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☆ BRICS bank NDB says not considering new projects in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, July 26 (Reuters) - The New Development Bank (NDB), the multilateral bank set up by the BRICS states, is not considering new projects in Russia as it operates in line with restrictions imposed in financial and capital markets, its head said on Wednesday. Dilma Rousseff said in a statement posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that any speculations concerning the discussion of new operations of the bank in Russia were "unfounded". BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, are scheduled to gather in the African country next month. The BRICS group of emerging countries launched the Shanghai-headquartered bank in 2015. Rousseff was appointed to head it earlier this year by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Persons: Dilma Rousseff, Rousseff, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan Organizations: SAO PAULO, New Development Bank, South, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Russia, Brazil, Africa, St . Petersburg, India, China, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Egypt, Shanghai

☆ NASA chief offers Brazil satellite imaging to help stop Amazon deforestation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson attends a news conference, after meeting with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (not pictured), at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, July 25 (Reuters) - NASA Administrator Bill Nelson visited Brazilian space research center INPE on Wednesday and proposed extending satellite partnerships with the United States to help monitor and prevent destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Nelson said NASA will have a satellite in January that can even render images of what is happening below the forest canopy. "I thanked the president for his continuous effort to save the Amazon rainforest," he told reporters after the meeting. Earlier on Tuesday, Nelson visited Brazilian plane maker Embraer (EMBR3.SA) in Sao Jose dos Campos and toured the production line for its narrow-body commercial E-Jets.

Persons: Bill Nelson, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Adriano Machado BRASILIA, Nelson, Sao Jose dos Campos, Luciana Santos, Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, NASA, INPE, Embraer, EMBR3, Jets, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, United States, India, Sao Jose, INPE, China, U.S, Brazilian, American, Argentina, Colombia

☆ 3 reasons countries around the world want to break up with the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US dollar has been the world's reserve currency for decades, but its dominance is fading. US monetary policies, the strong USD, and structural shift in the global oil trade also contribute. Here are three other reasons countries around the world are attempting to line up plans to possibly move away from a dollar-dominated world. The arrangement was formalized in 1945 when the oil-giant country Saudi Arabia and the US reached a historic deal wherein Saudi Arabia would sell its oil to America only using the greenback. In return, Saudi Arabia would reinvest excess dollar reserves into US treasuries and companies.

Persons: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, —, Narendra Modi's, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, It's, Donald Trump, wasn't, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Sarah Miller Organizations: Service, International Monetary Fund, Wilson, Reserve Bank of, Indian, Reuters, Allianz, Global, US, Washington Post, Energy Intelligence Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Western, Ukraine, Washington, Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh, India, France, Reserve Bank of India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, America, Saudi

The decree fulfills a campaign promise by Lula, who criticized looser gun controls under Bolsonaro, arguing they were responsible for a wave of political violence during last year's election. The country has nearly 800,000 registered gun owners, up from 117,467 in 2018 when Bolsonaro was elected, according to the 2023 Brazilian Yearbook of Public Security. Lula's decree rolled back firearms access for that group. Lula's decree also closes a loophole that allowed many gun owners to go out in public with loaded weapons if they claimed to be going to a gun club. Gun owners who bought their weapons during the previous administration will not be forced to give them up, but the decree envisages a buyback program starting this year.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Bolsonaro, Lula's, Lisandra, Gabriel Stargardter, Brad Haynes, David Holmes, Richard Chang Organizations: of Public Security, Brazilian Armed Forces, CAC, Gun, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro

JOHANNESBURG, July 20 (Reuters) - A BRICS currency will not be on the agenda of the bloc's summit in South Africa next month, but Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will continue to switch away from the U.S. dollar, South Africa's senior BRICS diplomat said on Thursday. "There's never been talk of a BRICS currency, it's not on the agenda," Anil Sooklal, South Africa's Ambassador at Large: Asia and BRICS, told a media briefing. "What we have said and we continue to deepen is trading in local currencies and settlement in local currencies." This has pushed countries to find alternatives to the dollar, especially among non-U.S. allies. "BRICS started a process that has been expedited as a result of the conflict, as a result of unilateral sanctions," Sooklal said.

