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☆ Brazil's Navy seizes record 3.6 tonnes of cocaine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Packages are seen inside the vessel Palmares 1, which, according to the Brazilian Navy, was seized with cocaine, at sea off Recife city, Pernambuco state, Brazil September 19, 2023. Marinha do Brasil/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The Brazilian Navy said on Tuesday it had seized 3.6 metric tons of cocaine on a boat off the coast of northeastern Pernambuco state, in the largest single off-shore capture of the drug by Brazil. The seizure follows a series of operations held by the Navy to fight drug transportation on the country's coast. According to the Navy, over 17 tons of cocaine, 4.3 tons of hashish, 695 tons of cigarettes, 113.34 tons of fish, 14 tons of marijuana and 3,146 cubic meters of wood have been seized since 2020. Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anthony Boadle, Carolina Pulice, Michael Perry Organizations: Brazilian Navy, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Navy, Thomson Locations: Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA, Africa

☆ Biden, Brazil's Lula to launch initiative focused on workers' rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva walk down the colonnade of the White House, in Washington, U.S. February 10, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will launch an initiative on Wednesday to advance the rights of working people, a main focal point for both leaders, senior U.S. officials said. The U.S.-Brazil Partnership for Workers' Rights will be bilateral to start, but other countries and organizations will be encouraged to join, senior Biden administration officials said, without naming other possible participants. Biden and Lula will make an announcement when they have their second in-person meeting on Wednesday while in New York for the annual high-level United Nations General Assembly. But the official added that it was Brazil's sovereign right to engage in relationships with China and other countries.

Persons: Joe Biden, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Biden, Lula, Andrea Shalal, Lisandra, Grant McCool, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: White, Rights, U.S, Brazil Partnership, Workers, Biden, United Nations General Assembly, United Auto Workers, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Security, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, New York, United States, Brazil, States, China, Beijing, Washington, Haiti, Brasilia

☆ Brazil's Navy Seizes Record 3.6 Tonnes of Cocaine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The Brazilian Navy said on Tuesday it had seized 3.6 metric tons of cocaine on a boat off the coast of northeastern Pernambuco state, in the largest single off-shore capture of the drug by Brazil. In a statement, the Navy said it had captured a small motor boat used for transporting people and cargo along the coast with five crew members heading to Africa. The seizure follows a series of operations held by the Navy to fight drug transportation on the country's coast. According to the Navy, over 17 tons of cocaine, 4.3 tons of hashish, 695 tons of cigarettes, 113.34 tons of fish, 14 tons of marijuana and 3,146 cubic meters of wood have been seized since 2020. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Michael Perry)

Persons: Anthony Boadle, Carolina Pulice, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Brazilian Navy, Navy Locations: BRASILIA, Pernambuco, Brazil, Africa, Recife

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a press conference at a hotel after the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, September 11, 2023. In part, that reflects the choppier waters the 77-year-old Brazilian leader now navigates, as Beijing and Washington flirt with a new Cold War while war rages in Ukraine. Even before he took office, Lula was greeted like a rock star last November at the U.N. climate change conference in Egypt. The closer ties to Beijing could complicate Brazil's relationship with Washington, including access to key technology, Shannon added. "Brazil is rapidly wasting its soft power by trying to be an international player with an outdated agenda," he said.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Anushree, Pope, Jair Bolsonaro's, Lula, Oliver Stuenkel, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Thomas Shannon, Porter, Shannon, Nicolas Maduro, Gabriel Boric, Rubens Barbosa, Putin, Maduro, Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations General Assembly, U.S, General Assembly, Amazon, International Criminal Court, ICC, Arnold, Security, Mercosur, Venezuelan, Foreign Ministry, South, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Rights BRASILIA, Brazil, China, Beijing, Washington, Ukraine, Sao Paulo, Egypt, U.S, Rio de Janeiro, Russia, South Africa, Shannon, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Brasilia, Brazilian, London, South American

