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☆ France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Paris CNN —France became the world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution on Monday, the culmination of an effort that began in direct response to the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The amendment states that there is a “guaranteed freedom” to abortion in France. While abortion is a highly divisive issue in US politics that often falls along party lines, in France it is widely supported. The measure’s passage is a clear victory for the French left, which has been pushing for years to guarantee abortion rights in the constitution. The vote marks the 25th time the French government has amended its constitution since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

Persons: Roe, ”, Gabriel Attal, ” Attal, Emmanuel Macron, Simone Veil, Emmanuel Macron’s, —, Wade, Eric Dupond, Moretti, perviously, CNN’s Joseph Ataman, Christopher Lamb Organizations: Paris CNN —, Wade, French Senate, National Assembly, ” Lawmakers, France, Health, US, Fifth, Catholic, Pontifical Academy for Life Locations: Paris CNN — France, of Versailles, Paris, France, United States, Europe, Hungary, Fifth Republic

His knowledge came in handy for a 2023 meeting at the Vatican between Francis and Microsoft President Brad Smith that focused on how AI could help or hurt humanity. Microsoft first reached out to Benanti several years ago for his thoughts on technology, the friar said. “It is a problem not of using (AI) but it is a problem of governance,'' the friar said. The European Union became a trailblazer late last year when negotiators secured a deal that paves the way for legal oversight of AI technology. For his part, Benanti said that regulating artificial intelligence shouldn't mean limiting its development.

Persons: — Friar Paolo Benanti, Benanti, Pope Francis, Francis, ”, “, Brad Smith, Smith, ″, . Francis of Assisi, —, Giorgia Meloni Organizations: ROME, Associated Press, Pontifical Gregoriana University, United Nations, Intelligence, Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life, Microsoft, Rome's Sapienza University, European Union, trailblazer Locations: Italian, Rome, West, Italy

Musician Paul McCartney performs during his Got Back tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., May 13, 2022. Tickets priced between 200 reais ($41) and 400 reais ($82), much lower than most of those for the tour, sold out in just a few minutes. Fans who managed to buy tickets received wristbands for the concert. Upon arrival, event organizers sealed up fans' mobile phones and cameras to prevent images being recorded. Reporting by Bernardo Caram; Writing by Steven Grattan; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul McCartney, Mario Anzuoni, McCartney, Amanda Cardoso, I'd, Bernardo Caram, Steven Grattan, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Cavern Club, Beatles, Clube, Choro, Thomson Locations: Inglewood , California, U.S, Rights BRASILIA, Liverpool, Brazil, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro

"The revenue service is already organizing the implementation of this minimum taxation on multinationals," she said in an interview on Wednesday. The revenue service did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It advocates that this mechanism will ensure that large multinational companies pay a minimum 15% tax on their profits in all jurisdictions where they operate to deter profit-shifting to tax-favorable locations. The OECD estimates that the global minimum tax, already under way in countries including South Korea and Japan, could generate up to $200 billion in additional annual revenue. She also said Brazil aims to go further in the global tax discussion to reduce differences between advanced and emerging economies and to promote the green agenda.

Persons: India Narendra Modi, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Kenny Holston, Tatiana Rosito, Maria Carolina Sampaio, GVM, Rosito, Marcela Ayres, Bernardo Caram, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, UK, Rights, Finance, Reuters, Organization, Economic Cooperation, Development, OECD, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: India, Brazil, New Delhi, Rights BRASILIA, South Korea, Japan, United States, Rosito, Brasilia

BRASILIA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Ministry is preparing a decree that nearly doubles the tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, arguing that the measure is necessary to boost revenue and reduce crime, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. Prepared by the revenue service at the request of Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, the decree raises the industrial tax on revolvers, pistols, shotguns, carbines, pepper spray, and other equipment from 29.25% to 55%, in addition to also increasing the tax on ammunition. The proposal was sent by the revenue service to the ministry's executive secretary, Dario Durigan, on Wednesday night. The revenue service declined to comment. The move aligns with other actions by leftist Lula, who has consistently opposed policies that encourage the sale and use of firearms.

