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SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersEcuador’s president has promised to lower fuel prices across the country after weeks of disruptive mass protests over the cost of living. Protesters have blocked key roads and staged mass rallies demanding action on fuel and food prices – some of which have turned violent. In response, Guillermo Lasso vowed to cut 10 cents a gallon from both petrol and diesel prices. That is only a third as much as demonstrators had demanded. Since 2020, the cost of diesel has almost doubled and petrol prices have risen dramatically in the oil-producing nation.President Lasso also said that despite his move to lower fuel prices, any violent protesters would face consequences for their actions. “Ecuadorians who seek dialogue will find a government with an outstretched hand,” he said in a Sunday night address. “Those who seek chaos, violence and terrorism will find the full force of the law.” Police lose control of Ecuador town Indigenous groups block roads in fuel price protestsThe move comes after an initial meting between the government and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), which began the demonstrations. No deal was reached, but the two sides agreed to begin dialogue after a state of emergency was lifted at the request of Conaie, more than a week after President Lasso imposed it.But the president is also facing political pressure amid the crisis. Over the weekend, the national parliament began a debate tabled by the opposition on removing him from office. It is set to conclude later this week. The extent of the disruption caused by the mass demonstrations is significant.The blocking of key roads has led to fears of food shortages in the capital, Quito, as agricultural workers outside of it campaign for fairer food prices. Leonidas Iza, the leader of Conaie who was briefly arrested over the protests, asked his supporters to guarantee “corridors” into the capital over the weekend for essential supplies. The weekend was broadly calm, as demonstrators took a break amid the political movements. But concerns about supplies and the broad economic impacts remain. On Sunday, the energy ministry issued a statement warning that oil production – a key export which the country’s economy relies on – could come to an end within 48 hours if protests and roadblocks continued this week. Production was at a “critical” point, it said, and could stop because of “vandalism, takeover of wells and closing of roads”.The country was hard-hit by the Covid pandemic and its economy is still recovering.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyPolice lose control of Ecuador townIndigenous groups block roads in fuel price protestsPolice arrest indigenous fuel protest leader

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAt least four people have been killed and hundreds injured after a stand collapsed during a bullfight in central Colombia, local media report.Footage has emerged showing the wooden stand filled with spectators falling down at a stadium in the municipality of El Espinal, Tolima department.People are seen running away in panic.Sunday’s incident happened during a traditional “corraleja” event, when members of the public are encouraged into the ring to engage the bulls.There are fears that the death toll will rise further.A bull escaped from the stadium and caused panic in the municipality. Local councillor Iván Ferney Rojas said the town’s hospital and ambulance services were unable to cope with the number of injured, El Tiempo newspaper reports.”We need support from ambulances and neighbouring hospitals, many people are still unattended,” Mr Rojas is quoted as saying.

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPThe bodies of UK journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira have been handed over to their families in Brazil, according to local media.They were killed in the Amazon earlier this month while returning from an expedition in the Javari Valley.On Thursday a fourth suspect handed himself into police in Sao Paulo.The men’s families are now planning their funerals, to be held on Friday and Sunday.Brazilian media reports that the ceremony for Bruno Pereira will take place in the city of Recife on Friday. Dom Phillips’s family will hold a cremation near Rio de Janeiro on Sunday – exactly four weeks since the pair were last seen alive.Alessandra Sampaio, Mr Phillips’s widow, has released a photograph of her holding his wedding ring, which police reportedly found next to his body.The Javari Valley is an expansive and remote region in Brazil’s far west, and is home to thousands of indigenous people from more than 20 groups.Mr Pereira had been introducing the journalist to people he could interview for a book about the Amazon, when their boat failed to arrive near the border with Peru.Image source, Alessandra SampaioThe fourth man arrested in connection with the killings, Gabriel Dantas, has given details on how the men were killed and buried.He told officers he drove the boat that chased the two men, according to excerpts of his statement published by local media. But he claims he was not told any details about the trip or its purpose.Dantas says he was given orders by another suspect – Amarildo da Costa Oliveira – who then allegedly shot Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira with a 16-gauge rifle inside their boat.Dantas told officers he helped transport their bodies to be buried, with the help of other men.Oliveira was the first man to be arrested following their disappearance. Police said he told them how both men were killed before leading officers to the location where their bodies were buried.His brother, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, has also been arrested, but denies any involvement. Another suspect, Jeferson da Silva Lima, was arrested last week.As well as the four men in custody, five more have been identified by police for allegedly helping to hide the men’s bodies.Image source, Getty ImagesMr Phillips had been living in Brazil for more than a decade and was a long-time contributor to the Guardian newspaper and was writing a book on the Amazon.Mr Pereira who was on leave from his post with the government’s indigenous affairs agency Funai, was an expert on isolated tribes in the Amazon.Mr Pereira had received death threats prior to taking the trip, indigenous rights groups said.’Dom was one of the best – quiet but curious’Inside the Amazon’s lawless Javari ValleyThe area in which they were travelling has become known for illegal fishing, mining, logging and drug-trafficking activities.It is also known for violent conflicts between these various criminal groups, government agents and indigenous people. It was these conflicts that Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira were documenting.More on this storyAmazon suspect leads police to human remainsSuspect admits burying pair missing in Amazon – policePair missing in the Amazon: ‘A tragedy foretold’Police find belongings of missing pair in Brazil

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesNoé was somewhere on the outskirts of the gritty southern Mexican city of Tapachula when he realised how difficult his journey to a new life in the US would be.Just days after crossing the border from Guatemala, the meagre supplies in Noé’s small rucksack had dwindled, and he had gone with barely any food for several days as he bussed and trudged across the humid, forested landscape of Mexico’s Chiapas state, where temperatures rose to a sweltering 34 C during the day.Already reeling from exhaustion and an empty stomach, Noé then faced another hazard: corrupt and abusive members of Mexico’s security forces, who he said repeatedly strong-armed migrants for “mordidas” – a Mexican term for “little bites”, or bribes – at roadblocks.”Mexico was very hard,” he said. “The police were bad. They looked for people to take their things and chased us. They charged us bribes when we were already all hungry and tired”.This, despite having paid a group of smugglers several thousand dollars for the 2,000-mile (3,332km) trip from his home on the banks of the San Juan River in southern Nicaragua through Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico – a small fortune for a man from a country where the average income per person stands at around $1,850 (£1,533) per year.Several weeks after his journey began, Noé – a stocky and muscular figure whose sun-beaten face and reserved demeanour makes him seem older than his 38 years – was crossing the murky green waters of the Rio Grande into Texas aboard a small rubber raft alongside migrants from as far afield as Ecuador and Colombia, including young children and their mothers.”It was very scary,” he said. “I can swim, but the river is stronger than it looks. And it was dark.”Safely on the US side, Noé voluntarily surrendered to Border Patrol agents. Detention came as a relief. After a few weeks, he was released into the country to wait for a court date to decide his future in the US.”Here one feels protected. They [US authorities] even fed us well,” he told the BBC at a migrant shelter in Texas. “It was hard, but I couldn’t have stayed in Nicaragua”.Noé is not alone in feeling this way. Privation and poverty have been known to many Nicaraguans like Noé for a long time. But a recent crackdown on civil society, a faltering economy and an atmosphere of terror instituted by the country’s long-serving president, Daniel Ortega, is now driving many to leave. US Border Patrol figures highlight the growing flood: a record number of nearly 19,000 were taken into custody in May, up from 12,600 in April and 16,000 in March. All told, a record high number of about 111,000 Nicaraguans have been detained entering the US so far in the 2022 fiscal year, compared with 50,722 in all of 2021 and just 3,164 in 2020.Soon after being released from custody, Noé joined dozens of other migrants in temporary housing at a non-profit humanitarian shelter in Laredo, nestled in a quiet residential neighbourhood just 1.5 miles (2.4km) from the Mexican border.On a sweltering hot Monday morning in late May, he was among dozens of people – mostly men in their 20s and 30s – milling around a courtyard. Some were stretching in the Texas sun, while others used mobile phones to call friends and family back home or in the US.While a smattering of Colombians and Venezuelans were there, the vast majority were Nicaraguan.A climate of fearImage source, Getty ImagesThe stories shared by Nicaraguans at the shelter have two common themes: a struggling economy and fear of the government of Daniel Ortega, the leader of Nicaragua’s 1979 Sandinista revolution who earlier this year was sworn into a fourth consecutive term as President.Affectionately known as Comandante Daniel to his supporters, Mr Ortega has long been accused of abandoning the revolution’s ideals by turning into a dictator, harshly suppressing any opposition. These crackdowns have become more pronounced since Mr Ortega was returned to office in November, in an election that saw opposition candidates arrested or exiled alongside prominent regime critics, journalists, business leaders, human rights advocates and students. Since then, the clampdowns have continued and escalated, with the UN’s human rights chief warning that new criminal legislations are being used to persecute perceived opponents of the Ortega government. In one week in early June alone, almost 200 civil society and non-governmental organisations were shut down in what the Paris-based Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders said was an attempt to eliminate “all social and political vision that differs from that established by the regime”. The harsh measures imposed by the Ortega regime prompted the US government to announce that Nicaragua would not be invited to the recent Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. A senior administration official cited a “lack of democratic space” as the reason.The Nicaraguan American Human Rights Alliance, which helps citizens who have fled the country, has been inundated with daily inquiries from citizens who’ve drawn the ire of Mr Ortega’s government, according to its president, Anita Wells.Image source, Getty ImagesAny opposition – real or imagined – is considered a “sin” by the authorities, she said, often with disastrous economic consequences for working class Nicaraguans.”They don’t let you work if you’re part of the opposition,” explained Ms Wells, herself part of an earlier wave of Nicaraguan refugees from the 1980s. “They won’t renew your business license. Or, if you’re a farmer, they won’t buy your product to be exported. That’s part of the reason Nicaraguans are leaving the country”.The Nicaraguan government did not respond to a BBC request for comment.Ms Well’s comments were echoed by a Nicaraguan academic who asked not to be identified, citing fears of retaliation from the government.”The reality is that ordinary, working-class people have been the most exposed to the full brunt of regime oppression,” he said. “The threshold for being subject to retaliation is extraordinarily low”.The consequences of crossing the government vary widely. In some cases, workers are fired by their employers who deem the risk of having potential dissidents on their payrolls too high. In other cases, government agents harass customers and employees.”Or maybe you’re just picked up by paramilitary forces and threatened with death,” the academic said. “You don’t even need to be personally victimised. It might just be the case that you saw family members subjected to this and you feel it’s not safe to stay”. A dangerous journeyImage source, Getty ImagesFaced with these conditions, an increasing number of Nicaraguan citizens are choosing to leave. Comments on Nicaraguan news outlets – mostly those now operating from outside the country – are peppered with questions from those seeking to go.Some are taking practical steps to prepare. According to Reuters, dozens of would-be migrants in the Nicaraguan town of Esteli have been signing up for swimming classes offered on social media in anticipation of crossing the fast-moving waters of the Rio Grande at the end of a long trek to the United States.But many migrants have little idea of the dangers that they may face.The risks were starkly highlighted on 1 May by the death of Calixto Nelson Rojas, a Nicaraguan radio host, whose death by drowning in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass was caught on video by a Fox News cameraman. About two weeks later, a three-year-old Nicaraguan girl went missing after her 25-year-old mother drowned crossing the river. While the mother’s body was recovered, the little girl has still not been found.Justine Ochoa, a Texas-based Nicaraguan activist, told the BBC that her group is aware of nearly 30 Nicaraguan citizens who have perished since the start of the year.”Smugglers tell them it’s a good time, or that people are crossing over easily. But that’s not the truth,” she said. “We know that a one or two people this year have died in accidents. Two were murdered by criminals on the Mexican side. But they mostly just drown in the river”.Ms Wells said that even those who understand what is at stake are likely to continue to take enormous risks to pursue “the myth of the American dream”. She often advises people still in Nicaragua to not go.”It is a myth, because it’s not easy, even if you do cross the border. People sometimes have the wrong impression, that this is Disneyland,” she said. “I always ask them if it was worth it…they say that if they die, they die, but at least they’d have tried. Imagine the desperation. They’d rather die than return to Nicaragua.”More on this storyMigrant caravan heads to US as key summit beginsNicaragua shuts down non-profits in new crackdownLose your fear, dissident Nicaraguan diplomat says

