Latest news with #BrazilianNavy
Japan Today
05-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
BRICS nations voice 'serious concerns' over Trump tariffs
Members of the Brazilian Navy patrol the Tomorrow Museum (Museu do Amanha) at Praca Maua, where the BRICS summit 2025 will be held By Facundo Fernández Barrio and Andrew Beatty BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry U.S. President Donald Trump's "indiscriminate" trade tariffs, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy. Emerging nations, which represent about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output, are set to unite over "serious concerns" about US import tariffs, according to a draft summit statement obtained by AFP. Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties. His latest salvo comes in the form of letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates that will soon enter into force. The draft summit declaration does not mention the United States or its president by name. But it is a clear political shot directed at Washington from 11 emerging nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. "We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules," the draft text says. It warns that such measures "threaten to further reduce global trade" and are "affecting the prospects for global economic development." Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power. But the two-day summit's political punch will be depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. "I expect there will be speculation about the reasons for Xi's absence," said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the U.S. National Security Council who is now with the Brookings Institution think tank. "The simplest explanation may hold the most explanatory power. Xi recently hosted Lula in Beijing," said Hass. The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. War crime-indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay away, but will participate via video link, according to the Kremlin. Hass said Putin's non-attendance and the fact that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be a guest of honor in Brazil could also be factors in Xi's absence. "Xi does not want to appear upstaged by Modi," who will receive a state lunch, he said. "I expect Xi's decision to delegate attendance to Premier Li (Qiang) rests amidst these factors." Still, the Xi no-show is a blow to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage. In the year to November 2025, Brazil will have hosted a G20 summit, a BRICS summit, and COP30 international climate talks, all before heading into fiercely contested presidential elections next year, in which he is expected to run. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting. A source familiar with the negotiations said the BRICS countries were divided over how to respond to the wars in Gaza and between Iran and Israel. Iranian negotiators were pushing for a tougher collective stance that goes beyond referencing the need for the creation of a Palestinian state and for disputes to be resolved peacefully. But one diplomatic source said the text would give the "same message" that BRICS delivered in June when Iran was being bombed by Israel and the United States, expressing "concern." Artificial intelligence and health will also be on the agenda at the summit. Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, by Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia. © 2025 AFP
News.com.au
07-06-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
Terrifying island no tourist is allowed to visit
An Aussie scientist has opened up about visiting a remote island infested with thousands of snakes that can melt the flesh off its victims with its toxic venom. The crystal clear waters, lush rainforests and remote status of Ilha de Queimada Grande, just off the coast of Sao Paulo, sound appealing on the surface. But only a handful of soldiers and scientists are granted approval to visit the world's most dangerous island each year since it was ruled off limits in the 1920s. The relatively small island, 1.5km long and only 500m wide, is home to lethal snakes – the golden lancehead viper species – one of the world's most deadly. Better known as 'Snake Island,' the tiny pocket of land is considered the most dangerous acreage on the planet because of the species, found exclusively on the island. Lancehead viper venom is five times more poisonous than their mainland cousins, and can kill a person in under an hour. Their venom causes a range of horrifying symptoms, from kidney failure to internal bleeding and tissue death. In some cases, it's been known to melt human flesh. Only a few scientists who study the snakes each year can visit, along with, on occasion the Brazilian navy, who tend to the autonomous lighthouse that was built back in 1909. Bryan Fry, self-described snake geek and professor of toxicology at The University of Queensland, is one of the very few who have visited the island, in 2010, 2015 and 2019, to study the snakes' venom and population. On his last trip, he was joined by then 60 Minutes presenter Tara Brown, where it took her about six months to get special clearance. 'With science leading I agreed to follow even though I was always ready to run,' she said at the start of the episode. She learned just how dangerous the snakes' venom is with the species one of the most deadliest snakes in the world. Professor Fry told her you don't want to be bitten by these snakes as you will die a painful death – 'you're going to die screaming'. In an interview with the scientist explained that if you find yourself face-to-face with a lancehead pit viper, your arm will eventually rip off. 