well with the president's right-leaning base, which has long believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful. "Donald Trump's been running a Ponzi scheme based on propaganda for the better part of a decade and it's finally catching up to him," said Geoff Duncan, a Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia and Trump critic. "The far right element is just dug in. They're hell bent on getting this information out." The White House has dismissed reporting about Trump's ties to Epstein as "fake news," though it has acknowledged his name appears in documents related to the Epstein case. Trump and Epstein were friends for years before falling out. "The only people who can't seem to shake this story from their one-track minds are the media and Democrats," said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. Before leaving for a trip to Scotland on Friday, the president again urged people to turn their attention elsewhere. "People should really focus on how well the country is doing," Trump told reporters, lamenting that scrutiny was not being given to others in Epstein's orbit. "They don't talk about them, they talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy." THE ART OF DISTRACTION Trump in recent weeks has employed a typical diversion playbook. He chastised a reporter for asking about Epstein in the White House Cabinet Room. He claimed in the Oval Office that he was not paying close attention to the issue. And, with help from Tulsi Gabbard, his director of national intelligence, he explosively accused Obama of treason for how he treated intelligence in 2016 about Russian interference in the U.S. election. On Thursday Trump took his distraction tour to the Federal Reserve, where he tussled with Chair Jerome Powell about construction costs and pressed for lower interest rates. That, said Republican strategist Brad Todd, was more effective than focusing on Obama in 2016, which voters had already litigated by putting Trump back in office. "The Tulsi Gabbard look backward, I think, is not the way for them to pivot," Todd said, noting that Trump's trip to the Fed highlighted the issue of economic affordability and taking on a Washington institution. "If I was him I'd go to the Fed every day until rates are cut." Democrats have seized on Trump's efforts to move on, sensing a political weakness for the president and divisions in the Republican Party that they can exploit while their own political stock is low in the wake of last year's drubbing at the polls. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showed most Americans think Trump's administration is hiding information about Epstein, creating an opportunity for Democrats to press. Trump's supporters and many Democrats are eager to see a release of government files related to Epstein and his case, which the Justice Department initially promised to deliver. "Yesterday was another example of the Trump folks trying to throw as much stuff against the wall to avoid the Epstein files," Mark Warner, a Democratic U.S. senator from Virginia, said in a post on X on Thursday about Gabbard's accusations against Obama. Trump allies see the administration's efforts to change topic as a normal part of an all-out-there strategy. "They are always going at 100 miles an hour. Every department, every cabinet secretary, everybody is out there at full speed blanketing the area with news," Republican strategist Maguire said. Trump has weathered tougher periods before, and his conservative base, despite its frustration over the files, is largely pleased with Trump's work on immigration and the economy. In a July Reuters/Ipsos poll, 56% of Republican respondents favored the administration's immigration workplace raids, while 24% were opposed and 20% unsure. Pollster Frank Luntz noted that Trump had faced felony convictions and other criminal charges but still won re-election last year. "We've been in this very same situation several times before and he has escaped every time," Luntz said. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Teachers both in primary and secondary schools told ST they are seeing more students sneaking around with vapes. SINGAPORE - During the June holidays, primary school teacher Wong (not her real name) saw one of her Primary 5 boys vaping openly while cycling near their school. 'It was very disturbing,' she said. Since the start of 2025, her school has caught about five pupils – mostly from the upper primary levels – with e-vaporisers. One pupil has been caught vaping in school so far. Some children this young are getting their hands on the devices from channels such as Telegram, Ms Wong said, while others obtain them from their siblings in secondary school. Teachers both in primary and secondary schools told The Straits Times they are seeing more students sneaking around with vapes – which can be dissembled and easily concealed – on school grounds. Vaping is harder to detect than smoking, which has more telltale signs, they added. The problem has become more prevalent since 2021, the teachers said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, Grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Singapore As Asean looks to nuclear energy, public education efforts are needed: UN nuclear watchdog chief Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur calling for the resignation of PM Anwar Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Asia Shunsaku Tamiya, who brought perfection to plastic race car models, dies at 90 Ms Wong said her school has planned and conducted training sessions for staff on how to handle students caught vaping. 'A lot of teachers are unaware to what extent this is happening, so we even have to show them samples of how these (vapes) might look, as some are very harmless looking,' she said. In 2024, there were 2,000 cases of students – including those from institutes of higher learning – reported for possessing or using e-vaporisers. This is up from 800 cases in 2022, and 900 cases in 2023. The numbers had risen due to a ramp-up of enforcement efforts by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), which is the enforcement agency for vaping-related offences, and the Ministry of Education (MOE). But teachers said more cases probably go undetected as teenagers are finding ways to vape more discreetly or to share the devices with friends by passing them around. An MOE spokeswoman said schools have stepped up education and enforcement efforts, but challenges remain 'due to students having the perception that vaping is harmless and trendy, as well as e-vaporisers being appealing with its novel flavours, ease of use and convenient access'. Since 2023, the ministry has been working with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and HSA to issue joint advisories to parents on vaping every semester. The advisories emphasise the illegality and harmful health effects of vaping, and offer tips on how to talk to children suspected of vaping. Teachers said the situation improved in 2024, after students caught vaping could be handed fines. Since March 2024, first-time offenders in schools and institutes of higher learning caught buying, using or possessing e-vaporisers can be fined up to $2,000 after being referred to HSA. Before this, teachers would usually confiscate the vapes from students and either pass them to their parents or to HSA. One teacher said it was left to the individual schools to determine disciplinary measures. MOE said these measures included suspension or caning for boys. Parents will be informed when students are caught using or in possession of vapes, which will be confiscated. Schools report offenders to HSA and a fine could be issued. HPB also provides support to students caught vaping through QuitLine, a tele-counselling service, and onsite counselling by Student Health Advisors at some schools. A secondary school teacher who sits on her school's discipline committee said one challenge was dealing with parents who pushed back against schools' penalties. 