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersThe bodies of two Catholic priests and a tour guide have been found days after they were shot dead inside a church in northern Mexico, officials say.The three were killed on Monday after a suspected run-in with a wanted drug trafficker in the state of Chihuahua.The priests were gunned down while trying to help the guide, who ran into their church for help, officials said.Pope Francis condemned the killings, calling it a shocking reminder of the level of violence in Mexico.”We’ve found and recovered… the bodies of the Jesuit priests Javier Campos, Joaquín Mora and the tour guide Pedro Palma,” Chihuahua Governor Maria Eugenia Campos said in a video posted to social media.Palma was fleeing an armed gang when he sought refuge in a church in the town of Cerocahui, before being shot dead along with the two priests who tried to intervene, the Chihuahua prosecutor’s office said. The three bodies were then taken away by a group of men in a pickup truck, Luis Gerardo Moro, head of the religious order in Mexico, said in a radio interview.The suspect, who was identified by another priest who was in the church, was already wanted for the murder of an American tourist in 2018, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said. The suspect has been named as Jose Noriel Portillo Gil.The president added that Palma’s wife was one of two people who were kidnapped on Monday before the killings, and is still missing.Image source, EPAPope Francis expressed dismay over the killings.”So many murders in Mexico. I am close, in affection and prayer, to the Catholic community affected by this tragedy,” the pontiff said at the end of his weekly audience at the Vatican.A reward of 5 million pesos ($249,300; £203,000) for information relating to the suspect’s whereabouts has been announced. Some 30 priests have been killed in Mexico in the past decade, according to the Centro Catolico Multimedial, a Catholic organisation.More on this storyHow dangerous is Mexico?

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersThe bodies of two Catholic priests and a tour guide have been found days after they were shot dead inside a church in northern Mexico, officials say.The three were killed on Monday after a suspected run-in with a wanted drug trafficker in the state of Chihuahua.The priests were gunned down while trying to help the guide, who ran into their church for help, officials said.Pope Francis condemned the killings, calling it a shocking reminder of the level of violence in Mexico.”We’ve found and recovered… the bodies of the Jesuit priests Javier Campos, Joaquín Mora and the tour guide Pedro Palma,” Chihuahua Governor Maria Eugenia Campos said in a video posted to social media.Palma was fleeing an armed gang when he sought refuge in a church in the town of Cerocahui, before being shot dead along with the two priests who tried to intervene, the Chihuahua prosecutor’s office said. The three bodies were then taken away by a group of men in a pickup truck, Luis Gerardo Moro, head of the religious order in Mexico, said in a radio interview.The suspect, who was identified by another priest who was in the church, was already wanted for the murder of an American tourist in 2018, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said. The suspect has been named as Jose Noriel Portillo Gil.The president added that Palma’s wife was one of two people who were kidnapped on Monday before the killings, and is still missing.Image source, EPAPope Francis expressed dismay over the killings.”So many murders in Mexico. I am close, in affection and prayer, to the Catholic community affected by this tragedy,” the pontiff said at the end of his weekly audience at the Vatican.A reward of 5 million pesos ($249,300; £203,000) for information relating to the suspect’s whereabouts has been announced. Some 30 priests have been killed in Mexico in the past decade, according to the Centro Catolico Multimedial, a Catholic organisation.More on this storyHow dangerous is Mexico?

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesEight medical personnel are to stand trial accused of criminal negligence in the death of legendary Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona.A judge has ordered a culpable homicide trial after a medical panel found Maradona’s treatment was rife with “deficiencies and irregularities”.Maradona died in November 2020 of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, aged 60.He had been recovering at home from surgery on a brain blood clot earlier that month.A few days after his death Argentine prosecutors launched an investigation into the doctors and nurses involved in his care.Maradona’s extraordinary life in picturesObituary – Argentina’s flawed football iconLast year, the panel of 20 experts appointed to examine his death found Maradona’s medical team acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner”.It also concluded that the footballer “would have had a better chance of survival” with adequate treatment in an appropriate medical facility, according to the court ruling.Among those facing charges are Maradona’s neurosurgeon and personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, a psychiatrist and psychologist, two doctors, two nurses and their boss. They have all denied responsibility for his death.All eight will be tried on a legal definition of homicide based on negligence committed in the knowledge that it may lead to a person’s death.The crime can hold a sentence of eight to 25 years in prison, according to Argentina’s penal code. A date for the trial is yet to be set.Image source, Getty ImagesMario Baudry, a lawyer for one of Maradona’s sons, told Reuters that the football legend was “in a situation of helplessness” by the time of his death.”As soon as I saw the cause, I said it was homicide. I fought for a long time and here we are, with this stage completed,” he said.The legal proceedings were prompted by a complaint filed by two of Maradona’s daughters. They raised concerns about their father’s treatment after the brain operation.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.In an emotional press conference in November 2020, Dr Luque cried, saying he had done all he could to save the life of a friend.At one point, the doctor shot back at reporters: “You want to know what I am responsible for? For having loved him, for having taken care of him, for having extended his life, for having improved it to the end.”The doctor said he had done “everything he could, up to the impossible”.Diego Maradona is largely considered to be one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game. He was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, scoring the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the quarter-finals. During the second half of his career, Maradona struggled with cocaine addiction and was banned for 15 months after testing positive for the drug in 1991.The news of his death threw the football world – and his home country of Argentina – into deep mourning, with many thousands of people queuing for hours to walk by his coffin at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires. Not even the most fanatical Maradona supporter would deny the damage that years of addiction had done to his body or the debilitating effects of his gruelling brain surgery. Yet there was a sense in Argentina that, aged just 60, probably the greatest player ever to have graced the pitch was taken before his time. As the demands for answers grew with each revelation about his treatment, the subsequent findings by the medical panel were damning in the extreme.The outpouring of grief and respect in Argentina following Maradona’s death is still fresh in the memory – when thousands of fans trooped past his flag-draped coffin in tears in the presidential palace over three days of national mourning. It was far earlier than they had wanted to say goodbye to him. These charges may at least provide them with answers over the exact circumstances behind the death of one of Argentina’s greatest sons. More on this storyMaradona care inadequate, medical report saysMaradona autopsy shows no drink or drugsMaradona: An extraordinary life in pictures