Persons: Fernando Haddad, Dario Durigan, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Jair Bolsonaro, Bernardo Caram, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Brazil's Finance Ministry, Reuters, Finance, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA

FDI in Brazil fell 36% in the first eight months of 2023 to $37.9 billion. Currently, investors in long-term projects in Brazil with exposure to foreign currency pay taxes on currency appreciation over the course of the project - which the central bank has long flagged as a deterrent for FDI. Haddad said he was confident that policymakers had found a tool to shield investors from currency risks keeping them away. Executive orders in Brazil have immediate validity but must be endorsed by lawmakers within four months or they expire. Without that measure, Haddad said it will be "very challenging" to erase the deficit in next year's budget bill.

Persons: Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Luiz Inacio Lula da, Marcela Ayres, Bernardo Caram, Brad Haynes, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Finance, Reuters, Sao Paulo, leftist Workers Party, Executive, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil, Brasilia, Sao, United States

☆ Letter shows Pope Pius XII probably knew about Holocaust early on
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A man opens a door leading to the shelves where folders containing documents on Pope Pius XII, who reigned from 1939-1958, are stored inside the Vatican archives ahead of the full opening of the secret archives to scholars on March 2, at the Vatican, February 27,2020. "The newness and importance of this document derives from a fact: now we have the certainty that the Catholic Church in Germany sent Pius XII exact and detailed news about the crimes that were being perpetrated against the Jews," Coco told the newspaper, whose article was headlined: "Pius XII Knew". Asked by the Corriere interviewer if the letter showed that Pius knew, Coco said: "Yes, and not only from then." The letter was among documents Coco said were kept in haphazard ways in the Vatican's Secretariat of State and only recently handed over to the central archives where he works. Reporting by Philip Pullella, Additional reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pope Pius XII, Guglielmo, Holy, Father Lother Koenig, Robert Leiber, Giovanni Coco, Koenig, Leiber, Pius XII, Coco, Pius, Corriere, Suzanne Brown, Fleming, Pope Francis, David Kertzer, Brown, Kertzer, Philip Pullella, Ludwig Burger, Alex Richardson Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, Holy, Jesuit, Corriere, Catholic Church, of State, U.S . Holocaust, Museum, Washington DC, Reuters, Pontifical, Catholic, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Germany, Vatican, Rava, Poland, Ukraine, Auschwitz, Dachau, Nazi, Europe, Vatican's, U.S, Washington, Frankfurt

☆ Wartime Pope Pius XII probably knew about Holocaust early on, letters show
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Wartime Pope Pius XII knew details about the Nazi attempt to exterminate Jews in the Holocaust as early as 1942, according to a letter found in the Vatican archives that conflicts with the Holy See’s official position at the time that the information it had was vague and unverified. “The newness and importance of this document derives from a fact: now we have the certainty that the Catholic Church in Germany sent Pius XII exact and detailed news about the crimes that were being perpetrated against the Jews,” Coco told the newspaper, whose article was headlined: “Pius XII Knew”. His detractors say he lacked the courage to speak out on information he had despite pleas from Allied powers fighting Germany. The letter was among documents Coco said were kept in haphazard ways in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State and only recently handed over to the central archives where he works. Folders containing documents on Pope Pius XII, who reigned from 1939-1958, are seen inside the Vatican archives ahead of the full opening of the secret archives to scholars on March 2, at the Vatican, February 27, 2020.

