Page 8 - Brazil

Indonesia admitted to BRICS bloc of developing nations, Brazil announces

Indonesia has been admitted as a full member of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, the group's presiding country Brazil announced Monday. Indonesia's candidacy was endorsed by BRICS leaders in August 2023, according to the foreign ministry of Brazil, which holds the group's presidency for 2024. However, the world's fourth-most populous nation opted to formally join the bloc only after the formation of its newly elected government last year. The Brazilian government welcomes Indonesia's entry into the BRICS, the government said in a statement. With the largest population and economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia shares with other members a commitment to reforming global governance institutions and contributes positively to deepening South-South cooperation. BRICS was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009, and added South Africa in 2010. Last year, the alliance expanded to embrace Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudia Arabia has been invited to joi

Global uprisings: Protests and movements which shook the world in 2024

Kenya's cost-of-living crisis, to martial law in South Korea. Here's a look at major protests that erupted across the globe in 2024

Workers at BYD construction site victims of human trafficking: Brazil

BYD and contractor Jinjiang Group have agreed to assist and house the 163 workers in hotels until a deal to end their contracts is reached, Brazil's Labour Prosecutor's Office said

China's BYD slams reports of poor conditions at Brazil's factory site

A spokesperson for Chinese automaker BYD has objected to reports about poor conditions at a construction site in Brazil where it is building a factory, saying the allegations were aimed at smearing China and Chinese brands. Earlier in the week, a task force led by Brazilian prosecutors said it had rescued 163 Chinese nationals it said were working in slavery-like conditions at the site. A video from the Labour Prosecutor's Office of dorms housing the workers showed beds with no mattresses and rudimentary cooking facilities. A BYD spokesperson, Li Yunfei, vehemently objected in a statement posted Thursday on his Weibo social media site. In the matter of smearing Chinese brands, smearing China, and attempting to undermine the friendship between China and Brazil, we have seen how relevant foreign forces maliciously associate and deliberately smear, it said, also criticizing media reports about the situation. BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is one of the world's largest produc

Chinese workers found in 'slave-like conditions' at BYD's Brazil facility

BYD has cut ties with its contractor Jinjiang Construction Brazil Ltd, and pledged to protect the rights of all subcontracted workers

At least 10 killed as plane crashes into Brazil's popular town Gramado

A small plane crashed into a Brazilian town that's popular with tourists on Sunday, killing all 10 passengers and crew on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, Brazil's Civil Defence Agency said. The agency in a post on X said the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado. More than a dozen people who were on the ground were taken to hospitals with injuries including smoke inhalation, with two said to be in critical condition. It is not immediately clear what caused the crash. Local media reported that the passengers were members of the same family and were travelling to Sao Paulo state from another town in Rio Grande do Sul state. Gramado is in the Serra Gaucha mountains and popular with Brazilian tourists who enjoy the cool weather, hiking spots and traditional architecture. The town was settled by large numbers of German and Italian ...

Many feared dead as small plane crashes into popular tourist town in Brazil

A small plane crashed into a Brazilian town that is popular with tourists on Sunday, killing several people, local officials said. Eduardo Leite, governor of Rio Grande do Sul state, said in a statement on X that no passenger survived the crash in Gramado town, and that the plane had capacity to carry nine passengers. Authorities did not immediately say how many passengers or crew were on board. Brazil's Civil Defence Agency said the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a building before crashing into a shop in a residential neighbourhood. More than a dozen people who were on the ground were taken to hospitals with injuries including smoke inhalation. Gramado is in the Serra Gaucha mountains and is popular with Brazilian tourists who enjoy the cool weather, hiking spots and traditional architecture.

Brazilian currency faces volatility as Prez Lula criticises rates level

Speaking in an interview with TV Globo aired late on Sunday, the leftist leader called the interest rate hikes "irresponsible" and said his government would "take care of that"

Brazilian police arrest ex-Bolsonaro cabinet member in coup plot probe

Brazil's Federal Police on Saturday arrested Gen Walter Braga Netto, a former member of President Jair Bolsonaro's cabinet and his 2022 running mate, in connection with investigations into an alleged coup plot, according to a source close to the process. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to speak publicly. Braga Netto was formally accused in November, along with Bolsonaro and 35 others, of plotting a coup to keep Bolsonaro in office following his failed 2022 re-election bid. Prosecutors have yet to file formal charges against Braga Netto. The arrest made on Saturday stemmed from allegations of obstructing the collection of evidence, the Federal Police said in a statement. Local media have reported that Braga Netto sought to discover what a former Bolsonaro aide, who was arrested, was telling authorities, and whether he had signed a plea bargain. Authorities also executed two search and seizure warrants. Braga Netto served as Bolsonaro's ch