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersThe interior minister of Ecuador has said police cannot guarantee security in the town of Puyo, after clashes on Tuesday in which a police station was attacked and one protester died.The minister, Patricio Carrillo, said 18 officers were still missing.The violence broke out on the ninth day of national protests against government economic and social policies. The protesters’ list of demands includes reducing the cost of fuel and price caps on agricultural goods.The protests have been organised by a powerful indigenous organisation, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie).Demonstrations have been taking place all over the country. On Tuesday, there were also riots in the capital, Quito, as an estimated 10,000 indigenous people took to the city streets to oppose President Guillermo Lasso’s conservative government.Conaie said the demonstrator killed in Puyo on Tuesday, named as Byron Guatatuca, had been shot at point-blank range and the organisation blamed the government for his death.But Mr Carillo, in a news conference on Wednesday, said the violence had been caused by “radical” members of the Kichwa and Shuar indigenous communities, who had begun attacking police in an “absolutely irrational” manner.The nationwide demonstrations began earlier this month with a series of roadblocks as protesters used piles of burning tyres, trees and mounds of earth to cut off access to Quito.But last week, Conaie vowed to step up the protests after its leader, Leonidas Iza, was briefly arrested.He has been banned from leaving Ecuador and ordered to appear before the provincial attorney general’s office twice a week.Ecuador has been grappling with rising levels of inflation, unemployment and poverty.Since 2020, the cost of diesel has almost doubled while the price of petrol has also increased sharply.A $6.5bn (£5.3bn) financing deal negotiated between Ecuador’s government and the International Monetary Fund during the height of the coronavirus pandemic is due to come to an end later this year.More on this storyPolice arrest indigenous fuel protest leaderIndigenous groups block roads in fuel price protests

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesA court in Honduras has sentenced a former energy executive to more than 22 years in jail over the murder of an environmental activist in 2016.Berta Cáceres led protests against the Agua Zarca hydro-electric dam project before being shot dead in her home.The court ruled that Roberto David Castillo, whose company had been awarded the contract, had planned the murder and hired the gunmen.Seven others have been convicted for their role in the killing.Castillo is the former president of Honduran power company, Desa, and was once an army intelligence officer.The court found he used his military contacts and paid informants to coordinate and plan the murder of the high profile activist, who was awarded the prestigious Goldman Prize in 2015 for her role in stopping the building of the dam.Cáceres had faced years of threats over her opposition to the dam project which was being run by Castillo’s company. The dam would have flooded large areas of land and cut off the supply of water, food and medicine for hundreds of the indigenous Lenca people in western Honduras.Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesAs well as filing official complaints, Cáceres organised a road block that prevented construction workers from reaching the site.The Chinese state-owned company Sinohydro, which was jointly developing the project, eventually pulled out because of the community resistance.Report throws light on Honduras murderThousands turn out for murdered activist’s funeralIn 2018, seven others, including another Desa executive, received sentences of between 30 and 50 years for their roles in Cáceres’ murder.The Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) welcomed Castillo’s sentence and called for more investigations into people associated with Desa.But Cáceres’ daughter, Olivia Zuniga Cáceres, tweeted that she was “outraged” because Castillo had “not received the maximum sentence”.One of Castillo’s defence attorneys told Reuters news agency that her team planned to appeal the sentence.More on this storyKillers of Honduran activist sentenced to 50 yearsDam boss guilty of planning environmentalist’s murder

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty Images”What is coming here is real change, real change,” Colombia’s new President-elect, Gustavo Petro, promised his cheering supporters at his victory speech on Sunday night. As the country’s first-ever left-wing leader – with a running mate, Francia Márquez, who will become the first black woman to be vice-president – Mr Petro’s belief that Colombia has voted for change is hard to deny. Even before his victory, the country had voted for a departure from the status quo, with the outgoing president’s nominated candidate failing to make it through the first round of voting.Instead, Mr Petro won 50.5% of the votes in a second round run-off against millionaire rival Rodolfo Hernández, an independent candidate who railed against corruption. Image source, EPAGustavo Petro, 62, is a former member of the now-defunct M-19 rebel group, which was originally set up in response to alleged fraud in Colombia’s 1970 elections. The group took up arms against perceived inequality and orchestrated one of the country’s bloodiest acts – an attack on the national judicial building which left nearly 100 people dead. Mr Petro joined the group when he was just 17 and was with the organisation for 10 years. He spent more than a year in prison because of his involvement with them, and has spoken of being tortured by the authorities during his time behind bars. He was in prison at the time of the takeover of the justice building. After his release, he moved into politics and has spent many years within the political mainstream, serving as a senator and a congressman, as well as the mayor of Colombia’s capital, Bogotá. His victory in a presidential election, on his third attempt, marks a huge departure from the country’s conservative establishment and signals Colombia’s desire for a new political path. The country’s first ever left-wing president, Mr Petro campaigned on promises of inclusion and addressing inequality – values which are sure to resonate in a country where nearly half the population lives in poverty. He has pledged to introduce high taxes on unproductive land, as well as to provide free university education. In contrast to some of the region’s other left-wing leaders, who unapologetically back the fossil fuel industry, Mr Petro has also positioned himself as a green candidate, pledging to freeze new oil and gas projects and to provide more security for campaigners. Colombia is said to be the world’s most dangerous country for environmental activists. Image source, ReutersFront and centre of Gustavo Petro’s campaign has been Francia Márquez, his running mate for the position of vice-president. Ms Márquez, an afro-Colombian who used to work as a cleaner, will be the first black woman to hold the position. The formidable campaigner has inspired many Colombians with her rise from poverty to vice-president – a rare story in a country where a political career has traditionally only been an option for society’s most connected people. Ms Márquez was already a well-known environmental activist in Colombia. In 2014, she spearheaded a campaign against illegal gold mining in the community of La Toma, where she grew up. She led a group of 80 women on a 560-km (350-mile) march from the region to Bogotá, putting pressure on the government to act. A task force, set up by the government in 2015, helped bring an end to the illegal mining, while Ms Márquez won a prestigious environmental prize for her work. Her charisma and background helped Ms Márquez connect with some of the country’s most marginalised groups, including the afro-Colombian community to which she belongs. At campaign rallies, she spoke of Colombia’s “structural racism” and blamed the elite for “condemning our people to misery”. Ms Márquez has attracted criticism for being too divisive, but for supporters of her and Mr Petro, their victory represents a moment of hope.”We’ve been struggling for so long, so this is a victory for all Colombians, for many people who have been forgotten for so many years,” one voter, Diana, told the BBC. Mr Petro and Ms Márquez face major challenges, including a fragmented congress and a business elite sceptical of some of their policies. But for now, their supporters will feel that real change is on its way. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyColombia elects ex-rebel as first left-wing leaderColombia’s ‘TikTok King’ battles ex-rebel for top job

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersGustavo Petro, the leftist former mayor of Bogota and ex-rebel fighter, has been declared the winner of Colombia’s presidential election.Mr Petro, a current senator, defeated right-wing construction magnate Rodolfo Hernández in Sunday’s run-off election.Figures showed he took 50.5% of votes, defeating his rival by more than 700,000 ballots to become Colombia’s first left-wing leader. The 62-year-old hailed what he called a “victory for God and for the people”.”May so much suffering be cushioned by the joy that today floods the heart of the homeland,” Mr Petro wrote on Twitter. “Today is the day of the streets and squares.” His running mate Francia Marquez, a single mother and former housekeeper, will become the country’s first black woman vice-president.Image source, EPAIn a video posted to social media, Mr Hernandez, who ran a non-traditional campaign that relied heavily on TikTok and other social media, conceded to Mr Petro. “Colombians, today the majority of citizens have chosen the other candidate. As I said during the campaign, I accept the results of this election,” he said. “I hope that Mr Gustavo Petro knows how to run the country and is faithful to his discourse against corruption,” he added. President Ivan Duque, who was barred from seeking re-election by Colombia’s term limits, said on Twitter that he has called Mr Petro to congratulate him and said they have “agreed to meet in the coming days to initiate a harmonious, institutional and transparent transition”.Mr Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla movement, ran on a radical manifesto and pledged during the campaign to fight inequality by providing free university education, pension reforms and high taxes on unproductive land. He has also pledged to fully implement a 2016 peace deal that ended a 50-year long conflict with the communist guerrilla group, Farc, and to seek negotiations with the still-active ELN rebels. At Gustavo’s results party, the atmosphere is electric. On stage, and in the crowds, people here are dancing salsa – enjoying every moment of an election like no other.In a country that experienced decades of civil conflict, Gustavo Petro’s critics highlighted his role as a former rebel, arguing his economic plans would spell disaster for the country. But his promises of inclusion and addressing poverty resonated with this deeply unequal country. For Ana Beatriz Acevedo, who represents displaced Afro-Colombian women, the election marks a major change for the country.”One of the problems this country has is inequality – in black and indigenous communities, among women,” she said. “And they (Petro and Marquez) represent that difference – one is mixed race, one is black – and both believe in inclusion.”It’s often a cliché to call elections historic but these really are – it’s a huge departure for this conservative country and says a lot about how much the country has changed.Now Colombia will have its first ever leftist leader and alongside him, the first ever black vice-president – and that speaks volumes about the desire for a different political path.The campaign marked Mr Petro’s third run for the presidency. He finished fourth in 2010, and was comfortably defeated in a run-off by Mr Duque in 2018. While some of his proposals have startled investors – including a planned ban on new oil projects – many voters said they voted for him to tackle some of Colombia’s intractable problems, such as corruption, widespread poverty and a surge in political violence. But Mr Petro will face challenges from a fragmented congress, which includes representatives of more than a dozen parties. “Given current levels of polarisation and existing political, economic, social and humanitarian crises, the Petro government will face significant challenges,” Prof Arlene Tickner, an international relations lecturer at Bogota University, told the BBC. “An important first step that has already been taken by the president-elect is to initiate efforts to build a broad national coalition in order to enhance his governability.”Meanwhile, Defence Minister Diego Molano told journalists on Sunday afternoon that the killing of an electoral volunteer in Guapi, Cauca province, was under investigation.Some 320,000 police and military were deployed across Colombia during the election amid fears that the result could spark political violence. Elsewhere, 60 voting locations had to be moved because of heavy rains in some parts of the country. More on this storyElection run-off for ex-rebel and ‘Colombia’s Trump’Five things to know about Colombia’s electionEx-rebel secures nomination in Colombia primary

