Stories for May 2024

Monday, May 13th 2024 - 10:48 UTC
Brazil to buy rice from Mercosur countries to feed storm-hit Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil's National Supply Company (Conab) has been entrusted with purchasing one million tons of rice to feed the people of Rio Grande do Sul and avoid the intervention of middle people seeking a black market profit from the victims of the unprecedented storms. Under normal circumstances, Rio Grande do Sul accounts for 70% of Brazil's rice production.
Monday, May 13th 2024 - 10:36 UTC
Recipient of modified pig kidney dies 7 weeks after procedure

Rick Slayman, a 62-year-old man who had received a genetically modified pig kidney on March 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital, died this weekend. He had terminal kidney disease when he received the organ during a four-hour operation that was considered a scientific milestone. The transplantation of organs from one species to another is a growing field known as xenotransplantation.
Monday, May 13th 2024 - 10:00 UTC
Peru: New malignant tumor detected in Fujimori's tongue

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was found to have yet another malignant tongue tumor, it was reported in Lima during the weekend. The 85-year-old rightwing leader, who was released from jail on Dec. 7, 2023, has suffered from a cancerous lesion for more than 27 years and has undergone six surgeries in the same place.
Monday, May 13th 2024 - 10:00 UTC
Argentina goes rogue even for Mother's Day celebration

Argentine mothers are unique. They are the addressees of many famous tango pieces and celebrate Mother's Day way apart from all the others worldwide.
Monday, May 13th 2024 - 01:30 UTC
A case of classical 'mad cow' (BSE) confirmed in a farm in Scotland

A case of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), 'mad cow' has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, with movement restrictions in place on four farms. The case was identified as a result of routine surveillance and stringent control measures, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said.
Saturday, May 11th 2024 - 11:16 UTC
Experienced diplomat in the region appointed UK ambassador to Uruguay

The British Government announced Mr. Malcolm Christopher David Green as the next Ambassador to Uruguay. Malcolm Green will arrive in Montevideo in August, replacing Ambassador Ms. Faye O'Connor OBE, who will take up a new post at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London.
Saturday, May 11th 2024 - 10:50 UTC
Death toll in storm-hit Rio Grande do Sul updated to 116

The total number of casualties in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul affected by unprecedented heavy rains has been updated to 116 as bad weather has been forecast to continue over the weekend. Volumes estimated to be around 115 millimeters would again put pressure on the already overflowing rivers, according to Presidential Information Minister Paulo Pimenta.
Saturday, May 11th 2024 - 10:47 UTC
No fatalities reported after train clash in Buenos Aires

A train collision at 10.30 am Friday in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo left many people injured but no casualties were reported. While authorities are yet to determine the cause of the accident, railway union leaders blamed the Libertarian administration of President Javier Milei for the faulty signaling which has worsened over the past few months given the increase in copper wiring thefts.
Saturday, May 11th 2024 - 10:43 UTC
Wages trail inflation in Argentina under Milei

Inflation outpaced salaries in March by 11% to 10.3%, according to a report by Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec) released Friday in Buenos Aires. In yoy terms, the Wage Index increased by 200.8% on average (231.7% in the registered private sector, 183.7% in the public sector, and 129.2% in the informal private sector) and inflation was 287.9%, the survey showed. Hence, President Javier Milei's perception that salaries were recovering turned out inaccurate.
Friday, May 10th 2024 - 21:22 UTC
UN General Assembly okays Palestine's full membership but with no voting rights

Despite Argentina's thumbs down together with eight other countries, the United Nations (UN) decided on Friday by 143 votes in favor and 25 abstentions to upgrade Palestine's status within the organization to that of a full membership, it was reported in New York. In 2012, Palestine had been admitted as an Observer State with 138 votes in and also 9 against.