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Flames and smoke rise from a fire at the Velodrome in the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, in this still image obtained from…
Indigenous protesters from across Brazil marched to the capital Brasilia on Tuesday to demand the government expedite recognition of their ancestral lands.The protest, featuring tribal members in colourful traditional feathers and body decorations, came six months before leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, faces a re-election battle.Indigenous Brazilian peoples broadly supported Lula in 2022 when he defeated his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, whose government ceased to recognise native lands and fueled deforestation in the Amazon.Lula made an important symbolic gesture by naming a respected figure from the Guajajara-Tenetehara ethnicity, Sonia Guajajara, as the head of the new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples.Lula’s government has overseen a drop in Amazon deforestation — promising to eradicate the felling of trees by 2030 — and the recognition of 20 territories for the exclusive use of Indigenous communities.But for some, the new measures are not enough.”Our principal demand continues to be the formal recognition of Indigenous territories,” Toya Manchineri, from the Coordinator of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon, told AFP.Experts see the Indigenous reserves as a way to help fight climate change and preserve biodiversity.As Latin America’s largest country, Brazil has 1.7mn Indigenous people out of a population of 212mn.The Indigenous groups will camp out in Brasilia until Friday, and plan to dance, play music, host artisan markets and debate.Thousands marched to Congress on Tuesday, where the Association of Brazilian Indigenous People (APIB) accused lawmakers of being the “enemies of the people” for their alliance with the powerful agribusiness sector — one of the main drivers of deforestation.The majority-conservative Congress approved a law in 2023 that limits Indigenous people’s land rights. This was later struck down by the Supreme Court, but right-wing parties are working for new restrictions.The legal limbo leaves Indigenous areas exposed to the penetration of agribusiness and mining interests, Manchineri said. “The impact is huge.”According to the APIB, a hundred Indigenous territories are awaiting the formal signoff of government recognition.Despite slow progress, native groups will still “cast their votes for the re-election” of Lula, Manchineri predicts.Although she demanded “justice and resources” for her community, Marilene Gervasio, from the Bare people, said she hoped the leftist will be re-elected.Lula will face Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the far-right ex-president, in the October election. The most recent polls show a close second round between them. Related Story Source link
Brazilian indigenous leader Chief Raoni Metuktire of the Caiapo people, speaks during a press conference in Brasilia on Wednesday (AFP) Brazil’s renowned Amazonian tribal chief Raoni Metuktire told AFP on Wednesday he supported the re-election bid of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October polls, despite criticising him for expanding oil exploration.Now in his nineties, the Indigenous leader who has spent decades rallying the world to protect the rainforest has forged close ties with the president, known widely as Lula.At the start of Lula’s third term, Raoni — instantly recognisable with his large wooden lip plate — walked alongside him up the ramp of the presidential palace for his inauguration.”I am going to support him,” in October, Raoni told AFP in the Kayapo language through an interpreter on the sidelines of a gathering of Indigenous people in Brasilia.The Kayapo chief last year said he was prepared to give the president a “talking-to” if he ignored concerns over oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon River.He demanded the veteran leftist “listen to us… he must respect us.”Lula is seeking a fourth term in October and his main rival is Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro whose government froze land demarcations — official recognition of Indigenous land — and facilitated deforestation in the Amazon.Lula “has already demarcated some Indigenous lands, so I support him so that he may continue to be president,” said Raoni.Since 2023, Lula has approved the official demarcation of some 20 territories for the exclusive use of Indigenous communities, and has overseen a dramatic decline in deforestation in the Amazon.Nevertheless, he has come under increasing pressure to do more from Indigenous groups who are protesting in Brasilia this week to demand the protection of more of their ancestral lands.In recent months Indigenous groups have also protested the expansion of ports for grain transport along Amazon rivers, as well as plans to build a railway line through the world’s largest forest.”You non-Indigenous people harbour this destructive mindset of destroying nature and polluting rivers, which is what causes this climate crisis,” said Raoni.”This harms all of us in Brazil. It is not only Indigenous people who will feel the effects of climate change.” Source link
