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☆ NASA's James Webb Space Telescope broke its own record to discover the oldest black hole yet, but it has astronomers even more confused about the beginning of the universe
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the oldest black hole ever detected, breaking its own record. It's about 40 million years older than the record-breaking black hole Webb also discovered and announced in November. AdvertisementA cosmic clue in this black hole's outsized appetiteA disk of hot gas swirls around a feeding black hole in this illustration. AdvertisementPeering at the early universe with Webb "is like upgrading from Galileo's telescope to a modern telescope overnight," Maiolino said. He added that his team hopes to search for smaller "seeds" of black holes with future Webb observing time.

Persons: —, James Webb, Webb, Nick Risinger, JWST, Chandra, Daniel Holz, Roberto Maiolino, Maiolino Organizations: Service, Business, ESA, Hubble, Sky Survey, NASA, CSA, University of Chicago, New York Times, University of Cambridge, JPL, Caltech

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Neighborhoods in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state remained flooded Monday more than a day after torrential rains that killed at least 11 people. Some people drowned and were killed in landslides, while at least three died after being electrocuted. Authorities intervened in over 200 incidents due to the flooding across the state, according to a statement from Rio’s civil defense. Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology had warned Thursday of the potential for heavy rain in Rio, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais due to a combination of heat, humidity and areas of low pressure in the atmosphere. In February 2023, heavy rain caused flooding and landslides that killed at least 48 people in Sao Paulo state.

Persons: Heloisa, Duque de Caxias, Regina, “ We’ve, ”, ” Duque de, Eliana Vieira Krauss, ” Krauss, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, Daniel Soranz Organizations: RIO DE, Avenida Brasil, Brazil's Globo, Firefighters, Authorities, ” Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Ronaldo, Municipal Hospital, Rio Health, Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Heloisa Regina, Duque de, Rio, Rio’s, Belford Roxo, Rio de, Rio , Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Brazil

☆ Florence Pugh hit in face while promoting ‘Dune: Part Two’
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Video shared on social media showed actress Florence Pugh getting hit in the face by something thrown from the audience at a “Dune: Part Two” event in São Paulo, Brazil over the weekend. Pugh was posing for photos with costars Austin Butler, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya at the time of the incident. According to Entertainment Weekly, the incident happened right after Pugh had spoken on a panel about the forthcoming film. “I had an amazing time coming in and just hanging around with these people, let alone actually getting to work with them,” Pugh said at the event. So it feels really, really special being here with the second one.”In the past year, several artists like Bebe Rexha and Harry Styles have been hit on stage by items tossed from the audience during concerts.

Persons: Florence Pugh, Pugh, costars Austin Butler, Timothée, “, ” Pugh, Bebe Rexha, Harry Styles Organizations: CNN, Entertainment Locations: São Paulo, Brazil

☆ Brazilian lender Itau launches crypto trading
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Brazilian bank Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA) on Monday launched a cryptocurrency trading service for clients of its investment platform, making the nation's largest lender the latest local player to enter the market for the digital asset's exchange. "It starts with bitcoin, but our overarching strategic plan is to expand to other crypto assets in the future," he said, adding any expansion would depend on how crypto regulation in the country evolved. Itau argues it will stand out from rivals as it also acts as a custodian, safeguarding users' assets, Antunes said. The move comes about a month after two local players announced they were leaving the crypto market. Brokerage and investments company XP (XP.O) did not say why it was shutting down its crypto service, but financial services firm PicPay, owned by conglomerate J&F which also controls meatpacker JBS (JBSS3.SA), cited regulatory uncertainties.

Persons: Guto Antunes, Itau, Antunes, meatpacker, Paula Arend Laier, Andre Romani, Kylie Madry, Chris Reese Organizations: SAO PAULO, Monday, Thomson Locations: bitcoin, Brazil

An agent of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) inspects a tree extracted from the Amazon rainforest, in a sawmill during an operation to combat deforestation, in Placas, Para State, Brazil January 20, 2023. "Our current knowledge of the functioning of the Congo Basin ecosystem is really very, very limited." The Democratic Republic of the Congo, home to most of the forest, had the second highest rate of tree cover loss in the world last year after Brazil, according to Global Forest Watch. The scientific effort is modelled on the Science Panel for the Amazon that in 2021 issued a roughly 1,300 page report summarising the scientific consensus on the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest. More than 300 scientists are expected to contribute to the Congo report, Tshimanga said.

