International
Bolivian President travels to Brazil for the Mercosur Summit
December 5 |
Bolivian President Luis Arce arrived in Brazil to participate in the Summit of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and appointed the President of the Senate, Andrónico Rodríguez, as interim head of the Plurinational State.
“Brother Andrónico, in the Year of Youth, we hand over the Presidency to a young Bolivian leader to take charge of our State”, he expressed at the moment of handing over the symbol of command to Rodríguez, in a ceremony at the Presidential Air Group, in the city of El Alto.
It should be recalled that President Arce leaves decision-making in the hands of Rodríguez while he represents Bolivia at the Mercosur meeting because Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca is in Rome, Italy, participating in the Inauguration of the International Year of Camelids at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
This would be the second time that Rodríguez assumes the interim presidency of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The first time he did it in September 2022 when Arce traveled to New York to participate in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly and the vice president, David Choquehuanca, fulfilled an agenda of activities in Europe.
Arce will participate from Tuesday in the preparatory meetings of Mercosur, whose main meeting will be held in Rio de Janeiro on December 7.
The Bolivian presence is taking place shortly after the consolidation of its full adhesion to the southern economic bloc. The Brazilian Senate approved the Protocol of Accession of Bolivia to the bloc and sent it to the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for its promulgation.
On that occasion, Arce thanked the “efforts of brother President Lula and the Brazilian people for this historic milestone in Latin American integration”.
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
International
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday evening he hoped the electric service would be fully restored across Spain “soon,” while urging the public to act with “responsibility and civility” amid the blackout that has affected the Iberian Peninsula since midday.
Sánchez explained that the outage was triggered by “a strong fluctuation (…) in the European power system, which led to a widespread supply interruption across the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of southern France.”
After more than six hours without power, “service has been restored in several northern and southern territories” of the Iberian Peninsula, Sánchez said, adding that “hydroelectric power plants across the country have been reactivated, which should allow us to fully restore electricity in Spain soon.”
“I call on citizens to cooperate with the authorities, to act responsibly and civilly, as we have done in past crises,” Sánchez urged, addressing the chaos unfolding in the streets, with people left without phones, metro services, or trains.
The Prime Minister also asked people to “minimize travel,” “avoid spreading unverified information,” rely solely on official sources for updates, and make “responsible use of mobile phones” by keeping calls brief.
“There are no security concerns,” Sánchez stressed, and “our hospital system is functioning properly.”
International
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Emergency services carried out 286 rescue operations to free people trapped in elevators in Madrid following a blackout that has been affecting the Iberian Peninsula since midday Monday, the president of the Madrid region reported.
“What we are dealing with most frequently right now are cases of people trapped in elevators,” said Madrid regional government leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso in an interview with Antena 3. She added that Madrid’s extensive metro system, which transports around two million people daily, was evacuated “without incident.”
One man posted a video on social media saying he had been trapped in an elevator without phone service for over half an hour due to the power outage.
“By banging on the door and shouting, a neighbor heard me and called the police,” he explained, noting that it took officers about 30 minutes to free him.
Spain and Portugal share a highly integrated energy network that operates as an “energy island,” connected to the rest of Europe by only a small number of cross-border interconnections with France.
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days ago“A dignified life” for migrants, the plea in Panama in memory of Pope Francis
-
International5 days agoA magnitude 6 earthquake shakes the province of Esmeraldas in Ecuador, bordering Colombia
-
International5 days agoA Russian general dies in the explosion of a car bomb near Moscow
-
International4 days agoCardinals seek a “unifier” as they prepare for conclave to elect new pope
-
International4 days agoTrump and Zelensky hold “very productive” meeting in Rome during Pope’s funeral
-
International5 days agoAbout 150,000 people say goodbye to the pope in St. Peter’s Basilica before the funeral
-
International5 days agoPope Francis’ funeral procession will be a six-kilometer journey through the heart of Rome
-
International5 days agoPutin and Witkoff address possible direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
-
International5 days agoThe protocol for the funeral of Pope Francis, a delicate diplomatic work
-
International2 days agoColombia sees deadliest surge in violence since FARC peace deal
-
International3 days agoNine dead after driver runs over crowd at Vancouver Street Festival
-
International3 days agoKing Charles III expresses deep sadness after Vancouver festival tragedy that left nine dead
-
International5 days agoPreparations for Pope Francis’ funeral, in figures
-
International2 days agoConclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
-
International2 days agoSpain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
-
International2 days agoMexican activist who exposed pornography ring found dead in Veracruz
-
International5 days agoIndia asks to identify Pakistani citizens in the country to ensure their departure before Sunday
-
International2 days agoMadrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
-
International5 days agoSocial networks, protagonists in the farewell to Pope Francis for ‘selfies’ in front of his coffin
-
Central America2 days agoGuatemala sees road blockades amid protests against lawmaker pay hikes
-
International5 days agoIndia destroys the homes of the alleged attackers in Kashmir with excavators
-
International5 days agoA 4.5 magnitude earthquake shakes the coast of the Aegean Sea in Turkey without leaving injuries or damage