The World Bank trimmed its estimate for economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean for 2026, citing the region’s long-standing structural challenges, compounded by high borrowing costs, weak external demand, geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation.In its latest Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Update, published on Wednesday, the World Bank forecast the region to grow 2.1%, below the 2.4% growth recorded in 2025 and lower than the 2.5% growth that the group forecast in October.The report noted that private consumption remains the main driver of demand.”The binding constraint is investment, which remains subdued as firms wait for clearer signals on the external environment and domestic policy frameworks,” the report said. It highlighted Argentina as the regional exception, “as stabilisation and reforms have improved expectations and financial conditions” in the region’s third largest economy.The World Bank forecast sluggish growth for the region’s two largest economies for this year and next, pointing to “slower momentum amid tight domestic financial conditions, limited fiscal space, and trade policy uncertainty.”Gross domestic product (GDP) for the region’s largest economy, Brazil, is forecast to grow 1.6% this year, before ticking up to 1.8% next year, the report said.Growth in Mexico, where the ongoing review of Mexico’s trade deal with the US and Canada has fuelled uncertainty and hit investment flows, is forecast at 1.3% in 2026, before rising to 1.7% next year.On the upside, the region has significant untapped potential for future growth, the World Bank said, emphasising that the region possesses roughly half of the world’s lithium reserves, a third of its copper, a clean energy mix and ongoing reform efforts in several nations.The report advises countries in the region against jumping straight to complex industrial policies to harness that potential. Instead, it urges governments to focus on “getting the basics right first,” such as investing in skills, maintaining open economies and strengthening institutions to create an environment where businesses can thrive, ultimately creating quality jobs. Related Story Source link
Peruvians head to the polls on April 12, hoping to break a cycle of political turmoil that has prevented any president from completing a full term over the past decade, amid corruption scandals, rising crime and voter frustration.About 27mn Peruvians are eligible to vote for a new president and a newly reinstated bicameral congress. Polling stations open at 0700 local time (1200 GMT) on Sunday and close at 1700, when paper ballots measuring nearly half a meter (44 centimeters)-the longest in the country's history-will then be counted.In a busy Lima suburb, campaign posters for dozens of presidential hopefuls crowd roundabouts and lamp posts as a record 35 candidates vie for attention.’I've seen the ballot and it honestly gave me a headache,’ said shopkeeper Marlene Jimenez. ‘I don't know who to vote for.’Opinion polls suggest right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori holds a narrow lead ahead of Sunday's vote. She is closely followed by at least three contenders-including two former mayors of Lima, the ultra-conservative Rafael Lopez Aliaga and media entrepreneur Ricardo Belmont, and political outsider, Carlos Alvarez, a former comedian.None of the candidates poll above 15%, making a runoff on June 7 almost certain, analysts said. The three candidates trailing Fujimori, daughter of late former president Alberto Fujimori, are also in a technical tie, said Urpi Torrado of polling firm Datum Internacional.’There are four days to go (until Sunday), and the story can change,’ Torrado said.The high number of undecided voters means that the second tier of candidates ‘cannot be ignored’, said Nicolas Watson at consultancy Teneo, even if they only garner 4.5-6% support.Surveys suggested about 13% of voters remained undecided.For many Peruvians, the fragmented contest reflects deeper institutional decline. The country has cycled through eight presidents since 2018, as leaders were either impeached, jailed or forced from office.These elections could mark a break from this cycle of instability, or ‘keep us trapped in it’, said political analyst Fernando Tuesta.The fight against corruption is a prominent campaign theme. Four former presidents are currently in prison, most linked to bribery cases that involved Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. Alberto Fujimori served 16 years in jail for human rights abuses and died in 2024 after being released on humanitarian grounds.Crime, however, now rivals-and in many cases surpasses- corruption as the top voter concern.Peru was not traditionally associated with organised crime, but homicide and extortion have surged, particularly hitting transport workers and small businesses, said professor Paula Munoz at Lima's Universidad del Pacifico.Official data shows extortion cases were up nearly 20% last year, and homicide rates reached new records.The rise has fuelled support for tougher, populist responses on the right, Munoz said, reflecting a broader Latin American trend in which crime is increasingly seen as an issue best handled by hardline leaders, like El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.Proposals by some candidates include deploying troops, reinstating the death penalty, withdrawing from international human rights courts, and allowing magistrates handling criminal cases to remain anonymous that would reinstate the country's so-called ‘faceless judges,’ which Peru has not had since 1997. Source link
A torpedo-like 3.7m-long and 65cm-wide object, discovered by a fisherman near the Lombok Strait after being towed ashore onto a beach on Gili Trawangan, West Nusa…
Pakistan has declared two days of local holidays in the capital at short notice from Thursday, authorities said, ahead of talks between the United States and Iran due to take place in Islamabad.No reason was given in the notification issued by the Islamabad district administration late Wednesday, but authorities in the capital have often announced holidays or restrictions for security reasons ahead of high-profile diplomatic events.Pakistan has been preparing for high-stakes talks involving US and Iranian representatives over the war in the Middle East, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance will be leading a team to the negotiations in Islamabad “this weekend”.The holidays on Thursday and Friday apply only to the Islamabad Capital Territory, the notice posted by Islamabad’s district commissioner on Wednesday said. Related Story Source link
