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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, April 18th 2025 - 07:19 UTC

Environment

  • Saturday, November 2nd 2024 - 09:51 UTC

    Brazilian rivers in Amazon face mercury contamination risk

    Mercury accumulates in the food chain, especially in fish consumed by the local population

    Four rivers in Amazonian indigenous territories were found to be at a high risk of mercury contamination, above levels considered safe, Agencia Brasil reported this week citing a study by the NGO WWF-Brazil.

  • Wednesday, October 30th 2024 - 21:38 UTC

    Dozens killed by heavy rains hitting Spain

    The DANA has been affecting autonomous communities such as Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, and Madrid since earlier this week

    Local authorities have left behind the rescue efforts and moved on the the body-retrieving and identification phase Wednesday after at least 62 people died in the Spanish Community of Valencia as a consequence of this week's severe flooding caused by the Isolated High-Level Depression (known for its Spanish acronym DANA, depresión aislada en niveles altos). Another person was reported dead in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha.

  • Wednesday, October 30th 2024 - 10:09 UTC

    Guterres urges countries to prioritize nature over businesses

    “We must defend the people who defend nature,” Guterres stressed

    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres urged countries to set aside their business models and prioritize nature, which is neither infinite nor free. He made those remarks in the Colombian city of Cali during his appearance at the Global Biodiversity Conference (COP 16).

  • Tuesday, October 29th 2024 - 22:25 UTC

    Punta Tombo penguin massacre trial begins

    The prosecution seeks 4 years in jail for La Regina

    The trial against Argentine Patagonian rancher Luis Alberto La Regina started this week in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia in the province of Chubut. He is prosecuted for the destruction of 175 nests, with an average of two eggs per nest, in addition to crushing chicks and adult animals in a natural sanctuary to open a rural road in what became known as the Punta Tombo Massacre. The defendant was denounced by his nephew back in 2021.

  • Tuesday, October 22nd 2024 - 09:25 UTC

    Unusually bad weather forecast for River Plate area

    In Buenos Aires, a month's worth of rainfall could be recorded in less than two days, it was explained

    Weather forecasters in Uruguay and Argentina foresee unusually bad conditions for the coming days in the River Plate area, it was reported in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where concerns were higher given next Sunday's presidential Elections coupled with two simultaneous plebiscites that might shape up the South American country's near future.

  • Tuesday, October 22nd 2024 - 08:35 UTC

    Cuba lives through Hurricane Oscar amid power shortages

    Díaz-Canel had to cancel his trip to the BRICS Summit due to the power shortage coupled with the weather crisis

    In addition to the current electricity supply crisis, Cuba's eastern province of Guantanamo, near Baracoa, was hit by Category I Hurricane Oscar late Sunday with maximum sustained winds of nearly 80 mph (130km/h). Oscar later waned to a tropical storm with 70 mph winds, the US National Hurricane Center said but it could still cause significant flash flooding and mudslides.

  • Thursday, October 17th 2024 - 06:13 UTC

    Panama Canal posts significant setback in FY2024

    The number of crossing vessels was cut down from 38 to 22 on average between July 2023 and May 2024

    The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported this week a 29.3% drop in passing ships during Fiscal Year 2024 as a result of the severe drought affecting the interoceanic crossing. A total of 9,944 transits were recorded this year, a significant setback from 14,080 crossings in 2023. A fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year.

  • Tuesday, October 15th 2024 - 09:15 UTC

    Chilean fisherman rescued from cold Pacific Ocean waters

    Police Lieutenant Carlos Campos said the drones were pivotal for the operation's success

    Chilean authorities used a thermal drone to locate in the Magellan Strait area and later rescue a fisherman from the Pacific Ocean, it was reported Monday. The man later identified as Sergio Brito was wearing adequate clothing, thanks to which he survived the cold temperatures. In addition, he clung to seaweed while waiting for Carabineros and the Navy.

  • Monday, October 14th 2024 - 09:45 UTC

    Paraguay River hits all-time lows in Brazil

    Every river in the Paraguay Basin stood below average levels for this time of year, except the Cuiabá River thanks to flows being regulated by the Manso Hydroelectric Plant

    The Brazilian Geological Survey (SGB) found that the Paraguay River was 62 centimeters below its reference level, the lowest level ever measured at the Ladario post, near the city of Corumbá (MS), on the border with Porto Quijarro (Bolivia), thus surpassing the 61 cms recorded in 1964, Agencia Brasil reported.

  • Friday, October 11th 2024 - 10:19 UTC

    Hurricane Milton leaves at least 12 dead in Florida

    “It's going to take several billion dollars” to build back from Milton, Biden said

    At least 12 people have been confirmed dead Thursday in the U.S. state of Florida, where Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving millions without power and causing severe damage. According to PowerOutage.us, 2.63 million homes were still without power in Florida Thursday night.