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☆ Fact Check-Video of North Carolina official citing dictators stripped of context online
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A video clip showing North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson’s address at a 2023 Moms for Liberty summit has been cropped to appear as though he endorsed multiple 20th century dictators in his remarks. Mark Robinson (R) says dictators like Hitler, Stalin and Mao are being taken out of context and promotes reading their writings. Hitler followed that by ordering leftist leaders sent to concentration camps or assassinated, as explained in the Britannica article. Currently serving as Lieutenant Governor for North Carolina (here), Robinson joined the state’s gubernatorial race in April 2023 (here). The video clip shared with a claim that it shows Mark Robinson endorsing dictators omits context.

Persons: Mark Robinson’s, Robinson, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, Stalin, Pol Pot, Fidel Castro, despots, ”, Mark Robinson, Hitler, Mao, ’ ”, Pol, Fidel, Castro, Adolph Hitler, Read Organizations: Liberty, Philadelphia, Gov, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Reuters Locations: Carolina, North Carolina, Cuba, Germany

☆ Russia pulls back from brink of crisis after deal reached to end Wagner insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Alexey Nikolsky/AFP via Getty Images Putin judges an arm wrestling match while visiting the Seliger youth educational forum in Russia's Tver region in August 2011. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ” Prigozhin, ” Wagner, ”, Dmitry Peskov, “, Prigozhin, ” Peskov, Putin, Putin Putin, Joseph Stalin, –, “ Putin, Evelyn Farkas, ’, Vladimir Putin, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Pavel Bednyakov, Peter Zwack, Beth Sanner, ” Sanner, “ He’s, … Putin, Moscow’s, Priogozhin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Communist, McCain, Putin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, Russia’s Southern Military District, US Army, National Intelligence for Mission, State Department, European Union Locations: Moscow, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Kremlin, Russia’s Belgorod, Putin Russian, Russian, Rostov, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, –, Canada, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Soviet, Kazakhstan

☆ Lisl Steiner, Colorful Creator of Black-and-White Photographs, Dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Alex Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Lisl Steiner, a flamboyant photojournalist who was celebrated for her intimate, emotive images of history-tilting figures like Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as luminaries of music, stage and sports, died on June 7 in Mount Kisco, N.Y. She was 95. Her death, at a hospital, was confirmed by her friends Ingrid Rockefeller and Vivian Winther, who had been collaborating with her on a documentary about her life. Shooting for publications including Newsweek, Time, Life and National Geographic, Ms. Steiner was known for her flamboyant attire, her trademark explosion of fiery red hair, her sassy personality and her uncanny knack for connecting with her subjects, whom she jokingly referred to as “victims.”

Persons: Lisl Steiner, Fidel Castro, John F, Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, Ingrid Rockefeller, Vivian Winther, Steiner, ” Organizations: Newsweek, Geographic Locations: Mount Kisco

☆ Cuba, Iran presidents meet in Havana, vow to confront 'Yankee imperialism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, June 15 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday, his last stop on a three-nation Latin American tour aimed at shoring up support among Latin American allies saddled, like Iran, by U.S. sanctions. Raisi told reporters at a trade forum in Havana early on Thursday that Cuba and Iran would seek opportunities to work together in electricity generation, biotechnology, and mining, among other areas. "The conditions and circumstances in which Cuba and Iran find themselves today have many things in common," Raisi said in a conversation with Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel. Prior to arriving in Cuba, the Iranian president also met with Nicaragua´s Daniel Ortega in the Central American country. Raisi called his visit with Iran´s key Latin American allies a "turning point" in relations.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Raisi, Nicaragua ´, Daniel Ortega, Diaz, John Kirby, Kirby, We’re, Hurricane Ian, Fidel Castro ´, Donald Trump, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Cuban, U.S, Central American, Yankee, White House, Communist, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Iran, Havana, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, America, Iranian, Russia, China, Hurricane

☆ U.S. gives Havana embassy a facelift after years of neglect
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

HAVANA, June 10 (Reuters) - When the U.S. embassy in Havana reopened last May to Cubans seeking visas after a nearly five-year hiatus, the once proud 1950s vintage building was in shambles. The State Department imported high-grade stainless steel for its fencing, and granite from a quarry in Vermont for the building's new facade. A view of the U.S. Embassy beside the Anti-Imperialist stage in Havana, Cuba, May 24, 2023. CASTRO THREATENED TO SEIZE BUILDINGUnder former leader Fidel Castro, the jabs and antagonism often went both ways between Cuba and the embassy. U.S. intelligence investigations have since determined it "very unlikely" a foreign adversary was responsible for the illness, and a more robust staff and agenda have returned to Havana, Ziff said.