☆ Brazil's president calls U.S. economic embargo on Cuba 'illegal,' condemns terrorist list label
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

And to this day it is the victim of an illegal economic embargo," Lula said in a speech opening the G77 Summit of developing nations in the capital, Havana. The comments were made just hours before Lula left for New York, where he will attend the United Nations General Assembly and have bilateral talks with Biden. Earlier, Cuba expressed concerns over the label and Washington’s decades-old Cold War-era economic embargo against the island governed by the Communist Party of Cuba. Cuba and critics of the economic sanctions say the embargo prevents and hampers access to food, medicine and other critical development supplies. In 2019, during the first year of right-wing Jair Bolsonaro's administration, Brazil voted against the motion along with the United States and Israel.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Donald Trump, Biden, Lula, Lisandra Paraguassu, Steven Grattan, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Former U.S, Trump, United Nations General Assembly, Communist Party of Cuba, European Union, U.S . State Department, United Nations, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Cuba, United States, Havana, Brazil, New York, Israel, Paris

☆ Brazil's President Calls U.S. Economic Embargo on Cuba 'Illegal,' Condemns Terrorist List Label
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Donald Trump, Biden, Lula, Lisandra Paraguassu, Steven Grattan, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Reuters, Former U.S, Trump, United Nations General Assembly, Communist Party of Cuba, European Union, U.S . State Department, United Nations Locations: BRASILIA, Cuba, United States, Havana, Brazil, New York, Israel, Paris

The announcement was made Thursday by the country's Committee on Climate Change, a joint body made up of 18 government ministries. The change will be officially transmitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the international body that works to advance global action on climate change. During the tenure of far-right President Bolsonaro, Brazil backtracked on its Nationally Determined Contribution calculation twice. Brazil’s target under the Paris Agreement is 1.2 billion metric tons of CO2. The former president dismantled Brazil’s environmental agencies in favor of expanding agribusiness, neglecting preservation efforts.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Geraldo Alckmin, Bolsonaro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Organizations: RIO DE, —, United Nations, Climate, Talanoa Institute, Climate Watch, World Resources Institute, AP Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, — Brazil, Paris, Brazil, Brasilia

☆ Brazil to end import tax exemption for electric vehicles, says official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Brazil will end a tax exemption for importing electric vehicles, gradually raising the duty to 35% over three years, Industry Ministry official Uallace Moreira told Reuters on Friday. Brazil-based carmakers lobbied for the measure, overcoming pushback from Chinese manufacturers who sell electric vehicles in the country. This week, the European Commission launched an investigation into whether to impose punitive tariffs to protect European Union producers against cheaper Chinese electric vehicle imports it says are benefiting from state subsidies. The new program will stimulate energy efficiency projects using tax credits, as well as create a mechanism that Moreira called "green taxation." The plan would stagger the collection of a tax on industrialized products, depending on the energy efficiency of the vehicle models, the recyclability of the products and local production density.

Persons: Uallace Moreira, carmakers, Geraldo Alckmin, Moreira, Bernardo Caram, Diane Craft Organizations: Industry Ministry, Reuters, Industry, European Commission, European Union, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil

☆ Brazil Sees Amazon Rainforest International Security Hub Launch This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Ricardo BritoBRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil is preparing to launch a center for international police cooperation to combat environmental crimes and drug trafficking in the Amazon rainforest by the end of 2023, Federal Police officials told Reuters. The center, agreed upon at the summit of Amazon nations in August, will bring together police authorities from the eight countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). Uniting the Amazon countries against criminal activity in the world's largest rainforest is key to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's effort to restore Brazil's environmental credentials after four years of soaring deforestation under predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. "We expect to see a significant reduction in environmental crimes in the area and also action involving the entire Amazon region and not just a few isolated countries," Urquiza said. "There's no point in operating only in Brazil," he said, adding that criminals in the region move around the countries of the rainforest to evade authorities.

