ReportWire

Tag: Brazil

  • Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins giant slalom, earns South America’s 1st medal at Winter Games

    [ad_1]

    With Brazil entering the joyous throes of Carnival, Alpine ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen on Saturday gave it another reason to celebrate — an Olympic medal.It was the first-ever medal at the Winter Games for any country in South America. And not just any medal: Gold.The win for the 25-year-old known in Brazil as “O cara do ski” — the skiing dude — happened on the first full day of Carnival, the pre-Lenten party that fills city streets with revelers drinking and dancing to their hearts’ content. Even if lots of ordinary Brazilians were more preoccupied with that bacchanal, Pinheiro Braathen’s gold-medal glory bumped Carnival news from top spots on major news websites. It was another in a series of recent scores for Brazil on top global stages that have provided what some view as long-overdue acclaim.“This has become one of my top five Brazil gold medals in Olympic history, no doubt,” radio host and sports fanatic Thiago Varella, 41, told The Associated Press from Campinas, a city where Pinheiro Braathen has relatives and took several childhood vacations. “He will be our skiing dude forever. Even people who don’t understand the sport now will come to admire his story and his Brazilian-ness.”Once a racer for Norway, Pinheiro Braathen switched to Brazil, his mother’s home country, and with two powerful runs Saturday to win the Olympic giant slalom he earned the distinction of picking up South America’s first medal at a Winter Games.“I’ve tried over and over again to put words into what it is that I’m feeling,” Pinheiro Braathen said. “But it’s simply impossible.”He gave his country another reason to celebrate even if it already just so happened to be Carnival season. The fun-loving, samba-dancing skier had the perfect helmet for the occasion, too, stenciling on the back “Vamos Dancar” — “Let’s Dance.”He did a rhythmic number in the first run that gave him a 0.95-second edge.With snow falling and fog settling in on the final run, the 25-year-old Pinheiro Braathen remained cool and relaxed as he navigated his way through the technical Stelvio course. After seeing his place — No. 1 — he just stared. When it finally sank in, he fell to the snow before starting to scream.He finished in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 25 seconds to beat Swiss racer Marco Odermatt, the defending Olympic champion, by 0.58 seconds. Odermatt’s teammate, Loic Meillard, earned bronze.“It’s a moment that’s hard to grasp, even though it’s crystal clear that you are officially the Olympic champion,” Pinheiro Braathen explained. “Even though I had such faith and I knew that this was written for me, it is still so incredible to live that dream turned reality. I couldn’t quite grasp it.”Pinheiro Braathen’s mother is Brazilian and his father is Norwegian. He started racing for Norway until abruptly retiring before the 2023 season, only to return a year later representing Brazil.He’s already accomplished plenty of firsts with his new country: First Brazilian Alpine racer to finish on a World Cup podium last year and first World Cup win for the country this season.Now, he’s the first Olympian from the South American continent to bring home a winter medal.”The emotions that I’m feeling right now is an internal sun inside of me that is shining so, so bright and toward so many people,” he said. “I was skiing with my heart, and when you ski the way you are, anything is possible. The only thing that matters to me is that I remain who I am. I am a Brazilian skier who became an Olympic champion.”That’s why he got so choked up hearing his nation’s anthem on the podium. Brazil has taken part of every edition of the Winter Olympics since 1992. The country’s best result until Pinheiro Braathen’s gold medal was ninth place in women’s snowboarding in 2006 with Isabel Clark.“Being the reason that I get to hear and share that song in a stadium in the middle of mountains, because of a Winter Olympic gold medal for these colors, I’m beyond proud,” Pinheiro Braathen said.He gave a shoutout to the Norwegian Ski Federation as well.“I don’t have any hate or bad feelings about what has happened,” he said. “I’m just thankful, because it’s our differences in our perspectives that have forced me to confront myself to follow my own dream. And it was that heart, and that strength, that brought me to the top of the Olympics.”It was another medal for Odermatt at the Milan Cortina Games. He also won silver in the team combined event, where he partnered with Meillard, and bronze in the super-G.“Three medals,” Odermatt said, “is amazing.”Odermatt was asked about seeing a Brazilian on top of the Olympic podium and its significance: “For me, it doesn’t represent anything. He did his whole education in Norway. He just switched to Brazil now, so I don’t care about this. But he’s an amazing skier, and I have respect for him as an athlete.”Atle Lie McGrath of Norway finished fifth. He has known Pinheiro Braathen since they began racing together as kids for their ski club.“We shared a nice hug over there,” said McGrath, who wore a black armband in tribute to his late grandfather. “I’m really proud of him.”In Milan, Pinheiro Braathen’s fans, decked out in green and yellow, crowded into “Casa Brasil.” They cheered for the entirety of his run, screaming and jumping to their feet once he finished. The sound system blared “We Are The Champions” before playing samba-infused songs for everyone to dance to.For Pinheiro Braathen, it’s hard for him to imagine how he will be perceived now that he’s won gold for Brazil. He’s eager to find out.“I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve read through from the day I started representing Brazil until becoming an Olympic champion today that has been along the lines of, ‘I have no idea of what’s going on, but let’s go Brazil. Let’s go Lucas,’” Pinheiro Braathen recounted. “I think it’s that unconditional love and support from the Brazilians, even though we’re still in this journey of introducing ski racing to Brazil, that I really brought with me today and allowed me to ski as fast as I did.” In Milan, several hundred fans packed into Brazil House, a gathering spot organized by its Olympic committee.“We’re used to this feeling a lot in (soccer), sometimes in volleyball, but, you know, it’s a winter sport, it’s a snow sport,” said Aline Fialho of Recife, in Brazil’s northeast. “We don’t have snow in Brazil, so it’s a little bit surreal, but I feel very proud.”

    BORMIO, Italy —

    With Brazil entering the joyous throes of Carnival, Alpine ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen on Saturday gave it another reason to celebrate — an Olympic medal.

    It was the first-ever medal at the Winter Games for any country in South America. And not just any medal: Gold.

    The win for the 25-year-old known in Brazil as “O cara do ski” — the skiing dude — happened on the first full day of Carnival, the pre-Lenten party that fills city streets with revelers drinking and dancing to their hearts’ content. Even if lots of ordinary Brazilians were more preoccupied with that bacchanal, Pinheiro Braathen’s gold-medal glory bumped Carnival news from top spots on major news websites. It was another in a series of recent scores for Brazil on top global stages that have provided what some view as long-overdue acclaim.

    “This has become one of my top five Brazil gold medals in Olympic history, no doubt,” radio host and sports fanatic Thiago Varella, 41, told The Associated Press from Campinas, a city where Pinheiro Braathen has relatives and took several childhood vacations. “He will be our skiing dude forever. Even people who don’t understand the sport now will come to admire his story and his Brazilian-ness.”