'Arm ripped off' 'Any of the lancehead pit vipers, if you live long enough after a bite, you're going to have your arm ripped off because they cause incredible tissue damage,' Profesor Fry said. 'That's typical for all this style of snake. But that's not the intended effect. They're not trying to rot their prey to death. 'Rather, that's symptomatic of how they kill, which is that they kill by stroke and haemorrhagic shock. So they basically completely nuke your blood system causing your blood to clot, but at the same time, they're also destroying the integrity of your blood vessels. 'So if the prey doesn't die of stroke, it's going to bleed out because its blood vessels are basically melted on the inside and that's the same kind of melting that'll happen to our arm if we live long enough.' 'Amazing snakes' When asked if he was frightened during his three visits his immediate response was 'not at all'. 'For me it was basically like going to Mecca,' he laughed, describing the snakes as 'amazing'. Given the dangers, authorised scientists and personnel must wear the appropriate clothing. 'I wore needle-stick gloves that went up to my elbows, and snake-gaiters that went up to my knees,' Professor Fry said. 'To catch the snakes, we'd use a snakehook to pin the head and then hold it behind the head to get the venom samples. 'I remember one time we did a one kilometre transect across the island which took us less than an hour and we counted 185 snakes – it was awesome. 'It's one of those magical experiences [but] every time I've gone back to the island there's less and less snakes.' Snake numbers on the decline Professor Fry, who would spend three to four days on the island studying the snakes' venom, health and their population, said the sad reality is that snake numbers on the island are dwindling. What was once about 4,000 Golden Lancehead Vipers on the island, is now much less, with numbers on a sharp decline. 'Even the back part of the island from the Lighthouse onwards, where it's the absolute perfect and most pristine environment [for them], there's less and less snakes there,' he said. 'Where we saw 185 on the first trip, the last time we went we got about 20.' He also said the snakes were not in very good condition with their health also taking a noticeable hit. 'They weren't fat, they were skinny, they were bony, they had ticks on them and they were covered with parasites.' Reason for population decline 'It's not due to any human activity, sure there might be a little bit of poaching going on, but not to any great extent, I don't think,' he said. ' The decline in numbers are due to the food. There's very little available prey on the island.' Professor Fry said the snakes' main pray is migrating birds and there's a shortage of them. 'Habitat destruction is certainly impacting bird numbers, but the biggest part is the bird movement patterns have changed. 'There's been so much deforestation along the Atlantic coast of Brazil in the Sao Paulo, Santos area.' He explained this becomes a domino affect impacting an entire food web. 'If you take out the trees, you take out the clouds, which means you take out the rain and insect blooms.' He said this impacts the little birds for feeding on the insects, which means you're ultimately going to take out the snakes that are feeding on the birds. 'It's been very poignant seeing that happening because of rampant deforestation hundreds of kilometres away [and as a result] the little birds are staying more in the interior of Brazil and not coming to the coast seasonally.' Medication impacts Professor Fry said if we lose snakes like the Golden Lancehead, it means we may lose the next 'wonder drug'. 'If you know of anybody taking high blood pressure medication, odds are they're taking Captopril or one of its derivatives and that was pulled out from one of the Brazilian Lanceheaded pit vipers. 'In fact, the closest relative to the snake that's found on the mainland is what was the well spring for that drug that was invented nearly 50 years ago. 'It remains (today) as a $10 billion a year market. There's very few drugs that have that kind of staying power. 'Even today, 50 years on, it's still the dominant form of high blood pressure medication. So it's a wonder drug up there with aspirin. Its medical, social, and economic importance cannot be overstated.' Professor Fry said there's a couple of institutions in Brazil that have collections, but they're small collections. 'They'll preserve the snake as a species, but it won't preserve the biodiversity of the snake, and it certainly won't preserve the snake in the wild itself. 'If the birds die out, the snakes are going to die out and no amount of captive bleedings successes will make that island amenable to snakes without food.' According to the BBC Science Focus, the snakes were trapped on the island around 11,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, when rising sea levels cut them off from the mainland. And the isolation of the island, combined with its unique environment, has led to the evolution of the snake species that you can't find anywhere else on the planet. But as Professor Fry explained, limited food supply is affecting the snakes. The International Union for Conservation of Threatened Species has the golden lancehead viper listed as critically endangered, meaning it faces an extremely high risk of extinction. The Aussie scientist is hoping to get back to the island in the next two years. 'You need a series of special permits beyond just normal wildlife ones,' he said. 'The island is under the control of the navy, so you need military permits as well – that's why with people I've been collaborating with in Brazil, as it's much easier for local scientists to get the permits.'