Persons: Ricardo Brito, Luiz Inacio Lula da, Jair Bolsonaro, Valdecy Urquiza, Urquiza, Humberto Freire, Ameripol, Freire, Peter Frontini, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Ricardo Brito BRASILIA, Reuters, Federal Police, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Federal Police's, Police, Interpol Locations: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro looks on before a session in the Legislative Assembly of Goias to receive the title of citizen of Goias, in Goiania, Brazil August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Brazil has formally requested U.S. law enforcement assistance into probes that involve former President Jair Bolsonaro after his ex-aide agreed to cooperate with Brazilian investigators, two Brazilian Federal Police sources told Reuters. Brazil requested U.S. help to corroborate statements by former Bolsonaro aide Mauro Cid about his role in various criminal probes involving Bolsonaro, including into falsified vaccination records and the sale of expensive jewels gifted by foreign governments. Lawyers for Bolsonaro and Cid did not immediately respond to requests for comment. One of the sources said it could take three to six months for Brazil to receive the information it needs from the United States.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Ueslei Marcelino, Mauro Cid, Cid, Bolsonaro, Flavio Dino, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gabriel Stargardter, Josie Kao Organizations: Legislative, REUTERS, Rights, Brazilian Federal Police, Reuters, Justice Ministry's Department, Asset, Legal Cooperation, Bolsonaro, Thomson Locations: Goias, Goiania, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA, U.S, United States

☆ Brazilian farmer's giant rooster hobby hatches into profitable business
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] FILE PHOTO-Agronomist Rubens Braz poses with his Giant Indian Urubu rooster named Galalau at the Avicultura Gigante, which breeds giant roosters for small-scale meat production and ornamental purposes, in Formosa, Goias State, Brazil September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - When farmer Rubens Braz started breeding Brazilian chickens, he had no idea how big the operation - or the birds - would get. Some twenty years later, he now raises giant roosters for small-scale farming and hobby purposes in central Brazil and is making a living from surging sales across the country. His birds, called "Giant Indian Roosters," can grow over 120 centimeters (47 inches) tall. As the global avian flu crisis has put a damper on business this year, limiting the transport of live animals in Brazil, Braz said he has focused on supplying fertilized eggs to nearby farmers.

Persons: Rubens Braz, Gigante, Ueslei Marcelino, Braz, Avicultura Gigante, Isadora Machado, Ana Mano, Brad Haynes, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: roosters, REUTERS, Rights, Indian Roosters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Formosa, Goias State, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA, Goias

☆ How Outback's success in Brazil is keeping the Australian-style barbecue chain alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Darren Geeter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Outback Steakhouse, renowned for its American twist on Australian-style barbecue, has found unexpected success in Brazil as its U.S. business stalls. The South American segment is responsible for an astonishing 83% of Bloomin' Brands' total international sales. In 2020, reports circulated that Bloomin' Brands might divest its Brazil assets, valued at $472 million, to streamline operations and bolster margins. In 2021, the Brazil segment rebounded, as sales jumped 26% year over year to $259 million. Bloomin' Brands has seen a notable share price recovery, rising from pandemic lows to $28.18 a share as of Aug. 31.

Persons: São Paulo, Bloomin, Papa John's Organizations: Outback's U.S, Brazilian, Harvard, Darden Locations: Brazil, Tampa , Florida, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, America

☆ Putin would not be arrested in 2024 Brazil G20 meeting, Lula says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends the Dialogue with BRICS Business Council & New Development Bank during the BRICS summit in Brasilia, Brazil November 14, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado Acquire Licensing RightsSept 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would not be arrested in Brazil if he attends the Group of 20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro next year. Interviewed on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Delhi by news show Firstpost, Lula said Putin would be invited to next year's event, adding that he himself planned to attend a BRICS bloc of developing nations meeting due in Russia before the Rio meeting. "I believe that Putin can go easily to Brazil," Lula said. "What I can say to you is that if I'm president of Brazil, and he comes to Brazil, there's no way he will be arrested."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Adriano Machado, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Gabriel Stargardter, Richard Chang Organizations: BRICS Business, New Development Bank, REUTERS, ICC, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Delhi, Russia, Rio, Ukraine, Rome