    Once a racer for Norway, Pinheiro Braathen switched to Brazil, his mother’s home country, and with two powerful runs Saturday to win the Olympic giant slalom he earned the distinction of picking up South America’s first medal at a Winter Games.

    “I’ve tried over and over again to put words into what it is that I’m feeling,” Pinheiro Braathen said. “But it’s simply impossible.”

    He gave his country another reason to celebrate even if it already just so happened to be Carnival season. The fun-loving, samba-dancing skier had the perfect helmet for the occasion, too, stenciling on the back “Vamos Dancar” — “Let’s Dance.”

    He did a rhythmic number in the first run that gave him a 0.95-second edge.

    With snow falling and fog settling in on the final run, the 25-year-old Pinheiro Braathen remained cool and relaxed as he navigated his way through the technical Stelvio course. After seeing his place — No. 1 — he just stared. When it finally sank in, he fell to the snow before starting to scream.

    Anadolu

    Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil and Loic Meillard of Switzerland on the podium of the Giant Slalom race at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on February 14, 2026.

    He finished in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 25 seconds to beat Swiss racer Marco Odermatt, the defending Olympic champion, by 0.58 seconds. Odermatt’s teammate, Loic Meillard, earned bronze.

    “It’s a moment that’s hard to grasp, even though it’s crystal clear that you are officially the Olympic champion,” Pinheiro Braathen explained. “Even though I had such faith and I knew that this was written for me, it is still so incredible to live that dream turned reality. I couldn’t quite grasp it.”

    Pinheiro Braathen’s mother is Brazilian and his father is Norwegian. He started racing for Norway until abruptly retiring before the 2023 season, only to return a year later representing Brazil.

    He’s already accomplished plenty of firsts with his new country: First Brazilian Alpine racer to finish on a World Cup podium last year and first World Cup win for the country this season.

    Now, he’s the first Olympian from the South American continent to bring home a winter medal.

    “The emotions that I’m feeling right now is an internal sun inside of me that is shining so, so bright and toward so many people,” he said. “I was skiing with my heart, and when you ski the way you are, anything is possible. The only thing that matters to me is that I remain who I am. I am a Brazilian skier who became an Olympic champion.”

    That’s why he got so choked up hearing his nation’s anthem on the podium. Brazil has taken part of every edition of the Winter Olympics since 1992. The country’s best result until Pinheiro Braathen’s gold medal was ninth place in women’s snowboarding in 2006 with Isabel Clark.

    “Being the reason that I get to hear and share that song in a stadium in the middle of mountains, because of a Winter Olympic gold medal for these colors, I’m beyond proud,” Pinheiro Braathen said.

    He gave a shoutout to the Norwegian Ski Federation as well.

    “I don’t have any hate or bad feelings about what has happened,” he said. “I’m just thankful, because it’s our differences in our perspectives that have forced me to confront myself to follow my own dream. And it was that heart, and that strength, that brought me to the top of the Olympics.”

    It was another medal for Odermatt at the Milan Cortina Games. He also won silver in the team combined event, where he partnered with Meillard, and bronze in the super-G.

    “Three medals,” Odermatt said, “is amazing.”

    Odermatt was asked about seeing a Brazilian on top of the Olympic podium and its significance: “For me, it doesn’t represent anything. He did his whole education in Norway. He just switched to Brazil now, so I don’t care about this. But he’s an amazing skier, and I have respect for him as an athlete.”

    Atle Lie McGrath of Norway finished fifth. He has known Pinheiro Braathen since they began racing together as kids for their ski club.

    “We shared a nice hug over there,” said McGrath, who wore a black armband in tribute to his late grandfather. “I’m really proud of him.”

    In Milan, Pinheiro Braathen’s fans, decked out in green and yellow, crowded into “Casa Brasil.” They cheered for the entirety of his run, screaming and jumping to their feet once he finished. The sound system blared “We Are The Champions” before playing samba-infused songs for everyone to dance to.

    For Pinheiro Braathen, it’s hard for him to imagine how he will be perceived now that he’s won gold for Brazil. He’s eager to find out.

    “I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve read through from the day I started representing Brazil until becoming an Olympic champion today that has been along the lines of, ‘I have no idea of what’s going on, but let’s go Brazil. Let’s go Lucas,’” Pinheiro Braathen recounted. “I think it’s that unconditional love and support from the Brazilians, even though we’re still in this journey of introducing ski racing to Brazil, that I really brought with me today and allowed me to ski as fast as I did.”

    In Milan, several hundred fans packed into Brazil House, a gathering spot organized by its Olympic committee.

    “We’re used to this feeling a lot in (soccer), sometimes in volleyball, but, you know, it’s a winter sport, it’s a snow sport,” said Aline Fialho of Recife, in Brazil’s northeast. “We don’t have snow in Brazil, so it’s a little bit surreal, but I feel very proud.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Shark kills 13-year-old boy at popular beach in Brazil:

    [ad_1]

    A 13-year-old boy died on Thursday after he was mauled by a shark at a popular beach on Brazil’s eastern coast, the state government said in a statement.

    The attack happened off the coast of Chifre beach in Brazil’s tourist hotspot Pernambuco, the State Committee for Monitoring Shark Incidents (CEMIT) said in a news release.

    The boy was taken to hospital but “did not survive his injuries,” CEMIT added.

    Dr. Levy Dalton, who treated the victim, said the boy had been bitten on the right thigh, before suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest, UOL Notícias Brasil reported.

    “Unfortunately, we were unable to resuscitate him, (…) unfortunately we couldn’t do much for him,” Dalton told reporters, according to the outlet.

    Brazilian outlet G1 identified the victim as Deivson Rocha Dantas. According G1, the boy’s cousin, Lídia Emanuele, told TV Globo that the shark “ate almost his entire leg” and he was pulled out of the water by others who were about the same age.

    Dozens of beaches along the turquoise coastlines of Pernambuco have been issued with shark warnings, authorities said, adding that Chifre beach had issued four such signs for beachgoers.

    Nonetheless, CEMIT said it would beef up shark monitoring following the boy’s death and bring back a suspended program to track the creatures with microchips.

    The attack happened off the coast of Chifre beach in Brazil’s tourist hotspot Pernambuco, the State Committee for Monitoring Shark Incidents (CEMIT) said.

    CEMIT


    More than 80 shark attacks have been recorded in Pernambuco since 1992, with 26 of them fatal, excluding the boy who died on Thursday, CEMIT said.

    Last week, a 12-year-old boy who was bitten by a shark in Australia’s Sydney Harbor died of his injuries, his family said.

