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☆ German voters fend off far-right in latest state vote, early results suggest
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

“Dietmar Woidke and his Brandenburg SPD have made a furious comeback in recent weeks,” said SPD General Secretary Kevin Kuehnert. “For us in the federal SPD, this evening, if things go well, the problems that lie ahead of us will not have gotten any bigger. SPD party members and supporters react during the publication of exit polls in Potsdam. Provisional official results suggested it had gained 5.7 percentage points since the last Brandenburg election in 2019. With the Greens failing to re-enter Brandenburg state parliament, Woidke’s SPD cannot continue its coalition with the CDU and Greens.

Persons: Olaf Scholz’s, Scholz, “, ” Scholz, Dietmar Woidke, “ Dietmar Woidke, ”, Kevin Kuehnert, Tobias Schwarz, Woidke, Tino Chrupalla, Sahra Wagenknecht Organizations: Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, SPD, State, Politico, United Nations, Brandenburg SPD, ARD, ZDF, Communist, Getty, Provisional, Greens, Free Democrats, CDU Locations: Brandenburg, Germany, Berlin, New York, Ukraine, Potsdam, Russia, Thuringia, Saxony, Europe

☆ Far-right group that invokes Nazi past on track for more state election success in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The AfD became the first far-right party to win a state election in Germany since World War II, in Thuringia, on Sept. 1 and just missed first place in Saxony. Hans-Christoph Berndt, the AfD candidate for Brandenburg state premier, cast his ballot on Sunday in the town of Golssen, south of Berlin, expressing optimism about his party’s prospects with increased support compared to 2019. Narrow the gapIn recent weeks, the SPD has managed to narrow the gap with the AfD, opinion polls have shown. AfD party leader Tino Chrupalla said Scholz should do the same. “It is high time this government suffer the consequences after this state election,” Chrupalla said.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, Hans, Christoph Berndt, we've, ” Berndt, won’t, Scholz, Brandenburg’s, Dietmar Woidke, Woidke, pollster Forschungsgruppe Wahlen, ” Woidke, Tino Chrupalla, ” Chrupalla Organizations: Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, Communist, Brandenburg, Social Democrats, SPD, Sahra Wagenknecht, Scholz’s, Free Democrats, Greens Locations: German, Brandenburg, Germany, Thuringia, Saxony, Europe, Ukraine, Scholz’s, Golssen, Berlin, Potsdam

☆ Exit polls suggest reprieve for Germany’s Scholz, as his party looks set to fend off far right in state vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

BERLIN Reuters —German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) looked set to fend off the far right in a state election in Brandenburg on Sunday after trailing behind the Alternative for Germany (AfD) throughout the campaign, exit polls indicated. “Dietmar Woidke and his Brandenburg SPD have made a furious comeback in recent weeks,” said SPD party general secretary Kevin Kuehnert. “For us in the federal SPD, this evening, if things go well, the problems that lie ahead of us will not have gotten any bigger. The SPD is polling just 15% at national level, down from the 25.7% it scored in the 2021 federal election. Maryam Majd/Getty Images/FileNo time for complacencyThe vote in Brandenburg comes three weeks after the Russia-friendly AfD became the first far-right party to top a state election in Germany since World War Two, in Thuringia.

Persons: Olaf Scholz’s, Scholz, Dietmar Woidke, “ Dietmar Woidke, ”, Kevin Kuehnert, Olaf Scholz, Maryam Majd, Woidke, Tino Chrupalla, Sahra Wagenknecht Organizations: BERLIN Reuters —, Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, SPD, ZDF, Brandenburg SPD, ARD, Communist, Greens, Free Democrats Locations: Brandenburg, Germany, Berlin, Ukraine, Russia, Thuringia, Saxony, Europe

European Union Parliament Election 2024: Live ResultsThe first countries are now reporting national estimates. The first overall estimate of parliament seat counts are expected after 2:15 p.m. Eastern. No results EPP S&D Renew ECR Greens ID Left Other No results Greens EPP ID S&D Renew Left Other ECR EPP S&D Renew ECR Greens ID Left Other No results Note: Country-level seat counts are estimates based on available exit polls and other non-official data from member states. Projection of overall seats by group The first overall seat count projection will be available after 2:15 p.m. Eastern. Group Seats Seats 0 0 0 0 + Show more * Newly elected members not allied to any of the political groups in the outgoing parliamentElection results are announced country by country, and voting is organized according to national rules.