☆ Lula to attend Brazil Independence Day parade amid tight security
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tight security measures have been prepared to contain possible protests by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, some of who stormed government buildings a week after Lula took office in January. During last year's bicentennial Independence Day, in the final stretch of a heated presidential campaign, Bolsonaro mixed military displays with a political rally drawing hundreds of thousands of supporters. In a weekly address on social media on Tuesday, Lula said he was returning the holiday's focus to the armed forces. Police, security and intelligence services have been mobilized to monitor for trouble by Bolsonaro supporters, but officials said they do not expect protests. Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Brad Haynes and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Bolsonaro, Ricardo Brito, Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes, Jamie Freed Organizations: Army, Police, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA

☆ Brazil's Lula announces cabinet reshuffle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a ministry cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday as he seeks to shore up support for his political agenda from a powerful bloc of lawmakers. Lula named federal lawmaker Andre Fufuca as the sports minister, while lawmaker Silvio Costa Filho will be the ports and airports minister, the government said in a statement. In July, Lula replaced his tourism minister Daniela Carneiro with Celso Sabino. The announcement also seals the entry of the party of lower house speaker Arthur Lira, who was a supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro, into Lula's cabinet.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Adriano Machado, Lula, Andre Fufuca, Silvio Costa Filho, Marcio Franca, Daniela Carneiro, Celso Sabino, Arthur Lira, Jair Bolsonaro, Ricardo Brito, Carolina Pulice, Andrea Ricci, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA

[1/2] Brazil's Environment Minister Marina Silva meets Davi Kopenawa, chief of the Yanomami, after a ceremony to commemorate Amazon Day, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, September 5, 2023. Environmentalists say Indigenous groups are the best guardians of the rainforest and deforestation data shows that the forests on their reservations are the best conserved. Lula, who pledged to legalize the greatest number of reservations possible, has so far signed decrees recognizing eight Indigenous territories since taking office in January. The Supreme Court, however, is expected rule that the cut-off date for claiming ancestral lands that were not lived on in 1988 is unconstitutional for denying recognized Indigenous rights. The reservations legalized by Lula on Tuesday are the Acapuri de Cima and the Rio Gregorio Indigenous territories in the states of Amazonas and Acre, respectively.

Persons: Marina Silva, Davi Kopenawa, Ueslei Marcelino, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Cima, Sonia Guajajara, Guajajara, Anthony Boadle, Sandra Maler Organizations: Amazon, REUTERS, Rights, Rio, Indigenous Peoples, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA, Rio Gregorio, Amazonas, Acre

☆ Brazil's Lula Legalizes More Indigenous Reservations in Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Anthony BoadleBRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday officially recognized two Indigenous territories, granting them legal protection as reservations to defend against invasions by illegal loggers, gold miners and cattle ranchers. Environmentalists say Indigenous groups are the best guardians of the rainforest and deforestation data shows that the forests on their reservations are the best conserved. Lula, who pledged to legalize the greatest number of reservations possible, has so far signed decrees recognizing eight Indigenous territories since taking office in January. The Supreme Court, however, is expected rule that the cut-off date for claiming ancestral lands that were not lived on in 1988 is unconstitutional for denying recognized Indigenous rights. The reservations legalized by Lula on Tuesday are the Acapuri de Cima and the Rio Gregorio Indigenous territories in the states of Amazonas and Acre, respectively.