    Earlier this month, a 56-year-old woman from Minnesota died after a shark attack in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

    In:

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Mota-Engil finalises $1.5bn concession for Brazilian underwater tunnel

    [ad_1]

    Mota-Engil Latam Portugal has finalised a concession contract for the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project to construct, operate, and maintain the Santos-Guarajá Submerged Tunnel in São Paulo, Brazil.

    The project entails an investment of approximately 7.8 billion reais ($1.5bn). Public contributions will provide up to 5.1bn reais during the construction phase, shared equally between the São Paulo state government and the federal government.

    The concession period spans 30 years, during which Mota-Engil will develop Brazil’s first underwater tunnel, measuring roughly 1.5km in length, with 870m submerged beneath the access channel to the Port of Santos.

    Upon commencement of operations, the concessionaire will receive a fixed annual revenue of 436.1m reais, alongside an estimated additional revenue of around 2.5bn reais over the operational period of 25 years.

    The construction phase is set to last five years and is expected to add approximately €1.2bn to Mota-Engil’s backlog.

    The tunnel will feature three lanes in each direction, a dedicated line for light rail vehicles (LRV), and designated areas for cyclists and pedestrians.

    This infrastructure aims to significantly reduce travel time from an hour to five minutes for approximately 720,000 users of the existing routes.

    The project is anticipated to enhance the competitiveness of the Port of Santos, the largest port in Latin America, and stimulate economic activity while promoting sustainability by lowering fuel consumption and emissions in the region.

    This contract represents a significant milestone under the New PAC – Growth Acceleration Plan, increasing Mota-Engil’s backlog in Brazil to around €2.2bn.

    The Mota-Engil Group sees considerable potential for further investment and expansion in the Brazilian market in the medium to long term.

    “Mota-Engil finalises $1.5bn concession for Brazilian underwater tunnel” was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand.

     


    The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Rich Cultural Vacations Await At These Central And South American Countries

    [ad_1]

    Central and South America are having something of a moment in the travel world. From the elegant sophistication of Buenos Aires in Argentina to the fascinating Indigenous communities hidden away in the mountains of Bolivia and Peru, there are stunning and unusual places to discover from the top to the bottom of Latin America.

    There are plenty of spots in Central and South America that are already world-renowned vacation destinations, but there are also some truly stunning places that are getting more attention this year. Not only are these spots incredibly beautiful, but they also offer a rich, cultural experience that is truly hard to beat. With an extraordinary cultural diversity on show, Latin America provides a unique and fascinating array of traditions, history, art, and culture that makes it one of the world’s best regions to explore.

    We looked at some of the most authoritative travel guides in the world and cross-referenced several Best Travel Destinations for 2026 lists. From these sources, we’ve chosen five of the most exciting countries in South and Central America: Panama, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, and Brazil. These destinations should definitely be on your radar to visit in 2026 for a rich cultural experience.

    Read more: 20 Most Dangerous Islands In The World

    Panama

    Panama City old building at night – angela Meier/Shutterstock

    Panama is sometimes seen as just the country of the Panama Canal and retired expats, but there are a whole lot of other reasons why Panama should be your next travel destination. This small, beautiful, friendly country boasts a fabulous climate, some amazing beaches and rainforests, and stunning colonial relics, and it is a wonderfully affordable place to visit as well.

    One of the emerging places in Panama that is set to be a standout destination for 2026 is the Chiriqui Province, on the Pacific Coast, about 300 miles southwest of the capital, Panama City. It is a fantastically diverse region, offering a combination of stunning natural beauty, fascinating history, and castaway-style vibes. It is one of Panama’s biggest coffee-producing regions, and the Feria de las Flores y Del Café in the picture-perfect town of Boquete is a wonderful way to experience the culture surrounding this industry. Even if you miss the festival, a coffee-tasting at one of the many plantations surrounding the town is a great experience.

    Chiriqui’s natural environment is one of its biggest draws. La Amistad International Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site covering nearly 1 million acres and Central America’s largest nature reserve. The Gulf of Chiriqui National Marine Park is also worth visiting, particularly from July to October during the humpback whale migration. The region is also famous for its farm-to-table cuisine, with spots like Finca Lerida in Boquete serving up fabulous Panamanian flavors using local organic produce.

    Colombia

    A wide view of the city of Medellin, Columbia in the valley of the mountains during a colorful sunset

    A wide view of the city of Medellin, Columbia in the valley of the mountains during a colorful sunset – Matt Lavigne/Getty Images

    For many years, Colombia has had a reputation as one of the most dangerous South American destinations to visit, but the last few years have seen it shake off this image, and there are some excellent destinations set to be huge in 2026. The vibrant city of Medellin is emblematic of Colombia’s evolution, having gone from the narco capital of the country to one of the most exciting food cities in South America in just two decades. Famed for its buzzy nightlife and ingenious urban sprawl, the cluster of hillside communities that make up this vibey city is filled with incredible places to eat and drink, and the arrival of the $100-million Wake development is set to turbo-charge this foodie atmosphere.

    Colombia’s rich cultural offerings continue in the fortified seaside city of Cartagena de Indias. With its wonderfully preserved stone walls, charming historic city center, gorgeous Spanish colonial architecture, and magnificent museums, it is a treasure trove of historical and cultural experiences. Don’t miss the Museo de Oro Zenú and the Museo Histórico de Cartagena for a chance to explore Colombia’s varied and at times dark past.

    Brazil

    Pampulha Lagoon, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

    Pampulha Lagoon, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais – Ribeirorocha/Getty Images

    Brazil is hardly a hidden gem in South America. From the endless white-sand beaches and vibrant nightlife of Rio de Janeiro to the lush Amazonian rainforests, Brazil has been a bucket list destination for many travelers for years. But there are still plenty of undiscovered gems in this vast country ready to be discovered.

    One spot that is being heralded as a breakout star for 2026 is Minas Gerais. One of the largest states in Brazil, it has been overlooked by international tourists for years but is an astonishingly rich and diverse region with a wonderful gastronomic culture, beautiful colonial architecture, and vibrant boteco nightlife. Its capital, Belo Horizonte, is sophisticated and lively in equal measures, with an astonishingly hip and forward-thinking dining scene boasting a series of young, talented chefs like Caio Soter and Bruna Rezende. It is one of the best places in Brazil for contemporary art, with spots like Mercado Novo, Albuquerque Contemporânea, and the recently-opened Galeria Ficus in the city itself, and Inhotim, Latin America’s largest open-air art museum, just over 30 miles out of town.

    Another fantastic yet underappreciated gem in Brazil is the lush, stunning wetlands of the Pantanal. The world’s largest tropical wetland, this enormous region has a truly staggering variety and amount of wildlife, from jaguars, capybaras, and giant otters to caimans, tapirs, and the legendary hyacinth macaws. A seasonal floodplain of epic proportions, it is exceptionally remote and quite a challenge to visit, but this makes it all the more worthwhile.

