Musical adaption: Why you might have heard Paul Simon’s ‘The Sound of Silence’ at Spanish Mass
‘The Sound of Silence’ version of the ‘Our Father’ has been widespread throughout Latin America and US Latino communities for the last few decades. ALEJA HERTZLER-MCCAIN, of Religion News Service, reports…
Argentine election winner Milei greeted globally by mix of hostility and support
Reuters The victory of Argentina’s libertarian President-elect Javier Milei at the weekend has sparked mixed reactions worldwide – including hostility from some Latin American leftists, tentative support from others, and a pledge from China to work with him despite his critical comments. Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist, channeled voter anger over a deep economic crisis and […]
South America’s Lake Titicaca nears record low water level as El Nino bites
Lima, PeruReuters The water level at Lake Titicaca on the Peru-Bolivia border is edging towards a record low, exacerbated by the weather phenomenon known as El Nino that is expected to get still more intense in coming months. The waters of the sprawling freshwater lake nestled in the Andes mountains have fallen an average 4 […]
Climate change drove deadly winter heat wave in South America, study says
Sao Paulo, BrazilReuters Global warming was the main driver of the heat wave that scorched South America for most of August and September and raised temperatures by as much as 4.3 degrees Celsius, according to a study published on Tuesday. Temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius across large parts of Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina […]
Water supply dwindling, Bolivians gather at dam to pray for rain
La Paz, BoliviaReuters Under a scorching sun, more than three hundred Bolivians on Friday marched to a dusty plain near the Incachaca dam that overlooks the city of La Paz, gathering to pray for rain and an end to a severe drought that has threatened their water supply. The 10 reservoirs that supply La Paz […]
Rainforest countries form pact to demand conservation cash from rich nations
Belem, BrazilReuters A dozen rainforest countries formed a pact on Wednesday at a summit in Brazil to demand developed countries pay to help poorer nations combat climate change and preserve biodiversity. The joint statement, titled “United for Our Forests,” was issued by Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Peru, the […]
StrangeSights: World’s youngest ref?; church attempts to set a new clapping record; and, buffalo racing…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Amazon nations fail to agree on deforestation goal at summit
Belem, Brazil Reuters Eight Amazon nations agreed to a list of unified policies and measures to bolster regional cooperation at a major rainforest summit in Brazil on Tuesday, but failed to agree on a common goal for ending deforestation. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has staked his international reputation on improving Brazil’s […]
Tropical forest losses rise in 2022 despite pledge to end them
Reuters The world lost an area of old-growth tropical rainforest the size of Switzerland last year, as deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon continued unabated, a forest monitoring project report said on Tuesday. Global Forest Watch, which is backed by the non-profit World Resources Institute and draws on forest data collected by the University of Maryland, […]
Pope Francis expresses concern and dismay over alleged abuse by priests in Bolivia
La Paz, Bolivia AP Pope Francis expressed concern – and dismay – over the allegations of sexual abuse committed by priests in Bolivia in a letter sent Friday to President Luis Arce, as a paedophilia scandal involving priests continues to rock the the Andean country. The pontiff pledged “the full cooperation of the Church to […]