South America

Murdered Nun's Remains Identified.  [Argentina] A team of Argentine doctors has identified the remains of a French nun, Leonie Duquet, almost 30 years after she disappeared during Argentina's "Dirty War", judicial authorities said overnight.  Using DNA testing, the doctors confirmed that the remains, discovered in July along with those of six others in an unmarked communal grave in a village cemetery south of Buenos Aires, belong to Duquet, authorities said.  Three other sets of remains had already been identified as those of Azucena Villaflor, Esther Ballestrino de Careaga and Maria Ponce de Bianco, leaders of the Mothers of May Square, a movement that was created by women whose children disappeared during the brutal military dictatorship of 1976-1983.
Woman's Campaign Nets $13K for Katrina Relief.  [Brazil] Moved by the desire to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, a local Brazilian woman raised $13,000 through donations from Brazilian businesses, churches and residents in the area.  Louraine Camargo, 23, a missionary at Framingham's World Revival Church Assembly of God, collected the money by knocking on businesses' doors, visiting churches and spreading the message through a Brazilian radio program.  It was something Camargo wanted to do, she said, to show that Brazilians can pitch in to help the victims of Katrina, following the example of hundreds of communities across the nation.
Naomi Campbell Defends Kate Moss.  [Colombia] Naomi Campbell has spoken out in support of Kate Moss, who has lost three modeling contracts and is being investigated by London police on allegations that she used cocaine.

Abortion Fight.  [Colombia] Pilar Duran and Alex Polania are devout Catholics who have long equated abortion to murder but recently joined a growing campaign to ease Colombia's strict anti-abortion law.  Their views on abortion changed last month after their second child, Sara, was born with severe mental and physical disabilities, likely to die within weeks.  The couple now say they would have aborted the pregnancy if they had known their child was disabled.
Beauty Contest Behind Bars.  [Colombia] Female prisoners at Colombia's biggest prison have been competing in a beauty pageant.  Inmates of Buen Pastor Prison are rivals for the title of Miss Congeniality 2005.  The contestants include armed robber Heidi Leon and drug trafficker Yury Uribe.  They list hobbies such as 'listening to the radio'.  Yury, who was arrested trying to enter the U.S. with half a kilo of heroin in her stomach, was the eventual winner.
Woman Strives to Help Some of World's Neediest.  [Ecuador] It takes a village to build a village.  That is the philosophy behind Homes of Hope, a project started by the Rotary Club, an international service organization with a local chapter in Sayreville and South Amboy.  Karen Brotea, of Sheffield Mews on Main Street, has participated in the Homes of Hope project for the last two years.  In July, she spent two weeks in the village of San Pablo, Ecuador.

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