Latest news with #Mesa
UPI
6 days ago
- Business
- UPI
Former Bolivian President Mesa: Regime change needed to boost economy
Former Bolivian President Carlos Mesa warned that the country needs a 'radical change' in its economic and institutional model, and said the Aug. 17 election will be critical to avoiding a political collapse. File Photo by Mar Puig/UPI July 24 (UPI) -- Less than a month before Bolivia's presidential election, the country is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades -- marked by a critical fuel shortage, a collapsed currency market and a population placing its last hope in the polls. The country's foreign currency reserves have dried up, dollars are scarce in both formal and informal markets -- where the exchange rate has more than doubled -- and widespread shortages of diesel and gasoline have crippled key sectors, including public transportation and industry. In this context, former President Carlos Mesa, who held that office from 2003 to 2005, warned that Bolivia needs a "radical change" in its economic and institutional model, and said the Aug. 17 election will be critical to avoiding a political collapse. "The last hope in this terrible tunnel Bolivia is living through is the election -- a regime change, a president and a government capable of taking control of the situation and restoring the government's credibility," Mesa said. Bolivia's economy grew just 1.4% in 2024, down from 3.1% the year before. The International Monetary Fund projects even slower real growth in 2025 -- around 1.1% -- signaling a prolonged slowdown amid financial constraints, low gas prices and mounting macroeconomic pressure. Those figures fall below the regional average, where growth typically hovers around 3% a year. Mesa blamed the crisis on "20 years of bad governance," which he says began under former President Evo Morales and continued under current President Luis Arce, whom he accuses of "failing to confront the crisis with the seriousness it demanded." Mesa said the state squandered more than $15 billion in reserves since 2015, and that state-run companies are operating with structural deficits. He added that rising inflation is hitting the most vulnerable sectors hardest. "We went from being hydrocarbon exporters to net importers, with no clear plan for exploration or investment," he said. Despite the tense political climate, Mesa said the electoral process is not at risk and ruleed out any possibility of the vote being suspended. He warned, however, that Evo Morales -- sidelined from the race after failing to meet legal requirements -- could try to disrupt voting in specific regions, such as El Chapare. "The country understands that this election is the last hope for change. There is no other viable institutional path," he said. Recent polls place two opposition candidates -- Samuel Doria Medina and Luis "Tuto" Quiroga -- at the top, followed by leftist candidate Andrónico Rodríguez in third. None has surpassed 25% support, and with 10% to 15% of voters still undecided, a runoff appears likely Oct. 20. Beyond the electoral cycle, Mesa offered a scathing assessment of Bolivia's state apparatus. He denounced a collapsed institutional framework, a judiciary he says is "controlled by members of the ruling party" and a political system dominated by the Movement for Socialismfor nearly two decades. To reverse that trend, he proposed restoring a pluralist party system, reforming the judicial selection process and partially amending the Constitution in key areas such as justice and the economy. On economic policy, Mesa said he believes Bolivia will need between $10 billion and $12 billion in liquidity, support from multilateral institutions and tough decisions on subsidies and investment. Despite the grim outlook, Mesa remains optimistic about the public's willingness to participate in the process. "Voting is mandatory, but even if it weren't, Bolivian society would still go to the polls because it knows this election is the only way out of this catastrophe," he said. For Mesa, Aug. 17 is not just about choosing a president -- it's about deciding whether to begin rebuilding a country battered by institutional decay, authoritarianism and economic collapse.
Hindustan Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: Delhi welcomes new eateries, but dining experience falls short
There is good news and there is bad news. The good news is that many new restaurants have opened in Delhi this year. Once upon a time all the openings were in Gurgaon which was not great for Delhi people who did not want to brave traffic jams of much more than an hour or get stuck in water-logged roads for the three months of the year when Gurgaon becomes some Haryanvi's idea of Atlantis, the undersea kingdom. Delhi sees new restaurant openings but quality remains a concern.