Lifestyle & Belief
Tarahumara runners torn between tradition and comfort
The Ciudad Juárez Marathon, in northern Mexico, is known for having an Indigenous category, which attracts runners from the Tarahumara tribe. The group has a long tradition of running long distances while wearing sandals, and have even inspired a trend of barefoot running around the globe. But a new generation of Tarahumaras wants to run in different types of shoes.
Rice shortage shines spotlight on Japan’s agricultural policy
A recent shortage of rice on supermarket shelves in Japan has been pinned on the large number of tourists visiting the country as well as hot weather exacerbated by climate change. But farmers and agricultural analysts say there’s something else at play — a decades-old government program that pays farmers not to plant rice.
‘Guaraní is identity’: How an Indigenous Paraguayan language has endured through the ages
In Paraguay, the Indigenous Guaraní language is spoken as an official language alongside Spanish. Most Paraguayans speak Guaraní or a mixture of Spanish and Guaraní as their first language, whether they are of Indigenous descent or not.
Environmental concerns impact beloved Hindu festival in India
In the Indian city of Mumbai, millions of Hindus just wrapped up the annual, 10-day celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, a holiday dedicated to the elephant god, Ganesha. The holiday has come under scrutiny, however, because of the environmental damage that results from releasing millions of statues into water bodies across the state each year.
What’s left for the opposition after the likely president-elect fled the country
The widely recognized winner of Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election, Edmundo González, was forced to flee into exile, and is now seeking asylum in Spain. Experts say his decision to leave makes it even more challenging for the opposition to reverse President Nicolás Maduro’s fraudulent victory.