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☆ Brazil downpours leave at least 49 killed, death toll expected to rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The death toll from heavy rains that devastated coastal areas of Brazil's southeastern Sao Paulo state reached 49 people, official figures showed on Thursday, as cities in the region brace for more downpour in the coming days. The number of casualties rose from 48 reported a day earlier, the Sao Paulo state government said in a statement, but dozens remained missing and search and rescue efforts continued. The city of Sao Sebastiao, located some 200 km (124.3 miles) from Sao Paulo, bore the brunt of the human toll, with 48 of the reported deaths, but nearby towns such as Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba, Bertioga and Ubatuba were also affected. Massive downpours have caused landslides and flooding since last weekend in coastal towns of Brazil's richest state, so far hit by more than 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) of rain, the highest cumulative figure ever in the country. Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West formed what looked like an overwhelming global coalition: 141 countries supported a United Nations measure demanding that Russia unconditionally withdraw. South Korea Indonesia Israel Thailand Japan Saudi Arabia Philippines Afghanistan CambodiaBy contrast, Russia seemed isolated. Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus Syria Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus SyriaBut the West never won over as much of the world as it initially seemed. But like many other African countries, South Africa appears careful to balance its growing ties with Russia against maintaining a relationship with the West. Others that provided Ukraine with military support have declined to impose economic sanctions on Russia.

☆ Death toll from Brazil downpours hits 48, dozens still missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] Volunteers, firefighters, army officers and a civil guard carry the body of a woman who died at one of the landslide sites after severe rainfall at Barra do Sahy, in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, February 22, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda PerobelliSAO PAULO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The death toll from heavy rains that devastated coastal areas of Brazil's southeastern Sao Paulo state reached 48 people, official figures showed on Wednesday, but dozens were still missing as search and rescue efforts continued. The number of casualties rose from 46 reported a day earlier, the Sao Paulo state government said in a statement. The city of Sao Sebastiao, located some 200 km (124.3 miles) from Sao Paulo, bore the brunt of the human toll, with 47 of the reported deaths. The floods in coastal Sao Paulo state were the latest in a series of such disasters to recently strike Brazil, where shoddy construction, often on hillsides, can have tragic consequences during the country's rainy season.

☆ Death toll from devastating Brazil downpours rises to 44
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The death toll from heavy rains that devastated coastal areas of Brazil's southeastern Sao Paulo state rose to 44 people, according to a state government statement on Tuesday. The city of Sao Sebastiao bore the brunt of the human toll, with 43 reported deaths. [1/5] Firefighters work to find victims in one of the landslides sites after severe rainfall at Barra do Sahy in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, February 21, 2023. Sao Paulo state Governor Tarcisio de Freitas said the Navy would build a field hospital for victims starting Thursday. The deluge happened as tourists thronged to Brazil's beaches during the annual Carnival holiday, likely making the human toll much worse.

SAO SEBASTIAO, Brazil, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The death toll from devastating rainfall in southeastern Brazil rose to 40 on Monday, official figures showed, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the region and said homes should no longer be built in areas at risk of landslides and major floods. Lula flew over the coastal town of Sao Sebastiao alongside Cabinet ministers and pledged to help rebuild the town of some 91,000 people by constructing new houses in safer places. "Sometimes nature takes us by surprise, but sometimes we also tempt nature," Lula said in a speech after meeting with Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas and Sao Sebastiao Mayor Felipe Augusto to coordinate their response to the disaster. "I express my solidarity with the people of Sao Sebastiao and I hope this never happens again." [1/4] Landslides are seen after severe rainfall in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, February 20, 2023.

