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☆ TSMC added by Macquarie, Fidelity and Coatue after Buffett cut stake -filings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Carolina Mandl | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Their moves come roughly three months after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) unveiled it cut its position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd last year. Macquarie added roughly 78 million new American Depositary Shares (ADRs) of TSMC to an existing position, and ended March with $7.3 billion in the company. Fidelity bought 14.1 million new shares, increasing its bet on the company to nearly $4 billion. Coatue, founded by Philippe Laffont, built a new position in the chipmaker as it bought 5.9 million shares, worth $548.9 million. Reporting by Carolina Mandl, in Sao Paulo; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili and Anna DriverOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Eve, controlled by aircraft manufacturer Embraer (EMBR3.SA), said it expects to start commercial operations of its fully electric vehicle in 2026. The concept, called an electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, or eVTOL, has been dubbed a flying taxi. The completed wind tunnel tests are seen as key for certification by regulators, as well as future production and sales to buyers worldwide. The wind tunnel tests were completed in Switzerland using an eVTOL scale model, which the company said helped it investigate how components such as its fuselage and wings will perform in flight. "The Eve eVTOL is unlikely to be first to market, although the order pipeline provides runway to capture market share of the emerging eVTOL market," according to Jefferies analysts.

☆ The 21-page pitch deck music startup Magroove used to raise $1.6 million to make distribution more affordable for independent artists globally
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Nhari Djan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Music startup Magroove built a global distribution and discovery platform. The Brazil-based startup, led by founders Vítor Cunha and Fabrício Schiavo, raised $1.6 million in seed funding. Music startup Magroove wants to give independent artists around the world better access to major streaming services. Cunha said Magroove's global audience, along with the scalability of its products, and its focus on independent music and creators, impressed the firm. They're looking to help independent artists who haven't accessed the mainstream music platforms or monetized their brands online.

☆ Read the 21-page pitch deck a music startup used to raise $1.6 million to make distribution affordable for independent artists
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Nhari Djan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

☆ A mysterious object has been spotted that is 10 million times brighter than the sun. Scientists can't work out why it hasn't exploded
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX) are objects that shine ten million times brighter than the sun. NASA has been tracking so-called ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX), impossible objects that can be 10 million times brighter than the sun, to understand how they work. A new study categorically confirms that M82 X-2, a ULX 12 million light-years away, is as bright as previous observation suggested it to be. But if it were not falling in, the matter shouldn't be radiating, which means the object shouldn't be that bright. (A neutron star is a superdense object left behind when a star has run out of energy and dies.)

SAO PAULO, May 9 (Reuters) - Renowned Brazilian rock singer and songwriter Rita Lee, an icon of the Tropicalia artistic movement, died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with lung cancer, her family said. Her death brought an outpouring of tributes from artists, politicians and celebrities who cheered her trailblazing role in Brazilian rock. Rita Lee Jones de Carvalho was born on Dec. 31, 1947, in Sao Paulo, to a dentist of U.S. descent and a Brazilian pianist with Italian ancestry. Kicked out of Os Mutantes by Baptista, whom she had been married to, for supposed artistic differences, Lee played with the band Tutti Frutti in the 1970s. Rita Lee was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and had been undergoing treatment since then.

☆ Dutch PM to discuss defence of Ukraine with Brazil's Lula
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"We need to help Ukraine fight this fight," Rutte told reporters on Monday, the first day of his visit to Brazil. Rutte said he will explain to Lula why the question of backing Ukraine is "existential" for the Netherlands, for Europe and beyond because the Russian invasion has put Western values at stake. "If Putin would be successful in Ukraine, and I don'tthink he will be, it won't end there. Lula, who has tried to encourage countries who are not involved in the conflict to form a group to push for peace talks, has said supplying arms to Ukraine was encouraging the war. The Dutch government is considering with its European partners donating F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

People around the 51-year-old former governor of South Carolina, the daughter of two Indian immigrants, say her willingness to discuss the topic represents a calculated risk while other candidates dodge it. They say it is in part a deliberate bid to seize some attention away from front-runners Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Supporters, donors and some party stalwarts praised Haley for her speech addressing an issue that divides the party. Roberts said she hoped New Hampshire's Republican governor, Chris Sununu, a self-described supporter of abortion rights, jumps into the race. Governor DeSantis, Trump's closest rival who is expected to announce a run within weeks, signed a ban on abortions after six weeks in Florida last month.