Organizations: Union, EPP, Greens, Left, The New York Times

☆ Why Power Eludes the French Left
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Elisabeth Zerofsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As transit walkouts snarled traffic and sanitation strikes caused trash to pile up in the streets, the protests were ridiculed abroad. Why must the French, among the best-protected workers in the Western world, make such a racket over two years of work? But for the demonstrators, this missed the point: It is because French workers put up a fight that they are protected. France has always been a vanguard of leftist politics. How it fares says much about where the left may be headed and the headwinds it faces, not just in France but throughout the West.

Persons: Samira Organizations: Writers Guild of America, United Auto Workers, UPS Teamsters, National Health Service Locations: Teleperformance, France, United States, Britain

☆ Former German Spy Chief Founds New Right-Wing Party
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Thomas Escritt and Sarah MarshBERLIN (Reuters) - A former German spy chief who was sacked after being accused of averting his eyes to the threat posed by the far-right founded a new right-wing party on Saturday, holding an inaugural party congress on a boat near Germany's old capital Bonn. The Werteunion, or Values Union, is headed by Hans-Georg Maassen, who was dismissed as head of Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in 2018. A former member of the opposition Christian Democrats, Maassen is himself now being monitored by the security agency he ran, he said last month. Maassen said on social media platform X, posting a photo of himself and colleagues in front of a German flag on the boat. Earlier this year, leftist politician Sahra Wagenknecht founded a new left populist party.

Persons: Thomas Escritt, Sarah Marsh BERLIN, Hans, Georg Maassen, Maassen, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, Sahra Wagenknecht, Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Values, Christian Democrats, Social Democrats Locations: Bonn, Germany, Chemnitz

Leon Wildes, a prominent immigration lawyer best known for his landmark, yearslong fight in the 1970s to prevent John Lennon from being deported and enable the former Beatle to receive permanent residency in the U.S., has died at age 90. Thanks to Wildes' ingenuity and the shocking twists of politics in the 1970s, Lennon's deportation was delayed and ultimately revoked. His honors included the Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law and the Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award. He attended Yeshiva College as an undergraduate and became interested in immigration law after working with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in the late 1950s. Wildes published articles in the Cardozo Law Review among other journals and wrote a book on the Lennon case, “John Lennon Vs. the USA,” that came out in 2016.

Persons: Leon Wildes, yearslong, John Lennon, Wildes, Englewood , New Jersey Mayor Michael Wildes —, Dad, Michael Wildes, Weinberg, “, ” Leon Wildes, Alan Kahn, Lennon, Yoko Ono, ”, Kahn, Jack Lemmon, Yoko Moto, Ono, Kyoko Chan Cox, John, Yoko, Richard Nixon, Lennon's, Nixon, Sen, Strom Thurmond, Thurmond, John Mitchell, Richard Kleindienst, J, Edgar Hoover, Fred Astaire, Dick Cavett, Saul Bellow, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, “ Leon, ” Lennon, Nixon's, Mitchell, Sean, Norman Mailer, Gloria Swanson, Barack Obama, Mick Jagger, ” Jagger, ” Wildes, Benjamin N, Edith Lowenstein, Elmer Fried, Alice Goldberg Wildes, “ John Lennon Vs, John Lennon ”, Pennyblackmusic.co.uk Organizations: Lenox Hill Hospital, Englewood , New Jersey Mayor, Wildes, New York University School of Law, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Apple Records, Beatles, South Carolina Republican, Naturalization Service, Los, Nixon, Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva College, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Cardozo Law, Beatles Fans Locations: U.S, Manhattan, Englewood , New Jersey, Olyphant, England, New York City, Vietnam, Tokyo, British, London, Los Angeles, New York, Norman, Pennsylvania, Chicago

[1/7] Polish President Andrzej Duda arrives for the first session of the newly elected Polish parliament in Warsaw, Poland November 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel Acquire Licensing RightsWARSAW, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Poland's parliament meets for the first time on Monday since an election in which an alliance of pro-European Union parties won a majority, heralding a new start for Polish politics. He would serve until 2025 when, under a coalition agreement, the role would pass to Wlodzimierz Czarzasty of the New Left. Monday's parliamentary session could also provide a glimpse of the challenges the coalition may face maintaining unity. The opposition said in its coalition agreement that it would invalidate the ruling.

