Page 10 - Brazil

Brazil launches G20 social summit to highlight needs of low-income people

Brazil launched what it called a social summit Thursday ahead of next week's Group of 20 meeting of top economies, the first such event focused on drawing civil society input ahead of the main annual summit. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said 40,000 people from G20 countries were expected to attend meetings and panels through Saturday in revamped warehouses of downtown Rio de Janeiro's port area and nearby Museum of Tomorrow. The main summit takes place in Rio on Monday and Tuesday. Vieira told the opening ceremony, also attended by other government ministers and First Lady Rosngela da Silva, that the gathering is part of Brazil's G20 agenda to promote sustainable development and green energy, fight poverty and reduce inequality. There couldn't be a discussion or effective measures on this issue without welcoming society's contributions, Vieira said. Proposals developed at the social summit will be summarized in a final document to be presented at the leaders' summit. First lady d

Brazil's embrace of Xi sets up a clash over Donald Trump's China policy

The infrastructure build-out is part of Lula's grand plan to move Brazil up the value chain and develop economically, with Beijing's help as key

Explosion outside Brazil's Supreme Court leaves one dead, forces evacuation

At least one explosion Wednesday outside Brazil's Supreme Court killed a man and forced the justices and staff to evacuate the building in the capital of Brasilia, police and firefighters said. A police statement said an artifact exploded outside the court without providing more details. Local firefighters later confirmed that one man died at the scene, but did not identify him. The court's justices and staff safely left the building after the incident, which took place at about 7:30 pm local time, shortly after Wednesday's session finished. Jorge Macedo, a staffer at Brazil's top court, confirmed the evacuation to The Associated Press. Local media showed footage suggesting two blasts outside the court, with 20 seconds between the first and the second explosions. The incident took place in Brasilia's Praca dos Tres Poderes, an area where Brazil's main government buildings are located. President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva was not in the neighbouring presidential palace at the time of

PM Modi to attend G20 summit in Brazil from November 18-19, says MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a three-nation visit from November 16-21 during which he will also travel to Brazil to attend the G20 summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. On the sidelines of the G20 summit, Modi is expected to meet several leaders. The prime minister will visit Rio De Janeiro from November 18-19 to attend the G20 summit hosted by Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, the MEA said in a statement. India is part of the G20 troika along with Brazil and South Africa, and has been actively contributing to the ongoing G20 summit discussions, it said. "During the summit, the prime minister will put forward India's position on various issues of global importance and build on the outcomes from the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration and Voice of the Global South Summits which were hosted by India in the past two years," the MEA said. On the invitation of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prime Minister Modi will visit Nigeria

Brazil has potential to be major source for India's urad, tur imports: Govt

India on Thursday said Brazil has the potential to become a major source for the import of black gram (urad) and pigeon peas (tur) for the country. The issue was discussed by a Brazilian delegation led by senior Agriculture Ministry official Julio Cesar Ramos during a courtesy call to Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare here. "Brazil has emerged as a supplier of urad in recent years and has the potential to become a major source of India's urad and tur imports," the consumer affairs ministry said in a statement after the meeting. The quantity of urad import from Brazil has increased from 4,102 tonnes in the 2023 calendar year to over 22,000 tonnes till October end of 2024, it added. According to the ministry, trade in pulses with countries like Brazil and Australia has been uniquely advantageous because of the contrast in cropping seasons vis-a-vis India, which allows these countries to plan their cropping pattern based on India's crop prospects. Take the case of chickpeas (cha

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon drops by nearly 31% compared to last year

Forest loss in Brazil's Amazon dropped by 30.6% compared to the previous year, officials said Wednesday, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. In a 12-month span, the Amazon rainforest lost 6,288 square kilometers (2,428 square miles), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Delaware. The results, announced in Brazils presidential palace, sharply contrast with President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva's predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies. Deforestation hit a 15-year high during his term. Deforestation in Brazil's vast savannah, known as the Cerrado, decreased by 25.7%, the first decline in five years. The area destroyed reached 8,174 square kilometers (3,156 square miles). Located in central Brazil, it is the world's most biodiverse savannah but has fewer legal protections than the Amazon. Despite the success in curbing Amazon deforestation, Lula's government has been ...

Ahead of Xi's trip, Brazil refuses to endorse China's Belt and Road project

Celso Amorim, Brazil's special presidential adviser for international affairs, said on Monday that Brazil has decided not to join China's multi-billion dollar mega project

Brazil institute sues social media giants for $525 mn over usage by minors

The lawsuits demand the companies create clear data protection mechanisms and issue warnings about the risks to children's and teenagers' mental health due to platform addiction

Global sugar stocks may hit 6-year low by early 2025 due to Brazil drought

Drought and plant disease have delayed Brazil's sugar harvest, tightening supplies and keeping prices high, despite China's larger crop and easing global demand

'Results attained by Brazil's G20 built on Indian presidency achievements'

Brazil's Ambassador to India, Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega, said that success of Brazil's G20 Presidency is solidly built on the 'excellent achievements' of the Indian G20 presidency