☆ Frankfurt to Dubai in 90 minutes? Europe enters the hypersonic plane race
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In recent years, numerous pretenders to the throne – supersonic, hypersonic, hydrogen-powered, with anti-boom technology – have been whizzing round, conceptually at least, but many of these projects promising seamless super-fast travel have instead stalled, sputtered out or hit delays. The Destinus concept is hydrogen-powered flight at five times the speed of sound, cutting flight duration to less than a quarter of current commercial air travel. Its first two prototypes have made successful test flights and are about to start testing hydrogen-powered flight. Hydrogen-powered aviation is still in its infancy, with hydrogen jet engines yet to enter commercial use. The upcoming prototype, Destinus 3, will be supersonic and the hope is for it to achieve supersonic hydrogen-powered flight in 2024.

☆ The Link Between Highly Processed Foods and Brain Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Sally Wadyka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

They’re increasingly edging out healthier foods in people’s diets and are widely consumed across socioeconomic groups. “The problem is that in order to make the products taste better and better, manufacturers make them less and less like real food.”What effect do ultraprocessed foods have on mental health? Recent research has demonstrated a link between highly processed foods and low mood. A 2022 study that followed nearly 11,000 Brazilian adults over a decade found a correlation between eating ultraprocessed foods and worse cognitive function (the ability to learn, remember, reason and solve problems). It’s possible that eating a healthy diet may offset the detrimental effects of eating ultraprocessed foods.

☆ Brazilian Police Search Home of Ex-President Bolsonaro in Vaccine Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Luciana Magalhaes | Samantha Pearson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jair Bolsonaro denied wrongdoing, telling reporters in Brasília on Wednesday that he didn’t try to pretend he was vaccinated against Covid-19. Photo: Eraldo Peres/Associated PressSÃO PAULO—Brazil’s federal police raided the home of former President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasília on Wednesday as part of a probe into allegations that he faked Covid-19 vaccination records for himself and family members to travel to the U.S., according to a person close to the investigation. The police said it issued 16 search warrants and 6 arrest warrants in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro as part of an investigation into the alleged “insertion of false Covid-19 vaccination data” into government databases in 2021 and 2022. The data was allegedly used to fake vaccination certificates to deceive authorities in Brazil and the U.S.

But as Republican presidential hopefuls including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump crisscross the country, they have instead focused on hot-button issues like immigration and transgender participation in youth sports. A broad majority of voters in both parties believe the debt ceiling presents a good opportunity to debate public policy priorities, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March. Still, it is unclear how much Republican primary voters know about the debt limit debate - or even care - campaign aides and strategists said. Of nine attendees interviewed by Reuters at the town hall meeting held by Haley, none mentioned the debt ceiling as one of their top concerns. Others have addressed the debt ceiling in the past, but only in general terms.

☆ Is Brazil Under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ‘Anti-American’? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Vanessa Barbara | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in January, after defeating Mr. Bolsonaro, it was widely hoped that he would guide Brazil back to the international mainstream. The early signs were good: In November, even before assuming the presidency, Mr. Lula traveled to COP27 in Egypt, and there was an amiable visit to the United States in February. Then Mr. Lula started going off script. In line with the country’s history of multilateralism, and sensitive to its needs, Mr. Lula is charting his own course. Mr. Lula’s visit to Beijing in April, where he met President Xi Jinping amid much fanfare, put several noses out of joint.

Companies would also have to pay content providers and copyrights on material posted on their sites. The Brazilian proposal is shaping up to be one of the world's strongest legislations on social media, comparable to the European Union's Digital Services Act enacted last year. They also say it will endanger free posting services for users while allowing censorship as practiced in authoritarian societies. Brazil's Justice Minister Flavio Dino has asked the consumer protection authority to investigate whether the companies engaged in "abusive practices" in campaigning against the bill. The bill was fast tracked in the lower house after a series of fatal attacks in schools which social media allegedly encouraged, and new articles added to the bill have not been debated in Congressional committees before going to the vote.