Persons: Andrzej Duda, Kacper, Mateusz Morawiecki, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Szymon Holownia, Wlodzimierz, PiS, Piotr Muller, Krzysztof Smiszek, Alan Charlish, Pawel, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Justice, Civic Coalition, Third Way, New, TVN, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Republic of Poland

James is recovering well from the dual transplant last May and the donated eye looks remarkably healthy. Whatever happens next, James' surgery offers scientists an unprecedented window into how the human eye tries to heal. The hurdle is how to regrow the optic nerve, although animal studies are making strides, Goldberg added. James’ optic nerve clearly hasn't healed. Yet when light was flashed into the donated eye during an MRI, the scan recorded some sort of brain signaling.

Persons: Aaron James ’, James, ” James, there’s, ”, “ We’re, Eduardo Rodriguez, Rodriguez, James ’, Jeffrey Goldberg, Goldberg, ” Goldberg, Allie, “, Meagan James, Vaidehi Dedania, Steven Galetta, David Klassen, “ we’re Organizations: — Surgeons, NYU Langone Health, NYU, Associated Press, Stanford University, United Network, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Springs , Arkansas, U.S

The conservative Law and Justice party, which has governed the country for eight turbulent years, won slightly over 35% of the votes, making it the single party with the most votes. But the party and its leader Jarosław Kaczyński lost their majority in parliament and appeared to have no way to hold onto power. The official ballot announced by the National Electoral Commission aligns closely with an exit poll released after voting ended Sunday. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe result was a huge victory for Donald Tusk, the head of the largest opposition group, Civic Coalition. The National Electoral Commission said that Law and Justice won slightly over 35% of the votes, and the far-right Confederation, a possible ally, about 7%.

Persons: Jarosław Kaczyński, Donald Tusk Organizations: Justice, National, Commission, Law, Civic Coalition, European Council, European Union, Electoral Commission, Left Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Germany, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Poland's ruling nationalists lose majority in election, final results confirm
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Leader of Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party Jaroslaw Kaczynski, holds flowers during a speech after the exit poll results are announced in Warsaw, Poland, October 15, 2023. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel Acquire Licensing RightsWARSAW, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won most votes in Sunday's national election but fell short of a majority, final official results showed on Tuesday, confirming that the liberal, pro-EU opposition is on track to form the next government. The official results from 100% of voting districts gave PiS, a nationalist, socially conservative party, 35.38% of the vote, while the liberal Civic Coalition (KO) was in second place with 30.70%. The Civic Coalition, New Left and Third Way have said they are ready to form a coalition government and that they will start talks once the official results are published. KO and its allies are also set to win a clear majority in the 100-seat upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, elected on a first-past-the-post system, the official results showed.

Persons: Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Aleksandra Szmigiel, Andrzej Duda, PiS, Anna Wlodarczak, Karol Badohal, Gareth Jones Organizations: Law, Justice, REUTERS, Rights, liberal Civic Coalition, New Left, Civic Coalition, New, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland

☆ Poland's ruling nationalists ahead in election but short of majority -late poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Leader of Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party Jaroslaw Kaczynski, holds flowers during a speech after the exit poll results are announced in Warsaw, Poland, October 15, 2023. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Acquire Licensing RightsWARSAW, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party was ahead in a national election, an late exit poll showed on Monday, although it would fall short of a majority. The IPSOS late poll publish by Polsat News gave PiS 36.6% of votes, while the liberal Civic Coalition (KO) was in second place with 31% the centre-right Third Way was third with 13.5%, New Left had 8.6% and the far-right Confederation were on 6.4%. Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz and Alan CharlishOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Aleksandra Szmigiel, Pawel Florkiewicz, Alan Charlish Organizations: Law, Justice, REUTERS, Rights, Polsat News, liberal Civic Coalition, New, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland

Donald Tusk, leader of the largest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO), speaks after the exit poll results are announced in Warsaw, Poland, October 15, 2023. A late Ipsos exit poll published early on Monday gave PiS 36.6% of the vote, which would translate into 198 lawmakers in the 460-seat lower house of parliament. RECORD TURNOUTThe late exit poll had been delayed, and some commentators linked this to a record turnout of nearly 73%, the highest since the fall of communism in 1989. Tusk, 66, was jubilant following the announcement of the first exit poll results on Sunday. This is the end of the PiS government," he told party members.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Kacper, Tusk, Donald Tusk's, Cezary Tomczyk, Andrzej Duda, Duda, Mateusz Morawiecki, Joachim Brudzinski, Brudzinski, Wladysław Kosiniak, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Lidia Kelly, Alan Charlish, Shri Navaratnam, Gareth Jones Organizations: Civic Coalition, REUTERS, EU WARSAW, European Union, Law, Justice, European, EU, TVN, Polish Peasants's Party, Local, Democracy, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Brussels, Europe, Wrocław, Gdansk, Melbourne