    Chile

    Guanaco with a mountain in the background in Chilean Patagonia

    Guanaco with a mountain in the background in Chilean Patagonia – Espiegle/Getty Images

    Chile is an extraordinary country. A long sliver of land sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and Argentina, it runs around half the length of South America, bordering Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Often overlooked in favor of its more famous neighbors, it offers an astounding variety of landscapes, ecosystems, and cultures, from incredible wines and gaucho culture to the wide-open skies of the Atacama Desert and the soaring peaks of the Andes.

    Right at the southern tip of the continent, Patagonia is a famous destination for adventure travelers, with Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park a favorite. But recently, the lesser-known delights of the north of the region have begun to gain popularity, thanks to its unspoiled natural beauty, incredible wildlife, and magnificent hot springs.

    Another relatively underexplored spot in Chile that is primed for a huge 2026 is the Colchagua Valley, Chilean wine country. Chilean wine is often slept on, overlooked in favor of its noisier Argentinian cousin, but the Colchagua Valley boasts some of the world’s most impressive wineries, as well as being the center of Chilean cowboy culture. With 2026 marking the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of Chile’s Wine Route, it is looking like it will be a big year for this area in particular.

    Bolivia

    Cityscape of Potosi with the red mountain Cerro Rico in the background

    Cityscape of Potosi with the red mountain Cerro Rico in the background – Rchphoto/Getty Images

    Bolivia is one of South America’s true hidden gems. Known by international tourists and photography fans primarily for the bizarre and beautiful shimmering bone-white landscape of Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, the rest of the country is far less explored. But there’s a tremendous amount to discover, and 2026 might be the year it gets the recognition it deserves.

    Potosí is the region that surrounds the otherworldly expanse of Salar de Uyuni and has plenty of other attractions to recommend it to adventurous tourists. The capital city, Potosí, has an extraordinary history intertwined with the silver mines of the Cerro Rico, and popular legend has it that at least one street in the city was literally paved with silver! A UNESCO World Heritage site, the city boasts some truly gorgeous Mestizo-Baroque houses, churches, and theaters, as well as the Casa Real de la Moneda, the former mint now converted into a museum.

    The rest of the region is splendidly weird, from the looming summit of Cerro Rico (known as the mountain that eats men due to the vast number of people who died working in its mines) to the crimson waters of the Laguna Colorada. One of the main attractions is the bubbling thermal springs that pop up from the volcanic energy below the surface of the Earth, like the Termas de Polques and the mythical Ojo del Inca, usually known as Laguna Tarapaya.

    Methodology

    Lake Pehoe in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile

    Lake Pehoe in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile – Aoldman/Getty Images

    To curate this list, we looked at lists of travel destinations for 2026 from authoritative sources, searching for compelling arguments in favor of particular countries or destinations. We prioritized popular countries with regions or cities that have, up to now, been underexplored or overlooked, as well as places that have a particular anniversary or occasion that would suggest increased tourist interest in 2026. Other considerations were areas that offered specific experiences that were similar to those elsewhere in the country but with fewer visitors.

    Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world’s best-kept travel secrets. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.

    Read the original article on Explore.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Brazil Police Target Rio Pension Fund in Probe Linked to Banco Master, Sources Say

    [ad_1]

    RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Brazil’s ‌federal ​police on Friday served ‌search and seizure warrants against Rio de Janeiro state’s ​pension fund in the latest development tied to the collapse of lender ‍Banco Master, three sources told ​Reuters.

    The operation was part of an investigation into about 970 ​million reais ($183.56 ⁠million) in so-called financial bills issued by a private bank, the police said in a statement, without naming their target.

    Sources familiar with the matter said the probe was related to Master, which was shut down ‌in November by Brazil’s central bank amid a severe liquidity crisis ​and ‌violations of financial-system rules.

    The ‍liquidation triggered ⁠the largest-ever payout by Brazil’s private deposit guarantee fund, but the securities purchased by Rio de Janeiro state’s pension fund Rioprevidencia were not eligible for coverage.

    In a statement, Rioprevidencia said it is protected by a court ruling issued in December, which ordered the retention of roughly 970 million reais ​related to the invested amounts in order to safeguard the retirement assets of active and retired civil servants and pensioners.

    “As a result, the investment is already being repaid through the retention of proceeds from payroll-deducted loans that would otherwise have been transferred to Banco (Master),” the fund said.

    According to Rioprevidencia, this means the funds are available to the pension system’s cash flow, and the investment is expected to be fully settled within around ​two years.

    The pension fund added that all of its investments “strictly complied with current legislation and oversight rules.”

    (Reporting by Rodigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro and Lisandra Paraguassu and ​Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Gabriel Araujo and Chris Reese)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Meteoric secures $50m EFA backing for Caldeira project in Brazil

    [ad_1]

    Meteoric Resources has secured a non-binding, conditional letter of support (LoS) for financing of up to $50m (A$74.71m) from Export Finance Australia (EFA) to back its Caldeira rare earth project in Brazil.

    The funding is aimed at enabling the engagement of Australian engineering, procurement, construction, and management contractors for the Caldeira development.

    It is expected to strengthen cooperation between Australia and Brazil by bolstering supply chain support within the Caldeira project.

    In addition to the support from EFA, the Caldeira project obtained a $250m letter of interest from the US Export-Import Bank in March 2024, establishing a strong base for the project’s financing.

    Meteoric remains in ongoing discussions with the Brazilian Development Bank, other export credit agencies and potential strategic investors to optimise the funding structure for Caldeira.

    According to the company, this LoS underscores the commitment of Australia’s export credit agency to promoting exports in the global rare earths sector, while helping to strengthen supply chain diversification.

    The company plans to continue its engagement with EFA and other partners as part of its broader funding strategy.

    Meteoric managing director Stuart Gale said: “We view the LoS from EFA as a strong vote of confidence in Meteoric’s strategy and capability to become the next major supplier of critical rare earth materials. This endorsement will assist with the broader project financing discussions under way for the Caldeira project and adds flexibility to our funding strategy.

    “The recent approval of our Preliminary Environmental Licence without restriction, commissioning of our pilot plant and first production of a mixed rare earth carbonate, the Caldeira project is now positioned as one of the world’s most advanced, highest confidence, high-grade rare earth developments.”

    The Caldeira project consists of 77 licences, collectively covering more than 193km² in the south-west of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, near the city of Poços de Caldas.

    Last June, MTM Critical Metals signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Meteoric to improve the processing of mixed rare earth carbonate from the latter’s Caldeira rare earth project.

    “Meteoric secures $50m EFA backing for Caldeira project in Brazil” was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

     


    The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Nestle Infant Formula Recall Widens to China, Brazil

    [ad_1]

    LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Nestle’s recall of some ‌batches ​of infant nutrition products ‌has widened beyond Europe to the Americas and Asia, ​including China and Brazil, a tally from the company and national health ministry ‍statements show. 