Persons: Pope Pius XII, Holy, Father Lother Koenig, Robert Leiber, Giovanni Coco, Koenig, Leiber, Pius XII, ” Coco, Corriere, Pius, Coco, Dachau –, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Suzanne Brown, Fleming, Pope Francis ’, ”, David Kertzer, “, Brown, Kertzer Organizations: CNN, Holy, Vatican, Jesuit, Catholic Church, of State, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC, Reuters, Pontifical, Catholic, US State Department Locations: Germany, Vatican, “ SS, Rava, Poland, Ukraine, Auschwitz, Dachau, Nazi, Europe, Vatican’s, Washington

☆ Morocco earthquake lights: strange light phenomenon before some quakes is a long standing mystery
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Reports of “earthquake lights,” like the ones seen in videos captured before Friday’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Morocco, go back centuries to ancient Greece. He has coauthored several scientific papers on earthquake lights, or EQL. To better understand earthquake lights, Derr and his colleagues gathered information on 65 American and European earthquakes associated with trustworthy reports of earthquake lights dating back to 1600. Other theories about what causes earthquake lights include static electricity produced by the fracturing of rock and radon emanation, among many others. At present there is no consensus among seismologists on the mechanism that causes earthquake lights, and scientists are still trying to unlock the mysteries of these outbursts.

Persons: there’s, ”, John Derr, Juan Antonio Lira Cacho, Derr, Antonio Lira, Freund, Derr’s, “ Organizations: CNN —, Friday’s, Geological Survey, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, CNN, Geophysics, San Jose University, NASA Ames Research Center Locations: Morocco, Greece, Pisco, Peru, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, China, Sichuan, Earthquakes, Guayaquil, Ecuador

☆ ‘Earthquake lights’ phenomenon is a long-standing scientific mystery. Here’s what experts think is behind them
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: there’s, ”, John Derr, Juan Antonio Lira Cacho, Derr, Antonio Lira, Freund, Derr’s, “ Organizations: CNN —, Friday’s, Geological Survey, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Geophysics, San Jose University, NASA Ames Research Center Locations: Morocco, Greece, Pisco, Peru, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, China, Sichuan, Earthquakes, Guayaquil, Ecuador

China, Brazil's largest trading partner, funneled $1.3 billion in direct investments into the country last year, the lowest level since 2009, according to a CEBC study. The performance contrasts with overall foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil in 2022, which skyrocketed by 95% to $90.6 billion, highest in a decade. Last year, just 28% of announced Chinese projects worth $4.7 billion went ahead, the CEBC said. That compares poorly with 2021, when pledged investments of $5.9 billion were fully realized, bolstered by two oil projects worth nearly $5 billion. Chinese mining firm Honbridge (8137.HK), for example, announced investments worth $2.1 billion that failed to proceed due to a pending environmental license.

Persons: Cariello, Hua Sheng, Getulio Vargas, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bernardo Caram, Tom Hogue Organizations: Brazil tanked, China Business Council, HK, U.S ., Sao Paulo Business Administration School, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil, China, Ukraine, U.S, Asia, Beijing

An aerial view shows trees as the sun rises at the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's government is looking to create a regulated carbon market with emissions caps for major companies and protections for indigenous communities involved in carbon-offset activities, a senior official said. After passing Congress, the regulations would require two years of emissions monitoring before the cap takes effect. For example, some developers have approached indigenous communities with unfair contracts offering meager payments, he said. The proposed legislation would establish criteria for such deals, guaranteeing broad consensus and equitable terms for indigenous communities involved.

Persons: Bruno Kelly, Rafael Dubeux, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Lula, Dubeux, Marcela Ayres, Bernardo Caram, Brad Haynes, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Finance, Climate, Thomson Locations: Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA

BRASILIA, July 18 (Reuters) - Brazil's government is considering changes to the taxation of closed-end funds and shareholder payouts in order to shore up revenue in next year's budget, said three senior economic officials with direct knowledge of the matter. The government signaled on Tuesday it would propose a comprehensive income tax reform only after the Senate has passed a consumption tax reform that cleared the lower house of Congress this month. A more complex and structural reform, involving income tax exemptions, taxation of profits and dividends and reductions to payroll taxes, would be presented after the consumption tax reform clears the Senate, the sources said. "When the budget bill is sent, revenue measures to meet the targets must also be sent, and some of these measures will already appear in the proposal," said one of the sources. Closed-end funds offer favorable investment opportunities to wealthier Brazilians by taxing earnings only when they are distributed to investors.