Persons: There's, it's, Anil Sooklal, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Sergei Lavrov, BRICS, Sooklal, Rachel Savage, Carien du Plessis, Tim Cocks, Angus MacSwan Organizations: U.S ., South, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South, Asia, Russian, Ukraine, U.S

☆ Sao Paulo governor turns heads on Brazil's right after Bolsonaro election ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Although the governor and his closest advisers insist he is focused on serving Sao Paulo state, many of Brazil's seasoned conservative power brokers are already calling the pro-business moderate a natural candidate for the presidency in three years. It also helped shore up three-quarters support among Sao Paulo lawmakers for the reform as it cleared one chamber of Congress. He is pushing to privatize the port of Santos on the Sao Paulo coast, a bid blocked for now by the federal government. And he has vowed to revive efforts to privatize state water utility Sabesp (SBSP3.SA), while Lula has decried recent privatizations under Bolsonaro. "He has to finish his mission in Sao Paulo with a second term," said one close aide, asking not to be named as he was not authorized to speak about the governor's plans.

Persons: Tarcisio de Freitas, Jair Bolsonaro, Freitas, Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Marcos Pereira, of God, Arthur Lira, Ciro Nogueira, Bolsonaro's, Antonio Queiroz, Dilma Rousseff, Lula, Queiroz, Ricardo Brito, Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes, Paul Simao Organizations: Paulo, Republicans, Universal Church of, Liberal Party, ARMY, Workers Party, Sao, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Sao Paulo, of, Brazilian, Santos

☆ Brazil's central bank prepares public consultation on cryptocurrency regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, July 18 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank announced on Tuesday its plans to launch a public consultation regarding the regulation of cryptocurrencies in the second half of this year. Specific measures will be taken to limit the risks associated with decentralized governance systems and to prevent investors from being exposed to these assets without appropriate levels of disclosure, said the central bank. The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva delegated the authority to regulate cryptocurrency services to the independent central bank from June 20. Despite this status, the central bank stressed the need for coordinated action among various regulators, such as the revenue service and the country's Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM). Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Marcela Ayres, Steven Grattan Organizations: country's Securities, Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA

☆ EU seeks to revive Latin America, Caribbean ties as it turns away from China, Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Regardless of the outcome, officials said the meeting itself marked a step towards stronger ties. "The most important issue of the meeting is the meeting itself," Argentine Undersecretary for Latin American and Caribbean affairs Gustavo Martinez Pandiani told a small group of reporters in Brussels. The EU has said it wants a joint declaration condemning Russia, but knows this will be difficult to achieve. The EU and Argentina will sign a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation before the summit starts. The EU may also offer details on plans to invest 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion) in CELAC infrastructure projects, part of its Global Gateway initiative.

Persons: Gustavo Martinez Pandiani, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Philip Blenkinsop, Barbara Lewis Organizations: European Union, UN, European, EU, Mercosur, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, America, Caribbean, EU, Ukraine, China, Caribbean States, Brussels, Argentine, Russia, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Beijing, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

☆ Welcome to the Dollar War: a Global Fight Over America's Economic Dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

The US even reminded everyone just how influential the buck is when it effectively froze Russia out of the global financial system with sanctions last year. Becoming the issuer of the global reserve currency is about trust. The US has controlled the global reserve currency for 102 years — giving it a special status in the world economy. Still, given that the country controlling the global reserve currency holds that status of an average of 94 years, history seems to indicate it's high time for a successor. Why shouldn't the financial world resemble something closer to the mosaic of cultures, politics, and nations that exists today?

Persons: Chenzi Xu, there's, Xu, —, Ron Temple, Gregory Brew, Eurasia's Brew, dollarizing, Stephen Jen, Jen, we've, Stanford's Xu, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Josh Lipsky, " Lipsky, It's, Alexander Wise, Jan Loeys, Loeys, dollarization, Wise, Lazard's Temple, isn't, Phil Rosen Organizations: Stanford, Federal, European Central Bank, People's Bank of China, Lazard, Publishing, Getty Images, International Monetary Fund, Bank of International Settlements, Eurasia Group, Sandman's, Eurizon, IMF, Atlantic Council, JPMorgan Locations: Russia, Israel, France, China, America, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Bolivia, Iraq, South Africa, Beijing

"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

☆ Brazil govt eyes sending income tax reform proposal to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, July 10 (Reuters) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government will not wait for Brazil's Congress to finish voting on a tax reform related to consumption before submitting its proposal for an income tax reform, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Monday. "I will need Congress to consider this second phase (of tax reform) along with the budget bill," said Haddad, referring to the budget proposal that, by law, the government must submit by the end of August. The measure still requires final passage in the Senate, with no date yet set for a vote. According to Haddad, a carbon credit bill is set to be presented to Congress in August. Additionally, the government has scheduled an official presentation to attract companies interested in making products labeled as "clean energy," Haddad said.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Brazil's, Lula, Marcela Ayres, Mark Porter, Will Dunham Organizations: Finance, Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA

SAO PAULO, July 6 (Reuters) - Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 34% in the first half of 2023, preliminary government data showed on Thursday, hitting its lowest level in four years as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva institutes tougher environmental policies. But that's an area more than three times the size of New York City, underscoring the challenge Lula faces to eliminate deforestation entirely. "It's very positive, but we continue to have very high levels of deforestation," said Daniel Silva, an analyst at nonprofit WWF-Brasil. An aerial view shows a deforested area during an operation to combat deforestation near Uruara, Para State, Brazil January 21, 2023. In June alone, Inpe satellite data showed deforestation totaled 663 sq km, down 41% from the same month a year ago.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Inpe, Lula, Daniel Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Ueslei Marcelino, Marina Silva, Silva, Joao Paulo Capobianco, Carolina Pulice, Jake Spring, Gabriel Araujo, Sandra Maler Organizations: SAO PAULO, WWF, Brasil, REUTERS, Environment Ministry, Thomson Locations: New York City, Uruara, Para State, Brazil

BRASILIA, July 7 (Reuters) - Brazil's lower house of Congress approved on Friday the main text of a tax reform that will restructure the country's complex consumption taxes, a move President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva touted as a "great victory". The bill will now be sent to the Senate, where it will also be voted on in two rounds. "Brazil will have its first tax reform of the democratic period ... We are working towards a better future for everyone." Markets reacted positively to the lower house approval, with Brazil's real strengthening more than 1% against the dollar, while benchmark stock index Bovespa (.BVSP) jumped 1.65%. 'A NECESSITY'The lower house approved the reform by 382-118 in the first round of voting held late on Thursday.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Rodrigo Pacheco, Arthur Lira, Jair Bolsonaro, Maria Carolina Marcello, Carolina Pulice, Gabriel Araujo, Michael Perry, Devika Syamnath, Alistair Bell Organizations: Lawmakers, Senate, Markets, JPMorgan, Finance, Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil

☆ Insight: Catholic clergy report surveillance, beatings amid Nicaragua's crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's five-year campaign against the Catholic church has intensified since February, according to interviews with five priests inside and outside the country. This week's brief release of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez raised hopes for a turning point. The priests describe heavy surveillance of church services by police or civilian members of government-sponsored community councils, especially since Easter. His latest restrictions seem aimed at silencing priests, Erick Diaz, 33, a Nicaraguan priest in exile in Chicago, said. Nine church leaders inside and outside Nicaragua did not respond to interview requests for this story.

Persons: Daniel Ortega's, Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Mexican Bishop Ramon Castro, Pope Francis, Nicaragua's, Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Bishop Alvarez, Alvarez, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Brenes, Martha Patricia Molina, Molina, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Erick Diaz, David Alire Garcia, Philip Pullella, Ismael Lopez, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Sunday, Nicaraguan, Catholic, Vatican, Reuters, Organization of American, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Nicaraguan, Managua, Nicaragua, Mexican, Eastern Europe, Matagalpa, Texas, Leon, Vatican, Chicago, Rome, San Jose

☆ Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves his home following a search operation, in Brasilia, Brazil May 3, 2023. Far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was barred Friday from running for office again until 2030 after a panel of judges concluded that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system. Five judges on the nation's highest electoral court agreed that Bolsonaro used government communication channels to promote his campaign and sowed distrust about the vote. Speaking to reporters in Minas Gerais, Bolsonaro lamented that the trial was unfair and politically motivated. Brazilian law forbids candidates with criminal sentences from running for office.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Carlos Melo, Judge Carmen Lucia —, —, Alexandre de Moraes, Melo, Fernando Collor de Mello, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Sen, Sergio Moro, Maria Maris, Maris, Lula, Swift jailing, Gleisi Hoffmann, mongers, Donald Trump, Marie Santini, Katia Caminha, Caminha, Bolsonaro's, Thomas Traumann, didn't, Traumann Organizations: Insper University, Liberal Party, Federal, Lula's Workers ' Party, Federal University of Rio, Bolsonaro, Associated Press, Sao Paulo Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de, Copacabana, Sao, decamp, Florida

☆ George Soros' foundation lays off 40% after son takes control
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —George Soros’ Open Society Foundations will lay off at least 40% of its staff one month after the 92-year-old announced he handed the reins of the multi-billion-dollar foundation to his son, Alexander Soros. The job cuts were announced in a statement signed by Alexander Soros and the foundation’s president, Mark Malloch-Brown. In June, the senior Soros, a Hungarian-born billionaire investor, philanthropist and contributor to liberal causes, announced that he had tapped his 37-year-old son, Alexander Soros, who goes by Alex, as the organization’s new chair. In an interview in the Wall Street Journal announcing the decision, Alexander Soros said he and his father “think alike,” but that he was more political than his father. Alexander Soros also said that under his leadership, he planned focus the foundation more on US domestic politics.