'Many parents tried to retaliate or negotiate if we wanted to suspend their kids for even a day,' she said. This resistance has dwindled since the fines kicked in, although the teacher said that she has had 'recalcitrant students who were fined $1,200, or even more'. Her school handles vaping cases once every two weeks. The teacher had also been taken aback by one parent's reaction in 2023 after informing them that their child was caught vaping, and would face school punishment. 'If (the authorities) didn't say anything, then why does the school want to cane my child?' the parent had asked. 'Vaping is better than smoking. Besides, children are just curious,' she recounted them saying. Harder to detect vaping Another teacher said she was shocked to learn that vapes could come in different shapes, sizes, and flavours. 'They look like pens, thumb drives, barrels… I wouldn't have known otherwise if the school hadn't prepared me,' she said, referring to slides prepared by the school's head of discipline, who saw the need to get teachers up to speed on vaping devices. A secondary school teacher who has been in the service for more than 25 years said that unlike vaping, smoking was much easier to detect because of its more obvious signs. These include lingering nicotine smells on fingertips and uniforms, and suspicions that are easily confirmed with a handheld monitor, designed to detect increased levels of carbon monoxide after smoking, through a breath test. 'If they return to class after a long toilet break smelling like a garden, that's a sure sign that they used perfume to mask the cigarette smell. When they vape however, they leave no clues,' he said. He added that cigarettes, lighters and matches are easy to spot and harder to conceal during spot checks. In comparison, vapes are harder to identify when disassembled because they come in so many forms. Another teacher pointed out that students sometimes hide vape components in their undergarments, knowing teachers cannot conduct thorough body searches. Students are also becoming more creative in how they share and hide their devices. 'One time, we realised the students were hiding the vape devices in the toilet roll holders early in the morning. And they had a system or timetable to share vapes during school hours,' said a teacher, who caught eight repeat student offenders in 2024. Tackling the scourge The recent rise in vaping among young people and the introduction of Kpods – e-vaporisers laced with etomidate, an anaesthetic – has prompted government agencies to take stronger actions to deal with the scourge. Between January 2024 and March 2025, HSA seized more than $41 million worth of e-vaporisers and their related components. The authorities are working to list etomidate, which is being abused via e-vaporisers, under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on July 20 . When asked then about the situation in schools, Mr Ong said the authorities had not detected any etomidate in the vapes seized from schools a few months ago. But in its latest exercise, one in three vapes seized from the public here was found to contain etomidate, he noted. 'So I will not assume that etomidate has not made their way to schools.' MOE said parents play an important role in vaping and drug prevention. Parents may call HPB's QuitLine on 1800 438 2000 for help, and any disclosures made during the programme are kept confidential and will not be reported to other authorities. May (not her real name) resorted to placing her 13-year-old daughter in a residential girls' home in 2025 after her teen refused to stop vaping. The 55-year-old widow said that her daughter picked up the habit while in Secondary 1 in 2024, at a girls' school. None of her teachers knew about it, even though her daughter had up to seven e-vaporisers in her possession at one time. 'She told me that some of her teachers are very blur. They don't know how to find the vapes if students keep them in their pockets,' said May, who works in social services. 'She was sleeping in class, not paying attention, not handing in assignments. They informed me about this change in her behaviour only much later, during a parent-teacher meeting in October,' she said, wishing that teachers had picked up on signs of her daughter's declining performance in class and connected it to possible vape use. Acknowledging that teachers are stretched thin dealing with vaping and many other responsibilities, she said: 'The schools and ministry need to come up with something together. There must be something they can do.'
AsiaOne
6 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Thai-Cambodian fighting extends into third day despite ceasefire calls, Asia News
SISAKET, Thailand — Fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border extended into a third day and new flashpoints emerged on Saturday (July 26) as both sides sought diplomatic support, saying they had acted in self-defence and calling on the other to cease fighting and start negotiations. At least 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years. The Thai navy said there were clashes in the coastal province of Trat early on Saturday, a new front more than 100km from other conflict points along the long-contested border. The two countries have faced off since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Thailand's death toll remained at 19 on Saturday, while Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said five soldiers and eight civilians had been killed in the the Kanthralak district of Thailand's Sisaket province, on the border near some of the clashes, hotel worker Chianuwat Thalalai said the town had emptied out. "Nearly everybody's gone, it's almost a deserted city," the 31-year-old told Reuters. "My hotel is still open for some of those nearer to the border area that needs a place to stay." Thailand's ambassador to the United Nations told a Security Council meeting on Friday that soldiers had been injured by newly planted land mines in Thai territory on two occasions since mid-July — claims Cambodia has strongly denied — and said Cambodia had then launched attacks on Thursday morning. "Thailand urges Cambodia to immediately cease all hostilities and acts of aggression, and resume dialogue in good faith," Cherdchai Chaivaivid told the council in remarks released to media. Decades of disputes Cambodia's defence ministry said Thailand had launched "a deliberate, unprovoked, and unlawful military attack" on Thursday, and was now mobilising troops and military equipment on the border. "These deliberate military preparations reveal Thailand's intent to expand its aggression and further violate Cambodia's sovereignty," the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Cambodia called for the international community to "condemn Thailand's aggression in the strongest terms" and to prevent an expansion of Thailand's military activities. Bangkok reiterated it wanted to resolve the dispute bilaterally, telling the Security Council it was "deeply regrettable that Cambodia has deliberately avoided meaningful dialogue and instead sought to internationalise the issue to serve its own political objectives". Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817km land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths. Cambodia in June said it had asked the court to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach. ALSO READ: Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand, AFP reports