    No illnesses have yet ​been confirmed in connection with the batches of SMA, BEBA, ​NAN and ⁠Alfamino formula which Nestle has recalled due to possible contamination with cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting.

    At least 37 countries, including most European states, as well as Australia, Brazil, China and Mexico, have ‌issued health warnings over the infant formulas possibly being contaminated.

    The recall piles ​more ‌pressure on the KitKat ‍and Nescafe ⁠maker and its new CEO Philipp Navratil, who is seeking to revive growth through a portfolio review after management upheavals, with Nestle’s shares down around 4.5% so far this week.

    Brazil’s health ministry said on Wednesday that the Nestle recall was a preventative measure after the toxin had been detected in products originating in the ​Netherlands. 

    Nestle Australia said the batches recalled there had been manufactured in Switzerland, while Nestle China said it was recalling formula batches imported from Europe.

    Austria’s health ministry said on Tuesday the recall affected more than 800 products from over 10 factories and was the largest in Nestle’s history. A Nestle spokesperson could not verify this.

    Nestle said on Tuesday it had tested all arachidonic acid oil and corresponding oil mixes used in the production of its potentially ​impacted infant nutrition products after a quality issue was detected in an ingredient from a leading supplier.

    It is now ramping up production and activating alternative suppliers of the acid oil to maintain supply.

    (Reporting ​by Alexander Marrow in London and Igor Sodre in Sao Paulo; Editing by Alexander Smith)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Brazil’s Bolsonaro Authorized to Go to Hospital for Tests After Fall

    [ad_1]

    BRASILIA, Jan 7 (Reuters) – ‌Brazil’s ​Supreme ‌Court Justice Alexandre de ​Moraes authorized former President ‍Jair Bolsonaro to ​leave prison ​and ⁠be taken to a hospital for tests after he fell and hit his ‌head, a court decision ​showed on ‌Wednesday.

    Moraes authorized ‍Bolsonaro to ⁠go to the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia on January 7 to undergo a ​CT scan, an MRI, and an electroencephalogram.

    On Tuesday, Moraes had denied an earlier request for Bolsonaro to leave prison, arguing there was no need for him to ​be immediately taken to hospital.

    (Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by ​Isabel Teles; Editing by Gabriel Araujo)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • McDonald’s customer launches flying kick at employee during heated restaurant brawl

    [ad_1]

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    A customer at a McDonald’s in Brazil was seen launching into a flying kick toward an employee during a fight in the fast-food restaurant. 

    The incident happened at the chain’s Sao Paulo location during a confrontation between workers and customers, The Sun reported.

    A couple was seen arguing with staff members on Dec. 13 when the dispute escalated. 

    MCDONALD’S WORKER SHOOTS CUSTOMER IN NECK DURING ‘MCMESS’ ALTERCATION, FLORIDA SHERIFF SAYS

    An altercation occurred in a McDonald’s in Brazil, which ended in a customer launching a “flying kick” at an employee. (Mike Leidig/newsX)

    As both sides scream at each other, a female customer is seen hurling a fallen burger at one of the employees, the outlet reported. 

    In response, an employee throws what appeared to be a burger box at a man in a white T-shirt who appears to be accompanying the woman.

    The man leads a small girl away before he launched himself at employees near a counter with a flying kick. An employee then appears to throw a punch, prompting the man to walk away. 

    WATCH: FOOD ORDER MIX-UP TRIGGERS BRAWL AT BURGER JOINT, LEADING TO SEVEN ARRESTS

    McDonald's worker and customer have a altercation

    Footage captured an altercation in a McDonald’s in Brazil. (Mike Leidig/newsX)

    Other employees attempted to step in as the woman demanded her money back. She is seen picking something up from the counter and throwing it before the footage ends. 

    The reason for the dispute was unclear, but local media outlets said it could have stemmed from a food order. 

    McDonald’s said it regretted the scenes of violence at its Sao Paulo branch, the Sun report states. 

    McDonald's worker hurls an item at a customer

    A McDonald’s employee in Brazil is seen getting ready to throw something toward a customer.  (Mike Leidig/newsX)

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    The fast-food giant said it was investigating the incident and taking appropriate measures.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Sugar Prices Slump as Production Jumps in India

    [ad_1]

    March NY world sugar #11 (SBH26) on Friday closed down -0.41 (-2.73%).  March London ICE white sugar #5 (SWH26) closed down -8.90 (-2.08%).

    Sugar prices dropped to 2-week lows on Friday and finished sharply lower.  Sugar prices retreated after the India Sugar Mill Association (ISMA) reported Thursday that Indian sugar production for 2025-26, from October 1 to December 31, jumped 25% y/y to 11.90 MMT from 9.54 MMT the same time last year.

    Signs of a larger sugar crop in India, the world’s second-largest producer, are undercutting prices after the India Sugar Mill Association (ISMA) on November 11 raised its 2025/26 India sugar production estimate to 31 MMT from an earlier forecast of 30 MMT, up +18.8% y/y.  The ISMA also cut its estimate for sugar used for ethanol production in India to 3.4 MMT from a July forecast of 5 MMT, which may allow India to boost its sugar exports.  Meanwhile,

    Sugar prices have been under pressure amid prospects of higher sugar exports from India, after India’s food secretary said the government may permit additional sugar exports to reduce a domestic supply glut.  In November, India’s food ministry said it would allow mills to export 1.5 MMT of sugar in the 2025/26 season.  India introduced a quota system for sugar exports in 2022/23 after late rain reduced production and limited domestic supplies.

    On Monday, NY sugar matched last Wednesday’s 2.25-month high on expectations of smaller future sugar supplies from Brazil.  Last Tuesday, consulting firm Safras & Mercado said that Brazil’s sugar production in 2026/27 will fall by -3.91% to 41.8 MMT from 43.5 MMT expected in 2025/26.  The firm expects Brazil’s sugar exports in 2026/27 to fall -11% y/y to 30 MMT.

    The outlook for record sugar output in Brazil is bearish for prices.  Conab, Brazil’s crop forecasting agency, on November 4 raised its Brazil 2025/26 sugar production estimate to 45 MMT from a previous forecast of 44.5 MMT.  Unica reported on December 16 that Brazil’s cumulative 2025-26 Center-South sugar output through November rose by +1.1% y/y to 39.904 MMT.  Also, the ratio of cane crushed for sugar rose to 51.12% in 2025/36 from 48.34% in 2024/25.