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Guardian News and MediaEight people are now suspects in the murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, police say.Three suspects have already been arrested.But five more people who allegedly helped hide their bodies have now been identified, police told reporters.Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira went missing while on a reporting trip in the remote Javari Valley in Brazil’s far west on 5 June.Their bodies were identified on Friday, after one of the suspects in custody – Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira – reportedly confessed to burying their remains and led police to a spot deep in the rainforest where their remains were found.His brother, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, was also arrested, but denies any involvement.A third arrest followed on Saturday of a suspect named Jeferson da Silva Lima – also known as Pelado da Dinha – who turned himself in after going on the run, police said.’Dom was one of the best – quiet but curious’Inside the Amazon’s lawless Javari ValleyBrazilian news outlet O Globo reports that the five new suspects allegedly also helped to hide the bodies in a hard-to-reach area which police would have been unlikely to find if they had not been guided to it.No names or further details on the new suspects have been given.Police also said on Saturday that Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira had been shot by hunting ammunition. Mr Phillips was shot once, while Mr Pereira was shot three times, police added.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Mr Phillips – a regular contributor to the Guardian – was researching a book on the Amazon region. And Mr Pereira – who had extensive knowledge of indigenous communities – had been acting as Mr Phillips’ guide and introducing him to contacts.The Javari Valley region in which the two were travelling is home to thousands of indigenous people from more than 20 groups who live in isolation from the outside world.The area is also known for illegal fishing, mining, logging and drug-trafficking activities.Violent conflicts between these various criminal groups, government agents and indigenous people are known to happen, and were reportedly being documented by Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira.Mr Pereira had also received death threats prior to taking the trip, indigenous rights groups said.More on this storyBritish journalist in Brazil was shot, say policeBody of British journalist identified in BrazilAmazon suspect leads police to human remains

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Guardian News and MediaBritish journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were shot dead with hunting ammunition, Brazilian police have said.A day after police identified Mr Phillips’ remains, the second set of remains were confirmed as those of Mr Pereira on Saturday.A third suspect in the murders has been taken into custody, police added.The two went missing while on a reporting trip in the Ulvare Valley, in Brazil’s Amazonas state on 5 June.Body of British journalist identified in Brazil’Dom was one of the best – quiet but curious’Inside the Amazon’s lawless Javare ValleyTen days later, human remains were found after a suspect confessed to burying their bodies and led police to the spot where the remains were found, police said.The suspect, a fisherman named by police as Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, was the first person arrested. His brother, Oseney da Costa, was also arrested earlier this week – he denies any involvement in the murders. A third suspect was arrested on Saturday. Jeferson da Silva Lima, also known as Pelado da Dinha, turned himself into a police station in the city of Atalaia do Norte, according to police.Mr Phillips, 57, had been living in Brazil for more than a decade and was a long-time contributor to the Guardian newspaper – he was in the area researching a book.Mr Pereira, 41, who was on leave from his post with the government’s indigenous affairs agency Funai, was an expert on isolated tribes in the Amazon.Mr Pereira had received death threats prior to taking the trip, indigenous rights groups said.The area in which they were travelling has become known for illegal fishing, mining, logging and drug-trafficking activities. The region is known for violent conflicts between these various criminal groups, government agents and indigenous people. It was these conflicts that Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira were documenting.More on this storyBody of British journalist identified in Brazil’Dom was one of the best – quiet but curious’Amazon suspect leads police to human remainsSuspect admits burying pair missing in Amazon – policePair missing in the Amazon: ‘A tragedy foretold’

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesFour people accused of murdering a high-profile Paraguayan prosecutor while he was on his honeymoon have been sentenced to 23 years in prison. The accused confessed to killing anti-mafia prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, 45, on a private beach resort in Colombia.Mr Pecci investigated high-profile corruption and money-laundering cases in his native Paraguay.Colombian authorities believe it is likely that organised crime groups arranged the murder. Mr Pecci and his wife were on the sixth and final day of their honeymoon when he was killed on Baru, an idyllic island off the Caribbean coast.The judge presiding over the case in the northern city of Cartegna said the full sentence of 47 years each for the four people was cut in half as part of a plea deal, but ruled out other benefits such as serving any of the sentences at home.A fifth person accused of involvement has pleaded innocent, while a sixth suspect remains at large, Colombian police said. Authorities believe the Brazilian prison gang First Capital Command, a major exporter of cocaine, was involved in coordinating the murder, but said that they have been unable to identify the mastermind behind the attack. Colombian Attorney General Francisco Barbosa told reporters during a press conference earlier this month that the men had been paid a sum of around $500,000 (£408,000) for their part in the hit. Investigators added that the crime may be connected to international drug trafficking and “radical terrorism”.Just two hours before the attack, Mr Pecci’s wife, journalist Claudia Aguilera, had posted a picture on her Instagram account announcing that they were expecting a baby.She said that they were on a stretch of private beach of Decameron Hotel on Tuesday morning when her husband was targeted. “Two men attacked Marcelo. They came in a small boat, or on a jet ski, the truth is I did not see well,” she told El Tiempo newspaper last month.She said that one of the men got off and “without a word he shot Marcelo twice, one [bullet] hit him in the face and another in the back”.Image source, ReutersMs Aguilera was not injured in the attack. Mr Pecci was part of “A Ultranza Py”, the biggest operation against cocaine trafficking and money laundering in Paraguay’s history.According to Paraguayan media, the operation broke up a ring which smuggled drugs from cocaine-producing hotspots Colombia and Bolivia through Paraguay to Europe.He was part of the international team which earlier this year seized hundreds of millions of dollars in assets and arrested dozens of suspects.The US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said that “Pecci’s work fighting organised crime stands as an example to us all – especially his efforts to bring to justice those who engaged in money laundering, drug trafficking, and corruption”.While Mr Pecci had bodyguards in Paraguay, he did not have any protection while on his honeymoon in Colombia, and the Colombian police said it had not been aware of his presence in the country.Last month, Paraguayan President Mario Abdo condemned what he called the “cowardly assassination of the prosecutor Marcelo Pecci in Colombia saddens all of the Paraguayan nation”. “We condemn in the most energetic terms this tragic occurrence and redouble our commitment in the fight against organised crime.”More on this storyHunt for killers who shot prosecutor on honeymoonAnti-mafia prosecutor killed on honeymoonFormer top official spends 600th day in captivity

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPThe remains of one of the two bodies found in the remote Amazon rainforest are those of UK journalist Dom Phillips, Brazilian police confirm.They say the identification was based on dental records.The second body – believed to be that of indigenous expert Bruno Pereira – is still being examined. Mr Phillips, 57, and Mr Pereira, 41, were first reported missing on 5 June. Earlier this week, a suspect confessed to burying the bodies.The suspect was later named as Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira. The police said he had explained in detail how both men were killed before leading officers to the place where their bodies were buried.Human remains were then dug up. The suspect’s brother, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, has also been arrested in connection with the killings, but denies any involvement.’Dom was one of the best – quiet but curious’Inside the Amazon’s lawless Javari ValleyMr Pereira had been introducing the journalist – who was writing a book on the Amazon – to contacts and acting as his guide when their boat failed to arrive at an expected point near the border with Peru.The search for the missing pair was initially criticised by relatives and campaign groups, who called on officials to act more quickly and broaden its scope. As global outrage grew at the disappearance, the 10-day search expanded until it involved the army, navy and police.The police also initially failed to praise the work of the indigenous communities who searched for the men and helped lead authorities to some of their belongings.When asked by the BBC why there was no mention of the local communities helping, they admitted it was an error and conceded that their support had been crucial.More on this storyAmazon suspect leads police to human remainsSuspect admits burying pair missing in Amazon – policePair missing in the Amazon: ‘A tragedy foretold’Police find belongings of missing pair in Brazil