Persons: Marcela Ayres, Bernardo Caram, Brad Haynes, Matthew Lewis, Richard Chang Organizations: Finance Ministry, Finance, Senate, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brasilia

☆ Protest returns to Peru with fresh demands against official impunity and fears about the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Karol Suarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Yet many of the protesters’ key demands, such as the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, early elections, and the closure of Congress, remain unanswered. Anger over accountability is what’s driving the new protests, Omar Coronel, a sociologist from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, told CNN. At the minimum, a democracy leads to “some kind of political sanction” for protest deaths. At least 24,000 police officers are being mobilized to watch what has been dubbed the “takeover of Lima” protest. What people want is to work and that the businesses and the economy not to come to a standstill,” political analyst Álvarez Rodrich said.

Persons: ” Alex Mendoza, Pedro Castillo, Dina Boluarte, Mendoza, ”, “, Ernesto Benavides, ’, Castillo, Boluarte, Anger, Omar Coronel, Marisol Perez Tello, ” Ivette, Vicente Romero, Perez Tello, ” Perez Tello, Cris Bouroncle, ” Augusto Álvarez Rodrich, Coronel, Ronderos, –, ’ ” Coronel, Álvarez Rodrich, ” Jacinto Amansio López Delgado, ” López Organizations: Peru CNN, CNN, Getty, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, ”, “, Commerce Locations: Lima, Peru, AFP, Ivette, Peruvian, ’ Lima, ”

☆ Another twist in the 40-year-old missing ‘Vatican girl’ case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It gained further international attention with the release last fall of Netflix’s “Vatican Girl” docuseries by filmmaker Mark Lewis. Among the documents was correspondence between Agostino Casaroli, then Vatican secretary of state, and a Colombian priest who had been the spiritual guide and confessor of the Orlandi family. Now the Orlandi family fears that the Vatican dossier does not include investigatory leads they hoped the Rome prosecutor would follow – primarily that the Vatican was somehow involved. The teenager was the daughter of a prominent Vatican employee and lived inside the fortified walls of Vatican City, where her mother still lives. Laura Sgro, the attorney for the Orlandi family, said at the press conference that the authorities had also cleared the uncle.

Persons: Rome, Orlandi, Netflix’s, Mark Lewis, Pietro Orlandi, La7, Agostino Casaroli, Laura Sgro, Mario Meneguzzi, Emanuela’s, ”, ” Pietro Orlandi, Natalina Orlandi, Emanuela, Andreas Solaro, Pope Francis, angelus, “, Natalina, Meneguzzi, Pietro Orlandi’s, Alessandro Diddi, Sgro, Enrico de Pedis Organizations: Rome CNN, Vatican, Catholic, Foreign Press Association, Getty, Dei Catholic, Rome police, Rome, CNN, Pontifical Teutonic College Locations: Rome, Italy, Colombian, AFP, Piazza Navona, Vatican City

"Everyone is expecting a rate cut," Finance Minister Fernando Haddad noted in an interview with RedeTV journalist Kennedy Alencar. Planning Minister Simone Tebet was even more emphatic, saying at an event in Rio de Janeiro that the central bank must start its easing cycle with a 50-basis-point cut. She said high interest rate levels were hurting the retail sector. However, they still diverge on the size of the cut, with 55% of those polled betting on a 25 basis point move while 32% expect a 50 basis point cut. On Thursday, Lula himself renewed calls on the central bank to cut interest rates.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Fernando Haddad, Kennedy Alencar, Haddad, Simone Tebet, Lula, Gabriel Galipolo, Ailton Aquino, Lula's, Bernardo Caram, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Josie Kao, Frances Kerry Organizations: RIO DE, Finance, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, RIO, RIO DE JANEIRO, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Brasilia