    On the bearish side for sugar, the International Sugar Organization (ISO) on November 17 forecast a 1.625 million MT sugar surplus in 2025-26, following a 2.916 million MT deficit in 2024-25.  ISO said the surplus is being driven by increased sugar production in India, Thailand, and Pakistan.  ISO is forecasting a +3.2% y/y rise in global sugar production to 181.8 million MT in 2025-26.  Meanwhile, sugar trader Czarnikow on November 5 boosted its global 2025/26 sugar surplus estimate to 8.7 MMT, up +1.2 MMT from a September estimate of 7.5 MMT.

    The outlook for higher sugar production in Thailand is bearish for prices.  The Thai Sugar Millers Corp on October 1 projected that Thailand’s 2025/26 sugar crop will increase by +5% y/y to 10.5 MMT.  Thailand is the world’s third-largest sugar producer and the second-largest exporter.

    The USDA, in its bi-annual report released on December 16, projected that global 2025/26 sugar production would climb +4.6% y/y to a record 189.318 MMT and that global 2025/26 human sugar consumption would increase +1.4% y/y to a record 177.921 MMT.  The USDA also forecast that 2025/26 global sugar ending stocks would fall by -2.9% y/y to 41.188 MMT.  The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) predicted that Brazil’s 2025/26 sugar production would rise by 2.3% y/y to a record 44.7 MMT.  FAS also predicted that India’s 2025/26 sugar production would increase by 25% y/y to 35.25 MMT, driven by favorable monsoon rains and increased sugar acreage.  In addition, FAS predicted that Thailand’s 2025/26 sugar production will increase by +2% y/y to 10.25 MMT.

    On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • These Overused Words From 2025 Are ‘Cooked’ And Need A ‘Full Stop’ In 2026

    [ad_1]

    Respondents to an annual Michigan college survey of overused and misused words and phrases say ” 6-7 ” is “cooked” and should come to a massive full-stop heading into the new year.

    Those are among the top 10 words on the 50th annual “Banished Words List,” released Thursday by Lake Superior State University. The tongue-in-cheek roundup of overused slang started in 1976 as a New Year’s Eve party idea, and is affectionately called the list of “Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.”

    Around 1,400 submissions came from all 50 states and a number of countries outside the U.S., including Uzbekistan, Brazil and Japan, according to Lake Superior State.

    Also in the top 10 are “demure,” “incentivize,” “perfect,” “gift/gifted,” “my bad” and “reach out.” “My bad” and “reach out” also made the list decades ago — in 1998 and 1994, respectively.

    “The list definitely represents the fad and vernacular trends of the younger generation,” said David Travis, Lake Superior State University president. “Social media allows a greater opportunity to misunderstand or misuse words. We’re using terms that are shared through texting, primarily, or through posting with no body language or tone context. It’s very easy to misunderstand these words.”

    Few phrases in 2025 befuddled parents, teachers and others over the age of, say 40, more than “6-7.” Dictionary.com even picked it as their 2025 word of the year, while other dictionaries chose words like “slop” and “ rage bait.”

    But what does “6-7” actually mean? It exploded over the summer, especially among Gen Z, and is considered by many to be nonsensical in meaning — an inside joke driven by social media.

    “Don’t worry, because we’re all still trying to figure out exactly what it means,” the dictionary’s editors wrote.

    Each number can be spoken aloud as “six, seven.” They even can be combined as the number 67; at college basketball games, some fans explode when a team reaches that point total.

    The placement of “6-7” at the top of the banished list puts it in good company. In 2019, the centuries-old Latin phrase “quid pro quo” was the top requested phrase to ban from popular use. In 2017, ” fake news ” got the most votes.

    Alana Bobbitt, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is unapologetic about using “6-7.”

    “I find joy in it,” Bobbitt said. “It’s a little bit silly, and even though I don’t understand what it means, it’s fun to use.”

    Jalen Brezzell says a small group of his friends use “6-7” and that it comes up a couple of times each week. But he won’t utter it.

    “Never. I don’t really get the joke,” said Brezzell, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. “I don’t see what’s funny about it.”

    But banning it, even in jest, might be a bit of a stretch, he said, adding that he does use other words and phrases on the list.

    “I’ve always used the word ‘cooked,’” Brezzell said. “I just think it got popular on the internet over this past year. It’s saying, like, ‘give it up, it’s over.’”

    Some of the phrases do have longevity, Travis said.

    “I don’t think they’ll ever go away, like ‘at the end of the day,’” he said. “I used ‘my bad’ today. I feel comfortable using it. I started using it when I was young. A lot of us older people are still using it.”

    Travis said that while some terms on the list “will stick around in perpetuity,” others will be fleeting.

    “I think ‘6-7,’ next year, will be gone,” he said.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Bolsonaro undergoes medical procedure to treat severe hiccups | Fortune

    [ad_1]

    Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, underwent a medical procedure on Saturday afternoon at a hospital in Brasília to treat a bout of persistent hiccups.

    The intervention, described as successful by his medical team in a Saturday press conference, involved blocking the phrenic nerve, which runs from the neck to the diaphragm. Saturday’s procedure was on Bolsonaro’s right side. A second procedure is scheduled for Monday to block the same nerve on the opposite side.

    On Thursday, Bolsonaro also underwent surgery to repair a hernia, a consequence of the abdominal stabbing he suffered during the 2018 presidential campaign. The procedure was carried out without complications, according to his medical team. He endorsed his son Flavio’s 2026 presidential bid in a statement ahead of his surgery Thursday.

    Bolsonaro is currently in prison after being convicted by the Supreme Court of attempting to carry out a coup following his electoral defeat in 2022.

    Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

    [ad_2]

    Fabiano Maisonnave, Bloomberg

    Source link

  • Brazil’s Former President Bolsonaro Has Surgery to Treat Hiccups, Wife Says

    [ad_1]

    SAO PAULO, Dec 27 (Reuters) – ‌Brazil’s ​former President ‌Jair Bolsonaro underwent “a phrenic nerve ​block procedure” on Saturday to treat ‍his persistent hiccups, wife ​Michelle Bolsonaro said ​on ⁠social media.

    Bolsonaro, 70, was hospitalized last Wednesday for a separate hernia surgery on the following day which took place ‌uneventfully. At the request of his defense ​lawyers ‌he was authorized ‍by ⁠Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to leave prison, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup. 

    In a statement from the ​hospital, he endorsed his son Flavio’s 2026 presidential bid.    

    The former president has faced health problems since a stabbing he suffered in September 2018, during a presidential campaign event that year in the town of Juiz de Fora, in Minas ​Gerais state. 

    Bolsonaro underwent various surgeries in the abdominal region after the stabbing.

    (Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; ​Editing by Chizu Nomiyama Writing by Ana Mano)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Imprisoned Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro undergoes double hernia surgery

    [ad_1]

    Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro underwent double hernia surgery on Thursday, his family said.

