International

The ‘Supersopa’, created during the great crisis of 2002, returns to the canteens of Argentina

In an Argentina with more than half of its population below the poverty line, the National University of Quilmes (UNQ) resumed the production of ‘Supersopa’, a low-cost and nutrient-rich food that it had created during the country’s last major economic crisis in 2002.

The ‘Supersoup’ is produced by UNQ students on a university floor, it is designed to complement restrictive diets and provide essential nutrients and is delivered in cans of about four liters.

“In a dining room, where people eat once a day, a food that provides vegetables and meat makes a difference compared to a plate of noodles,” Anahí Cuellas, a master in Food Science and Technology, teacher and director of the plant, explains to EFE.

“This prevents the gap between those of us who can eat meat and those of us from widening even more. Children who cannot eat protein have poor cognitive development and learning problems,” he adds.

The ‘Supersoup’ was created by the university in 2002 as a response to the serious economic and social crisis that the country went through, which came to have 57.5% of poor people, according to official data from that time.

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Since that moment, about 250,000 cans have been produced, which are estimated to contain about 10 million rations of nutritious food.

“The university takes responsibility for creating a program from the social food processing plant, where a nutritionally balanced low-cost sustenance is manufactured, which is intended for the most vulnerable,” says Cuellas, while meters away a team of more than a dozen students constantly packs liters and liters of soup in cans that will then be distributed to popular canteens in different parts of the country.

Still far from the severity of the crisis at the beginning of the century, according to the latest data released by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec), Argentina closed the first half of 2024 with 52.9% poverty, while poverty climbed to 18.1%.

In parallel, Javier Milei undertook since his arrival to the Presidency at the end of 2023 an unprecedented reduction of the State and an offensive against social organizations and soup kitchens, which the Government considers to be a focus of corruption.

Faced with this situation, the UNQ put its plant, reserved for student internships twice a year, to produce about 300 cans a week.

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The production process begins with the selection of semi-cooked vegetables, which are then subjected to a heat treatment that eliminates the need for preservatives and allows the cans to be stored without refrigeration.

Each can of ‘Supersopa’ costs 40,000 pesos (about 40 dollars), contains about 50 servings of a food without additives and subjected to strict microbiological controls.

Individuals, companies, foundations and even state institutions can buy the product or access it through programs sponsored by different donors, which facilitate production costs and their subsequent distribution to canteens.

“From the symbolic, producing soup cans in a public university and reaching the canteens makes visible the commitment of our universities to the territory,” says Cuellas, in a context in which the Government of Milei has also focused on public universities, which say they are drowned by the lack of budget.

The Cuellas team is composed of a group of students from different careers related to food, who also seek to train on a professional and personal level: “It is to put learning into practice and add social content, making a food for a boy or girl who goes to bed daily without eating.”

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.