Persons: George Soros, Alexander Soros, Mark Malloch, Soros, Alex, “, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Justin Trudeau, George Soros ’, Alex Soros Organizations: CNN, Open Society Foundations, Society, Street Journal, Biden, Canada’s, Forbes, Soros Locations: Hungarian

☆ Bolsonaro eyes 2026 candidacy for his wife as his political future evaporates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 30 (Reuters) - Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's hopes of reclaiming the presidency in 2026 may be all but dead. A majority of Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) justices on Friday froze Bolsonaro's political career, barring the far-right nationalist from public office until 2030 for spreading baseless claims about the country's voting system in last year's election. The majority ruling represents a devastating setback for the 68-year-old career politician who was until recently Brazil's most powerful man. Speaking on Thursday shortly after landing in Rio de Janeiro, where he was greeted with shouts of "criminal" and "coup-monger," Bolsonaro backed his wife Michelle for 2026. Michelle Bolsonaro is a political newcomer.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro's, Bolsonaro, Michelle, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Tarcisio Freitas, Romeu Zema, Michelle Bolsonaro, Lula, William Douglas, Flavio Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro, Steve Bannon, Gabriel Stargardter, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: RIO DE, Sao Paulo, Liberal Party, Evangelical Christian, Thomson Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Sao, Minas Gerais, Brasilia, Rio

☆ Bolsonaro's career wrecked as majority of Brazil court vote to bar him for 8 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, June 30 (Reuters) - Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's political career evaporated on Friday as a majority of federal electoral court (TSE) justices voted to bar him from public office until 2030 for his conduct during last year's fraught election. Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing and has already said he plans to appeal to the Supreme Court. The TSE trial is part of a broader reckoning in Brazil with the fallout from the country's most painful election in a generation. While the former president faces electoral court scrutiny, many of his one-time allies are being questioned by lawmakers in a congressional probe into the Jan. 8 riots. Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Adriano Machado BRASILIA, Jair, Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Benedito Goncalves, Donald Trump, Ricardo Brito, Gabriel Araujo, Jonathan Oatis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Brasilia International, Electoral Justice, REUTERS, Supreme, TSE, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil

☆ Brazil's Lula says inflation targets too 'rigid'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, June 29 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday the country's inflation targets were excessively rigid and renewed criticism of the central bank for high interest rates ahead of a meeting that will set its 2026 inflation goals. Lula's remarks came as financial markets closely watch the National Monetary Council's (CMN) meeting later in the day for potential changes on inflation targets, which are currently at 3.25% for 2023 and 3% for the next two years. "Personally I think Brazil should not have such a rigid inflation target if it cannot meet it," Lula said in an interview with Radio Gaucha. "But it's not prudent for me to talk about the monetary council ahead of its meeting." Lula previously hinted at potentially changing inflation targets to increase them and enable monetary policy easing, a move that ended up worsening expectations for consumer price changes.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula's, Lula, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan Organizations: SAO PAULO, Monetary, Radio Gaucha, Thomson Locations: Brazil

☆ Brazil finance minister confirms 3% inflation target in 2024, backs tweaking time frame
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, June 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's finance minister has confirmed the country's monetary council will keep next year's inflation target at 3%, but reiterated he expects the body to tweak the time frame used to assess the goal's fulfillment. Fernando Haddad's remarks in an interview with GloboNews aired late on Wednesday came as markets on Thursday closely watch the National Monetary Council's (CMN) meeting for potential changes on inflation targets. Inflation targets that have the calendar year as a time frame cause "unnecessary pressure," he said. The central bank currently targets inflation of 3.25% in 2023 and 3% in 2024 and 2025, with a tolerance margin of 1.5 percentage points up or down. Lula previously hinted at potentially changing inflation targets to increase them and enable monetary policy easing, a move that helped worsen expectations for consumer price changes.