Persons: Hurricane Irma, Benjamin Ziff, Ziff, Alexandre Meneghini, Alexander Garcia, CASTRO, Fidel Castro, Castro, George W, Bush, Harrison & Abramovitz, Jane Loeffler, Barack Obama, Dave Sherwood, Mario Fuentes, Anett Rios, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, State Department, Reuters, Cuban, The State Department, Ziff, Embassy, REUTERS, Harrison &, United Nations, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, U.S, Havana, Hurricane, of Mexico, Cuba, China, United States, Cuban, Vermont, Florida, New York, Washington, America

[1/6] Brazil's indigenous chief Raoni Metuktire takes part in a session of the Brazilian Supreme Court to debate the so-called legal thesis of 'Marco Temporal' (Temporal Milestone) in Brasilia, Brazil June 7, 2023. If it passes Congress, all eyes would turn to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has the power of veto. Indigenous groups, including members of the Xokleng community, protested outside the Supreme Court in Brasilia on Wednesday. Brazil's farm sector is also backing a bill in Congress that would set into law a cut-off date for land claims in 1988, the year Brazil's current Constitution was enacted. The hearing follows a setback for Indigenous people last week in Congress when the lower chamber passed the bill that limited the recognition of new Indigenous reservations.

Persons: Raoni Metuktire, Marco, Ueslei Marcelino BRASILIA, Justice Andre Mendonca, Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Anthony Boadle, Gabriel Stargardter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Brazilian, REUTERS, Ueslei, Big Agriculture, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Brazil's

[1/3] People walk along the Ipanema beach following the death of Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Pilar OlivaresBRASILIA, June 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, the voice of Bossa Nova whose soft and dreamy version of "The Girl from Ipanema" was an international success in the 1960s, has died at the age of 83, her family said. Astrud performed the vocals in English, including the duet "The Girl from Ipanema" which became the album's major hit. "The Girl from Ipanema" was the first song the 22-year-old Astrud recorded and launched her career almost by accident. She later moved to the United States, where she toured with Getz, singing Bossa Nova and American jazz standards.

Persons: Astrud Gilberto, Pilar Olivares BRASILIA, Gilberto, Sofia Gilberto, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Getz, Astrud, " Getz, Weinert, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Steve Van Zandt, Sade, Lana Del Rey, Ivan Lins, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Madonna, Amy Winehouse, Anthony Boadle, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, New York, Thomson Locations: Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Philadelphia, United States, American, Salvador, Bahia, Brazilian

☆ Jimmy Carter's legacy: How he welcomed refugees
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

These steps Carter took during his presidency are still shaping the United States, decades after he left office. Because of Carter’s actions, hundreds of thousands of people fleeing persecution had a chance to come to the United States when he was commander-in-chief. A crisis that began before Carter took office was becoming increasingly dire by the day. That respect, Nguyen says, was earned by actions that Carter took that changed the course of her parents’ lives. “They were only able to do so because of the political courage exercised by President Carter,” she says.

Persons: Jimmy Carter’s, hasn’t, Carter, ”, Kai Bird, Jimmy Carter, Bird, Carter didn’t, Fred Ihrt, ” Carter, Bee Nguyen, it’s, Nguyen, ’, “, ” Nguyen, President Carter, AAPIHeritageMonth, –, ♥️, ince, ives, K unis,, inger, egina, sia, ould, ong, ake, ariel, haring, J, ross Organizations: CNN, CBS, The New York Times, White, ust, ashington Locations: United States, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Saigon, Georgia, Thailand, Iowa, America, ife

☆ Opinion | Fareed Zakaria on Where Russia’s War in Ukraine Stands — and Much More
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +96 min

Obviously, the line is not perfect, but I think that’s a very sensible line. And I don’t think that’s all about absorption capability. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that the Russians have done everything they can. fareed zakaria[LAUGHS] And by the way, I think that’s some key to understanding the alliance is a personal one. I think India, Israel, and Poland — usually, in the 70 percent-plus say they like — have a favorable view of America.