Persons: Anthony Boadle BRASILIA, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Cima, Sonia Guajajara, Guajajara, Anthony Boadle, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Rio, Indigenous Peoples Locations: Brazil, Rio Gregorio, Amazonas, Acre

Brazilian indigenous peoples gather as the Supreme Court on weighing the constitutionality of laws to limit the ability of Indigenous peoples to win protected status for ancestral lands, in Brasilia, Brazil August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court is expected to rule next week against attempts by the country's powerful farm lobby to limit land claims by Indigenous peoples to areas they occupied before 1988. Lawyers and Indigenous rights advocates believe a majority of the nine-member court will vote by Wednesday to reject the date restriction on the grounds it is unconstitutional. Congress has pushed ahead with bills allowing Indigenous reservations only on land that was occupied by native communities when Brazil passed its Constitution in 1988. Indigenous leaders say the Supreme Court decision is vital for the resolution of some 300 pending land recognition claims that would protect their communities from land-grabbers and invasions by illegal loggers and wildcat gold miners.

Persons: Adriano Machado, Juliana de Paula, Cristiano Zanin, Zanin, Anthony Boadle, Cynthia Osterman, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Environmental, ISA, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA, Santa Catarina

☆ Bolsonaro stays silent in police probe of undeclared Saudi, Bahrain jewelry gifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, attend a Partido Liberal Mulher event at the Legislative Assembly of the state of Sao Paulo, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 6, 2023. After the presidential gifts became a matter of public knowledge, a court ordered the couple to hand them over to the state. His presidential offices, the Supreme Court and Congress were invaded and vandalized by Bolsonaro supporters one week later. Bolsonaro and Michelle Bolsonaro spent the last two days preparing with their team of lawyers and advisers, officials in his political party said. Cid, who handled the Bolsonaro finances, was arrested for his suspected involvement in a scheme to provide Bolsonaro with false vaccine cards during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Michelle Bolsonaro, Carla Carniel, Michelle, Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro, Prosecutors, Alexandre de Moraes, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Cid, Ricardo Brito, Anthony Boadle, Grant McCool Organizations: Partido Liberal, Legislative, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Police, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA, Brasilia, Guarulhos, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United States

☆ Brazil eyes tax perks for energy sector, sparking 'green' vs oil debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last year, more than 500 qualified energy projects received some 9 billion reais ($1.85 billion) in tax exemptions. However, senior officials at the Mines and Energy Ministry are pushing to broaden the incentives to include oil refineries and fuel storage facilities. Energy Ministry officials have argued that targeting tax benefits too narrowly would curtail oil and gas investments, calling in a technical note to expand incentives to oil and natural gas exploration, production and transportation. The Energy Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras (PETR4.SA) has forecast oil production for the next four decades, even as it ramps up investments in renewable energy.

Persons: Adriano Machado, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Lula, Marcela Ayres, Brad Haynes, David Gregorio Our Organizations: National, REUTERS, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras Follow, Reuters, Finance Ministry, Mines and Energy Ministry, Finance, Energy Ministry, Mines, Investments, Petrobras, PETR4, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras Follow BRASILIA, Ukraine, biorefineries, divestments

☆ Brazil soccer star Ronaldinho denies ties to company accused of scam
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Former soccer player Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (popularly known as Ronaldinho Gaucho) attends a session of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) of the Financial Pyramids, at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia, Brazil, August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Ton Molina Acquire Licensing RightsAug 31 (Reuters) - Retired Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho Gaucho on Thursday denied an accusation of involvement in a scam that has drawn national attention for deceiving victims with promises of profitable cryptocurrency investments. Ronaldinho said he signed a contract with the U.S. company 18k Watch Corporation in 2016 to create a line of watches bearing his image, the statement added. The same year, Ronaldinho and his brother were imprisoned in Paraguay for 171 days for using a falsified passport. The soccer star was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006.