☆ Carrefour Brasil swings to quarterly loss as BIG purchase weighs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, May 2(Reuters) - Carrefour Brasil (CRFB3.SA) reported a first quarter net loss of 113 million reais ($22.39 million), hit by high investment costs at its acquired food retailer Grupo BIG, the company said in a filing with Brazil's main stock exchange on Tuesday. The company posted a net profit of 370 million reais in the same January-to-March period last year. Carrefour's Brazilian unit said operating expenses soared 52% from a year earlier to total 3.8 billion reais, fueled by store conversion and the integration of BIG. The Carrefour subsidiary bought BIG in mid-2022 and announced last month a discount of up to 1 billion reais in the initial amount paid of 7.5 billion reais. Carrefour Brasil said it has opened three new wholesale format stores and 23 converted stores in the first quarter.

☆ Bolsonaro steals show at Brazil's biggest farm fair
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lais Morais | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro attends the Agrishow fair, in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Carla CarnielRIBERAO PRETO, Brazil, May 1 (Reuters) - Former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro stole the show on Monday at Brazil's largest agribusiness fair where he was acclaimed by supporters from the country's strong farm sector. Bolsonaro criticized the decision by Lula to recognize new Indigenous reservations, a constant complaint by farmers in Brazil's expanding agricultural frontier. The deep-pocketed and powerful farm sector were major supporters of Bolsonaro's 2018 election. Bolsonaro faces legal risks that could ban him from running in the 2026 election.

☆ U.S. Asks Brazil to Hand Over Russian Accused of Spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Luciana Magalhaes | Samantha Pearson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A criminal complaint released by the Justice Department identifies Sergey Cherkasov in this photograph from over a decade ago. Photo: Department of JusticeSÃO PAULO—Brazil’s foreign ministry said the U.S. has requested the extradition of an alleged Russian spy, Sergey Cherkasov, who is accused by U.S. and Brazilian authorities of posing as a Brazilian student in Washington while carrying out espionage operations against the West. Mr. Cherkasov, 37 years old, originally from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, was arrested in São Paulo in October last year and sentenced to 15 years in jail for forging Brazilian identity documents. Russia’s government has demanded his extradition to Russia, accusing him of drug trafficking.

☆ Brazil's Mura people report threats amid pressure to approve Amazon potash mine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sergio, a Mura leader, said false information began to circulate after Funai showed up, including that the agency would "take away farmers' land." Potassio do Brasil, a unit of Toronto-based Brazil Potash, has previously denied any coercion and said it has followed the consultation protocol strictly. Federal prosecutor Fernando Soave said ongoing court-supervised Mura consultations have not been "free" or "in good faith," citing threats against the Mura since the company began trying to approve the mine project. The prosecutor reiterated that the Mura consultations should be suspended because demarcation studies have not concluded. Potassio do Brasil needs three years to build the installations for the mine and aimed to start potash production there in 2026.

IRACEMAPOLIS, Brazil, April 28 (Reuters) - Brazil's ability to produce and sell hybrid cars that can run on 100% ethanol is a huge asset for its auto industry as global economies push for decarbonization to tackle climate change, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin told Reuters. Alckmin on Thursday attended the opening of a factory by Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor Co Ltd (601633.SS) that will produce hybrid cars, including a flex-fuel pickup called Poer. Brazil has one of the world's largest ethanol industries, and most cars in the country can run on 100% biofuel made from sugarcane or corn. He highlighted the export opportunities hybrid cars manufactured in Brazil can bring for the country as it pushes for re-industrialization, a process in which he sees the auto industry playing a key role. "It is very important because it is an industry of cutting-edge technology, with semiconductors and the whole decarbonization area," said the vice president.

☆ Brazilian Court Orders Suspension of Telegram Over Neo-Nazi Groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Samantha Pearson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A court said Telegram failed to fully comply with its order to hand over data related to attacks on schools. Photo: Matt Slocum/Associated PressSÃO PAULO—A Brazilian court ordered internet providers to suspend the messaging app Telegram in the country, saying it failed to supply information on neo-Nazi groups connected to school shootings—the latest in a series of clashes between Brazil’s authorities and the platform. The late Wednesday order is part of a police investigation into two attacks on schools in the southeastern state of Espírito Santo last year by a teenager who shot dead three teachers and a student. Investigators found the killer had connections to a Telegram channel called the “Brazilian Anti-Semite Movement” and a group with the name “Anti-Semite Front,” and demanded Telegram hand over data on their members and administrators.