(Unsplash (representative image)) The bad news is that most of the newish Delhi restaurants are not much better than those in Gurgaon where the average standard is pretty dismal. The National Capital Region (NCR), which is basically Delhi plus Gurgaon plus Noida (which is the one part of Uttar Pradesh that nobody bothers to travel to for the food), has nothing on Mumbai or Bangalore where great new restaurants keep opening. Oh yes, Delhi is very good at the top of the market (Bukhara, Indian Accent, China Kitchen, Dum Pukht, 360, Shang Palace, etc) and the dhaba food can be wonderful. But at the middle of the market very few outstanding restaurants have opened in the last few years. If you want a reliable place to go to, the 50-year-old favourites (United Coffee House, Kwality etc) are still your best options. I know because even though I keep trying to eat at home when I am in Delhi, on the grounds that I eat out all the time when I am travelling, I have forced myself to explore the restaurant scene over the last two months in the interests of keeping my readers well informed. (Which is not to say that every bad meal I have had to endure is your fault, dear reader, only to inform you of the sacrifices I make for the sake of this column.) There have been some good experiences. Sahil Mehta, who is to the patisserie scene in India what Cedric Grolet is to France, has opened the Paris Coffeehouse in Greater Kailash Two market. Of course it's wonderful because Sahil is incapable of making any patisserie that is less than excellent. But it's a small cafe that depends entirely on Sahil's skills and not a full fledged restaurant. And then there is Mesa in the Lodhi Colony Market (apologies to those who live outside the NCR but all Delhi localities have strange names like these) which is a relaxed oasis of casual dining. (Dos, Tres, and Jamun are popular options.) My wife and I wandered in one day for lunch and were pleasantly surprised. Mesa is run by a young chef called Sandeep Namboodiry, who once worked with the great Manish Mehrotra (after I posted about my meal at Mesa on Instagram, Manish messaged to say how talented Sandeep was), but sticks (mostly) to a modern European menu here. Not everything works brilliantly— he doesn't have the oven required to make the greatest pizzas, though his were not bad, and his Japanese omelette was not much more than acceptable— but there's enough delicious food to make me want to go back. You can see real skill on display here and Sandeep is a chef to watch. This counts for something because I don't think Delhi has as many talented chefs as, say, Mumbai. And unfortunately, even when Delhi chefs have talent, the restaurants are badly run. A few months ago I went to Cala, an unassuming neighbourhood restaurant in Panchsheel Park. The European food was far better than anyone had a right to expect. The pizzas were good, the pasta was authentic and a sophisticated prawn dish stole the show. The chef appeared to serve the dessert (also good) and when I asked about his background, said he had worked at Masque in Mumbai. Encouraged by that experience I booked for lunch last Sunday. When we arrived the solitary server in the dining room asked if I had a reservation. I said I did and gave my name. I don't know why he bothered to ask because he didn't look up any list of reservations but just led us out of the restaurant to an outside area where a low hung shamiana had been erected. I remembered the outside area because we sat there last time. This time, presumably because it was hot, it had been covered with this makeshift shamiana. It was dark (either they had no lights or they had not bothered to put them on) claustrophobic and the tables had not even been set. I asked why this was our only option given that I had booked the day before. The server had no idea. I said we could not possibly eat here and left. He seemed unconcerned. Perhaps the restaurant is closing down and they don't care about guests. Because nobody who wants to stay in the hospitality business can afford this kind of attitude. Stuck for a place to have lunch, I looked up Plats, which many people have praised, on the net , found the number and called. Nobody answered. I then called Indy at Eldeco centre. This is run by the people behind QLA, a restaurant I like. They answered the phone promptly but said they were full. Resisting the urge to take the easy way out and find a hotel restaurant or to return to one of our two go-to places for Sunday lunch (Cafe C at Chanakya and Cha Shi, both of which are excellent) we decided to try our luck at the new bustling Eldeco Centre in Malaviya Nagar, where there are many other restaurants apart from Indy. Nearly every place was full. There were crowds of hungry Bengalis outside 6 Ballygunge Place and the Arts Room was packing them in. But we roamed the corridors till we found a table at a Japanese restaurant called Hikki which I had never heard of. It is a relatively plush place that is well managed and because it is more expensive draws an older average diner than most of the Eldeco restaurants. For all that, there were some basic mistakes. The tables are lit with overhead lamps that come down dangerously low which, I guess, is a stylistic touch favoured by someone with dodgy taste. But, more crucially, all of the lighting has been designed by a person who has never heard of Instagram. The low-hanging lamps throw shadows on the food so that you can't take pictures and they also make the guests look strangely ugly. The food is hit and miss. The prawn tempura was good with high quality frying but this was not true of the chicken karaage. The gyoza had an oily slippery feel to them. And even by the standards of junk sushi, the nigiri was a disgrace, made with rice that was so dry they could well have cooked it a week ago. The meal was redeemed by an interesting noodle dish which was made carbonara style (like the pasta) and powered with the addition of Korean gochujang paste. To the credit of the servers, they quietly took the karaage off the bill when they saw we had wasted it. Clearly, they mean well. And to be fair, by the time we left, the restaurant was full. Perhaps they will get their act together: they need some urgent changes in the kitchen and they need to get someone who understands lighting to redo the lamps in the dining room. So, nothing inspiring to report. But I shall keep looking. At some stage, some thing really good will turn up. Or so I hope!