☆ Two dozen dead after Brazil rains cause calamity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Sao Paulo state government confirmed 19 deaths and 566 dislodged or homeless persons after rains of more than 600 millimeters (23.62 inches) pounded the coast of Brazil's richest state. [1/3] An aerial view shows the damage caused by severe rainfall in Ilhabela, Brazil, February 19, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. Sao Paulo state declared a 180-day state of calamity for six cities after what experts described as an unprecedented, extreme weather event. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on his social media account he will visit the main affected areas on Monday. Reporting by Ana Mano in São Paulo and Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasília; Editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ No 'witch-hunt' in Brazil's Jan. 8 probes, vows top military prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - There will be no "witch-hunt" to root out members of Brazil's military who may have potentially been involved in the Jan. 8 Brasilia riots, the country's top military prosecutor said in an interview, pledging to follow due process to mete out justice. For months ahead of the Oct. 30 Brazilian presidential election, far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro sought to enlist military support for his baseless claims of electoral fraud. There has been mounting public pressure for anyone in Brazil's military accused of involvement in the riots to be tried in civil courts. However, Brazil's army brass are unhappy about efforts for military wrongdoing to be tried by the Supreme Court, and want to keep litigation in military courts, according to sources familiar with the matter. Fifteen military investigations related to Jan. 8 have been opened, according to the military attorney general's office.

BRASILIA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's government is taking a fresh tack in its effort to crack down on illegal gold mining in the Amazon, preparing legislation that would require electronic tax receipts for the buying and selling of the precious metal, four sources with knowledge of the plans said. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to end years of environmental backsliding under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, and crack down on illegal mining in the Amazon. The central bank said the goal was to implement "a new inspection system that allows the traceability of the gold extracted, as well as the adoption of electronic invoices." The situation is so bad, Ibram says, that even the central bank does not know if the gold it buys is legal or illegal. The mining lobby has been calling for the adoption of electronic invoices to end the illegal gold trade, Ibram President Raul Jungmann told Reuters.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -The confirmation of more bird flu cases in South America raised alarm bells in Brazil, which remains free of contagion even after its close neighbors Argentina and Uruguay confirmed cases there on Wednesday. Until now, bird flu cases had been detected in commercial farms in Bolivia, which borders Brazil, and in Peru and Ecuador, Favaro said. On Wednesday, cases in wild birds were confirmed in Uruguay and Argentina, sparking a health emergency in both. In recent days, Brazil also investigated suspected cases of the highly pathogenic bird flu. It has never registered a bird flu case.

☆ Portugal's Galp posts record profit in 2022 on soaring oil prices, wider refining margins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Galp Energia SGPS SA FollowLISBON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Portuguese oil and gas company Galp Energia (GALP.LS) on Monday reported a record adjusted net profit for 2022, due to soaring oil prices and wider refining margins in the fourth quarter. Galp said its adjusted profit almost doubled to 881 million euros ($940.03 million), surpassing the previous record of 707 million euros set in 2018. Its fourth-quarter bottom line more than doubled to 273 million euros, compared with 130 million euros a year earlier. The average forecast of 20 analysts polled by the company was 225 million euros. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 48% to 951 million euros in the fourth quarter, in line with the average forecast.

☆ Bolsonaro mulls return to Brazil in coming weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday he plans to return to Brazil "in the coming weeks," after having spent more than a month in the United States. "There is no place like home ... We know Brazil is a fantastic country," Bolsonaro told a gathering of Brazilians in Boca Raton, a video posted online by broadcaster CNN showed. I intend to return to Brazil in the coming weeks." A swift return to Brazil could pose risks for Bolsonaro, who is accused of instigating a violent election denial movement in his home country. Still, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told Reuters this week that officials believe Bolsonaro will return to Brazil after the carnival festival, which ends on Feb 22.

☆ U.S. urges U.N. vote to approve more aid access to Syria via Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since 2014 the U.N. has been able to deliver aid to millions of people in need in the northwest part of war-torn Syria through Turkey under a Security Council mandate. 'FAILED'On the 15-member Security Council, Brazil and Switzerland take the lead on negotiating any action related to the Syria humanitarian aid access issue. The death toll from the earthquake last week in Turkey and Syria passed 33,000 on Sunday. The ambassadors of Brazil and Switzerland said on Friday they wanted Griffiths to brief the Security Council before any action was discussed. "We have so far failed the people in northwest Syria," Griffiths said in a post on Twitter.

☆ Biden and Lula project unity on democratic values and climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Brazil "self-marginalized itself for four years" under the former president, Lula said at the White House, without mentioning Bolsonaro by name. His world, Lula said, had "started and ended with fake news in the morning, afternoon, at night," prompting Biden to laugh and interject, "sounds familiar." Lula said the two leaders could also work together to combat inequality and climate change. Lula's visit to the White House followed a meeting with Senator Bernie Sanders and other lawmakers from Biden's Democratic Party. At the White House, Lula said the Amazon rainforest had been "invaded" under the previous administration, adding that he was committed to reaching zero deforestation by 2030.