☆ Powerful Brazilian lawmaker orders Americanas accounting probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, April 26 (Reuters) - The head of Brazil's lower house authorized on Wednesday the creation of a committee to investigate Americanas (AMER3.SA), the retailer at the center of a nearly $4 billion accounting scandal. Arthur Lira gave the green light to create the so-called CPI committee, which will include 27 federal lawmakers appointed by party leaders, the lower house said in a statement posted on its website. The legislative leader's decision comes months after accounting inconsistencies were revealed that forced the firm into bankruptcy. Last month, Americanas' former CEO Sergio Rial spoke at a Senate hearing about the retailer's financial meltdown. The current CEO, Leonardo Coelho Pereira, and the president of Brazil's banks federation Febraban, Isaac Ferreira, also attended.

☆ Pelé added to Portuguese dictionary as an adjective for ‘out of the ordinary’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Should you ever need a reminder of how good Pelé was at football, just look up his name in a Portuguese dictionary. The Brazilian football legend, who passed away in December, has been added to the Portuguese edition of the Michaelis dictionary as an adjective to describe someone or something “out of the ordinary.”The move comes after a “Pelé in the dictionary” campaign, organized by the Pelé Foundation and SporTV, gained more than 125,000 signatures. “Examples: He is the Pelé of basketball, she is the Pelé of tennis, she is the Pelé of Brazilian dramaturgy.”Pelé attends Soccer Aid at Old Trafford in Manchester on June 5, 2016. The announcement that his name had been added to the dictionary was marked at a sports industry summit in São Paulo, Brazil, where his family received a plaque displaying the definition. “His name in the dictionary is a very important piece of his legacy that will keep Pelé alive forever,” said Joe Fraga, executive director of the Pelé Foundation, according to Reuters.

☆ Brazilian miner Vale's profit slumps well below forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The company posted a net profit of $1.8 billion for the first three months of 2023, in a filing to Brazil's main stock exchange on Wednesday, while analysts polled by Refinitiv had forecast a profit of $2.4 billion. Last week, the miner had already reported a slip in iron ore sales volume, blaming it on port loading restrictions and supply chain rebalancing after strong sales in the previous quarters. Revenues, meanwhile, fell 22% to $8.4 billion, also lagging analysts' $9.2 billion forecast. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization came in at $3.6, below analysts' $4.3 billion estimate. Over the quarter, Vale said that prices for its iron ore had averaged $108.6 per tonne, down from the $141.4 per tonne it reported for the same period last year.

The country's IPCA-15 inflation index eased to a 30-month low of 4.16% from 5.36% in the previous month, government statistics agency IBGE said on Wednesday, coming in below market consensus of 4.20% in a Reuters poll of economists. The latest data comes a day after central bank Governor Roberto Campos Neto ruled out an imminent interest rate cut, saying in a Senate hearing that the current rate was appropriate to address inflation concerns. "Will RCN and his team wait for current inflation to reach 3% before starting to cut interest rates?" William Jackson, Capital Economics' chief emerging markets economist, said he doubts policymakers will pivot to interest rate cuts imminently, considering that core inflation remains strong and the central bank has been striking a hawkish tone. "All told, the inflation picture continues to improve in Brazil," Pantheon Macroeconomics' chief Latin America economist Andres Abadia said.

☆ Bolsonaro accidentally created Facebook post questioning Brazil election results, attorneys say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Julia Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Sao Paulo CNN —Attorneys for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro say he had only accidentally created a Facebook post questioning the results of 2022’s presidental elections – a post that has come under the scrutiny of authorities investigating whether the ex-leader had a role in inciting the country’s January 8 riots. Bolsonaro’s Facebook post casts doubt on the integrity of Brazil’s voting machines and the election results, which saw Bolsonaro lose his bid for a second term. He was questioned about the post by Brazilian Federal Police on Wednesday, the attorneys said. The post was eventually flagged by his team and Bolsonaro took it down, Bessa added. On the evening of January 8, Bolsonaro tweeted that “peaceful demonstrations, respecting the law, are part of democracy.

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