DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Women waste pickers from the city of La Paz pose near the musicians of the Paraguayan Cateura Recycled Instruments Orchestra, at the Sak’a Churu landfill in Alpacoma, in La Paz, Bolivia on 27th February, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Claudia Morales
• In a creative bid to raise environmental awareness, a group of musicians from Paraguay belted out familiar tunes at a hilltop concert just outside Bolivia’s capital city on Monday, overlooking a not-so-scenic and sprawling garbage dump. But the garbage was the point, as the young musicians who make up Paraguay’s Cateura orchestra use recycled materials to make their own instruments, “transforming trash into music”, according to Fabio Chavez, one of the performers. The orchestra has performed in over 50 countries. Playing songs by Coldplay and John Lennon, among others, the musicians entertained local garbage workers, many of whom were impressed by the sound of cellos, violins and horns fashioned out of large cans, pipes and other discarded materials. “It’s very beautiful and I was really surprised with these recycled instruments,” said worker Silveria Vega. “They’re better than the originals,” she added with a smile. Musician Bianca Pintos showed off her hand-made cello during a break from the show, stressing the instrument’s quality. “It has the same sound as a cello made out of wood,” she said. “There’s really not much difference except that this one is made of trash.” The concert played out as local officials in La Paz aim to minimize the environmental impact of garbage dumps, especially the risk they can pose to ground water supplies. Bolivia’s capital produces some 670 tonnes of trash every day, according to official data. – MONICA MACHICAO, SANTIAGO LIMACHI and SERGIO LIMACHI La Paz, Bolivia/Reuters
Besiktas’ Cenk Tosun reacts as fans throw toys on the pitch for children affected by earthquake during a Turkish Super League match between Besiktas and Antalyaspor at Vodafone Park in Istanbul, Turkey, on 26th February, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Stringer
• Turkish soccer fans threw thousands of stuffed toys onto the pitch during Besiktas’ match against Antalyaspor on Sunday to donate to children impacted by the earthquake in Turkey and neighbouring Syria. The Turkish Super Lig game, which ended 0-0, was paused after four minutes and 17 seconds to allow fans to throw the gifts onto the pitch. The earthquake first struck Turkey at 0417 local time on 6th February. “Our fans threw scarves, berets and plush toys on the ground of Vodafone Park to be given as a gift to the children in the earthquake region to cheer them up,” Besiktas said in a club statement. The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and neighbouring Syria has crossed 50,000. Ghana winger Christian Atsu was among the victims, having been found dead on 18th February under the building where he lived in southern Turkey. – MANASI PATHAK, Bengalaru, India/Reuters
This Banksy postage stamp was unveiled on the first anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine. PICTURE: Screenshot/Reuters TV
• Ukrainians queued on Friday to buy postage stamps based on a Banksy mural depicting a young boy defeating a grown man in a judo bout as they marked the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion. The British artist confirmed the mural, along with several others in bombed out parts of Ukraine, was by him in November – with critics pointing to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s love of the sport as the inspiration. “We thought that this exact stamp, this exact painting would be the best representation of what every Ukrainian feels about our enemy,” the head of Ukrainian Postal Service, Ihor Smilianskyi, said before postmarking the first stamp. Local resident Nataliia Hrebeniuk hailed the stamp’s symbolism. “I think the boy is a symbol of a small Ukraine which defeats the big man, Russia. It’s very representative of the situation,” she told Reuters. – YURII KOVALENKO and STEFANIIA BERN, Kyiv, Ukraine/Reuters.