Mexico City’s iconic Azteca Stadium and the Los Angeles Rams’ multi-billion dollar SoFi Stadium are among 16 venues to host games at the 2026 World Cup.The first 48-team World Cup will be held in 16 venues across 11 US cities, along with three venues in Mexico and two in Canada.It marks the first time three countries have hosted the tournament.The Azteca Stadium will also be the first venue to feature in three separate World Cups.Los Angeles’ Pasadena Rose Bowl, which hosted the 1994 World Cup final, has not been included.Another notable absence was the US capital, Washington DC, which was one of nine host cities the last time the US staged the tournament.The joint bid from Washington DC and Baltimore, Maryland, was one of six that were not chosen alongside Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Orlando and Edmonton.”It’s been an incredibly competitive process. All the cities have been amazing. This was a very, very difficult choice,” said Fifa’s chief competitions and events officer Colin Smith.”You can’t imagine a World Cup coming to the US. and the capital city not taking a major a role as well.”All 11 stadiums in the US are home to NFL teams and include the New York Giants’ MetLife Stadium and $5bn SoFi Stadium that hosted this year’s Super Bowl.Both venues are contenders to host the 2026 final, but Fifa president Gianni Infantino said world football’s governing body will take their time with a decision.”There are still some discussions to go on and we’ll certainly choose the best cities for the openings and the finals,” he told Fox Television.”But every match will be a final at this World Cup.”Full list of venuesAtlanta – Mercedes-Benz StadiumBoston – Gillette StadiumDallas – AT&T StadiumGuadalajara – Estadio AkronHouston – NRG StadiumKansas City – Arrowhead StadiumLos Angeles – SoFi StadiumMexico City – Estadio AztecaMiami – Hard Rock StadiumMonterrey – Estadio BBVANew York/New Jersey – MetLife StadiumPhiladelphia – Lincoln Financial FieldSan Francisco Bay Area – Levi’s StadiumSeattle – Lumen FieldToronto – BMO FieldVancouver – BC Place

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesThe family of Dom Phillips say they are “heartbroken” after a suspect confessed to burying the bodies of the missing British journalist and the indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in Brazil.In a statement, they thanked those who helped search for the men in a remote and dangerous region of the Amazon.They also praised “the courageous lives and important work” of the pair who covered the lives of indigenous groups.Mr Phillips, 57, and Mr Pereira, 41, were first reported missing on 5 June.Mr Pereira had been introducing the journalist – who was writing a book on the Amazon – to contacts and acting as his guide when their boat failed to arrive at an expected point near the border with Peru.The search was initially criticised by relatives and campaign groups, who called on officials to act more quickly and broaden its scope. As global outrage grew at the disappearance, the 10-day search expanded until it involved the army, navy and police.At a news conference late on Wednesday, police said a suspect named as Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira had explained in detail how both men were killed before leading officers to the place where their bodies were buried.Human remains were then dug up. Police have said they will work with Interpol to confirm their identities.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.”The entire reconstruction of the crime was carried out… and then we went to the place where he announced that he had buried the bodies,” Detective Eduardo Fontes told reporters gathered in the city of Manaus. He said the suspect had also admitted to sinking the pair’s boat. The two men had taken a short trip down the Itaquai river in the far west of Brazil shortly before they were killed.Mr Fontes showed a map to the media – explaining that the bodies were found 3.1km (1.9 miles) from the river, in the middle of the jungle, and that it involved a huge amount of work to get to the location.The police also failed to praise the work of the indigenous communities who searched for the men and helped lead authorities to some of their belongings. When asked by the BBC why there was no mention of the local communities helping, they admitted it was an error and conceded that their support had been crucial.The suspect’s brother, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, has also been arrested in connection with the killings, but denies any involvement.’Dom was one of the best – quiet but curious’Inside the Amazon’s lawless Javari ValleyMr Phillips’ family said in a statement on Wednesday: “We are heartbroken at the confirmation that Dom and Bruno were murdered and extend our deepest sympathies to Alessandra, Beatriz and the other Brazilian family members of both men.”We are grateful to all those who have taken part in the search, especially the indigenous groups who worked tirelessly to find evidence of the attack,” they said.”We thank the many people who have joined us in urging the authorities to intensify the search and those who have reached out with words of comfort and sympathy,” they added.Mr Phillips’ wife, Alessandra Sampaio, said in a separate statement: “Now we can bring them home and say goodbye with love.” She added that the confession marked the beginning of a “quest for justice”.Briton Mr Phillips, from Merseyside, had been living in Brazil for more than a decade and was a long-time contributor to the Guardian newspaper. Mr Pereira, a Brazilian who was on leave from his post with the government’s indigenous affairs agency Funai, was an expert on isolated tribes.Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesThe pair went missing in the Javari valley, in Brazil’s far west, a remote region home to thousands of indigenous people from more than 20 groups. It is a refuge for these indigenous groups, who live in isolation from the outside world.But experts say the area has become a hotbed for crime because of its remoteness and a lack of government oversight. “What happened to Bruno and Dom is the result of an increase in organised crime, which is in turn explained by the absence of the state,” a former Funai official told the AFP news agency.As well as clashes with poachers catching protected fish, it has also seen incursions by illegal gold-miners, loggers and drug-traffickers who smuggle cocaine from nearby Peru and Colombia.Violence has also grown as drug-trafficking gangs battle for control of the area’s waterways to smuggle cocaine.The region – which is about the size of Portugal – is known for violent conflicts between these various criminal groups, government agents and indigenous people. It was these conflicts that Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira were documenting.And days before they pair went missing, indigenous groups say Mr Pereira was threatened for campaigning against illegal fishing. He had repeatedly reported being threatened by loggers, miners and illegal fishermen in the past.Pat Venditti, the executive director of Greenpeace UK, praised the men as “brave, passionate and determined”.”[They] were murdered while doing their vital work of shining a light on the daily threats indigenous people in Brazil face as they defend their land and their rights,” he said in a statement. “The greatest tribute we can pay Bruno and Dom now is to continue their vital work.”More on this storyAmazon suspect leads police to human remainsSuspect admits burying pair missing in Amazon – policePair missing in the Amazon: ‘A tragedy foretold’Police find belongings of missing pair in Brazil

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFP via Getty ImagesI first met Dom in 2007 when he came to Brazil to finish writing a book about superstar DJs. Dom used to edit Mixmag, a UK magazine about electronic music. He had some DJ friends here in São Paulo and Brazil seemed a perfect refuge far from London’s hustle and bustle. He fell in love with Brazil and when he finished the book he stayed on. Like many immigrants before him Brazil was his blank canvas, and Dom was ready to paint a new life. Before long he was a foreign correspondent and a friend. He left São Paulo for Rio de Janeiro 10 years ago, lured by the outdoor life he so loved. Rio is surrounded by nature, beaches on one side, mountains on the other. In the 2010s it was the place to be. The city was about to host the 2014 World Cup Final and the 2016 Olympic Games. Journalists were arriving from all over the world and Dom was one of the best: quiet but curious, able to turn his hand to anything. One week he was at the football, writing about the new Brazilian star – known to everyone simply as Neymar; the next he was in Congress covering the downfall of the president.Unlike many journalists Dom didn’t have opinions about everything, at least not loud ones. He always was calmer than everyone else. I can still see him now, smiling and rolling his eyes at some outrageous statement thrown across the table at our Friday night drinks.But daily journalism can be a grind and not long after the Olympics ended Dom changed tack, to focus more on what he loved. Dom was an outdoors guy, a hiker, a cyclist and a paddle boarder. To many people, Amazonia is hell, with its rain, insects, and chilly nights in hammocks slung between two trees. For Dom, that was heaven. He saw the wonder in the wet.His wife Alessandra described it as love and respect, plus a deep-seated desire to understand the Amazon’s complexity.Image source, Getty ImagesSo he decided to write a book about sustainable development. He wanted to know the Amazon, to really know it, to discover which projects and ideas made people there happier and wealthier, and which did the best job of preserving the unparalleled range of flora and fauna.One of the doors into the Amazon was held open by Bruno Pereira, the indigenous rights activist who travelled with him on that last journey. Bruno knew the region where their boat vanished like the back of his hand. Dom was aware such trips carried threats but he was also aware that the threats were much, much greater for the people who lived there full time. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has weakened oversight bodies and the number of indigenous reserves invaded by loggers or miners has shot up, according to the Indigenous Missionary Council, a well-known rights group.Deforestation also more than doubled in the first three years of the Bolsonaro government, compared with the three years preceding it. Needless to say, the damage is worse in indigenous areas.Dom saw all this first hand. He interviewed Indigenous people for his book and patiently explained what he was doing. I’ve seen him standing with a microphone under a roof of palm fronds telling the gathering of locals why he cared. There was some kind of connection. But he knew he was a visitor. There’s one great video of Dom falling from a log into a swollen river. It’s raining and slippy and he plunges into the muddy water. You can hear the Indigenous people giggling at the clumsy white man. Dom looks round and smiles. He knew he was in someone else’s land. Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesMy last contact with Dom was via WhatsApp a few days before he set off on that final trip. “Traveling again tonight on a horrendous 3am flight for 15 hours,” he wrote. “Second trip in a month, still got some others to do, money pretty tight, making it work.”I knew him well enough to understand there was a slice of self-belief buried in the message. He knew he was going to make his book work. I couldn’t wait to read it. Now I’ll be waiting forever. Andrew Downie is a Scottish author and journalist based in São PauloMore on this storyPolice arrest second suspect during Amazon searchPolice deny bodies found in Amazon search