Donald Tusk, leader of the largest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO), speaks after the exit poll results are announced in Warsaw, Poland, October 15, 2023. The incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) party has repeatedly clashed with the European Union over the rule of law, media freedom, migration and LGBT rights since it swept to power in 2015. An Ipsos exit poll published early on Monday gave PiS 36.6% of the vote, which would translate into 198 lawmakers in the 460-seat lower house of parliament. On Monday, Duda urged patience until the full election results were known. However, with the far-right Confederation seen winning just 6.4%, below expectations, according to the exit poll, PiS will struggle to forge a new government.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Kacper, Donald Tusk's, Tusk, Lee Hardman, Andrzej Duda, Duda, PiS, Wladyslaw Kosiniak, Kamysz, beholden, Iga Frackiewicz, Lidia Kelly, Alan Charlish, Gareth Jones Organizations: Civic Coalition, REUTERS, EU, Justice, European Union, European, Polish Peasants ' Party, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, WARSAW, Brussels, Europe, Polish, Wrocław, Gdansk, Melbourne

☆ Poland holds high-stakes election amid rows over democratic rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Justyna Pawlak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Robert Biedron, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, Anna Maria Zukowska, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Adrian Zandberg and Magdalena Biejat of the New Left (Nowa Lewica) alliance gesture during the final day of campaigning for the parliamentary elections in Warsaw, Poland, October 13, 2023. Opinion polls suggest PiS will come out ahead but could lose its majority amid intensifying discontent over its democratic record, which has cost Poland billions of euros in EU aid, and concerns over women's rights and the cost of living. "This election will show whether Poland will be governed by Poles, or by Berlin or Brussels," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told supporters at the party's last campaign rally on Friday. It has built its support on generous social handouts, which it says rival parties will stop. Tusk says his party would maintain social support.

Persons: Robert Biedron, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, Anna Maria Zukowska, Joanna Scheuring, Adrian Zandberg, Magdalena Biejat, PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Rafal Trzaskowski, Pawel Florkiewicz, Giles Elgood Organizations: New, Law and Justice, European Union, EU, NATO, liberal Civic Coalition, European, Warsaw, Confederation, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Slawomir, WARSAW, Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, Berlin, Brussels, Skarzysko Kamienna, Kalisz

The Ipsos exit poll suggested that the opposition together has likely won 248 seats in the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm. Law and Justice, according to the projection, obtained 200 seats, while the far-right Confederation got 12 seats. Votes were still being counted and the state electoral commission says it expects to have final results by Tuesday morning. Law and Justice won nearly 44% of the vote in 2019, but has been polling in recent weeks at more than 30%. In a sign of the emotions generated by the vote, more than 600,000 Poles registered to vote abroad.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Tusk, Jaroslaw Kaczynski Organizations: Justice, Law, Democracy, Poland, ”, Tusk's Civic Coalition, European Union, Votes, EU, Senate, Foreign Ministry Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Polish

☆ Poland's opposition leader Tusk says 3 parties have enough votes to unseat the Law and Justice party
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk said that three opposition parties had sufficient votes to win the general election on Sunday after an exit poll projected that they had enough combined support to oust Law and Justice, the governing conservative nationalist party. The Ipsos exit poll suggested that the opposition together has likely won 248 seats in the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm. Law and Justice, according to the projection, obtained 200 seats, while the far-right Confederation got 12 seats. The exit poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Law and Justice won nearly 44% of the vote in 2019, but has been polling in recent weeks at more than 30%.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Tusk, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Kaczynski Organizations: Civic Coalition Party, Women, Elections, Justice, Law, Democracy, Poland, Tusk's Civic Coalition, European Union, Votes, EU, Senate, Foreign Ministry Locations: Lodz, Poland, Polish, Ukraine, Russia

Madrid CNN —Spanish voters are heading to the ballot boxes in Sunday’s snap general election that could see a far-right party enter government for the first time in decades. Podemos also suffered in the May elections and has signed a deal to run under the new leftist Sumar alliance. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijóo shake hands before a TV debate. Feijóo under fireSanchez was widely seen to have lost the only televised debate with Feijóo early in the election campaign. The winner on Sunday needs 176 seats in the 350-seat Legislature for an absolute majority, but polls say that’s unlikely.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Podemos, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Andres Villena, Sanchez, Feijóo, haven’t, Alberto Nunez Feijóo, Pierre, Philippe Marcou, General Francisco Franco, Vox, ” Feijóo, “, ”, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero Organizations: Madrid CNN —, Popular Party, Vox, Socialist, PSOE, European Union, Madrid’s Complutense University, CNN, ETA, Franco, Socialists Locations: Madrid, Spain, Catalan, Basque, AFP