☆ Brazil just sank its biggest warship into the Atlantic Ocean after failing to sell it for scrap metal. The ship was big enough to carry 39 aircraft — take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

ANNA ZIEMINSKI/AFP via Getty ImagesIn March 2021, the Brazilian Navy sold the aircraft carrier as scrap to a shipyard in Turkey. But the ship was rejected by Turkish authorities as it had asbestos, a toxic material often found in 20th century ships. After circling along Brazil's coast for five months after it was rejected by Turkey, the warship was moved into international waters, Time reported. It was a controversial move: Several environmental rights organizations opposed the sinking of the ship because of the asbestos it contained. "The sinking of the aircraft carrier Sao Paulo throws tons of asbestos, mercury, lead and other highly toxic substances into the seabed," Greenpeace said in a statement, per Reuters.

☆ Americanas accounting scandal was a 'fraud,' says CEO of Brazil's Itau
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SAO PAULO, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Brazil's biggest private lender Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA) said on Wednesday that the accounting inconsistencies that led retailer Americanas SA (AMER3.SA) to request bankruptcy protection represent a case of 'fraud'. Milton Maluhy Filho's remarks came after Itau, which had a multi-million-dollar exposure to Americanas, had to set aside more cash for bad loans in the fourth quarter. Maluhy added that Itau has not identified any case similar to that of Americanas, which reported around $8 billion in debt after disclosing "inconsistencies" in its accounting. Reporting by Aluisio Alves; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan Ends Multibillion-Dollar Bid to Enter Passenger-Jet Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Chieko Tsuneoka | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mitsubishi Heavy’s SpaceJet was originally conceived as a 90-seater that could fly workhorse routes in the U.S. and Japan. TOKYO– Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. on Tuesday pulled the plug on a passenger-jet project that swallowed billions of dollars and 15 years in a fruitless bid to take a chunk of the U.S. market. The decision was a blow to national pride in Japan, which was hoping for a return to the commercial-aircraft market led globally by Boeing Co., Airbus SE and Embraer SA of Brazil.

Export inspections, a proxy for actual exports, totaled a preliminary 8.2 million tonnes in January 2023 compared with 6.5 million a year ago and 8.9 million in January 2021. January 2022 soy shipments totaled 6.4 million tonnes, a couple of cargoes above the five-year average. U.S. soy export sales were decent last month as Brazilian farmers have been stingy sellers of their huge impending harvest. Trade estimates ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wednesday supply and demand report suggest analysts are mostly content with the agency’s latest forecast for 2022-23 U.S. soybean exports of 1.99 billion bushels (54.2 million tonnes). Weekly U.S. soybean export inspectionsKaren Braun is a market analyst for Reuters.

☆ Yanomami health crisis in Brazil can only be solved by expelling miners, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The medical emergency the Yanomami people of Brazil are suffering can only be overcome if illegal gold miners that invaded their reservation are evicted, an indigenous health official said on Tuesday. We believe the reopening of medical units can only be done when the miners are all removed," Indigenous Health Secretary Ricardo Weibe Tapeba told a news conference. About 20,000 wildcat miners on the Yanomami reservation in the state of Roraima in northern Brazil have brought malaria and severe food shortages that caused the death of starving Yanomami children, he said. Some 700 patients have been airlifted to the state capital of Boa Vista and are being treated at the CASAI indigenous health center hospital and a field hospital set up there, Weibe added. Their mineral-rich lands attracted wildcat miners for decades, especially after a military government built a road through the Amazon rainforest in the 1970s.

☆ These stocks owned by Warren Buffett are poised for big gains, according to Wall Street analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC looked for high-conviction names held in Buffett's stock portfolio through the end of September, according to the Berkshire Hathaway Portfolio Tracker . The Omaha-based conglomerate owned $471 million worth of Brazilian fintech Nu Holdings at the end of the third quarter. Wall Street analysts are bullish on the company, expecting the stock to rise more than 20% over the next year. However, Berkshire trimmed the stake by 12% in the third quarter as regulatory headwinds on the deal rose. Berkshire owned a $1.2 billion stake in the company as of September.