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCryptocurrencies have continued to tumble this week with billions wiped from the value of tokens like Bitcoin. The crash is affecting investors worldwide, including the government of El Salvador. The Central American country has poured millions of dollars into Bitcoin and made it legal tender nine months ago, encouraging people to use it for day-to-day transactions.From trinkets and tacos to petrol and even houses – you can shop for pretty much anything in El Salvador with Bitcoin. Buying with cryptocurrency from street sellers and major chains alike is a remarkable experience.It shows how far Bitcoin has come since it was dreamt up on internet forums back in 2008.The decision by President Nayib Bukele to make the cryptocurrency legal tender means that in theory it must now be accepted by all businesses, alongside El Salvador’s other currency, the US dollar. But the latest cryptocurrency crash has prompted more questions about the policy, especially the use of nearly $100m of public funds to buy Bitcoin – each purchase celebrated by the president with a tweet.El Salvador just bought the dip! 🇸🇻500 coins at an average USD price of ~$30,744 🥳#Bitcoin— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) May 9, 2022
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on TwitterThe country’s 2,300 bitcoins are now worth half what the government paid for them, but the finance minister has brushed off criticism, saying there is “extremely minimal fiscal risk”.Bitcoin BeachThe place where El Salvador’s Bitcoin movement started is El Zonte, a small surfing and fishing town on the south coast. Here, in 2019, an anonymous donor gave a group of cryptocurrency fans the first of many large donations of Bitcoin.No-one admits to knowing who he or she is, but the deal was that the town could keep the digital coins on condition they weren’t converted into dollars.The idea was to create the world’s first circular Bitcoin economy, where people can be paid in Bitcoin – a peer-to-peer internet cash system – and live on it.It’s a radical idea. In the rest of the world Bitcoin can be used for online purchases, but except in a small number of trendy cafes or one-off projects, it hasn’t been possible to use it on the high street.El Zonte has so far received about $350,000 from its anonymous benefactor, a significant amount for this shabby but beautiful town, now also known as Bitcoin Beach.Katerina Contreras was one of the first beneficiaries. Two years ago, during the pandemic, she was offered a lifeguard course, and it seemed like a good deal. The organisers paid for the trainees’ transport and food in Bitcoin.”Then for six months we worked as lifeguards and were paid our wages in Bitcoin,” she says.IMF urges El Salvador to reverse Bitcoin policy’I was arrested for trying to confront cryptocrash boss’Some businesses in the town say they have seen a 30% uptick in trade as Bitcoin Tourists, fuelled by crypto YouTuber channels, are attracted to the novelty of spending their digital coins on holiday. However, Bitcoin adoption remains patchy. My travels led me to conclude that the further you move from Bitcoin Beach, the less likely you are to be able to buy things in the digital currency.In Bitcoin Beach just over half the businesses I came across accepted Bitcoin, but drive north 80 minutes to the capital, San Salvador, and it’s more like a quarter.Subsidised walletThe government says it has no plans to force businesses to accept Bitcoin, even though they should under the country’s Bitcoin Law. So far it has restricted itself to offering incentives.Cash is still very much king here, with more than half of Salvadoreans not owning a bank account, but President Bukele has poured $200m of public money into a subsidised Bitcoin wallet app, called Chivo.Image source, Bitcoin 2021 / Bitcoin MagazineAnyone who downloads the app receives $30 in Bitcoin for signing up, which may explain why it has been downloaded four million times, in a country of 6.5 million.But many people use the app for transactions in dollars, not Bitcoin. It’s often used this way, for example, by people who work abroad and send money home to their families, as there are no commission or transfer fees.And there are signs that after the initial surge of interest, people are using Chivo less. Another incentive to use it came into existence at the end of February, with the opening of the country’s most advanced animal hospital.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Large queues are common, with people and pets sheltering in lines under gazebos for their appointments. And that’s because all animal care, even complex surgery, costs only 25 cents – as long as it’s paid for with the Chivo app, and preferably in Bitcoin.Staff say the centre is being paid for with “the profits of Bitcoin”, but government officials didn’t answer requests to explain how these profits were made.Public moneyThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been urging El Salvador to reverse its decision to make Bitcoin legal tender, arguing that it’s too unstable for this purpose, and local economists like Tatiana Marroquin are increasingly concerned.She says the government doesn’t have enough money to help vulnerable people, so shouldn’t be taking risks by pouring public funds into cryptocurrency.She also says there is a lack of transparency. “We don’t know exactly when or with what money they’ve bought bitcoins.”Tourism Minister Morena Valdez, however, insists Salvadoreans have confidence in President Bukele, despite Bitcoin’s falling value.”We know that each of the president’s decisions are made in the right moment. People have a lot of trust in his decisions and in how the country’s economy is going,” she says. Other countries were thought to be considering following El Salvador’s move, before the latest crash began in May, though the Central African Republic is the only one that has done it. The country’s president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, announced the step on Twitter, describing Bitcoin as “universal money”. Mathematics is the #language of the Universe.#Bitcoin is universal money.— Faustin-Archange Touadéra (@FA_Touadera) April 27, 2022
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on TwitterEl Salvador now wants to go further.President Bukele has announced plans for a new city – Bitcoin City – to be built at the foot of a volcano that will provide geothermal energy, and power a giant Bitcoin mine.He’s hoping to raise the money by selling $1bn of Volcano Bonds, though these were meant to go on sale in March and have not yet appeared.Officials say they are confident they will be able to raise the funds – and pay a looming foreign debt bill of $800m.But the cryptocurrency crash is piling pressure on this government as it continues to bet big on Bitcoin.Watch the documentary El Salvador’s Bit Bitcoin Gamble this weekend on the News Channel and BBC World News

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPABrazilian police say a suspect has confessed to shooting British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.Detective Eduardo Fontes said the man, Amarildoda Costa de Oliveira, took investigators to a site where human remains were dug up.He said police would work with Interpol to confirm the bodies’ identities.Two suspects, Amarildo and Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, have been arrested so far. They are reportedly brothers.Police said they expect to carry out further arrests.Mr Phillips, 57, and Mr Pereira, 41, went missing in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest on 5 June.Pair missing in the Amazon: ‘A tragedy foretold’ Briton Mr Phillips had been living in Brazil for more than a decade and was a long-time contributor to the Guardian newspaper. He was working on a book about the Amazon.Mr Pereira, a Brazilian who was on leave from his post with the government’s indigenous affairs agency Funai, was an expert on isolated tribes.Some of their belongings, including clothes and a laptop, were found on Sunday.It was a hastily-organised press conference – after another day of rumours that the bodies had been found. The federal police officer in charge of the investigation showed a map to the waiting media – explaining that the bodies were found 3.1km (1.9 miles) from the river, in the middle of the jungle – and that involved a huge amount of work to get to the location that the suspect had indicated.There was a great deal of praise for the joined-up efforts of all the armed forces – patting themselves on the back after a huge amount of criticism at the start that they hadn’t mobilised quickly enough.They also initially failed to praise the work of the indigenous communities who have been out searching since the men disappeared, and helped lead authorities to some of the their belongings found in the water. When asked by the BBC why there was no mention of the local communities helping, they admitted their support in working with the armed forces, with the head of the army in Amazonas explaining that many troops are indigenous in the force and that was crucial.It might sound like a minor omission, but it reveals the divide between the bosses at the top here in the city – and the people living in these remote, difficult places.Image source, ReutersDays before Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira went missing, indigenous groups say Mr Pereira was threatened for campaigning against illegal fishing in the area.Mr Phillips’ sister, Sian, previously told the BBC: “I think it’s likely they’ve been ambushed by some illegal criminal activity there, possibly to do with illegal fishing.”It is an “incredibly distressing and awful situation”, she said.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyPolice arrest second suspect during Amazon searchPolice deny bodies found in Amazon search

The Chivo Pets animal hospital, which opened in El Salvador in February, provides whatever care an animal needs for just 25 cents – as long as payment is made with a cryptocurrency wallet.It’s the latest move by the government to encourage the use of Bitcoin, following the decision to make it legal tender nine months ago.You can buy pretty much anything in Bitcoin in El Salvador if you want to, but for many the country’s other official currency – the US dollar – remains the first choice.Watch the documentary El Salvador’s Bit Bitcoin Gamble this weekend on the News Channel and BBC World News

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, RSPCAA tiny tree frog has been found in a bag of bananas more than 4,000 miles (6,440km) from its Dominican Republic home.A shopper discovered the amphibian when unpacking fruit he bought from a local supermarket in Sheen, south London.Philip Norman, of the RSPCA, was called to the 1.2-inch (3cm) frog, which would have been wrapped up in the bag for some time. It had an injured leg and was taken to the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre.Mr Norman said: “It can be difficult to identify species of frog but it’s believed to be a Hispaniolan common tree frog or a Dominican tree frog.”The shopper had quite the shock when he unwrapped [the bananas] at home to find the little frog inside. This little one has had quite the adventure.”Tarantula found by passengers on London trainExotic bird of prey continues to elude zookeepersKermit The Frog: ‘I try to lead a clean life’The Hispaniolan tree frog (Osteopilus dominicensis) is common on Hispaniola – an island divided into the Republic of Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east, where the bananas were picked.They are found from sea level up to 6,600 ft (2,000m), breed in standing bodies of water and have a lifespan of four to five years.In February, a frog from the Ivory Coast was found in a bunch of bananas at a primary school in Merseyside and, in 2019, an Ecuadorian frog used the same method to stow away and travelled to Northampton.More on this storyExotic bird of prey continues to elude zookeepersTarantula found by passengers on London trainRelated Internet LinksRSPCAThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBrazilian police have arrested a second suspect as they probe the disappearance of journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.Oseney da Costa de Oliveira was detained on suspicion he was involved in the case with his brother, Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, local media report.Amarildo earlier denied any wrongdoing.Mr Phillips, 57, and Mr Pereira, 41, went missing in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest on 5 June. Some of their belongings, including clothes and a laptop, were found on Sunday. In a statement, federal police said they had seized ammunition and an oar in the village of Sao Gabriel, where the two men were last seen. The items have been taken for forensic analysis.Alex Perez, a police investigator, said Oseney da Costa de Oliveira “did not resist arrest on suspicion of homicide, based on witness accounts that placed the two suspects at the supposed scene of the crime”.A spokesperson for the indigenous group Univaja, which has been searching for the missing men, said the effort was nearing an end as the area left to examine was getting smaller.Pair missing in the Amazon: ‘A tragedy foretold’ Mr Phillips had been living in Brazil for more than a decade and was a long-time contributor to the Guardian newspaper. He was working on a book about the Amazon.Mr Pereira, who was on leave from his post with the government’s indigenous affairs agency Funai, was an expert on the region’s isolated tribes.Days before the pair went missing, indigenous groups say Mr Pereira was threatened for campaigning against illegal fishing in the area.Image source, Getty ImagesSpeaking to the BBC earlier this week, Mr Phillips’ sister, Sian, said: “I think it’s likely they’ve been ambushed by some illegal criminal activity there, possibly to do with illegal fishing.”It is an “incredibly distressing and awful situation”, she added.Ambassador apologises to familiesOn Monday, Mr Phillips’ brother-in-law told the BBC that the Brazilian embassy in the UK had informed the family that two bodies had been found tied to a tree.Later that day, Brazilian police denied the report and said they had only found belongings and “biological material”, which would be tested.The Brazilian ambassador in the UK has now apologised to Mr Phillips’ family for the miscommunication, Reuters reports.Ambassador Fred Arruda said the information had come from investigating officials in Brazil, adding: “I wholeheartedly apologise.” In Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, indigenous protesters carried banners emblazoned with the missing men’s faces to the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday, calling for justice.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyPolice deny bodies found in Amazon search