Persons: Ueslei Marcelino, Raphaël Tshimanga, Tshimanga, Jake Spring, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Brazilian Institute for, Environment, Natural Resources, REUTERS, SAO PAULO, United, Sunday, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions, University of Kinshasa, Democratic, Global Forest Watch, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Placas, Para State, Brazil, United Nations, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kristin Davison, the chief executive officer of the Never Back Down super PAC, and Erin Perrine, the communications director, have parted ways with the group, said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss personnel matters. In a statement, Never Back Down spokesperson Jess Szymanski said long-time DeSantis ally Scott Wagner would now take over as CEO. As a super PAC, NBD can receive donations of unlimited size, but cannot coordinate with the campaign directly. DeSantis allies recently formed a new Super PAC, dubbed Fight Right, which is focusing on attacks against former U.S. Both DeSantis and Haley trail former President Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination by over 40 points in most national polls.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Vincent Alban, Kristin Davison, Erin Perrine, Davison, Jess Szymanski, Scott Wagner, Semafor, NBD, Nikki Haley, DeSantis, Haley, Donald Trump, Perrine, Gram Slattery, Chizu Organizations: Republican, Florida, REUTERS, Rights, Politico, Super PAC, U.S, Thomson Locations: Newton , Iowa, U.S, Florida, NBD

☆ Everything we know about 'House of the Dragon' season 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementGet ready, because the second season of "House of the Dragon" is less than a year away. "House of the Dragon" season two will arrive on HBO sometime in the summer of 2024, HBO CEO Casey Bloys said at a Warner Bros. The first trailer for 'House of the Dragon' season 2 was released in DecemberThe first trailer for the second season was released on December 2 during the "House of the Dragon" panel at CCXP23 in São Paulo, Brazil. You can check it out here:Who's in the cast of 'House of the Dragon' season 2? Theo Whiteman/HBOWhile season one of "House of the Dragon" had 10 episodes, season two will only have eight, Deadline reported in March.

Persons: —, George R.R, Casey Bloys, Martin, Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, Matthew Needham, Eve Best, Rhys Ifans, Phoebe Campbell, Bethany Antonia, Ewan Mitchell, Fabien Frankel, Harry Collett, Olivia Cooke, Phia Saban, Steve Toussaint, Tom Glynn, Carney, Ollie Upton, Milly Alcock, Rhaenyra, Viserys, Paddy Considine, Simon Russell Beale, Ser Simon Strong, Freddie Fox, Ser Gwayne Hightower, Gayle Rankin, Alys, Abubakar Salim, Clinton, Jamie Kenna, Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew, Hugh, Tom Bennett, Ulf, Tom Taylor, Cregan Stark, Vincent Regan, Ser Rickard Thorne, Theo Whiteman, Aemond, Miguel Sapochnik, Sapochnik, Ryan Condal, Alan Taylor, Condal, Alicent, Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Glynn, D'Arcy Organizations: Service, Dragons, HBO, Warner Bros, WGA, SAG, Entertainment, Jefferson, Clinton Liberty, Hollywood, Aegon Locations: Westeros, London, Wales, British, São Paulo, Brazil, Alys Rivers, Hull

☆ HBO just released its first teaser for 'House of the Dragon' season 2. Expect more dragons and more bloodshed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Scientists Launch Research Effort at COP28 for Congo Rainforest
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Jake SpringSAO PAULO (Reuters) - Hundreds of scientists at the United Nations COP28 climate summit on Sunday launched a research coalition aimed at correcting a historic lack of information about the Congo River basin and its rainforest, the second largest in the world. The Science Panel for the Congo Basin, backed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, aims to issue a report in 2025 that offers the most detailed scientific assessment to date about the Congo Basin. "Our current knowledge of the functioning of the Congo Basin ecosystem is really very, very limited." The Democratic Republic of the Congo, home to most of the forest, had the second highest rate of tree cover loss in the world last year after Brazil, according to Global Forest Watch. More than 300 scientists are expected to contribute to the Congo report, Tshimanga said.