☆ 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

[1/4] Spanish Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz reacts during a campaign rally for her new left-wing umbrella party Sumar in the southern district of Orcasitas, Madrid, Spain, June 24, 2023. POPE'S BLESSINGOnce a Communist, Diaz now shies away from labelling herself as such or appealing solely to left-wing voters, although she rarely misses an opportunity to criticise capitalism. "We need better wages, especially in a country where the causes of inflation are tremendous corporate margins," she said. Two days later, Diaz registered Sumar, which first surfaced as a loose movement to unite the left in 2022, as a potential kingmaker bloc to run in the election. Reporting by Belén Carreño and Elena Rodríguez in Madrid; editing by Andrei Khalip and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yolanda Diaz, Isabel Infantes, Pedro Sanchez, Diaz, Sanchez, Vox, Sanchez's, Shostakovich, Billie Eilish, Pope Francis, Pope, Podemos, Belén Carreño, Elena Rodríguez, Andrei Khalip, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Spanish Labour, REUTERS, Socialists, Reuters, Socialist, People's Party, Spanish Socialist Workers ' Party, PSOE, Communist, Spanish Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: Orcasitas, Madrid, Spain, MADRID, Sanchez's, Ukraine

Santander and Goldman Sachs were the latest to upgrade their recommendations on the oil company to "Buy". They announced the change late on Tuesday, citing an attractive valuation and limited impacts from recent changes to key company policies. That followed similar calls earlier this month by Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan, which upgraded Petrobras to "Overweight" mentioning less disruptive policy changes than initially expected and lower risk perceptions, respectively. Analysts now await an announcement on the firm's dividend policy by July, but they do not foresee a major shift. "We believe the company's financial vigor and the government's fiscal needs make the case for limited changes," said Santander analysts, who raised their rating to "Outperform".

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Goldman, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Gabriel Araujo, Brad Haynes, Emma Rumney, Sharon Singleton Organizations: SAO PAULO, Petrobras, PETR4, Santander, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Brazil

☆ Brazil's government takes measures to boost consumer and capital market credit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, April 20 (Reuters) - Brazil's government announced a package of 13 measures on Thursday to ease consumer access to credit and reduce associated costs in the capital and insurance markets, a move the new leftist administration hopes will boost investment and revitalize a slowing economy. Brazil's Secretary of Economic Reforms, Marcos Barbosa, said the measures aim to strengthen the credit market in the long term, paving the way for the country's capital market to become as robust or larger than the 5 trillion reais ($988 billion) banking market. The package includes a decree to allow the issuance of bonds with an income tax exemption for investments in sectors such as healthcare, education, and public security. The government also plans to introduce legislation to enhance safeguards for minority investors in the capital market against harm caused by unlawful actions of controlling shareholders and administrators. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad on Monday had indicated that the package would also feature a measure to lower revolving credit card rates.

☆ Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rises in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Steven Grattan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, April 7 (Reuters) - Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose 14% in March from the previous year, preliminary official data showed on Friday, highlighting the continued challenges for the new leftist government. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office on Jan. 1, pledging to end deforestation after years of surging deforestation under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who slashed environmental protection efforts in the Amazon. Space research agency Inpe's data showed 356 square km (137 square miles) were cleared in the Brazil’s Amazon just last month. Washington announced at the beginning of the year it intended to contribute to Brazil's Amazon Fund, which supports conservation projects in the jungle region. Norway also pledged its support last month for Brazil's efforts to attract additional donor countries for the Amazon Fund.

☆ Brazil bank lending down for the first time in a year in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Outstanding loans in Brazil decreased by 0.3% in January, according to central bank data on Monday, marking the first decline in a year. The result suggests a slowdown that is likely to gain momentum in a scenario of high borrowing costs following the aggressive monetary tightening implemented by the central bank to curb inflation. Bank loans in Latin America's largest economy have decelerated amid more expensive credit, as the country's benchmark interest rate stands at 13.75% from a record low of 2% in March 2021. The central bank has left interest rates unchanged since September, but data from the central bank shows that average interest rates on non-earmarked loans have increased to 43.5% per year from 41.7% in December. Bank lending spreads also grew from 28.7 points the month before to 30.6 percentage points, while a broad measure of Brazilian consumer and business default ratios increased to 4.5% from 4.2% in December.

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