    In an Instagram post, Bolsonaro’s wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, said the surgery was a success. The procedure in Brasilia, the nation’s capital, lasted about 3½ hours and was completed without complications, according to the family.

    Bolsonaro, who has been hospitalized since Wednesday, has been serving a 27-year prison sentence since November for an attempted coup.

    He was granted court permission to leave prison after federal police doctors confirmed that he needed the procedure.

    “It is a complex surgery,” Dr. Claudio Birolini said on Wednesday, according to Agence France-Presse. “But it is a standardized… scheduled surgery, so we expect the procedure to be carried out without major complications.”

    This image shows the DF Star Hospital, where former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was due to undergo surgery for a hernia.

    Evaristo Sa /AFP via Getty Images


    Doctors say Bolsonaro’s double hernia causes him pain. The former leader, who was in power between 2019 and 2022, has gone through several other surgeries since he was stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign rally in 2018.

    Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro’s coup trial and sentenced him to prison, authorized the procedure but denied the former president’s request for house arrest after he leaves the hospital.

    Bolsonaro doesn’t have any contact with the few other inmates at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia, where he is held and where his around 130-square-foot room has a bed, a private bathroom, air conditioning, a television and a desk, according to authorities.

    Jair Bolsonaro

    Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at his home in Brasilia, where he was under house arrest at the time, on Sept. 29, 2025.

    Eraldo Peres / AP


    He has free access to his doctors and lawyers, but other visitors must receive approval from the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, de Moraes authorized Bolsonaro’s sons to visit him while he’s hospitalized.

    After Thursday’s operation, doctors will assess whether Bolsonaro can undergo an additional procedure: blockage of the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm, for recurrent hiccups, Birolini said.

    Early Thursday, his eldest son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, told reporters before the surgery that his father had written a letter confirming he had appointed him as his political party’s presidential candidate in next year’s election. Flávio Bolsonaro announced on Dec. 5 that he will challenge President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term, as the candidate of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party.

    The senator read the letter to journalists, and his office released a reproduction of it to the media.

    “He represents the continuation of the path of prosperity that I began well before becoming president, as I believe we must restore the responsibility of leading Brazil with justice, resolve and loyalty to the aspirations of the Brazilian people,” Bolsonaro said in the handwritten letter, dated Dec. 25.

    The former president and several of his allies were convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democratic system following his 2022 election defeat.

    The plot included plans to kill Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and de Moraes. There was also a plan to encourage an insurrection in early 2023.

    Bolsonaro was also convicted on charges that include leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. He has denied any wrongdoing.

    AFP

    contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Brazil’s Bolsonaro Endorses Son for Presidency Before More Surgery

    [ad_1]

    SAO PAULO, Dec 25 (Reuters) – Brazil’s former President ‌Jair ​Bolsonaro endorsed his son’s ‌2026 presidential campaign on Thursday while out of jail ​for more surgery that has dogged him since a stabbing seven years ‍ago.  

    Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 44, has ​said he wants to consolidate his father’s conservative legacy at the ​October ⁠4 vote where he will try to unseat leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

    “With the commitment of not allowing the popular will to be silenced, I make the decision to nominate Flavio Bolsonaro as a ‌pre-candidate for the presidency in 2026,” Jair Bolsonaro said in a letter ​read ‌out by Flavio in ‍front ⁠of a hospital in the city of Brasilia where his father was being treated. 

    He was undergoing scheduled treatment for a hernia, his wife Michelle Bolsonaro said on social media. 

    Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has a history of hospitalizations and surgeries related to a stabbing he suffered while campaigning in 2018, including a 12-hour ​procedure for recurring intestinal issues in April this year.

    Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized Bolsonaro to leave prison, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup, for the surgery. 

    But police were ordered to stay outside his room where computers and mobile phones were prohibited.

    Deemed a flight risk following his conviction, the ex-president was detained in late November and began serving his 27-year sentence three days later. 

    News of the younger Bolsonaro’s presidential ​candidacy this month rattled financial markets. Investors had bet the ex-president would back a more seasoned candidate such as Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, his former infrastructure minister.

    (Reporting by Andre Romani ​in Sao Paulo and Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • France’s Macron Says He Hopes EU Will Pass Mercosur Clauses During Delay

    [ad_1]

    PARIS, Dec ‌19 (Reuters) – ​French President ‌Emmanuel Macron said on ​Friday it was ‍too early to ​say ​whether ⁠a one-month delay to decide on an EU trade deal with South America’s ‌Mercosur bloc will be ​enough to ‌meet the ‍conditions set ⁠by France, but that he hoped so.

    Macron, who has pushed for stronger guarantees ​to protect farmers, said he hoped the EU and Mercosur nations will approve in January measures to ensure South American imports meet the same requirements ​than European ones.

    That would make the pact a “new” Mercosur-EU deal, ​he said.

    (Reporting by Michel Rose)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • U.S. removes Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes from its sanctions list

    [ad_1]

    The United States removed Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes from its sanctions list on Friday after initially adding him over his role in leading the trial against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

    De Moraes’ wife and the Lex Institute, which she leads, were also taken off the list, according to documents from the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control. Brazil’s government celebrated the move, which came after a weekend phone conversation between President Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

    The Trump administration had sanctioned the judge in July, accusing him of using his position to authorize arbitrary pretrial detentions and suppress freedom of expression in Brazil.

    Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes during the plenary session of the supreme court on Dec. 10, 2025.

    Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images


    In August 2024, de Moraes also ordered that Elon Musk’s X platform be suspended in Brazil over allegations it was not doing enough to target misinformation. The ban on the site was lifted two months later. At the time, Musk was a major ally of Mr. Trump and was helping finance his presidential campaign.

    A senior Trump administration official said the sanctions were lifted since the U.S. saw the passage of an important amnesty bill by Brazil’s lower house as a signal that lawfare conditions in Brazil are improving. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s views on foreign policy interests.

    The move represents a thawing of sorts in the frosty relationship between the two governments and follows a number of meetings and calls that both have described in positive terms. Mr. Trump had seen Lula’s predecessor Bolsonaro as an ally, with the Brazilian leader even dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics” when he came into office.

    During Bolsonaro’s trial, Mr. Trump called his treatment an “international disgrace.” In a July 9 letter to Lula posted to social media, Mr. Trump said the trial was a “witch hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”

    And in announcing de Moraes’ sanction in July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged that the judge had “abused his authority by engaging in a targeted and politically motivated effort designed to silence political critics through the issuance of secret orders compelling online platforms, including U.S. social media companies, to ban the accounts of individuals for posting protected speech. Moraes further abused his position to authorize unjust pre-trial detentions and undermine freedom of expression.”  

    Bolsonaro was accused of masterminding a plot to stay in power despite his 2022 election defeat to Lula.