Brazil's Lula to undergo new surgery to minimise further brain bleeding

The follow-up procedure had been discussed by doctors since Tuesday's surgery, and does not represent a worsening of Lula's health situation, according to Kalil

Brazilian Prez Lula recovering in hospital after emergency brain surgery

The 79-year-old Lula was in stable condition and speaking and eating normally after the successful operation at Sirio-Libanes Hospital

Unclear if US law permits Trump's 100% tariff threat on Brics: Ex-RBI Guv

President-elect Donald Trump's warning that BRICS countries will face 100 per cent tariffs if they choose to move away from the US dollar is unclear to what extent he will carry out his threat, as it remains to be seen if the US law permits such an action, former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Monday. He also said even for BRICS, there are internal differences about bringing out an alternative to the US Dollar. The nine-member group that includes India, Russia, China, and Brazil, moving out of the US currency and having a common one remains a non-starter because of both politics and economics. "Donald Trump has threatened to slap 100 per cent tariffs on imports from countries that try to move out of the dollar. His ire was particularly directed at the BRICS bloc which has been actively talking about developing an alternative to the dollar. Trump is known to bark more than he bites," Subbarao told PTI. BRICS, formed in 2009, is the only major international group of which the

Brazil anti-trust body rules Apple must lift restrictions on in-app payment

Cade ruled that Apple must allow app developers to add tools so customers can buy their services or products outside the app

Audios reveal high-ranking officers pressured Bolsonaro to stage coup

A trove of leaked audio recordings from late 2022 reveal high-ranking members of Brazil's army discussing efforts to pressure then-President Jair Bolsonaro to carry out a coup and remain in power. The 53 audios, obtained by the Federal Police and accessed by The Associated Press on Monday, provide a rare chance to hear military members expressing in their own voices their desire to keep leftist Luiz Incio Lula da Silva from taking office. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the police's sprawling investigation, quoted some of those audios in his ruling last week ordering the arrest of five people for plotting the assassination of then-President-elect Lula in 2022 and then attempting to oust him from power on January 8, 2023, when Bolsonaro supporters destroyed government buildings in capital Brasilia. Audios from one former army officer who was not among those de Moraes ordered arrested last week are particularly supportive of a coup, and weren't referenced in

Police indict ex-Brazilian President Bolsonaro, aides in 2022 coup attempt

Brazil's federal police said on Thursday they indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people on charges of attempting a coup to keep him in office after his electoral defeat in the 2022 elections. The findings were to be delivered on Thursday to Brazil's Supreme Court to be referred to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will either agree with the charges and put the former president on trial or toss the investigation. The former right-wing leader has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then. Other investigations focus on his potential roles in smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil without properly declaring them, and in directing a subordinate to falsify his and others' COVID-19 vaccination statuses. Bolsonaro has denied any involvement in either. On Tuesday, the federal police arrested four military and a federal .

Brazilian Prez reveals alleged plot to poison him amid Bolsonaro indictment

On Tuesday, five suspects, including Bolsonaro's former adviser and retired general Mario Fernandes, were arrested in connection with the alleged plot. The suspects reportedly sought to create

Brazil's Lula welcomes China's Xi for state visit as ties strengthen

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday welcomed China's President Xi Jinping for a state visit at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, the latest sign of deepening ties between the two countries that analysts say may accelerate as Donald Trump returns to the White House in 2025. China overtook the US as Brazil's biggest export market in 2009. Since then, the links between the two nations have strengthened in trade and investment and on Wednesday the two leaders signed 37 agreements in areas ranging from trade and tourism to agriculture, industry, science and technology, health, energy, culture and education. That reflects a broader trend, experts said. Last week, Xi inaugurated a USD 1.3 billion megaport in Peru, perhaps the clearest sign of Latin America's reorientation. Latin America has always been forgotten by the United States and the European Union. Who fills that void? China, said Flavia Loss, an international relations professor at Foundation School of ...

PM Modi visits Guyana: Why South American nation is crucial to India

South American nation has become a significant contributor to world crude supply

Brazil urges G20 leaders to move faster on net zero climate targets

World leaders are trying to shore up a global response to climate change before Donald Trump retakes the US presidency

G20: Chaos in Rio shows a world untethered even before Trump returns

The behind-the-scenes squabbling over language characterising wars in Ukraine and the Middle East had been abruptly shut down by an impatient host