International
Fires in Brazil so far this year already exceed all those of 2023
September is not over yet and the fires that Brazil has experienced so far this year exceed those that occurred throughout 2023, according to official data released this Monday.
Between January 1 and September 22, the South American country registered 200,013 fire outbreaks, a number 5.3% higher than all those that occurred last year, according to the fire alarm system of the National Institute of Space Research, INPE.
These are the largest fires recorded in the country since 2010, a problem that has especially affected the Brazilian Amazon, the most impacted biome with 100,543 fire outbreaks so far in 2024.
Only between August and September, 80% of the flames in the country were unleashed during the year.
For about two months, 60% of the Brazilian territory has suffered the worst drought in 50 years.
In that period, the lack of humidity, the heat and the increase in the winds helped to generate about 141,500 fires, largely caused by the lack of control of the fire used by landowners to prepare the land for sowing.
In addition, the drought has reduced to a minimum the flow of several important rivers in the Amazon, leaving isolated rural communities and causing difficulties in the transit of people and goods, which in the region depend on river transport.
The Government has taken several measures to deal with the situation, such as prohibiting the use and management of fire during the drought period, while the Supreme Court authorized the Government to modify its budgets so that the resources to fight fires are not counted in the tax calculation.
However, Environment Minister Marina Silva admitted on Monday in New York, within the framework of the UN General Assembly, that the measures have been insufficient.
“What we are discovering now is that (what was planned) was not enough,” he said in statements to the newspaper Folha de São Paulo.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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 agoMaría Corina Machado calls 2025 Nobel Peace prize a victory for venezuelan people
-
International2 days agoMexico reports 64 dead, 65 missing after devastating central region floods
-
Central America2 days agoGuatemala arrests first escaped gang member after Barrio 18 prison break
-
International2 days agoVenezuela calls for continued global pressure to secure ‘just peace’ for Palestine
-
International2 days agoPope Leo XIV to skip COP30 in Brazil but plans future visit, Lula confirms
-
International5 days agoNetanyahu says Trump deserved 2025 Nobel Peace prize
-
International4 days agoPeruvian president Jerí leads prison raids to tackle organized crime
-
International4 days agoVenezuela launches ‘Independence 200’ defense plan amid U.S. naval presence
-
Central America3 days agoFraijanes II prison in Guatemala reports gradual escape of 18th Street gang inmates
-
International22 hours agoSheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
-
International3 days agoHeavy rains leave dozens dead in Hidalgo, Puebla, and Veracruz
-
International22 hours agoArmed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
-
International22 hours agoVenezuelan media faces fresh restrictions after reporting on opposition leader’s Nobel win
-
International22 hours agoCaracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win