Chicago Tribune
20-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Little Village buildings spray-painted with swastikas, pro-ICE statement
Swastikas were spray-painted on several buildings in Little Village over the weekend, and one building was tagged a second time with a pro-immigration enforcement statement, community members said. According to a statement from the Chicago Police Department, three buildings in the 2700 block of West Cermak Road and one in the 2500 block were vandalized around midnight Saturday. Community members said a grocery store and two community organizations were spray-painted with swastikas in the 2700 block of West Cermak. Half of the front wall of La Frutería grocery store is 50 feet of uninterrupted cinderblock wall — a perfect canvas for the street artists whose murals occupy the space. Bibiana Mesa, one of the owners of La Frutería grocery store, said they decided to give the space to the community when they bought the business five years ago. 'It's either we have them do something to relate a message, or we have it getting tagged by gangs in the area or whatnot,' she said. 'It brings up a lot of colors, and it makes people feel good, our community is being represented.' In the past, the wall has been home to a Chicago Bulls cartoon and a mural honoring the Hispanic community, Mesa said. Until Sunday, the wall featured a mural reading 'FREE PALESTINE' with a child standing on a pile of burning rubble in front of a Palestinian flag. The Mesas check their building for issues every morning when they arrive. On Saturday, as they pulled up in their car, they saw there were swastikas on the front of the building. 'And as we looked around, we noticed that other buildings around the area were vandalized as well,' Mesa said. The Mesas painted over the swastikas on their building Saturday, but the swastikas were still visible. They decided the mural had to be painted over completely to remove all traces and planned to do so on Sunday. But when they came in Sunday morning, 'ICE RULES' had been added to the front of the building, an apparent reference to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The full facade is now the same shade of pink as the rest of the building. Still, the Mesas are hoping that local artists will reach out to propose new mural ideas. 'These people are trying to scare us, but you know, we're here with strong community, and we will get through this,' Mesa said. This follows a similar incident in Pilsen in June, in which a woman defaced a mural at 16th Street and Ashland Avenue and was accused of attacking another woman who tried to stop her. That mural depicted solidarity between a Mexican and a Palestinian man. Latinos Progresando, a nonprofit that provides community services for the Mexican community, including immigration legal services and education, posted pictures on social media of a swastika painted on its front door. In an accompanying statement, it wrote that 'at least four other entities' had been similarly targeted. 'It is clear that the perpetrator, motivated by a federal government who has unleashed masked, heavily armed ICE agents into our neighborhood, believed that this cowardly act would further intimidate, frighten, and divide our community,' the statement read. 'Let's be clear about one thing — Latinos Progresando will not back away from our values or be deterred from our work because of this heinous criminal act. We are not going anywhere.' The third building tagged was the Chicago Liberation Center, a community center where social media posts show people have recently gathered to focus on actions against ICE and deportation. A window flying a Palestinian flag was painted with a swastika that has since been removed. Police said no one is in custody and detectives are investigating.
Wall Street Journal
17-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Defense-Tech Startup Hadrian Raises $260 Million for New Robot Factory
President Trump wants to speed up America's lagging munitions production and revitalize deteriorated shipyards. Advanced manufacturing startup Hadrian aims to do that with the help of a workforce of robots, and is now armed with fresh funding to boost manufacturing Southern California-based Hadrian said Thursday it raised $260 million in debt and equity to expand production of critical defense components and complete a 270,000-square-foot factory in Mesa, Ariz., which will be the company's largest. The equity portion of the raise, $110 million, was led by defense-tech funds Founders Fund and Lux Capital. Morgan Stanley provided the loan for the factory expansion.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Arizona woman sentenced to five years in jail for firing gun at family during driving row
An Arizona woman will spend the next five years behind bars for shooting at a family during a fit of road rage. Alyssa Soto, 25, from Mesa, unleashed the violent road rage attack in August 2024 when she pulled her car alongside a Tesla at a red light and aggressively hurled curses at the family inside. As the traffic light turned green and the other car began to drive off, Soto pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired a single round directly at their vehicle. On Saturday, Soto was sentenced after she pled guilty to one count of drive-by shooting, a felony charge. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said: 'Firing a gun at a family because you are angry is not a mistake - it's a dangerous, criminal choice.' On August 7, 2024, at around 8pm, the victims were driving through the Phoenix suburb with their 19-month-old child when they merged lanes, reported KOLD News. At that moment, Soto, in a black GMC SUV with her child in the car, pulled up alongside the family at a red light. Video footage from the family's Tesla captured an argument erupting as Soto brought her car to a halt beside them, rolled down her front and back windows and began yelling obscenities. According to the attorney's office, while at the traffic light, the victim responded to the unprovoked attack by making a hand gesture toward enraged Soto. Seconds after the light turned green and both cars began moving forward, Soto was filmed as she pulled out a small gun, aimed it out of her window at the family's Tesla and fired - a flash was visible with the shot. Fortunately, the bullet did not strike any family members inside the car and it also sustained no damage, according to the attorney's office. However, the victims contacted the police to provide video evidence of the violent encounter - ultimately confirming details of the attack. Investigators found a shell casing and bullet near the intersection of North Higley Road and East McKellips Drive, which resulted in a search warrant being obtained. Nine days later, during the search of Soto's home, authorities discovered the handgun in her boyfriend's truck, reported KOLD News. Soto then reportedly admitted to the shooting, according to the outlet, and was taken into custody at the property. Following her arrest, Soto told police that the other driver cut her off while driving, causing damage to her car. According to court documents, Soto 'was not trying to hurt anyone, but was so angry and frustrated that she decided to shoot her handgun at the other vehicle'. Police later revealed that, although the victims' car showed no damage, Soto's car did - though it's unclear whether that damage was pre-existing or related to her claim that the other driver 'clipped' her vehicle, KOLD reported. Last week, the attorney's office announced Soto's sentencing at the Arizona Department of Corrections. In a news release: attorney Mitchell said: 'There is no place for this kind of treacherous behavior in our community. 'If you choose violence in Maricopa County, you will face serious consequences.'