Persons: Jake Spring, Raphaël Tshimanga, Tshimanga, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Jake Spring SAO PAULO, Reuters, United, Sunday, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions, University of Kinshasa, Democratic, Global Forest Watch Locations: United Nations, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Brazil

REUTERS/Thaier Al Sudani/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Brazil will never join the OPEC+ group of oil-producing nations as a full member and instead only seeks to participate as an observer, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday. Lula's remarks to reporters at the U.N. COP28 climate summit in Dubai clarified his statements a day earlier that Brazil would "participate" in OPEC+. "Brazil should join OPEC+, it could be an observer," Lula said on Sunday. "Brazil will never be a full member of OPEC, because we don't want to be. Petrobras will continue to do what it needs to do to help Brazil grow, but will expand beyond just oil to all energy, Lula added.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Al Sudani, Lula's, Lula, Jake Spring, Will Dunham Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, OPEC, Petrobras, PETR4, São Paulo, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Brazil, OPEC, Africa, Latin America, Berlin, São

Finally Souza, an innkeeper and community leader in Bela Vista do Jaraqui, said he rallied two dozen neighbors to drill a 60-meter well in the heart of the world's largest freshwater basin. With rivers forming the backbone of transportation across the Amazon region, the drought has disrupted access to food and medicine in dozens of cities. The Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, is regarded by scientists as a bulwark against climate change because its dense vegetation absorbs carbon and emits oxygen. The five researchers predicting a 2026 recovery said the effects of the drought could endure even longer if El Nino is prolonged. That would release huge amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change and wiping out a wealth of plant and animal species found only in the Amazon.

Persons: Bruno Kelly, Raimundo Leite de Souza, Souza, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Michael Coe, we're, El Nino, Coe, El, Philip Fearnside, Henrique Barbosa, Eduardo Taveira, Taveira, Paulo Brando, Brando, Barbosa, Brad Haynes, Jake Spring, Ana Mano, Andre Romani, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Rio, cobras, United, Reuters, Research Center, National Institute of, Research, University of Maryland, Honda, LG, Positivo, GIANTS, Yale University, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Tefe, Amazonas, Brazil, Rights MANAUS, caimans, Bela Vista, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, United Nations, U.S, South America, South, Pacific, North America, El Nino, University, Baltimore, Western Europe, Brazil's Amazonas, Manaus, Itacoatiara, Madeira Rivers, Sao Paulo, Sao

☆ Lula says Brazil's participation in OPEC+ is to stop oil producers using fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thaier Al Sudani/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAO PAULO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday that Brazil's participation in the OPEC+ group of oil-producing countries is to convince nations to transition away from the use of fossil fuels. Brazil indicated on Thursday that it was on the brink of joining OPEC+, a group of 23 oil-producing countries. "We will lead oil-producing countries to accelerate the energy transition. Under the leadership of President Lula we want to use oil revenues to finance clean and renewable energy," he said. But Brazil is not expected to cap oil output as part of OPEC+, three sources told Reuters in a report published on Thursday.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Al Sudani, Lula, Alexandre Silveira, Silveira, Ricardo Brito, Steven Grattan, Matthew Lewis Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, SAO PAULO, OPEC, Petrobras, PETR4, Reuters, Paulo, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, OPEC, Brazil, Africa, Latin America, South America

☆ Lula Says Brazil's Participation in OPEC+ Is to Stop Oil Producers Using Fossil Fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday that Brazil's participation in the OPEC+ group of oil-producing countries is to convince nations to transition away from the use of fossil fuels. Brazil indicated on Thursday that it was on the brink of joining OPEC+, a group of 23 oil-producing countries. "We will lead oil-producing countries to accelerate the energy transition. Under the leadership of President Lula we want to use oil revenues to finance clean and renewable energy," he said. But Brazil is not expected to cap oil output as part of OPEC+, three sources told Reuters in a report published on Thursday.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Alexandre Silveira, Silveira, Ricardo Brito, Steven Grattan, Matthew Lewis Organizations: SAO PAULO, Reuters, OPEC, Petrobras Locations: OPEC, Brazil, Dubai, Africa, Latin America, South America, Sao Paulo

