Cargo ship traffic jams at Panama Canal
A cargo ship sails toward the Pacific Ocean after its transit though the Panama Canal, as seen from Panama City, Aug. 3, 2023. The Panama Canal Authority said it is limiting traffic to 32 daily ship transits through the canal after months of drought and expect less income in 2024 due to the ongoing water crisis.
The Panama Canal uses a series of locks to raise the water level and carry ships across from one ocean to the other. But that requires lots of freshwater — and it’s running low in Panama. And, On Wednesday, Zimbabweans will take to the polls to vote for their next president. Observers are saying this election is marred by violence and intimidation against the opposition and its supporters. Also, today in South Africa, the BRICS summit is in full swing. BRICS stands for “Brazil, Russia, India China, South Africa,” an economic bloc of countries billed as five major emerging economies collectively representing 40% of the world’s population. Plus, remembering Isabel Cook, an anthropologist who joined Mao Zedong’s rural revolution.