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[1/3] Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley arrives for a campaign event in Dover, New Hampshire, U.S., March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 5 (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley has raised more than $11 million since declaring her candidacy in February, her campaign said on Wednesday, a significant sum that could help her expand her support in the coming months. It noted that Haley's fundraising figure exceeded the $9.5 million raised by rival Donald Trump in the fourth quarter of 2022, when he declared his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. "That's a very solid number and a testament to what a strong launch she had," Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, said of Haley's fundraising numbers.

☆ Uber to offer Tembici's bike-sharing service in Latin America
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, April 5 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) on Wednesday announced a deal with Brazilian bike-sharing company Tembici to make electric and common bicycles available on its app in Latin America amid a push for greener initiatives. "This partnership underscores the important role that car-free options are increasingly playing in Uber's strategy to achieve zero carbon emissions," said Annie Duvnjak, Uber's global micromobility general manager. The company expects to end 2023 with 30,000 bicycles on Latin American streets, a third of them electric. Uber said Tembici and Itau bike docking stations would "soon" appear in its app, but did not provide a specific date. ($1 = 5.0961 reais)Reporting by Gabriel Araujo Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least four children killed in pre-school axe attack in southern Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view shows forensic technicians, ambulances and policemen outside a pre-school after a 25-year-old man attacked children, killing several and injuring others, according to local police and hospital, in Blumenau, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, Brazil April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Denner OvidioApril 5 (Reuters) - At least four children were killed and four other injured when a 25-year-old man armed with a small axe attacked a pre-school in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina on Wednesday, local police and a hospital said. Police said the man responsible for the attack in the city of Blumenau has been arrested. The attack, dubbed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a "monstrosity," happened nearly a week after a 13-year-old student stabbed a teacher to death and wounded five others in a Sao Paulo school. Reporting by Fernando Cardoso in Sao Paulo, Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro testifies in scandal over Saudi jewelry gift
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A customs employee opens the box containing the jewelry with diamonds gifted to Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro by the Saudi government which was seized by customs officials, at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, in Guarulhos, Brazil, March 14, 2023. One of the jewelry sets given to then First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and valued at 16.5 million reais ($3.26 million) was seized by customs officials in the backpack of a government aide returning from Saudi Arabia. Bolsonaro returned two other gift packages after Brazil's federal audit court ordered him to do so. Several officials from the Bolsonaro administration unsuccessfully tried to recover the main jewelry present from customs at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport, according to local media. Another gift, received from the United Arab Emirates -- a rifle and a pistol -- was handed over to the federal police.

☆ Brazil's BTG Pactual launches own dollar-backed stablecoin
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, April 4 (Reuters) - Brazil's BTG Pactual said on Tuesday it will launch a stablecoin priced in U.S. dollars at a parity of one to one, as it seeks to position itself in the digital assets market. The stablecoin, called BTG Dol, will be available on Mynt, the bank's crypto-asset platform, and through BTG Pactual's own investment system. A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency that is pegged to a stable asset as a way to reduce volatility. Now we have our own stablecoin," said Marcel Monteiro, Mynt's head of operations. Reporting by Paula Arend Laier; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's GWM taps Brazil's WEG for electric vehicle charging network
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] EV car Good Cat by Ora, a brand by Great Wall Motors, is displayed at the Bangkok International Motor show in Bangkok, Thailand, March 22, 2022. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaSAO PAULO, April 4 (Reuters) - Chinese electric car maker Great Wall Motors (GWM) (601633.SS) on Tuesday said is planning to install an electric vehicle charging network in Brazil through an exclusive partnership with local motor manufacturer WEG (WEGE3.SA). The partnership involves developing "a broad network for recharging electrified vehicles at dealerships, parking lots, shopping malls and other commercial establishments," GWM said in a statement. WEG will provide the Chinese firm "electric vehicle chargers to be sold to consumers and to be installed at the automaker's dealerships," it added. ($1 = 5.0852 reais)Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr., editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ L'Oreal buys luxury brand Aesop from Brazil's Natura for $2.5 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of French cosmetics group L'Oreal in the western Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, France, February 7, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesSAO PAULO, April 3 (Reuters) - French cosmetics group L'Oreal (OREP.PA) struck a deal with Brazil's Natura & Co (NTCO3.SA) to buy Aesop, its Australian luxury brand, at an enterprise value of $2.53 billion, both firms said on Monday. The deal, L'Oreal's largest ever brand acquisition according to Dealogic data, expands the firm's presence in the luxury cosmetics market, while also providing the Brazilian company with some financial relief amid shrinking margins and heavy debt. The acquisition is also the third largest on record of an Australian company in the consumer products sector, the data showed. "Aesop taps into all of today's ascending currents and L'Oreal will contribute to unleash its massive growth potential, notably in China and travel retail," L'Oreal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus said in a statement.