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the third Republican candidates' U.S. presidential debate of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, U.S., November 8, 2023. Laxalt's resignation is significant because Never Back Down has been playing an unusually prominent role in DeSantis' campaign. Laxalt did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did DeSantis' campaign. Both DeSantis and Haley are more than 40 points behind former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner in most national polls. The Iowa Republican caucuses on Jan. 15 will kick off the presidential nominating contests.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Adrienne Arsht, Mike Segar, Adam Laxalt, Chris Jankowski, Laxalt's, DeSantis, Laxalt, Nikki Haley, Haley, Donald Trump, Gram Slattery, Alexandra Ulmer, Ross Colvin, Leslie Adler Organizations: Republican, U.S, NBC News, Adrienne, Adrienne Arsht Center, Performing Arts, REUTERS, Rights, PAC, The New York Times, The Times, UN, South, Iowa Republican, Thomson Locations: Florida, Miami , Florida, U.S, South Carolina

☆ Brazilian state launches mandatory tracking of cattle to stop deforestation
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A herd of cattle is seen at the Marupiara ranch in the city of Tailandia in the state of Para, Brazil March 17, 2020. The state government established the program in a decree published on Monday and sets the target of individual tracking of all 24 million cattle in Para by December 2026. Cattle ranching in Brazil is linked to nearly 24% of global annual tropical deforestation and approximately 10% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, the conservancy said. Para has Brazil's second biggest cattle herd behind the west-central state of Mato Grosso, according to government data. "The absence of full traceability in Para undermined their ability to attract legitimate investment into this sector."

Persons: Pilar Olivares, Helder Barbalho, Jack Hurd, Ana Mano, Jake Spring, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, SAO PAULO, Nature Conservancy, conservancy, Para, Integrity, Tropical, Alliance, Thomson Locations: Tailandia, Para, Brazil, Mato Grosso, France, Spain, Norway, COP28

Zubale/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - E-commerce startup Zubale is setting its sights on expanding throughout Brazil and Mexico with a fresh $25 million capital injection, the company said on Thursday. In Mexico, the startup already operates in 90 cities and is eyeing another 40 over the next two years, said Monroy. He added that Zubale plans to first boost the technology behind its gig service in Mexico, Latin America's second-largest economy, to increase both workers' productivity and earnings. Zubale is also going to "speed up market penetration" of its software in Mexico, where the products are "still really green," Monroy said. The $25 million investment announced on Thursday comes from backers such as QED Investors and NFX, and follows a $40 million Series A funding round last year.

Persons: Sebastian Monroy, Zubale, Thiego Goularte, Goularte, Monroy, Kylie Madry, Rashmi Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, MEXICO CITY, Carrefour, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Handout, MEXICO, Mexico, Sao, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Canada set to announce Boeing order for maritime patrol aircraft -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Boeing logo is seen at the company's technology and engineering center in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Gabriel Araujo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 29 (Reuters) - Canada is set to announce on Thursday a multi-billion dollar sole-source contract for Boeing Co’s (BA.N) P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to replace the country’s military surveillance planes, a senior government source familiar with the matter told Reuters. An announcement would end months of speculation and follow a challenge from Canadian private planemaker Bombardier (BBDb.TO) which called for an open competition so it could submit a bid using its large-cabin Global business jets. A draft agreement between the governments of Canada and the United States for the sale of the Poseidon aircraft and associated training and equipment is set to expire on Thursday. Boeing declined comment on Wednesday.

