International
Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue celebrates 90th birthday
AFP
The iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer that towers over Rio de Janeiro celebrated its 90th birthday on Tuesday, with a Mass, a new song and a Brazilian brandy label dedicated to it.
The religious ceremony was initially slated to take place at the foot of the giant statue, but because of bad weather it was performed at the Metropolitan Cathedral in central Rio.
“We Cariocas are used to looking to Christ who is often hidden in the clouds, but we know he is there,” city archbishop Orani Tempesta said during the Mass, referring to Rio de Janeiro residents.
“We are still going through the pandemic, but with an optimistic outlook thanks to vaccination. The dark clouds of last year are dissipating,” he added.
Brazil has the second worst death toll in the world from Covid-19, with over 600,000 people killed.
Before the outbreak, the 38-meter (125-foot) statue located at the top of Corcovado hill and known as one of the Seven Wonders of the modern world, attracted nearly two million visitors per year.
It was closed for several months last year due the pandemic and visitors must now present a vaccination certificate to access it.
Last month, Brazilian composer Moacyr Luz released a song, titled “Alma carioca, Cristo redentor” (Rio Soul, Christ the Redeemer), that he dedicated to the statue’s anniversary.
Another gift was the launch of the Redeemer cachaca, a line of the famous Brazilian drink with the image of Christ on the bottle. The idea belongs to Omar Raposo, the charismatic priest in charge of the Sanctuary of Christ the Redeemer.
“It’s a way of giving value to national products,” Raposo told AFP.
In 1921, the Catholic Church sponsored a contest for the construction of a religious monument to mark the centenary of Brazil’s independence from Portugal.
Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and French sculptor Paul Landowski designed and built the statue that was inaugurated on October 12, 1931.
In 1973, it was declared a Historic Monument and in 2007 it was classified among the New Seven Wonders of the World.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
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