Persons: Fernando Haddad's, GloboNews, Haddad, Luiz Inacio Lula da, Lula, Fabricio de Castro, Gabriel Araujo, Emelia Sithole Organizations: SAO PAULO, Monetary, Thomson

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro political fate in hands of electoral court vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, June 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) on Thursday began a third day of hearings in a case against former president Jair Bolsonaro that could see him barred from political office for nearly a decade. On Tuesday, Benedito Goncalves, the lead justice in the case, had voted to convict him for abuse of political power and misuse of the media. Many in Brazil, including Bolsonaro, believe he is likely to be barred from office - a stunning turnaround for a figure who was until recently Brazil's most powerful man. "Everyone seems to say that it's likely I'm going to be barred from office," he told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper in an interview. Bolsonaro, who was not in court and flew to Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, does not risk jail in the TSE case.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Justice Raul Araujo, Bolsonaro, Benedito Goncalves, Ricardo Brito, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Brasilia, Folha, Paulo, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brasilia, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Brazil electoral court close to ending Bolsonaro's political career
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

So far three judges have voted to convict the far-right nationalist for abuse of political power and misuse of the media, while one has not. The TSE trial is part of a broader reckoning in Brazil with the fallout from the country's most painful election in a generation. While the former president faces electoral court scrutiny, many of his one-time allies are being questioned by lawmakers in a congressional probe into the Jan. 8 riots. Bolsonaro's best hope at future relevance may lie with his family, including his wife and lawmaker sons, who could also harbor their own presidential ambitions. He told the Folha de S. Paulo that his wife Michelle could well be a presidential candidate in 2026, but said she lacked political experience.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Donald Trump, Bolsonaro, Brazil's, Tarcisio Freitas, Romeu Zema, Paulo, Michelle, Ricardo Brito, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Angus MacSwan, Conor Humphries Organizations: Brasilia, TSE, Folha, Paulo, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brasilia, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais

☆ South Africa to host BRICS summit despite Putin arrest warrant
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Carien Du Plessis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Africa has a duty as a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest Putin if he attends the talks between the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China, due to an arrest warrant over the deportation of children from Ukraine. "South Africa will host the 15th BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg, from 22 to 24 August 2023," the Department of International Relations said in a statement. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed to Reuters in a text message that this meant the whole summit, including the main part involving the BRICS heads of state, would take place in South Africa. He and a spokesperson for the international relations department declined to comment on whether or not Putin will attend. On Tuesday, South Africa's Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor said Putin had not yet replied to an invitation, sent before the ICC charged him on March 18.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, International Relations Naledi Pandor, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Pandor, Sergey Lavrov, Tim Cocks, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: International Criminal Court, ICC, African National Congress, ANC, Department of International Relations, Reuters, South Africa's, International Relations, India's, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, China, Brazil, Russia, India, Ukraine, Africa, Sandton, Johannesburg

Kenyan shipments of tea - its major export - have fallen by a fifth over the last year, according to the local regulator. The spike in global interest rates has already tipped Sri Lanka and Ghana into defaulting. Reuters GraphicsBLACK MARKETAlthough the dollar's share as a global reserve currency has dropped to 59% from 70% over a decade, it continues to dominate global trade. Nigeria has long had a web of multiple exchange rates which it is now trying to untangle, having also devalued its naira currency again last week. A plunge of around 70% in Bolivia's reserves has spawned queues at banks and currency exchange shops as some merchants stopped accepting local currency.

Persons: Wilson Muthaura, KTDA, Charlie Robertson, Muthaura, David Willacy, Ojo, Chaucer, Ronal, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Kristalina Georgieva, William Ruto, Duncan Miriri, Marc Jones, Macdonald Dzirutwe, Monica Machicao, Mayela Armas, David Sherwood, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank, FIM Partners, Reuters Graphics, Workers, REUTERS, La Paz, West, Reuters, JPMorgan, Monetary Fund, IMF, Fund, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, LONDON, Pakistan, COVID, Russia, Ukraine, London, Islamabad, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Tunisia, teetering, Nigeria, Kenya, StoneX, Nigeria's, Lagos, British, Cuba, Venezuela, Githunguri, Kiambu County, United States, Lebanon, Turkey, Ethiopia, China, India, Johannesburg, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Argentina, Nairobi, La Paz, Caracas, Havana

☆ Brazil inflation slows down as c.bank foresees August rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

In Latin America's largest economy, 12-month inflation reached 3.40% in mid-June, data from statistics agency IBGE showed on Tuesday, slightly above market expectations of 3.36% but still the lowest since September 2020. The latest figure, showing a deceleration from 4.07% in May, comes as the local central bank said that a majority of its monetary policy committee sees a rate cut in August as possible if the ongoing disinflation process continues. Brazil's IPCA-15 consumer price index, IBGE data showed, rose 0.04% in the month to mid-June, down from 0.51% in the previous month. The index had been expected to fall 0.01%, according to the median forecast in a Reuters poll. Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Roberto Campos Neto, Brazil's, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan Organizations: SAO PAULO, IBGE, Thomson Locations: Brazil

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