Persons: Sao Jose dos Campos, Gabriel Araujo, Steve Scherer, Valerie Insinna, Allison Lampert, Chris Reese, Sonali Paul Organizations: Boeing, REUTERS, Reuters, Bombardier, CP, Aurora, Poseidon, Thomson Locations: Sao Jose, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Canada, United States, Ottawa, Washington, Montreal

☆ Bolivia gets green light for full Mercosur membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Lucinda Elliott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Bolivia is set to become a full member of the South American Mercosur trade bloc following a decision on Tuesday by the Brazilian Senate to approve the country's admission. The vote on the accession of Bolivia to Mercosur is expected to be formally concluded during a regional summit on Dec. 7 in Rio de Janeiro. "Thank you to the senators for completing this process and congratulations to President Arce and Bolivia for joining us in Mercosur," Lula said on social media. Prospects for finally concluding the trade agreement with the EU gained traction following the election of ultra-liberal Javier Milei, a staunch critic of Mercosur, as president of Argentina. Bolivia was one of the worst offenders of primary forest clearances last year, behind only Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Global Forest Watch that monitors deforestation rates.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Arce, Lula, Luis Arce, Javier Milei, Milei, Lucinda Elliott, Mark Porter Organizations: SAO PAULO, South American Mercosur, Brazilian Senate, Bolivia, Senators, European Union, EU, Mercosur, Democratic, Global Forest Watch, Thomson Locations: Bolivia, Brazilian, Mercosur, Rio de Janeiro, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo

Musician Paul McCartney performs during his Got Back tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., May 13, 2022. Tickets priced between 200 reais ($41) and 400 reais ($82), much lower than most of those for the tour, sold out in just a few minutes. Fans who managed to buy tickets received wristbands for the concert. Upon arrival, event organizers sealed up fans' mobile phones and cameras to prevent images being recorded. Reporting by Bernardo Caram; Writing by Steven Grattan; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul McCartney, Mario Anzuoni, McCartney, Amanda Cardoso, I'd, Bernardo Caram, Steven Grattan, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Cavern Club, Beatles, Clube, Choro, Thomson Locations: Inglewood , California, U.S, Rights BRASILIA, Liverpool, Brazil, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Bolivia Gets Green Light for Full Mercosur Membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lucinda ElliottSAO PAULO (Reuters) - Bolivia is set to become a full member of the South American Mercosur trade bloc following a decision on Tuesday by the Brazilian Senate to approve the country's admission. The vote on the accession of Bolivia to Mercosur is expected to be formally concluded during a regional summit on Dec. 7 in Rio de Janeiro. "Thank you to the senators for completing this process and congratulations to President Arce and Bolivia for joining us in Mercosur," Lula said on social media. Prospects for finally concluding the trade agreement with the EU gained traction following the election of ultra-liberal Javier Milei, a staunch critic of Mercosur, as president of Argentina. Bolivia was one of the worst offenders of primary forest clearances last year, behind only Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Global Forest Watch that monitors deforestation rates.

Persons: Lucinda Elliott, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Arce, Lula, Javier Milei, Milei, Mark Porter Organizations: Lucinda Elliott SAO PAULO, Reuters, South American Mercosur, Brazilian Senate, European Union, EU, Mercosur, Democratic, Global Forest Watch Locations: Bolivia, Brazilian, Mercosur, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Democratic Republic of Congo

[1/2] People watch drones creating a 3-D display outside the United Nations Headquarters calling attention to the Amazon rainforest and climate change in New York U.S., September 15, 2023. The analysis by the nonprofit Amazon Conservation's MAAP forest monitoring program offers a first look at 2023 deforestation across the nine Amazon countries. That estimate is likely low as there are some holes in the data, Finer said. Brazil's Lula has led a push among its Amazonian neighbors and other rainforest countries to get rich nations to pay for woodland conservation. While the country is battling massive wildfires, many of them are not in the Amazon, Finer said.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Matt, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Carlos Nobre, Nobre, Brazil's Lula, Gustavo Petro, Jake Spring, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, New York U.S, REUTERS, SAO PAULO, Reuters, United, University of Sao, Amazon, NASA, Union, Democratic, Watch, Thomson Locations: New York, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, United Nations, Jan, Puerto Rico, University of Sao Paulo, Amazon, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, COLOMBIA, PERU Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo

☆ Fintech Clara launches payment account in Brazil eyeing $1 bln in transactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Latin American fintech Clara has launched a payment account in Brazil that it expects will help it reach 6 billion reais ($1.23 billion) in transactions in 2024, the firm said on Tuesday, as it eyes growth in the region's largest economy. Clara, which also provides corporate cards and expense management solutions, said the new product would allow clients in Brazil to expand their payment methods, adding bank slips and express wire transfers (TEDs) to its traditional credit card. Clara announced in August it was moving its headquarters from Mexico to Brazil after obtaining a central bank license to operate as a payment institution there, allowing it to launch the so-called 'Clara Conta'. Clara's credit card already accounts for annual transactions of over a 1 billion reais in Brazil alone, and the company says operations have been doubling in size every six months. ($1 = 4.8964 reais)Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Clara, Clara Conta, Gabriel Araujo, Sonali Paul Organizations: SAO PAULO, Banco, Thomson Locations: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia

☆ Taylor Swift invites family of fan who died to her final concert in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Taylor Swift invited the family of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, a fan who died before an “Eras Tour” show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to her final performance in the country Sunday, a source close to the singer confirmed to CNN. The source verified the authenticity of the photo and video to CNN. Benevides Machado, 23, died just before a Swift concert in Rio on Nov. 17 as the region was dealing with a record heat wave that also caused Swift to postpone one of her shows in Brazil. “I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. A concert film about the tour set a box office record.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, Benevides Machado, Swift, ” Swift, “, ” Benevides Machado, “ I’m, ” Organizations: CNN, Sunday Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, São Paulo, Rio, Japan

That law, supported by Biden and congressional Democrats, created tax credits to boost domestic EV manufacturing. "The point is that they're manufacturing jobs, whether they be baskets or batteries." A Trump spokesperson pointed Reuters to a recent policy announcement in which the former president said EV manufacturing would harm workers. Biden's campaign pointed Reuters to a statement from Kevin Munoz, a campaign spokesman, who said Trump's plan would mean more Chinese EV manufacturing jobs and fewer American jobs. Still, Ciscomani, who did not respond to comment requests, has generally welcomed individual EV projects, and toured a local EV plant in August.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, Mike Morey, SKDK, Andrew Reagan, Kirsten Engel, EVs, Jesse Williams, Joe, Anna Kelly, DeSantis, Kevin Munoz, Munoz, Brian Kemp, Wendy Davis, Engel, Juan Ciscomani, Ciscomani, Gram Slattery, Nichola Groom, Jarrett Renshaw, Alistair Bell Organizations: General Motors, Bolt, Orion Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Florida, Democratic, Republican, EV, Power, Reuters, Democrats, Energy, America, Environmental Defense Fund, Biden, RMI, Republican Party, Trump, United Auto Workers, UAW, Republican National Committee, United States, Climate Power, League of Conservation Voters, Thomson Locations: Lake Orion , Michigan, U.S, Georgia , Arizona , Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin , Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan , Georgia, Arizona, America, North America, Decatur County , Georgia, China, South, United, Georgia, Rome , Georgia, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ Argentina's Milei invites Brazil's Lula to inauguration, travels to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last week Milei, who travels to the United States on Sunday, had already softened his tone with China's communist leadership, thanking President Xi Jinping for a letter congratulating him. "I hope that our mutual time as presidents will be a stage for fruitful work and the construction of ties that consolidate the role Argentina and Brazil can and must fulfill in the concert of nations," Milei told Lula. The letter was delivered by his top foreign policy adviser, Diana Mondino, to Brazil's Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira at a meeting in Brasilia. The new Argentine leader is closer politically and personally to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and has invited him to his inauguration. Milei meanwhile was set to travel to the U.S. on Sunday, a spokesperson told Reuters, noting he would attend a religious ceremony in New York and have meetings in Washington.

Persons: Javier Milei, Brazil's, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Milei, Lula, Xi Jinping, Diana Mondino, Mauro Vieira, Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Mondino, Vieira, Karina, Kristalina Georgieva, Gabriel Araujo, Lisandra, Jorge Otaola, David Gregorio, Stephen Coates Organizations: SAO PAULO, Foreign, Argentine, White, U.S . Treasury, International Monetary Fund, dollarizing, IMF, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, BUENOS AIRES, Argentine, Brazil, United States, China, Argentina, Brasilia, Mercosur, New York, Washington, dollarizing Argentina, U.S, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires

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