☆ Pope names Argentine bishop, author of kissing book, to top Vatican post
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Vatican statement on Saturday said Francis had chosen fellow Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez to be the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF). The powerful post of DDF prefect was held by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger for 23 years before he became Pope Benedict in 2005. "The kiss is a meeting of the two in a moment in which there is nothing else besides them, and nothing else matters," Fernandez wrote in the book. The Vatican did not mention the book in the partial list of his publications it issued with the appointment announcement. Francis succeeds Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria, a Spanish Jesuit, who is at the end of his mandate.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Victor Manuel Fernandez, Fernandez, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict, Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria, Philip Pullella, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Catholic, Argentine, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, Spanish Jesuit, Thomson Locations: Argentine, Spanish

☆ Carrefour Brasil bets on know-how to expand small stores operation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Carolina Pulice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Grupo Carrefour Brasil launched a franchise model of convenience stores in the Brazilian market on Wednesday, aiming to tap into its know-how from years of experience in Europe, a top executive said. FILE PHOTO: A general view of a Carrefour supermarket in Sao Paulo, Brazil July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Paulo WhitakerCarrefour Brasil’s convenience executive director Joao Edson Gravata said that the franchise format would put Carrefour in a stronger position to take on competitors. Those stores would supplement its 152 existing Brazilian company-owned Carrefour Express format stores. About a year ago Grupo Nos, a venture between Brazilian energy firm Raizen and Mexican retailer Femsa, launched its first Oxxo-branded convenience stores.

Persons: Paulo Whitaker, Joao Edson Gravata, Gravata, “, ”, Pedro Melo, Alberto Serrentino, Melo, Pao Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Grupo Carrefour Brasil, Carrefour, REUTERS, Paulo Whitaker Carrefour, Carrefour Express, Pontifical Catholic University, Sao Paulo, PUC, Grupo Ultra’s, Grupo, Dia, Hirota Locations: MEXICO, Europe, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Brazil’s

CNN —The Vatican said Thursday it will hand over evidence in the disappearance of a 15-year-old daughter of one of its employees 40 years ago to the Rome city prosecutor. Emanuela Orlandi, who was the daughter of a prominent Vatican employee and lived within the walls of the holy city, disappeared in the summer of 1983 while on her way home from a music lesson in central Rome. Her father, Ercole Orlandi, who died in 2004, worked for the Institute for the Works of Religion in the Holy See. Her mother, Maria Orlandi, still lives in the family apartment in Vatican City. A year later, the Vatican agreed to exhume the tomb of two princesses thought to be buried in the cemetery of the Pontifical Teutonic College inside the Vatican City.

Persons: Emanuela Orlandi, Alessandro Diddi, ” Pietro Orlandi, Antonio Masiello, Diddi, ”, “, Pietro Orlandi Orlandi, Ercole Orlandi, Maria Orlandi, Pietro Orlandi, Castel Sant ’ Angelo, Pope, Angelus, Orlandi, Mark Lewis, Mehmet Ali Agca, John Paul II, ’ Organizations: CNN, Vatican, Dei Catholic, Institute, Religion, Pontifical Teutonic College, Vatican City Locations: Rome, Vatican, St, Piazza Navona, Vatican City, Italy

☆ Brazil Senate confirms Lula's ex-lawyer for Supreme Court seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Cristiano Zanin, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's former defense lawyer, walks during Brazil's Senate hearing to serve on the country's Supreme Court at Brazilian Federal Senate in Brasilia, June 21, 2023. Pedro Franca/Agencia Senado/Handout via REUTERSBRASILIA, June 21 (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Cristiano Zanin, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's former defense lawyer, to serve on the country's Supreme Court. Zanin, 47, will be the youngest justice on the 11-member court and could remain there for 28 years. He is married to law office partner, Waleska Zanin Martins, whose father Roberto Teixeira was Lula's lawyer for decades. Lula denied the charges and said he was the target of political prosecution to stop him from running in the 2018 elections.

