Authorities search for two men missing in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest

British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Araújo Pereira went missing while reporting in the Javari Valley. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Authorities search for two men missing in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest [British journalist Dom Phillips, right, and a Yanomami Indigenous man walk in Maloca Papiu village, Roraima state, Brazil, Nov. 2019.] Credit: Joao Laet/AP/File photo Brazil Brazil's navy is searching for missing British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Araújo Pereira. Phillips has been a long-time contributor for The Guardian. The two men disappeared while [reporting in the remote Javari Valley]( of the Amazon rainforest near the border with Peru. They had planned to meet with a local leader who never showed up, and then went missing during a two-hour trip to Atalaia do Norte. The organization UNIVAJA has stated that the men [received death threats]( before their disappearance. Amazonas state governor Wilson Lima has ordered specialized police reinforcements to help with the search. The area is difficult to access and is home to thousands of Indigenous people, as well as around 16 uncontacted groups. India Six more countries — including Indonesia, Jordan and Libya — have joined a growing group of voices making diplomatic protests across the Muslim world over inaccurate and derogatory remarks made by spokespeople for the Hindu nationalist party of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. They’ve [lodged official complaints](, and Qatar, Kuwait and Iran even summoned their Indian ambassadors. Some clerics in the Persian Gulf also [called for boycotts]( of Indian products. The ruling BJP party suspended spokeswoman Nupur Sharma in a rare move, along with Naveen Jindal, another party spokesman who had echoed Sharma’s views on Twitter. Hardline party members have expressed anger toward the disciplinary action, but party leaders have released statements saying they “strongly denounced” insults against any religion or religious figure. Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic's minister of environment and natural resources, Orlando Jorge Mera, has been [shot and killed in his office]( by a close personal friend, while conducting a meeting. Jorge Mera was the son of former President Salvador Jorge Blanco. The shooter, Fausto Miguel de Jesus Cruz de la Mota, was soon arrested after going to a local church to confess the crime to a priest. Authorities are investigating the motive, though some sources close to the matter said the two men had [recently disputed]( over environmental policy. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Indigenous activists in Ecuador's Amazon win major environmental award for reclamation of native lands]( [Waorani men dance and sing outside the Constitutional Court in Quito, Ecuador, Feb. 13, 2020.]( Credit: Dolores Ochoa/AP Deep in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, two Indigenous activists, who [secured a legal victory]( against gold mining in their native lands, have won the Goldman Environmental Prize. [Accra’s only surviving greenbelt is under threat. Ghanaians are fighting to protect it.]( [Achimota forest is Accra's only surviving greenbelt, leaving many Ghanaians concerned about its planned rezoning.]( Credit: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman/The World Leaked government documents suggest a portion of the Achimota Forest Reserve could be rezoned for development, [sparking a major outcry]( among residents and conservationists. --------------------------------------------------------------- Help The World invest time and care in our journalism With every story we share, we invest time and care to ensure that we are centering the voices of those behind the headlines. This type of independent, human-centered journalism is more important now than ever before. Can we [count on you]( to keep our nonprofit newsroom going strong? --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot The Cosquer Cave was discovered by diver Henri Cosquer in 1985 off the coast of Marseille, France. Now, with growing concerns that it could be inundated by rising tides from climate change, visitors to the port city can see a replica of the more than 30,000-year-old site. It features [visual and audio components]( of the prehistoric paintings that made the cave internationally famous. [Reproductions of cave drawings are pictured in a replica of the Cosquer Cave in the Villa Mediterranee in Marseille, southern France, June 2, 2022.] Credit: Daniel Cole/AP In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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