Persons: ezra klein, it’s, Fareed Zakaria, Zakaria, “ Fareed Zakaria, fareed zakaria, Ezra, Putin, They’ve, there’s, fareed zakaria It’s, they’re, It’s, Fidel Castro, Sean Penn, haven’t, you’re, won’t, Biden, They’re, Washington, Winston Churchill, Merkel, wouldn’t, —, Nancy Gibbs, Khomeini, Macron, Ron DeSantis, YouGov, fareed zakaria I’m, that’s, DeSantis, Lindsey Grahams, Mitch McConnell, Xi Jinping, ezra klein Yes, Xi, Gorbachev, Zelensky, Trump, Obama, Bush, United States —, McCarthy’s, I’ve, they’d, doesn’t, didn’t, ezra klein They’re, fareed zakaria They’re, we’ve, Simpson, I’m, Janet Yellen, Colin Powell, unquote, That’s, Jonathan Haidt, We’ve, he’s, fareed zakaria That’s, they’ve, fareed zakaria Well, gee, TikTok, we’re, George Kennan, Mike Gallagher, klein, Nirupama Rao, Bob Kagan, can’t, — fareed zakaria, Lord Mountbatten, Gandhi, Franklin Roosevelt, Ho Chi Minh, fareed zakaria Right, narratively —, Modi, you’ve, China’s —, fareed zakaria Modi, India’s, Advani, Vajpayee, you’d, There’s, India, Joe Biden, fareed zakaria I’ve, Benedict Anderson’s “, Orville Schell, John Delury, Sunil Khilnani, ezra klein Fareed Zakaria Organizations: CNN, The Washington Post, Putin, Starbucks, Russia, Revolutionary Guard, NATO, Ukrainian, Communist, European Union, U.S, Republican Party’s, Republican Party, Republicans, ASEAN, Trump, Defense, United, U.S ., Democrats, Chinese Communist Party, State, Facebook, Google, Soviet Union, Huawei, Twitter, South China Seas, Foreign Affairs, Yale Law, International Criminal, South China, . Security, Trade Organization, Pax Americana, Americana, New York Fed, America, Republican, Fox, Beijing Locations: ezra klein Russia, Ukraine, Russia, America, Europe, China, India, Russian, United States, Relatedly, Japan, Turkey, Holland, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Venezuela, Central America, Southeast Asia, Washington, Britain, ‘, U.S, United Europe, Germany, Soviet Union, Vietnam, Beijing, Trump, Asia, Iraq, Hainan, Montana, Republic, Soviet, weirdly, South, Taiwan, Pakistan, New Delhi, South Africa, Kuwait, Russia’s, Eden, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Kashmir, it’s, Cuba, Pax, American, Mumbai, Shanghai, Israel, Poland, Indian, Nigeria

The approval, by 283 votes to 155, comes after Indigenous groups blocked a highway and burned tires to protest the measures earlier on Tuesday. Outside Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, demonstrators blocked a major motorway with flaming tires and used bows and arrows to confront police, who dispersed them with tear gas. Indigenous groups from across the country planned a week of protests outside Congress in the capital Brasilia. Lula legally recognized six Indigenous territories last month. Reporting by Anthony Boadle in Brasilia and Leonardo Benassatto in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Haynes, Cynthia Osterman and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bill, Marco, Amanda Perobelli, Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro, Lula, Anthony Boadle, Leonardo Benassatto, Brad Haynes, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: SAO PAULO, REUTERS, Supreme, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, SAO, Sao Paulo, Brazil's, Brasilia, Guarani, Brazil, Sao, Lincoln

[1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meets with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (not pictured) before a summit with presidents of South America to discuss the re-launching of the regional cooperation bloc UNASUR, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 29, 2023. "We won't decide anything at tomorrow's meeting, it is just about discussing possibilities," Lula told a news conference on Monday with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, on his first visit to Brazil in eight years. Lula said the leaders did not have to recreate a new Unasur but could come up with a different sort of organization. Maduro is hoping the South American countries will unite in calling on the United States to lift its sanctions against Venezuela, which he and Lula assailed at their news conference. "The aim of this initiative is to unite all the countries of the region once again," she told reporters on Friday.