Persons: Cristiano Zanin, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Pedro Franca, Zanin Martins Advogados, Lula, Andre Cesar, Ricardo Lewandowski, Lula's, Zanin, Waleska Zanin Martins, Roberto Teixeira, Sergio Moro, Ricardo Brito, Maria Carolina Marcello, Anthony Boadle, David Gregorio, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Senate, Brazilian Federal Senate, Agencia, REUTERS, Wednesday, Supreme, Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Lawfare Institute, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Handout, REUTERS BRASILIA, Zanin

BRASILIA, May 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Ministry is preparing a new set of initiatives to increase tax revenue, including a review of deductions and exemptions for income tax on individuals, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Previous administrations have tried - and failed - to restrict income tax deductions, which allow taxpayers to use proof of certain expenses, such as medical and educational costs, to reduce their tax bills. The government estimates it is set to lose 51.1 billion reais ($10.2 billion) from exemptions, along with 31.3 billion reais from deductions in its 2024 budget bill. The finance ministry's revenue chief Robinson Barreirinhas said last month that the government was working on additional revenue measures to be announced in the second half of this year. He mentioned "very solid and consistent" studies regarding the potential to boost annual revenue by 155 billion reais as a result of combined efforts.

☆ After acrimonious resignation, Pope tells abuse commission to 'move forward'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Pope Francis addresses a meeting with the members of Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors at the Vatican, May 5, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSVATICAN CITY, May 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday praised the work of an international Vatican commission on sexual abuse prevention, following the recent acrimonious resignation of a high-profile member who accused it of lacking transparency. Zollner, a world-renowned abuse prevention expert, denounced unclear hiring practices, an undefined relationship with the Vatican's doctrine office and "inadequate" financial and decision-making accountability. Zollner also leads a centre for the study of abuse at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University and is an adviser on abuse prevention for the diocese of Rome. Last year, the pope incorporated it into the Vatican's doctrinal department, which decides on sanctions for priests convicted of sexual abuse.

BRASILIA/BUENOS AIRES, May 4 (Reuters) - Argentina is seeking new easing of targets in its $44 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund and faster payouts, and is pushing to get key IMF members the United States and Brazil to support it, government officials said. It has ramped up pressure on Argentina and the IMF to revamp the debt program, the largest extended to any country worldwide. The ministry official said backing from the United States and Brazil was key for the IMF talks, and was "positive" about it given the countries' broader support for Argentina's economy. The U.S. Treasury and White House did not comment on record about potential support for Argentina's talks with the IMF. Argentina would need to reach a technical deal with IMF staff before any agreement went to the board for approval.

BRASILIA, March 29 (Reuters) - The goal of Brazil's new fiscal framework will be a zero primary deficit in 2024, followed by surpluses in subsequent years, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seeks a sustainable trajectory for the country's public debt, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. According to one of the sources, the primary surplus will be equivalent to 0.5% of GDP in 2024, rising to 1% of GDP in 2025. The new framework will combine a target for primary results with a spending rule and will have adjustment mechanisms in case of noncompliance. Sources spoke anonymously, as the topic is being addressed in private conversations with congressmen. Talking to reporters, Padilha said that the leaders of Brazil's Congress have indicated that, once submitted, the fiscal rules should be quickly approved.

☆ Australian Cardinal Pell's funeral marked by arrival of protesters, mourners
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People queue to enter the pontifical requiem Mass for Cardinal George Pell at St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, Australia, February 2, 2023. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Protesters gathered and mourners began to arrive in Sydney on Thursday ahead of the funeral service of Australian Cardinal George Pell, a former top Vatican official who was acquitted in 2020 of sexual abuse accusations. Australian police said it had dropped a court bid to block the gathering after protesters agreed to change their initial protest route and gather in a road adjacent to St Mary's Cathedral, the venue of the funeral service. On Thursday morning, protesters gathered in a park opposite the cathedral, some holding signs reading "Pell Burn In Hell". The ribbons symbolised the pain inflicted on child sexual abuse victims, the protesters said.

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