☆ Almost a third of Brazilians disapprove of Lula, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Lula, who took office in January after narrowly defeating Bolsonaro in an election last October, has the approval of 38% of Brazilians, with 29% disapproving of his performance, according to a Datafolha survey. Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to the end of 2022, never formally conceded defeat to Lula. On Jan. 8, barely a week after Lula began his third term as president, Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in the federal capital Brasilia to protest the election result. After about three months in self-imposed exile in the United States, Bolsonaro returned to Brazil this week. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus two percentage points.

☆ Brazil's Energisa wins Espirito Santo gas firm at privatization auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SAO PAULO, March 31 (Reuters) - Brazilian energy company Energisa Transmissao de Energia SA (ENGI11.SA) won ownership of natural gas firm ESGas at a privatization auction on Friday, buying stakes from the state government and Vibra Energia (VBBR3.SA). Energisa offered 1.42 billion reais ($280 million) for Companhia de Distribuiçao de Gas do Espirito Santo, as it is formally known, marking a 7.28% premium from its minimum fixed grant value. ESGas is responsible for the distribution of piped natural gas to more than 60,000 consumer units in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, with residential, commercial, industrial, automotive, air conditioning and thermoelectric businesses. ($1 = 5.0744 reais)Reporting by Letícia Fucuchima; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Giles Elgood Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"They've done nothing but harass this guy," said Gregg Hough, chair of the Republican party in Belknap County, New Hampshire, predicting the prosecution will boost Trump support "to the moon" if it fails to deliver a convincing conviction. In a statement on Thursday, Trump called the indictment "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," without providing evidence. John Feehery, a Republican strategist, described the Manhattan case as "silly" compared to the other probes hanging over Trump's campaign. At a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on Saturday, Trump likened the criminal investigations against him to a "Stalinist Russia horror show." Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 Republican field, with the support of 44% of Republicans in a March Reuters/Ipsos, ahead of DeSantis' 30% support.

BRASILIA, March 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who never conceded defeat in last year's election, returns from self-imposed exile in Florida on Thursday to lead the opposition to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on Jan. 1. His return to Brazil is eagerly awaited by the party's leader Valdemar Costa Neto, who wants Bolsonaro to become the leader of the opposition to the Lula administration and lead the PL into municipal elections next year. "Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and travel around Brazil preaching the party's liberal values and helping the PL grow," he told Reuters, outlining a plan for a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential elections. Barreto said her ambitions may provide an outlet for the ex-president's supporters if legal probes lead electoral authorities bar him from seeking office.

☆ An accused Russian spy boasted that infiltrating the US was easy. He's now in prison after getting caught with files that blew his cover.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Secret messages from court documents give a look into the wild life of an accused Russian spy. The DOJ accuses Sergey Cherkasov of operating undercover in the US, and got a cache of his messages. A screengrab of a message sent by Sergey Cherkasov, whom them US accuses of being a Russian spy. A screengrab of a message sent by Sergey Cherkasov, whom them US accuses of being a Russian spy. The DOJ accuses Cherkasov of acting as an unregistered foreign agent, using false documents, and lying to officials.

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential "death & destruction" if he faces criminal charges, hours after New York prosecutors probing his hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels said they would not be intimidated. for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country?" Trump has denied ever having an affair with Daniels, and has called the payment a "simple private transaction." He has said he did not commit a crime and has called the investigation politically motivated. The Manhattan grand jury probing Trump is not due to reconvene until next week.

The hiring of a major national campaign figure represents a key step by DeSantis's allies to prepare for a formal launch of his 2024 campaign. In recent weeks, DeSantis has toured states including Iowa and Nevada, which are key stops in the Republican nominating contest. Advisers have also begun identifying potential operatives in those states and have begun collecting resumes for a national campaign staff, sources close to the governor said. Roe is a close advisor to Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is also seen as a potential contender for the Republican nomination. Representatives for Never Back Down, Roe and Youngkin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Some 65% of respondents - including 46% of Republicans and 68% of independents - said they were less likely to vote for a presidential candidate in 2024 who supports laws banning or severely restricting abortion access. DeSantis last year signed a Florida law banning abortions after 15 weeks, saying the measure would protect "the rights of unborn children." The online Reuters/Ipsos poll had a credibility interval of between around two and four percentage points. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 61% of respondents nationwide, including 66% of independents, prefer a candidate who opposes allowing medical treatment for minors related to gender identity. Reuters GraphicsThe Reuters/Ipsos poll found that nationwide, women were more likely than men to oppose severe abortion restrictions and permitless concealed guns.

☆ Brazil police bust gang plot to attack authorities, public servants
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Brazilian senator Sergio Moro speaks during a session of the Federal Senate in Brasilia, Brazil March 22, 2023. "A murder plot against several public officials (among them a senator and a prosecutor) was investigated and identified. Sergio Moro, a former judge and current senator, also took to Twitter to confirm he and his family were targets in the gangs' plot. A government minister told Reuters that the plan was organized by the First Capital Command (PCC) gang and was not politically motivated. The federal police said 24 search and seizure warrants, seven preventive arrest warrants and four temporary arrest warrants are being served.

