International
Uruguayan government rejects warnings about water crisis
July 14 |
A group of experts from the United Nations (UN) on Thursday urged the government of Uruguay to prioritize the use of fresh water for human consumption in the context of the water crisis that the South American country is going through, which was not favorably received by the government of Luis Lacalle Pou.
In a letter, whose signatories include the Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Drinking Water and Sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo and the president of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Damilola Olawuyi, warns that 60 percent of the population has been affected by the increase in water salinity.
The specialists, with several years of experience, stressed that “although the high salt indices are attributed to the failure of water infrastructure, aggravated by abnormally long periods of water stress, the underlying problem is the overexploitation of water, especially by some industries in the country”.
For these reasons, they said, “it is necessary to deepen measures to ensure that all people have access to the water necessary for life,” because these high levels of salinity, for example, “significantly affect vulnerable groups, such as children and adolescents, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases.
The experts acknowledged the efforts made by the Uruguayan Executive, such as the exemption of bottled water from taxes; however, the government responded to the exhortation through a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in which it described the experts’ statements as “inaccuracies”.
For its part, the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry notified that the values of chlorine and sodium in the water “are not considered alarming, since the increase authorized in order to ensure the supply has been evaluated by the health and academic authorities, who have considered that the great majority of the population can continue consuming it”.
In the text, the diplomatic entity recalled that the Ministry of Social Development provided for its beneficiaries (supported by family allowances, old age assistance, passive people receiving minimum income) a monetary support to buy 60 liters of water per month, particularly pregnant women and children under 2 years of age.
The text also remarked that, as a way of preventing the water crisis and preserving the health of the population, the administration of Obras Sanitarias del Estado (OSE) and the Executive designed a strategy based on “maintaining the continuity of the public supply without making supply cuts”.
Likewise, “to maintain the sanitation service so that the more than 550,000 homes in the Metropolitan Region can evacuate domestic wastewater, and to keep the distribution networks continuously operational to fight and protect against fires and urban disasters”, it explained.
The text in question emphasizes that “the Government never recommended reducing human consumption of water, but its reduction in non-essential activities in order to ensure better water quality for a longer period of time”. In this sense, it adds that “water is still drinkable”.
International
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
Mexico accounts for the highest number of urgent actions related to enforced disappearances worldwide, according to the latest report by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
The report, released by I(dh)eas, indicates that Mexico has accumulated 819 cases between 2012 and February 2026, representing 38% of the global total.
In the past five months alone, 40 new urgent requests have been recorded — more than one-third of all such actions worldwide during that period.
The report warns that this trend reflects a structural problem, as the urgent action mechanism — originally intended as an exceptional measure — has become routine in Mexico.
Although the Mexican state formally complies with response deadlines, the Committee identified significant shortcomings in the implementation of these measures. These include the lack of comprehensive search plans, delays in key investigative procedures such as video surveillance and phone data analysis, and insufficient inquiries into possible links involving state agents.
The report also highlights inadequate protection for relatives and individuals involved in search efforts, including cases of reprisals.
Among the most serious incidents documented is the disappearance of a father who had denounced alleged involvement of authorities in his son’s case in the state of Guanajuato.
The accumulation of cases could lead to the application of Article 34 of the Convention, which would allow for the launch of an international investigation into systematic enforced disappearances.
Geographically, the state of Chiapas accounts for 30% of the new urgent actions, many of them linked to collective disappearances of migrants.
International
Le pape Léon XIV appelle à relancer le dialogue pour une paix au Moyen-Orient
Le pape Léon XIV s’est entretenu par téléphone ce vendredi avec le président d’Israël, Isaac Herzog, soulignant la « nécessité de rouvrir » les canaux de dialogue afin de parvenir à une « paix juste » au Moyen-Orient.
Selon un communiqué du Vatican, les deux dirigeants ont insisté sur l’importance de relancer tous les mécanismes diplomatiques pour mettre fin au conflit en cours et œuvrer en faveur d’une paix durable dans la région.
Le communiqué précise également que les discussions ont porté sur la protection des populations civiles et sur le respect du droit international et humanitaire.
Cet échange intervient dans le contexte de la Semaine sainte, cinq jours après un incident à Jérusalem, où la police israélienne avait empêché le cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa de célébrer la messe du Dimanche des Rameaux au Saint-Sépulcre.
Le lendemain, le secrétaire d’État du Vatican, Pietro Parolin, avait convoqué l’ambassadeur israélien auprès du Saint-Siège, Yaron Sideman, pour exprimer le mécontentement du Vatican face à cet incident qualifié de « regrettable ».
Cette situation avait suscité une vive réaction internationale, poussant le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu à intervenir pour assurer que le cardinal pourrait accéder au lieu saint.
De son côté, Herzog a confirmé l’échange sur son compte X, indiquant que les discussions ont également porté sur des sujets régionaux, notamment la guerre en Iran et la situation au Liban.
Le pape, d’origine américaine, participe actuellement à sa première Semaine sainte depuis son élection et doit présider ce soir le chemin de croix au Vatican.
International
Devotees in Philippines mark Holy Week with extreme rituals despite rising costs
Despite rising fuel prices driven by the conflict in the Middle East, thousands of devotees in Philippines took part this year in one of the country’s most intense Holy Week traditions.
In the city of San Fernando, located in Pampanga province, dozens of bare-chested penitents with covered faces walked barefoot along dusty streets, whipping their backs with bamboo lashes as part of a ritual that can draw up to 12,000 local and foreign visitors.
Journalists from Agence France-Presse reported seeing participants piercing their skin with glass shards attached to small wooden paddles to ensure bleeding during the ceremony — an act believed to atone for sins and seek divine intervention.
“I do this to pray for the healing of my seven-month-old baby, who is suffering from pneumonia,” said a devotee identified as John David at the start of the procession.
The 49-year-old participant explained that the practice runs in his family. “My grandfather started this, then my father, and now it’s my turn. I have witnessed healing miracles over the years through this act of faith,” he said.
Many attendees traveled for hours to witness the climax of the ritual, in which some penitents allow nails, measuring about seven centimeters, to be driven into their hands before being raised on crosses in a reenactment of crucifixion.
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
Le pape Léon XIV appelle à relancer le dialogue pour une paix au Moyen-Orient
Devotees in Philippines mark Holy Week with extreme rituals despite rising costs
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
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