Costa Rica became the last team to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with victory over New Zealand.In the intercontinental play-off, Costa Rica took a third-minute lead when ex-Arsenal player Joel Campbell shot low into the bottom corner.New Zealand ended the match with 10 men as substitute Kosta Barbarouses was sent off for fouling Francisco Calvo.The World Cup begins on 21 November with Costa Rica playing 2010 champions Spain in their opener on 23 November.Ranked 31st in the world, Luis Fernando Suarez’s side go into Group E, which also contains four-time winners Germany and a Japan side who have advanced beyond the group phase in three of the past five tournaments.Costa Rica have now qualified for the World Cup six times and this will be their third successive appearance.Their best performance came in 2014 when they reached the quarter-finals, finishing top of a group that included Uruguay, Italy and England, before beating Greece on penalties in the last 16 and losing in a shootout to the Netherlands.After finishing fourth in Concacaf qualifying, Costa Rica faced Oceania winners New Zealand with their tie taking place at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.New Zealand, ranked 101st in the world, had a good spell just after conceding the goal, but Alex Greive, Matthew Garbett and Newcastle striker Chris Wood all failed to convert chances from inside the penalty area.Wood thought he had scored late in the first half when he shot past Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas.However, the referee ruled out the goal after checking the incident on a pitchside monitor following a video assistant referee check – and judged Garbett had fouled Oscar Duarte before crossing for Wood to finish. A VAR check also led to Barbarouses’ dismissal as the referee changed his original decision from a yellow card to red after seeing the challenge had caught Calvo on the ankle. The 10 men of New Zealand fought until the end, but could not find an equaliser.A – QatarEcuadorSenegalNetherlandsB – EnglandIranUSAWalesC – ArgentinaSaudi ArabiaMexicoPolandD – FranceAustraliaDenmarkTunisiaE – SpainCosta RicaGermanyJapanF – BelgiumCanadaMoroccoCroatiaG – BrazilSerbiaSwitzerlandCameroonH – PortugalGhanaUruguaySouth KoreaLine-upsCosta RicaFormation 4-4-21Navas4Fuller6Duarte15Calvo8Oviedo13Torres5Borges17Tejeda9Bennette12Campbell7Contreras1Navas4FullerSubstituted forMartínezat 45’minutes6Duarte15Calvo8Oviedo13TorresSubstituted forWastonat 45’minutes5BorgesSubstituted forChacónat 79’minutes17Tejeda9BennetteSubstituted forRuízat 45’minutesBooked at 90mins12CampbellSubstituted forVenegasat 90+3’minutes7ContrerasBooked at 90minsSubstitutes2Mora3Vargas10Ruíz11Venegas14Galo16Lawrence18Cruz19Waston20Chacón21Aguilera22Martínez23MoreiraNew ZealandFormation 3-1-4-21Sail6Tuiloma2Reid4Pijnaker8Bell20Kirwan15Lewis19Garbett13Cacace11Greive9Wood1Sail6Tuiloma2ReidBooked at 70minsSubstituted forJustat 72’minutes4Pijnaker8Bell20KirwanSubstituted forPayneat 79’minutes15LewisSubstituted forStamenicat 80’minutes19GarbettSubstituted forWaineat 60’minutes13Cacace11GreiveSubstituted forBarbarousesat 60’minutesBooked at 69mins9WoodSubstitutes3de Vries5Smith7Barbarouses10Stamenic12Marinovic14Just16Boxall17Rogerson21Payne22Waine23Gould25ChampnessReferee:Mohammed Salem Yousef Abdulla AlaliMatch Stats

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAPolice in Ecuador have arrested the leader of the country’s biggest indigenous group after a day of protests calling for lower fuel prices. In a tweet, police said Leonidas Iza of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) had been detained near the capital, Quito.They did not specify what charges he faced. On Monday, demonstrators across Ecuador set up roadblocks in protest at the government’s economic policies. Highways across the country were blocked with piles of burning tyres, trees and mounds of earth to cut off access to Quito.The protesters’ list of demands include reducing the cost of fuel and price caps on agricultural goods.Ecuador is currently grappling with rising levels of inflation, unemployment and poverty.Since 2020, the cost of diesel has almost doubled while the price of petrol has also increased sharply.A $6.5bn (£5.3bn) financing deal negotiated between Ecuador’s government and the International Monetary Fund during the height of the coronavirus pandemic is due to come to an end later this year.The police said Mr Iza had been arrested in Pastocalle, about 20km (12 miles) south of Quito, on suspicion of unspecified “offences”.Pastocalle has been at the heart of the demonstrations called by Conaie.The police added that Mr Iza was in custody awaiting a court hearing.Mr Iza said on Monday the protests would continue until President Guillermo Lasso responded to the group’s requests. Conaie confirmed Mr Iza’s arrest and called for a “radicalisation” of the demonstrations in response.More on this storyIndigenous groups block roads in fuel price protestsEcuador’s new leader Lasso faces uphill struggle

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland New photographs of Scottish veterans of the Falklands War have been released to mark 40 years since the end of the conflict. Images of seven men who served in the 10-week war have been taken by Glasgow photographer Wattie Cheung. They feature in an online exhibition ahead of a national remembrance parade and service in Edinburgh on Saturday. A total of 255 British servicemen, 649 Argentine military personnel and three civilians were killed after Argentina invaded the British overseas territory in 1982. Falklands War: It was like walking into hellWe hid in the cellar as the Falklands were invadedRosyth dockers recognised for Falklands role “They were all young men, no matter which war, sent into situations that they had never experienced,” Mr Cheung said. “I don’t think they see themselves as heroes but just ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances doing a job they were trained to do.”Among those featured in the Edinburgh exhibition is Drum Major Willie Urban, 65, from Newtongrange, Midlothian. Image source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland He joined the Scots Guards when he left school as he “didn’t want to go in the pits” like his father. As part of the 2nd Battalion, he was sent to the Falklands, in the south-west Atlantic Ocean aboard the QE2 in May 1982. The luxury liner had been requisitioned for troop transport. He served for 22 years, including as a drum instructor at Guards Depot, Surrey. He returned to live in Newtongrange with his wife, and now works in Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in EdinburghImage source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland Graham Hopewell, 59, originally from Glasgow, was inspired to join the Scots Guards as a teenager drummer after seeing their band play for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. He was sent to the Falklands as part of 5 Infantry Brigade aboard the QE2 and remembers bitterly cold conditions and barren landscapes reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. Graham stayed in the Scots Guards for nearly 24 years, moving to the Transport Platoon, and being promoted to a Corporal. He now lives in Ayrshire with his wife and works as an undertaker. Image source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland Image source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland David Cruickshanks, from Glenrothes, Fife, was the youngest Scot to serve in the Falklands. Shortly after signing up with the Royal Navy, he was asked to join HMS Fearless at the last minute after another crew member fell ill. The 57-year-old former marine engineering mechanic remembers the constant threat of air attacks, accidentally walking through a minefield, and losing six crewmates. Image source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland Image source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland Donald McLeod, 63, joined the Scots Guards when he was 19. He was carrying out public duties in London, when they were told to prepare to sail for the Falklands. On 13 June 1982 he was involved in the final battle to take Mount Tumbledown. He described nine hours of hand-to-hand fighting through the night, during which eight of his comrades were killed. Argentina surrendered the following day. Mr McLeod struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the Army several years later, but managed to turn his life around with help from Poppyscotland and other charities. He now works for Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, and lives in Edinburgh with his therapy dog, MiloImage source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland Graham Walker joined the Royal Navy as a 15-year-old school leaver as he wanted to “see the world”. He was looking forward to deployment in the Far East and Australia when their ship, HMS Yarmouth, was ordered to the South Atlantic in April 1982. Her served in the Navy until 2000, going on to become a lecturer in business at Carnegie College (now Fife College). Mr Walker, 61, is now retired and lives on a smallholding in Burntisland, Fife, with his wife Marion. Image source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland Image source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland Mark Beverstock also joined the Royal Navy straight from school – it was a chance to get paid to go to university and study engineering. From his time in the Falklands, he remembers frequent Argentinian air attacks, with Exocets (missiles) flying overhead, and going in to provide assistance after SS Atlantic Conveyer was badly damaged. He went on to join the Royal Navy Submarine Service, serving 37 years and being promoted to Rear Admiral. The 58-year-old now lives in Kilmacolm, near Glasgow, with his wife Morag. He is president of Poppyscotland and Legion ScotlandImage source, Wattie CheungImage source, Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland For Kenny Duffy, 63, from Largs, Ayrshire, the sea was always part of his life, and he joined the Royal Navy shortly after his 16th birthday. He described the war as “90% boredom and 10% sheer terror”. He went on to serve around the world before leaving the Navy in 1990. He now lives in Edinburgh and works at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory. Dr Claire Armstrong, chief executive of Legion Scotland, said: “These stunning portraits pay tribute to the incredible efforts and resilience of those who served in the Falklands. “They encourage us to reflect on the sacrifices they made 40 years ago and remember those who paid the ultimate price. “Although the conflict lasted for just 74 days, it had a profound impact, with many veterans struggling with the physical and mental scars for decades afterwards.”All images by Wattie Cheung/Poppyscotland.More on this storyWe hid in the cellar as the Falklands were invadedRosyth dockers recognised for Falklands role