☆ Cuban police crackdown on demonstrators protesting widespread shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Patrick Oppmann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Videos posted to social media show a crowd protesting in front of government buildings, before riot police arrived and forcibly arrested several demonstrators. Netblocks, an organization that tracks internet activity, said it appeared the Cuban government had taken down the internet across the entire island as news of the protests spread. Pro-Cuban government bloggers blamed the protesters uploading videos of the protests for the internet disruptions. However, the Cuban government has a history of taking down the state-provided internet during previous protests, sometimes for several days. Internet connectivity appeared to be largely restored on Sunday, and Cuban state media Cubadebate said no more protests had occurred.

☆ Cubans, waylaid by weather and fuel shortage, march for May Day five days late
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People gather at the seafront Malecon to watch the International Worker's Day celebration in Havana, Cuba May 5, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, May 5 (Reuters) - Cubans rallied on Havana's Malecon waterfront boulevard to celebrate International Worker's Day on Friday, five days after the planned May 1 event was called off due to foul weather and a fuel crisis that has crippled public transport on the island. "This year it was not possible, due to the fuel situation," said university professor Javier Sanchez, 24, as he cheered during the morning celebration. Though May 1 dawned clear in Havana, a wind and rain storm the previous day hindered preparations, leading Cuban officials to postpone the event until Friday. Cuban state-run media estimated that 100,000 Cubans had gathered on the Malecon by early Friday morning.

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.

☆ Fact check: Trump’s own campaign can’t find proof for his ‘mental institutions’ immigration story
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

How we searched for proof of Trump’s storyCNN conducted a broad search for any proof for Trump’s story. These articles did not mention anything about South American mental health facilities being emptied under President Joe Biden, nor feature any quote from a doctor at any such facility. We then reached out to a pro-Trump super PAC asking for evidence for Trump’s “mental institution” story, but a spokesperson didn’t respond. We next turned to two groups that advocate for reduced immigration, the Center for Immigration Studies and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which would be good candidates to be aware of any such evidence. As a last resort, we posted Trump’s quotes on Twitter and invited the public to try to find support for them.

[1/3] Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as security forces operate, outside Brazil’s National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, April 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's Congress on Wednesday prepared to open an inquiry into the Jan. 8 storming of key government buildings in the capital by violent demonstrators who denied the electoral victory of the recently inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The right-wing opposition has pushed for an inquiry as a way to blame his new government for security failures in Brasilia that day. Once the congressional inquiry is formally opened, there will be a fierce battle over the committee's composition. Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito Editing by Brad Haynes and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The remarks brought a strong retort from Washington, where a White House spokesman accused Lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda." Lula is a pragmatic politician," one of the diplomats told Reuters, requesting anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. Lula has suggested Ukraine needs to make concessions to end the war and Russia could return recently invaded territory but keep Crimea. The European Union has also rejected Lula's suggestion that both Ukraine and Russia are to blame for the war. Earlier this year, Lula turned down a reported German request to supply artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

☆ Russia´s Lavrov in Havana on Latin America drive to shore up support
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba April 20, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERSHAVANA, April 20 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on Thursday with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, the latest in a series of visits to shore up support among Russia's closest allies in Latin America. Lavrov told reporters that Russia and Cuba, both facing sanctions from the United States, understood one another. Russia´s foreign minister earlier this week visited Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua, meeting with the presidents and top officials in each country. Lavrov told reporters in Havana that another such deal to provide wheat to Cuba was in the works.