Persons: Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, Ronaldinho Gaucho, Ton Molina, Ronaldinho Comércio, Ronaldinho, Ricardo Silva, Carolina Pulice, Richard Chang Organizations: Parliamentary, Inquiry, REUTERS, National Congress, U.S, Watch Corporation, FIFA, Champions League, Barcelona, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Brazilian, Barcelona, Paraguay

China, Brazil's largest trading partner, funneled $1.3 billion in direct investments into the country last year, the lowest level since 2009, according to a CEBC study. The performance contrasts with overall foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil in 2022, which skyrocketed by 95% to $90.6 billion, highest in a decade. Last year, just 28% of announced Chinese projects worth $4.7 billion went ahead, the CEBC said. That compares poorly with 2021, when pledged investments of $5.9 billion were fully realized, bolstered by two oil projects worth nearly $5 billion. Chinese mining firm Honbridge (8137.HK), for example, announced investments worth $2.1 billion that failed to proceed due to a pending environmental license.

Persons: Cariello, Hua Sheng, Getulio Vargas, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bernardo Caram, Tom Hogue Organizations: Brazil tanked, China Business Council, HK, U.S ., Sao Paulo Business Administration School, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazil, China, Ukraine, U.S, Asia, Beijing

☆ 'New scenario' opens for Argentina with BRICS invitation, Fernandez says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez speaks during a news conference at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, June 26, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - A "new scenario" opens for Argentina with the invitation for the South American country to join the BRICS group of developing nations, President Alberto Fernandez said on Thursday. Argentina wanted to join BRICS - a group currently made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - because of the bloc's geopolitical and financial importance during a difficult global context, Fernandez said in a speech. Argentina was invited to join BRICS along with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, as the group convenes in South Africa this week. By joining BRICS, Argentina will act as an important interlocutor and potential broker for consensus with other nations, Fernandez added.

Persons: Alberto Fernandez, Adriano Machado, Fernandez, Gabriel Araujo, Kylie Madry, Christina Fincher, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, South, BRICS, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Argentina, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, BRICS

☆ Brazil clears bottlenecks to oust US as top corn exporter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"We celebrated a lot... when (corn export) volumes via northern ports equaled Santos," said Sergio Mendes, head of Brazilian grain exporter group Anec. "By using northern ports... you are saving 20 reais ($4.12) per ton (of corn)." Treemap with data from Cargonave show the percentage share of corn exports of Brazil ports in north and south part of the country. CHEAPER ROUTE TO CHINAThe new export capacity has helped grains shipped from Brazil's northern ports to compete on logistics costs with U.S. farmers. "The greater share of shipments through northern ports reflects cheaper freight costs compared to routes to the ports in the south and southeast," said Thome Guth, a Conab official.

Persons: Adriano Machado, Sergio Mendes, Louis Dreyfus, Brazil's, Thiago Pera, Santos, ", Thome Guth, Ana Mano, Brad Haynes, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, SAO PAULO, China, U.S, Cargill, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, TCU, Shipping, U.S . Department of Agriculture, COFCO, Santos, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Santos, Ukraine, China, U.S, Northern, Madeira, Santarem, Barcarena, Itaqui, Canada, Argentina, Mato Grosso, CHINA, Iowa, Shanghai, Itacoatiara, Chicago, Para, Norte Sul, Tocantins, Goias, Minas Gerais, Mato

Delegates walk past the logos of the BRICS summit during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. WHY DOES LULA WANT A BRICS CURRENCY? A BRICS currency "increases our payment options and reduces our vulnerabilities," he told the summit's opening plenary session. In July, India's foreign minister said, "there is no idea of a BRICS currency". WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF SETTING UP A BRICS CURRENCY?

Persons: GIANLUIGI, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, LULA, doesn't, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Lesetja Kganyago, you've, Kganyago, Herbert Poenisch, Putin, Rachel Savage, Ethan Wang, Marcela Ayres, Gabriel Stargardter, Naomi Rovnick, Libby George, Marc Jones, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Mercosur, South, Zhejiang University, Federal Reserve, FX, International Monetary Fund, Bank of International, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Russian, videolink, African, Ukraine, Beijing, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, London

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