Lula departs for China this weekend, but many executives and lobby groups have traveled ahead of the president, government officials said. JBS representatives said the company aims to bolster commercial ties with China, a key trading partner. In a statement, ABPA said they are seeking recognition from Beijing that Rio Grande do Sul and Parana are free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, in order to export pork with bones and pork offal. China buys 44% of Brazil's pork exports by volume and around 14% of its chicken exports, according to ABPA data for the first two months of 2023. Some 62% of Brazil's beef exports went to China last year.

Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. "I think this will strengthen the resolve of his supporters," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist who represented Trump in many media appearances during the 2020 presidential campaign. "It’s not good for Trump, the question is how bad for Trump it is," said Sabato. Trump has defied predictions of his demise numerous times since he launched his bid for the White House in 2015. Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 Republican field, with the support of 44% of Republicans in a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday, ahead of DeSantis' 30% support.

☆ Brazil's Americanas faces more debt, asset sales as it restructures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sources with knowledge of the situation, however, told Reuters that the company shoulders a higher debt load than previously disclosed. Americanas presented the first draft of a legal recovery plan to a court in Rio de Janeiro state, O Globo newspaper reported. In January, the company entered bankruptcy protection after disclosing accounting "inconsistencies" worth 20 billion reais ($3.78 billion). The company said in early March it had offered a 10 billion reais capital injection to its creditors that will come from top shareholders. Sources close to the matter said the company holds debts of more than 50 billion reais, which exceeds the 42 billion reais previously acknowledged during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Politico reported that a grand jury was preparing to indict Trump, the front-runner for the Republican 2024 nomination. DeSantis has not declared a presidential run but is widely expected to do so and is by far Trump's most formidable Republican challenger. At a press conference DeSantis criticized Bragg but did not dismiss the case against Trump outright. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair, I just, I can't speak to that," he said. Other than Pence and DeSantis, most major declared and prospective Republican presidential candidates have remained silent on the issue.

Security analysts who monitor far-right chatter on social media, said initially the impulse of Trump's followers was to heed his call and hit the streets. But by Monday, the tone had shifted, according to the analysts and messages on several social media platforms examined by Reuters. "QAnon-related folks and some MAGA adherents are talking about how this is one big trap in some cases, that this is an operation intended to get (Trump's) supporters in trouble," Segal said. Almost immediately thereafter there was a second wave of, 'Don't protest, it's a trap just like January 6th,' that really overtook the first," Burghart said. Activist Laura Loomer, a prominent Trump supporter in Florida, called on Saturday for a "peaceful" Tuesday protest outside Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoWASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. should continue supporting Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said on Saturday, a position that puts them at odds with the top two contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Foreign policy has emerged as the main ideological fissure within the Republican Party as the 2024 nominating contest heats up. Both Pence and Sununu have defended Ukraine before, but their Saturday comments were particularly pointed and come as the Republican foreign policy feud intensifies. In a Washington Post opinion column, Sununu, the New Hampshire governor, went after Trump and DeSantis directly. Pence is running well behind Trump and DeSantis, vying for a distant third with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, another Ukraine supporter.

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to allow a federal law stand that makes it a crime for people under domestic violence restraining orders to own firearms. It was the latest victory for gun rights advocates since a Supreme Court ruling last June granting a broad right for people to carry firearms outside the home. The Justice Department's petition to appeal the matter to the Supreme Court was posted on Twitter late on Friday by Jake Charles, a law professor at Pepperdine University with expertise on gun control issues. The Justice Department said it was pursuing the Supreme Court appeal on a "highly expedited schedule" so the justices could potentially take up the case before the current term ends. Neither the Justice Department, nor the federal public defender representing Rahimi immediately responded to requests for comment.

☆ Brazilian securities watchdog launches new probes into Americanas accounting fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, March 17 (Reuters) - Brazilian securities watchdog CVM said on Friday it has launched two new probes into retailer Americanas SA's (AMER3.SA) accounting scandal and the firm's reorganization process. CVM said it launched an administrative proceeding to analyze "failures to disclose relevant information by (Americanas) regarding proposals for capitalization and the renegotiation of debts with creditors and the assessment of the sale of assets." Americanas entered bankruptcy protection in January shortly after disclosing accounting inconsistencies worth 20 billion reais ($3.78 billion) and overall debt of more than $8 billion. Earlier this month, the retailer said it had offered a capital injection to its creditors of 10 billion reais ($1.93 billion) which would come from top shareholders. The launch of the probes comes a day after Americanas' former CEO Miguel Gutierrez testified before CVM.

☆ Brazil looks to regulate monetized content on Internet -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Victor Pereira | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SAO PAULO, March 17 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government is studying whether to regulate Internet platforms with content that earns revenue such as advertising, its secretary for digital policies, Joao Brant, said on Friday. The idea would be for a regulator to hold such platforms, not consumers, accountable for monetized content, Brant told Reuters. Platforms would not be held responsible for content individually, but for how diligent they are in protecting the "digital environment," he said in an interview. Brant did not detail what the regulatory body would look like, but said the government wants to regulate monetized content and prevent the platforms from spreading misinformation. Meta questioned its responsibility for removing content without a court decision in a case involving a fake Facebook profile.

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