☆ GOP senators defend Clarence Thomas' billionaire benefactor's Nazi memorabilia collection: 'Harlan Crow's a terrific person'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The GOP megadonor also keeps Nazi artifacts at his Dallas home, where he's hosted fundraisers. In interviews with Insider at the Capitol on Tuesday, several of them defended the Republican megadonor amid broad scrutiny of his taste in historical artifacts. The Texas senator argued that the media is "deliberately" mischaracterizing the nature of Crow's collection in order to tarnish Justice Thomas' reputation. 'He's not a drug dealer or cocaine trafficker'Crow also collects other historical artifacts, including thousands of documents, books, and historical artifacts pertaining to American history. But when asked about Crow's Nazi memorabilia and dictator sculptures, Ernst said she had "no idea" about it.

☆ Cuban lawmakers vote for president amid crisis, no change expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, April 19 (Reuters) - Cuban lawmakers convened on Wednesday to appoint a new president for the next five years, at a time of social and economic crisis near unprecendented since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Lawmakers and the newly elected leaders will face daunting challenges during their coming five-year term. Candidates for president and legislative leaders were proposed in secret by lawmakers prior to Wednesday's session, then vetted by a National Candidacy Commission. The 470 lawmakers slated to vote were elected on March 26 in a popular ballot with no opposition candidates. The newly elected president is scheduled to address the nation later in the day.

Speaking at a lunch with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Lula said a group of neutral nations must come together to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. A White House spokesman accused Lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda without looking at the facts." Lula has pitched himself as a peace broker to end the war, which began when Russia invaded the neighboring country in February 2022. The European Union has also rejected Lula's suggestion that both Ukraine and Russia are to blame for the war. Among Western nations so far, only French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Lula's peace initiative.

[1/2] Security forces operate as supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei MarcelinoBRASILIA, April 14 (Reuters) - A judge on Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to testify before federal police within 10 days about his role in the Jan. 8 storming of government buildings by his supporters. Bolsonaro has denied any responsibility for the riots - which recalled the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. His critics say he instigated the riots by inflaming his supporters with attacks on Lula and by repeatedly criticizing Brazil's voting system, which he claimed was open to fraud, though he never provided proof. Bolsonaro returned to Brazil in March but faces legal investigations into his attacks on the voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm Brasilia on Jan. 8.

Bolsonaro's electoral outlook contrasts sharply with former U.S. President Donald Trump, another right-wing populist who challenged the results of his failed re-election campaign. Bolsonaro never conceded his narrow defeat in the October election and continues to question the reliability of Brazil's voting system. RISING CONSERVATIVE STARSStill, conservative powerbrokers allied with Bolsonaro are ready to reshuffle the deck for the next election cycle. He said a TSE decision to bar Bolsonaro from running would only boost the ex-president's political appeal. Any right-wing substitute could win with his endorsement, he added, while side-stepping the high rejection rates Bolsonaro faced as a candidate last year.

"I am convinced that both Ukraine and Russia are waiting for someone else to say, 'Let's sit down and talk,'" Lula told journalists last week. Lula has suggested a peace solution could be the return of newly invaded territory, though not Crimea - an option that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has rejected outright. For his initiative to advance, Lula needs China to send a message to Russia, said a European diplomat in Brasilia. Some 20 agreements to be signed include creation of a sixth satellite in a joint program started in 1988, which will be used for monitoring the Amazon, Brazil's foreign ministry said. China overtook the United States as Brazil's top trading partner in 2009 and is a major market for Brazilian soybeans, iron ore and oil.

☆ In pioneering workshops, U.S. trains Cuban entrepreneurs to do business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Cuban entrepreneurs Maria Puga and Ana Torres pose for a photo at their atelier in Havana, Cuba, April 3, 2023. "Cuba's state-run economy has traditionally not delivered, and recently has delivered even less," Ziff said in an interview. The United States, which says it operates "transparently" in Cuba, is not alone in seeking to promote Cuba's fledgling private sector. Diplomat Ziff said the United States was seeking ways to ease the burden of U.S. sanctions on private business but in a way that would not inadvertently benefit the Cuban government. "The biggest impediment to doing business in Cuba is the Cuban government," Ziff said.

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