The world’s attention will turn Friday to Islamabad, Pakistan, which will host the first public direct talks between the United States and Iran in many years.These talks are described as difficult and crucial due to the tense atmosphere, but according to observers, they represent a historic opportunity that could change the entire map of the Middle East, or could return the region to a spiral of tensions and conflicts if they fail.Delegations are expected to arrive in Islamabad Friday before negotiators formally sit down at the negotiating table Saturday, amid reports confirming that the 30-member US negotiating team has already arrived in Islamabad to review security arrangements.The White House stated that Vice President J.D. Vance would lead the American delegation in these negotiations, along with envoys Steve Wittkopf and Jared Kushner, while Tehran announced that its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf would lead the discussions in Islamabad, in the presence of mediators and several other figures.These negotiations come in the wake of a two-week ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran, brokered by Pakistan, which was announced early Wednesday. The truce, which averted imminent US strikes on Iran, was based on a ten-point Iranian proposal that Washington accepted as a general framework for talks.This round of negotiations will also take place in the wake of an unprecedented military escalation between the two sides, marked by mutual threats and attacks that have directly affected the security of the region and global shipping traffic.Despite the announcement of a temporary truce, events on the ground quickly deviated from the diplomatic messages. Within hours, the agreement was severely undermined, as Israeli warplanes launched what was described as the largest wave of airstrikes on Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon since the start of the conflict, targeting nearly 100 sites within minutes, resulting in the death and injury of hundreds of unarmed civilians. Hezbollah responded by targeting the Manara settlement in northern Israel with missiles, while Tehran threatened to retaliate against the Israeli attacks, signaling the collapse of the truce. Tehran declared that the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz would depend on full compliance with the ceasefire, including in Lebanon.Pakistan has condemned in the strongest terms the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon, stressing that Israeli actions undermine international efforts to establish peace and stability in the region and constitute a flagrant violation of international law and basic humanitarian principles. Pakistan urged the international community to take urgent and concrete steps to end the Israeli aggression against Lebanon.While the White House confirmed that the ceasefire was limited to direct hostilities between the United States and Iran, and that Lebanon was not included, Iranian officials rejected this interpretation, stressing that a partial ceasefire was unacceptable, and Tehran threatened that it would withdraw from the ceasefire agreement if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued.Iran had previously rejected a 15-point US list of demands, stating that it imposed broad restrictions on its nuclear program, missile capabilities, and regional alliances. Instead, it presented a 10-point counter-proposal emphasizing its sovereignty and calling for a broad de-escalation.The Iranian proposal also called for recognition of its right to uranium enrichment, the removal of primary and secondary US sanctions, the termination of UN resolutions, compensation for war damages, and a cessation of hostilities in all fronts, including Lebanon.On Wednesday, Qatar welcomed the ceasefire announcement between the United States and Iran, considering it an initial step towards de-escalation and stressing the urgent need to build upon it to prevent the spread of tension in the region.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed, in a statement, Qatar’s appreciation for the efforts of Pakistan, particularly those of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir as well as all parties involved in mediation and good offices that contributed to achieving a ceasefire. The ministry emphasised the importance of full adherence to the ceasefire declaration to ensure the consolidation of the truce and create the conditions for dialogue.The ministry also stressed the necessity for Iran to immediately cease all hostile acts and practices that undermine regional stability and respect for the sovereignty of states, thereby preventing the recurrence of such violations. Furthermore, the Ministry emphasised the importance of guaranteeing the security of maritime routes and the freedom of navigation and international trade in accordance with international law, which contributes to maintaining regional stability and global supply chains.Despite the diplomatic momentum surrounding the Islamabad negotiations, observers warn that these talks face significant obstacles, as fundamental disagreements persist between the two sides. They consider this a historic opportunity to defuse a crisis that threatened to destabilise the Middle East and the global economy. They believe that the wide gap between Tehran’s demands, as outlined in its ten-point plan, and Washington’s strategic objectives makes reaching a final and comprehensive agreement within the two-week timeframe an extremely difficult task.They also noted that the success of this round of negotiations will depend heavily on the Pakistani mediator’s ability to bridge the gaps and on both sides’ willingness to make potentially difficult concessions to avoid sliding into a full-blown military confrontation.Pakistan declared an official holiday to facilitate the US-Iranian talks, and imposed strict security measures in the capital, Islamabad, deploying hundreds of police and paramilitary forces to secure the city before the two sides sit down at the negotiating table, awaiting results that could reshape the landscape in the Middle East and the world as a whole, whether towards complete detente or further complications.These are fears that observers and analysts can hardly deny, describing the Friday and Saturday round as a “decisive round” due to its profound and sensitive impact on the geopolitical and security situation in the region, and on the global economy, which is severely affected by the energy supply crisis caused by Iran’s halting of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. 