Brazil sets three-day deadline to restore power outage in Sao Paulo

Brazil's federal government on Monday established a three-day deadline for power distributor Enel to restore service to more than 400,000 households in Sao Paulo's metropolitan area who remain in the dark, energy minister Alexandre Silveira said in a news conference. The outage started Friday evening due to a short but powerful storm, and with the city's mayoral race in full swing, it sparked a blame game. Candidate Guilherme Boulos and allies are accusing incumbent Mayor Ricardo Nunes of failing to take preventive action, while others, including Nunes, are calling for the country's regulating agency to punish Enel. The federal government, meanwhile, is launching an audit of the power regulator's inspections of the utility. Silveira told reporters that he is in favor of terminating Enel's contract, due in 2028, but that would depend on due process. He added that the company "would not be so neglectful" if it faced the risk that its concession would be terminated. No matter what the

Seven dead as storm hits Brazil's Sao Paulo, 1.4 mn homes without power

At least seven people were killed after a brief but powerful storm swept through Sao Paulo, Brazil with around 1.4 million households in the South America's largest metropolis left without power on Saturday. Officials in Sao Paulo state said that record wind gusts Friday night of up to 67 mph (108 kph) knocked down transmission lines and uprooted trees, causing severe damage in some parts. The storm also shut down several airports and interrupted water service in several areas, according to the state government. One person died when a tree fell on an outdoor stall, authorities said. At least six other people in surrounding Sao Paulo state also died. Authorities originally expected to restore power within a few hours. But several neighborhoods in the metropolitan area, which is home to 21 million people, were still in the dark on Saturday, and authorities were urging residents to limit their consumption of water. Most of the disruptions were in the service area of a single utility,

Brazil beat Chile away from home in WC qualifying, Messi's Argentina draws

An 89th-minute goal by substitute Luiz Henrique gave Brazil a 2-1 away win over Chile in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The win meant under-pressure Brazil coach Dorival Jnior's team will finish the ninth round of the round-robin competition in fourth place in South American qualifying. Earlier, Lionel Messi's Argentina drew Venezuela 1-1 in a match that was delayed for 30 minutes due to a wet pitch at Monumental Stadium in the Venezuelan city of Maturin. Argentina, which leads the 10-team competition, has 19 points after nine matches. Colombia, with 16 points, remains in second place after losing 1-0 at Bolivia. Uruguay is third with 15 points and has a chance to add more in a match against Peru on Friday. Brazil has 13 points. Brazil has dramatic comebackChile, one of the worst-performing teams in South American qualifying, opened the scoring seconds after the kickoff at the National Stadium in Santiago. Veteran striker Eduardo Vargas headed past goalkeeper Ederson, with the

Elon Musk's X to be reinstated in Brazil after complying with SC demands

The Brazilian Supreme Court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday authorised the restoration of social media platform X's service in Brazil, over a month after its nationwide shutdown, according to a statement posted on the court's website. Elon Musk's X was blocked on August 30 in the highly online country of 213 million people and one of X's biggest markets, with estimates of its userbase ranging from 20 to 40 million. De Moraes ordered the shutdown after a monthslong dispute with Musk over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, despite the fact his rulings, including X's nationwide suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers. Despite Musk's public bravado, ultimately X complied with all of de Moraes' demands. They included blocking certain accounts from the platform, paying outstanding fines and naming a legal representative. Failure to do the latter had triggered the suspension.

Oops! Elon Musk's X sends pending fines to wrong bank, Brazil ban continues

X's legal team said that the fine payments were made correctly as pending dues are the only obstacle for the platform to be reinstated in Brazil

Drought has dried Amazon river tributary to lowest level in over 122 years

One of the Amazon river's main tributaries has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, Brazil's geological service said on Friday, reflecting a severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country. The level of the Negro river at the port of Manaus was at 12.66 metres on Friday, as compared with a normal level of about 21 metres. It is the lowest since measurements started 122 years ago. The previous record low level was recorded last year, but toward the end of October. The Negro river's water level might drop even more in coming weeks based on forecasts for low rainfall in upstream regions, according to the geological service's predictions. Andre Martinelli, the agency's hydrology manager in Manaus, was quoted as saying the river was expected to continue receding until the end of the month. Water levels in Brazil's Amazon always rise and fall with its rainy and dry seasons, but the dry portion of this year has been much worse than usual. All o

Plane carrying Brazil President returns to Mexico due to technical problem

Brazil's air force said on Tuesday that an aeroplane carrying President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva experienced a technical problem after leaving Mexico City and will return to the country's capital so he can board another flight to return home. The aircraft, an Airbus A319, was still flying over the Mexican capital on Tuesday afternoon, the Brazilian air force said in a statement. The aeroplane had been in the air for two hours, according to plane tracking site FlightAware. The Brazilian air force added that "security procedures for the problem" were performed successfully but pilots must "wait for the necessary fuel consumption so the aeroplane returns to the same airport it took off from". Earlier, Lula attended the inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. He arrived in Mexico on Monday and had a meeting with outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The plane was circling the Felipe Angeles airport, about an hour's drive north of Mexico City. The commercial airp

Brazil court says Elon Musk must pay $1.9 million to lift ban on X

The penalty was ordered by top court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as punishment for X having become accessible after the ban order

Elon Musk's X seeks Brazil comeback, retreats on 'censorship' feud

A decision from the court on X's return is still pending, but people close to Musk in Brazil believe service could be restored in a matter of days

India, Brazil, South Africa push for efforts to counter Al-Qaeda, ISIS, LeT

During the meeting, the ministers urged collective action against all terrorist individuals and entities designated by the United Nations