☆ Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro addressed right-wing activists at Trump resort in Miami amid calls for him to be ejected from the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro addressed right-wing activists at a Trump resort on Friday. Bolsonaro did not address how long he plans to extend his stay in Florida. Instead of going back, however, the right-wing politician has sought to extend his stay in the United States, to the chagrin of Democrats and others who want him ejected. On Friday, Bolsonaro beamed as supporters cheered him at a campaign-style event organized by Turning Point USA, a youth-oriented conservative activist group, and hosted by the Trump National Doral golf resort in Miami. "Liberty is like a great love, we must care for it every day," Bolsonaro said, addressing the crowd through a translator.

☆ Gautam Adani lost $52 billion in 6 days. That's over 3 times what Sam Bankman-Fried lost in a similar timeframe.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani lost $52 billion in net worth over six trading days. Shares in Adani Group companies have lost over $100 billion in market cap since a US short seller's fraud allegations. Adani — whose empire is under pressure from a US short seller — has already lost $52 billion in just six trading days, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Adani is now worth $61.3 billion and on the 21st spot on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The dramatic decline in Adani's net worth is because much of his wealth is derived from his stakes in his businesses.

☆ Brazilian justice confirms senator told him about election conspiracy meeting with Bolsonaro
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON/SAO PAULO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes confirmed on Friday that Senator Marcos do Val told him about an election conspiracy meeting he allegedly attended with former President Jair Bolsonaro and former lawmaker Daniel Silveira last year. Moraes said during an event held in Lisbon that Do Val approached him to talk about the meeting. The justice said he then asked the senator to testify formalizing the allegations, but Do Val declined to do so. Do Val told reporters on Thursday that Bolsonaro, narrowly defeated by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in an October vote, "sat in silence" while Silveira laid out the plot against Moraes at the meeting. Silveira was arrested by police on Thursday on a warrant issued by Moraes, who accused him of disobeying court rulings.

The sharp contrast with Bolsonaro, who criticized environmental agents, was a relief to some scientists concerned that the retreating Amazon rainforest may be near a point of no return. Ibama's staffing and resources expanded in Lula's 2003-2010 presidency, when he managed to reduce Amazon deforestation by 72%. Rodrigo Agostinho, whom Lula tapped to run Ibama, told Reuters in an interview that the agency now has about 350 active field agents for all of Brazil. That is less than half what it had at the start of Bolsonaro's term and well below the 2,000 field agents at the peak of its powers, he added. Sidelining Ibama, Bolsonaro deployed the military to protect the Amazon, but their inexperience in conservation failed to lower deforestation while running up a massive bill.

☆ Brazil volleyball star faces Olympic complaint after post threatening Lula
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The Brazilian Olympic Committee said it had filed a complaint against volleyball player Wallace de Souza after the former Olympic champion wrote a post on social media that appeared to back violence against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. An Instagram follower of the athlete asked him on the social media platform if he would "shoot Lula in the face with a 12 (caliber gun)." He later deleted the post and uploaded a video apologizing, saying he would never suggest violence or hatred towards anyone and calling the post a mistake. Wallace was part of Brazil's gold medal-winning volleyball team in the 2016 Summer Olympics, and a silver medalist in 2012. Earlier in January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters vandalized the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace, seeking to provoke chaos and a military coup that would oust Lula and restore Bolsonaro to power.

☆ Ronaldo's Saudi switch another symbol of Chinese decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Portuguese striker's Saudi Arabia switch following the cancellation of his Manchester United contract has highlighted a shift within Asian football that started before the COVID-19 pandemic and which continues to have a significant impact. With money pouring into clubs often owned by debt-fuelled property developers, the Chinese Super League (CSL) had been enticing an increasing number of leading players and coaches to the country since early last decade. The downturn in Chinese football has spared few. Two-time Asian champions Guangzhou FC, once Chinese football's dominant force, went into decline after their owners, developers China Evergrande, were forced to limit funding after the government restricted borrowing. With attention now squarely focused on the oil-funded riches on offer in a newly assertive Saudi Arabia, Chinese football's lustre has all but disappeared.

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