    He was convicted and sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. The embattled 70-year-old leader started serving his sentence last month while still requesting to be put on house arrest due to his poor health. The massive upheaval his allies expected upon his arrest did not materialize, though he remains a politically powerful figure ahead of next year’s elections.

    Brazil’s current government characterized the lifting of sanctions as a “big defeat” for Bolsonaro’s family.

    “It was Lula who put this repeal [of the sanctions] on Donald Trump’s desk, in a dignifying and sovereign dialogue,” said Gleisi Hoffmann, Brazil’s minister for institutional relations. “It is a big defeat for the family of Jair Bolsonaro, traitors who have conspired against Brazil and the judiciary.”

    Lula’s leftist administration has long accused Eduardo Bolsonaro, a lawmaker and son of the former president, of misleading Mr. Trump on de Moraes and other members of the court. Eduardo Bolsonaro said he received the news of the sanctions being lifted from de Moraes “with regret.”

    The younger Bolsonaro, who announced in March that he would start living in the U.S. in order to lobby the Trump administration to help his father avoid jail, said he would continue to fight for Jair Bolsonaro.

    “The lack of internal cohesion and the insufficient support for initiatives pursued abroad contributed to the worsening of the current situation,” Eduardo Bolsonaro wrote on his social media channels, after Mr. Trump’s reversal. “We sincerely hope that President Donald Trump’s decision will be successful in defending the strategic interests of the American people, as is his duty.”

    In initially sanctioning de Moraes, the Treasury Department had cited the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of human rights abuse and corrupt officials. De Moraes said the use of the act against him was “illegal and regrettable.”

    Also in July, the Trump administration imposed a 40% tariff on Brazilian products on top of a 10% tariff imposed earlier, justifying the tariffs by saying that Brazil’s policies and criminal prosecution of Bolsonaro constituted an economic emergency.

    However, last month the White House announced it was removing the 40% tariffs on certain Brazilian imports, including beef and coffee. The U.S. ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus last year with Brazil, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

    Mr. Trump and Lula started mending fences at the United Nations’ General Assembly in September, which was followed by their first private meeting in Malaysia in October and subsequent phone conversations.

    The Brazilian president has said he wasn’t only trying to reverse the increase on tariffs but also to end the sanctions on de Moraes and some members of his government who were also hit by the measure.

    Separately, Lula has urged Latin American states to help avoid a conflict in Venezuela as the Trump administration orders military action against vessels allegedly linked to drug cartels. 

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Lula, Maduro Spoke About Situation in Caribbean, South America, Brazil’s Government Says

    [ad_1]

    BRASILIA, Dec 11 (Reuters) – Brazil’s ‌President ​Luiz Inacio Lula ‌da Silva spoke last month ​with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro about ‍the situation in the ​Caribbean and South America, ​the ⁠Brazilian government said on Thursday.

    The two leaders held a “quick call” on November 21, the government said, adding that there were no further ‌developments after the call.

    The call was their ​first ‌since before last ‍year’s ⁠presidential election in Venezuela. At the time, the Brazilian government and international observers contested Maduro’s self-proclaimed reelection.

    Brazilian newspaper O Globo, citing sources, was the first on Thursday to ​report the call. Its report said Lula expressed concerns about the growing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Maduro’s socialist government.

    In previous talks with Trump, the leftist Brazilian leader has offered to act as a ​mediator in negotiations between the U.S. and Venezuela, but has not received a response from Washington.

    (Reporting by Lisandra ​Paraguassu; Writing by Fernando Cardoso; Editing by Paul Simao)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • In blow to Lula, Brazil Congress revives controversial environmental bill

    [ad_1]

    Brazil’s conservative-led Congress on Thursday reinstated much of a bill that makes it easier for companies to secure environmental permits, infuriating the leftist government and green groups.

    President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had vetoed dozens of provisions of what has been dubbed the “Devastation Bill”, but Congress has the power to override those actions.

    Lawmakers reversed around 80 percent of Lula’s vetoes in a major blow to his government just days after Brazil wrapped up the hosting of COP30 UN climate talks.

    The bill “kills environmental licensing in the country”, said the Climate Observatory, a coalition of NGOs, vowing to take legal action against it.

    For some permits, all that will be required is a simple declaration of the company’s commitment to preserving the environment.

    This move “contradicts the government’s environmental and climate efforts, right after hosting COP30. Very bad news,” Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann wrote on X.

    The government had warned a day earlier that overturning the vetoes could have “immediate and hard-to-reverse effects,” citing the “alarming rise in extreme climate disasters.”

    Lawmaker Sostenes Cavalcante — an ally of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro — celebrated the move, accusing Lula of seeking to “undermine agribusiness, the only sector still performing well economically in Brazil.”

    The Climate Observatory accused congressional leaders of hypocrisy for approving what it called “the worst environmental setback in Brazil’s history” just days after appearing as “climate defenders” at COP30.

    The NGO said the bill will impact everything from major new agricultural projects to mining projects to the controversial paving of a major highway in the Amazon, which will be exempt from environmental licensing.

    Lula boasts an overall positive environmental record, having overseen a sharp decline in deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

    However, he came under fire from environmentalists for backing a controversial oil-exploration project near the mouth of the Amazon River, which began in October.

    rsr-ll/fb/ksb

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Brazil Prosecutors Sue Agencies Over Haidar Shipwreck, Environmental Risk

    [ad_1]

    SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian federal prosecutors in Para state have filed a lawsuit to demand the removal of the hull and oily residues from the Haidar ship, which sank 10 years ago near Vila do Conde port, Brazil’s biggest for live cattle shipments.

    In a statement on Wednesday, Para federal prosecutors recalled the Haidar wreck caused the death of 5,000 cattle and a spill of 700,000 liters of oily residues.

    A subsequent spill from the Haidar wreck was reported in 2018, prosecutors said, showing that remaining residues inside the hull represent “a constant threat.”

    Some 215,000 liters of oil, diesel, fuel, and lubricant could still be inside the ship, prosecutors added, warning of potentially “catastrophic water pollution” if new spills occur.

    The sunken vessel still contains carcasses and skeletal remains of the cattle drowned in 2015, they said. 

    Prosecutors are seeking at least 5 million reais ($936,873) in compensation, in addition to 91,400 reais for environmental damages related to the 2018 spill.

    Defendants include the federal infrastructure department DNIT, Para’s environment agency SEMAS, the Para Port Authority CDP, and the companies that owned the ship.

    They did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

    Para, Brazil’s biggest live cattle-exporting state, shipped 370,000 head of cattle worth $344 million mainly to Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria in the year through July, according to trade data compiled by state authorities.

    Beefpacker Minerva owned the cattle ferried on the Haidar in 2015, but it is not a defendant, according to court filings.       

    (Reporting by Ana ManoEditing by Rod Nickel)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link