The most controversial blocks for exploration are located offshore at the mouth of the Amazon River basin. Petrobras, a government-controlled oil company, is pushing to begin preliminary drilling in search of new oil reserves.
International
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
What Catholic anti-hunger advocates have to say about the 2024 Farm Bill
The current Farm Bill, at $1.5 trillion, represents the largest spending package in U.S. agricultural policy history; 80 percent of the spending is directed to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Euthanasia bill in France may be ‘the marker of the end of a society influenced by Christianity,’ Jesuit expert says
French deputies began debating a highly permissive “end of life” bill on May 27, despite strong opposition from Catholic bishops and concerns about undermining palliative care.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
With arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, the I.C.C. breaks new ground and draws criticism
While Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant do not face imminent arrest, the announcement has been perceived as a symbolic blow that deepens Israel’s international isolation because of its conduct of the war in Gaza.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Ireland recognizes Palestinian statehood: Why many Irish people resonate with the conflict in Palestine
Palestinians face a much stronger neighbor who apparently can occupy territory with impunity. Irish people, with a strong cultural memory of British rule, have a visceral reaction to such a situation, he suggests.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
As Milei’s fiscal reforms bite in Argentina, church-run soup kitchens do brisk business
Argentina has been in a state of economic upheaval for years with two constants—a continuous increase in poverty and corresponding efforts by the Catholic Church to respond to that need.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
Interview: Two American doctors stranded in Gaza as Israel moves into Rafah
With more than one million displaced Palestinians staring famine in the face last week, it is hard to imagine that conditions could get any worse in Gaza. But they have.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Upcoming South Africa elections could be most important since the end of apartheid
Polls abound, and the political ground keeps shifting, but one thing is sure: South Africa is likely to experience a significant political realignment on May 29.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
Bombs falling over Gaza were made in the U.S.A.
Some of the “made in the U.S.A.” bombs Israel Defense Forces are dropping over Gaza include 2,000-pound bombs that have been responsible for some of the most devastating—and questionable—strikes of the months-long campaign against Hamas.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Abortion access is expanding in Europe. Is the end of Roe v. Wade the cause?
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June 2022, overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion in 1973, has provoked supporters of abortion access in Europe to press for liberalization of abortion laws across the continent.