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Daniel PicazoA Mexican political advisor has been killed by a lynch mob after child kidnapping accusations were spread on messaging groups, authorities say. Daniel Picazo, 31, was attacked and beaten by a crowd of around 200 people in the central state of Puebla. He had been visiting the town of Papatlazolco when he was cornered by the mob, before being dragged into a local field and set on fire.Local officials called the attack an act of “barbarism”. Mr Picazo was visiting his grandfather’s house in the town when rumours began to spread on local WhatsApp group chats that he had been involved in the kidnapping of a child.According to local media, the mob then cornered and attacked Mr Picazo and his two companions, before dragging him to a local field. Police attempted to intervene and placed him in a patrol car, but were quickly overwhelmed by villagers, who doused Mr Picazo in petrol before setting him alight. His body was later recovered by authorities. In a statement, the city council said it “strongly disapproves this act and reiterates that criminal behaviour must be judged under the procedures of our rule of law”. “The competent authorities are already investigating what happened to determine responsibility,” officials added. Authorities have yet to arrest anyone in connection with the attack, local media reported. Mr Picazo served as an advisor in Mexico’s legislative body, the Chamber of Deputies, until March 2022. Congresswoman Johanna Torress said Mr Picazo had been “a talented, dedicated young man, committed to his country and with big dreams in life”. “I pray to God for his rest and for the good of his family,” she added. The National Action Party, one of the largest parties in the assembly, said it demanded “justice in the face of this unfortunate event”.Mob justice is not uncommon in parts of Mexico, particularly in more remote areas where police are slow to arrive, and Mr Picazo is the second person lynched in the state of Puebla this year.In 2019, seven men were beaten and burned alive by a mob in the state.More on this storyBurned to death because of a rumour on WhatsAppHow WhatsApp helped turn a village into a mobBeaten and humiliated for being a Muslim in India

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesCuba has sentenced 381 people for taking part in rare anti-government protests last summer – with some jailed for up to 25 years.The attorney general’s office said 297 had received prison terms, for crimes of sedition, public disorder, assault or robbery.A minority were given the option to complete community service instead.Thousands of Cubans took part in the demonstrations across the Communist-run island, chanting for “freedom”.The protests, the largest in decades, came amid a severe economic crisis with protesters voicing anger over price increases, and shortages of food and medicine.Unauthorised public gatherings are illegal in Cuba, and more than 1,000 people were arrested. Images on social media showed what appeared to be security forces detaining, beating and pepper-spraying some of the protesters.Those sentenced included “16 young people aged 16 to 18”, according to the country’s public prosecutor on Monday. In 2021, Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the US – which has a decades-long history of tensions with Cuba – for the turmoil. He claimed the protesters were mercenaries hired to destabilise the country, and called on supporters to go out and defend the revolution – referring to the 1959 uprising which ushered in Communist rule.Three key issues that explain Cuba’s rare protestsThis round of jail terms isn’t the first linked to the protests. In March, more than 100 people who took part were sentenced to between six and 30 years’ imprisonment.The US and EU have criticised the trials for lacking transparency, and called for the release of those affected. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyThree key issues that explain Cuba’s rare protestsCuban protesters jailed for up to 30 yearsCubans risk jail in biggest protests for decades

Australia became the 31st team to book their place at the 2022 World Cup after beating Peru on penalties in an intercontinental play-off in Qatar.Goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne, who replaced Mat Ryan just before the shootout for his third cap, was the hero, saving Alex Valera’s final kick.This will be Australia’s fifth World Cup in a row, having qualified every time since 2006.They will be in Group D alongside holders France, Denmark and Tunisia.The World Cup’s final team will be decided on Tuesday when Costa Rica face New Zealand at the same venue, the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.That game will be streamed live on the BBC Sport website and app as well as on iPlayer and the Red Button at 19:00 BSTAustralia boss Graham Arnold’s decision to bring off captain Ryan for Redmayne, whose only previous competitive international was against Nepal, was surprising but it ultimately paid off.The Sydney FC keeper, 33, danced on the line for each kick in a bid to put the Peruvians off and Luis Advincula hit the post before Valera’s final penalty was saved.The game itself in Al Rayyan was far from a classic, with no chances of note in the opening 80 minutes.Australia had three good opportunities in the final 10 minutes with Ajdin Hrustic forcing two saves and Aziz Behich curling just wide.Edison Flores had Peru’s only shot on target but his long-range strike in extra time was straight at Ryan.He went even closer, with the game’s best chance, when his header hit the post.The game was played in excess of 30C in an air-conditioned Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. In the build-up to the game Peru assistant boss Nolberto Solano raised concerns that the World Cup itself was moved to November to avoid the stifling heat, and yet some of the play-offs have been played now.His side, who were hoping to reach a second consecutive World Cup, had finished fifth in South American qualifying to reach this game.Australia finished third in their Asian qualifying group and beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in Qatar last Tuesday to set up their showdown with Peru.Line-upsAustraliaFormation 4-1-4-11Ryan4Atkinson8Wright17Rowles16Behich13Mooy6Boyle10Hrustic22Irvine7Leckie15Duke1RyanSubstituted forRedmayneat 120’minutes4AtkinsonBooked at 12minsSubstituted forKaracicat 90’minutes8Wright17Rowles16BehichSubstituted forGoodwinat 120’minutes13Mooy6Boyle10Hrustic22Irvine7LeckieSubstituted forMaclarenat 87’minutes15DukeSubstituted forMabilat 69’minutesSubstitutes2Degenek3Karacic5Genreau9Maclaren11Mabil12Redmayne14McGree18Vukovic19Goodwin20Sainsbury21Tilio23D’AgostinoPeruFormation 4-1-4-11Gallese17Advíncula5Zambrano22Callens6Trauco13Tapia18Carrillo8Peña16Gonzáles10Cueva9Lapadula1Gallese17Advíncula5Zambrano22Callens6Trauco13Tapia18CarrilloSubstituted forFloresat 65’minutesBooked at 102mins8PeñaSubstituted forAquinoat 80’minutes16Gonzáles10CuevaSubstituted forValeraat 116’minutes9LapadulaSubstitutes2Abram3Corzo4López7Valera11Ormeño12Campos14Cartagena15Araujo19Calcaterra20Flores21Carvallo23AquinoReferee:Slavko VincicMatch Stats

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesIndigenous groups have blocked key roads across Ecuador in protest against the government’s economic policies.Some 20 roadblocks have been set up in 11 Ecuadorean provinces, local media report, partly cutting off access to the capital Quito.The protesters’ list of demands includes reducing the cost of fuel and price caps on agricultural goods.Ecuador is currently grappling with rising levels of inflation, unemployment, and poverty.Roads across the country were blocked from midnight by demonstrators who used piles of burning tyres, trees, and mounds of earth to cut off access.Image source, EPAOrganised by the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), the protesters accuse conservative President Guillerme Lasso of neglecting the economic wellbeing of indigenous communities and submitting to pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).A $6.5bn (£5.3bn) financing deal negotiated between Ecuador’s government and the IMF during the height of the coronavirus pandemic is due to come to an end later this year.Ecuador suffered badly during the pandemic, with health services quickly overwhelmed and bodies left lying in the street. Since 2020, the cost of diesel in Ecuador has almost doubled and the price of gasoline increased sharply to $2.10 (£1.73) per gallon (3.79 litres). Protesters are demanding both prices be frozen at lower levels.”This is a show of strength until the government listens,” 42-year-old protestor Manuel Cocha told AFP, one of dozens of protesters blocking the Pan-American Highway south of Quito.Image source, Getty Images”We have to resort to resistance in view of the national government putting in place more and more policies of death, which don’t allow us to sustain our small economies,” said Leonidas Izas who is head of Conaie. He added that protests would continue as long as necessary.Indigenous people make up over one million of Ecuador’s 17.7 million inhabitants.Late on Sunday President Lasso warned that authorities would not allow protesters to take over roads or oil installations, and earlier today the country’s defence minister Luis Lara said fuel depots and other strategic locations remained “under control”.Image source, Getty ImagesMore on this storyThe activists who battled gold mining with dronesEcuador’s new leader Lasso faces uphill struggle