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The US and Iran are set to hold peace talks in Pakistan, which has been mediating, but remain deeply divided on key issues, even though President Donald Trump has said proposals presented by Tehran were a “basis” for talks. Each side is sticking to competing demands for a deal to end the war, with the fate of shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s war in Lebanon key issues to resolve. How the talks progress could shape the Middle East for generations. Where do both sides stand?An Iranian delegation is due in Islamabad for talks based on a 10-point proposal, which shows little overlap with a 15-point plan Washington previously put forward, suggesting there will be major gaps to bridge. For example, Iran’s proposal includes a demand to enrich uranium, which Washington previously ruled out and Trump has insisted is non-negotiable. The 10 points also do not address Iran’s missile capabilities, which Israel and the US have both said must be dramatically curtailed. Tehran has said its formidable missile arsenal is non-negotiable, although it is unclear how many of those weapons remain after the war. One Pakistani official in the region said Iran could expect to secure many of its demands, with a focus on reconstruction, reparations and sanctions relief, but could not expect to secure an agreement on uranium enrichment. What will top the agenda? Previous talks have focused on Iran’s nuclear programme and missiles. Those issues have now been overshadowed by the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Iran’s effective closure of the waterway since the beginning of the war on February 28 has rattled the global economy, pushing up oil prices. Tehran has indicated that under a permanent peace deal, it would seek to charge a fee for ships transiting the strait, which is just 34 km (wide at its narrowest point between Iran and Oman. Trump had threatened to devastate Iran if Tehran did not agree to a ceasefire deal and to reopen the strait. There was no sign Iran had lifted its blockade of the waterway, which has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history, and Tehran said there would be no deal as long as Israel was striking Lebanon. How do Iran and US plans compare? Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that Washington had agreed to accept Iran’s 10-point plan and that “the United States has, in principle, committed to”: non-aggression; continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz; acceptance of enrichment; lifting all primary and secondary sanctions; termination of all resolutions passed by the UN Security Council and Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency; withdrawal of US combat forces from the region; and cessation of war on all fronts, including against the Islamic resistance in Lebanon. According to Israeli sources, Trump’s 15-point proposal, previously sent to Iran via Pakistan, called for removing Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium, halting enrichment, curbing its ballistic missile programme and cutting off funding for regional allies.As the two sides prepare to hold negotiations, Trump vowed to retain military assets in the Middle East until a peace deal with Iran is reached and warned of a major escalation in fighting if it failed to comply. What are the chances of reaching a lasting settlement?Although Trump has declared victory, Washington did not achieve the aims he had announced to justify the war at its outset: to eliminate Iran’s ability to attack its neighbours, destroy its nuclear programme and create conditions that would make it easier for Iranians to topple their government. Iran is unlikely to make major concessions on those points and it has indicated it can patiently keep on fighting, with the Strait of Hormuz giving it economic leverage over an enemy with superior firepower. What is Israel’s position and where does Lebanon fit in?Israel, which has been pounding Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon in a parallel conflict, sees Tehran as an existential threat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would like regime change in Iran even though that would probably require boots on the ground and there are no guarantees of stability afterwards. The question of whether the ceasefire covers Israel’s war against Hezbollah has become a sticking point that threatens the truce. The US and Israel say Lebanon is not included in the agreement, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said a halt in hostilities in Lebanon was an essential condition of Tehran’s deal with Washington. Israel said it had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran, but said the deal did not include halting military action in Lebanon. Related Story Source link
Kuomintang Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (left) sitting in the cockpit of a display aircraft with Song Tao, Director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party…