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Inside the terrifying island where only soldiers and scientists are allowed to visit
This deadly island is swarming with 4,000 of the world's most lethal snakes and is deemed so dangerous that visiting it was been banned by the Brazilian government. Ilha de Queimada Grande sits 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Sao Paolo, and is home to the golden lancehead viper. Understandably nicknamed 'Snake Island', the piece of land 4.6 million square feet (430,000 square metres) in size is the only place on Earth where Bothrops insularis, also known as the golden lancehead viper, is known to inhabit. The island is devoid of almost any human visitors, expect for a few scientists who are granted permission to study the snakes each year. It is also visited on occasion by the Brazilian navy, who tend to the autonomous lighthouse that was built back in 1909 before scampering clear. The island has come to be known as Snake Island with it being claimed there is one snake for every square metre. And it's also thought that poachers have been known to visit the island and claim a golden lancehead viper for their own, with their price fetching as high as £17,500 ($30,000) on the black market. The viper has been been evolving in isolation since rising sea levels cut the island off from the mainland 11,000 years ago, leaving the snakes on the island with limited sources of food. Migrating birds became the viper's main prey but the problem was, though, that most venoms take a while to act - sometimes as much as a few days. By the time the snake's venom killed the birds they would have moved elsewhere, so instead the snakes evolved an incredibly strong venom that can kill prey almost instantly. It is five times more potent than other snakes and can even melt human flesh. In humans, the bite from a golden lancehead viper carried a seven per cent chance of death. And before the island was deemed off-limits there were several stories of people succumbing to the deadly predators. One story tells of a fisherman who lost power in the engines of his boat. After drifting to the island he ventured inland, unaware of the terrors that lay in wait. When his boat was eventually discovered, he was found dead in a pool of blood covered in snake bites. The island has come to be known as Snake Island with it being claimed there is one snake for every square metr Another story is of the last lighthouse keeper to inhabit the island with his family. Rumour has it they ran in terror when snakes crawled in through their windows; their bodies were later found scattered across the island. The name of the island itself tells of its troubled history. Ilha de Queimada Grande roughly translates as 'the island of the slash-and-burn fire', so-called because of a failed attempt to develop a banana plantation on it. However, in the last 15 years the population of snakes on the island as reduced by as much as 15 per cent, due to a combination of vegetation removal and disease. And on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List the snakes are currently listed as critically endangered. With thousands of snakes remaining, however, it's probably still not the ideal holiday destination.
Mid East Info
04-04-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
EDGE Group Advances Anti-Drone Cooperation with the Brazilian Navy - Middle East Business News and Information
Agreement aims to develop and deploy counter- drone systems tailored to naval defence requirements, with a focus on autonomous surface and aerial systems Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: EDGE, one of the world's leading advanced technology companies and defence groups, has announced the signing of a strategic letter of intent with the Brazilian Navy, through the Navy's Weapons Systems Directorate, detailing the joint development of anti-drone systems. The next phase will involve establishing a joint working group, comprising technical experts from both parties, to advance the established partnership. The objective of this cooperation is to develop and deploy counter-drone systems tailored to naval defence needs, with a focus on autonomous surface and aerial technologies. These systems will incorporate advanced sensors, such as radars and electro-optical technologies, combined with signal jamming capabilities to effectively neutralise threats from autonomous air and surface vehicles. The document was signed at LAAD Defence & Security 2025, currently being held at the Riocentro Exhibition & Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro. This milestone represents a continued commitment to strengthening technical, operational, and logistical cooperation with the Brazilian Navy, with a shared focus on advancing sophisticated anti-drone systems for naval applications. About EDGE: Launched in November 2019, the UAE's EDGE is one of the world's leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly-skilled talent to thrive. With a focus on the adoption of 4IR technologies, EDGE is driving the development of sovereign capabilities for global export and for the preservation of national security, working with front-line operators, international partners, and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials. EDGE converges R&D, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and commercial market innovations with military capabilities to develop disruptive solutions tailored to the specific requirements of its customers. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 35 entities into six core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space & Cyber Technologies, Trading & Mission Support, Technology & Innovation, and Homeland Security.
Trade Arabia
04-04-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
EDGE Group advances anti-drone co-operation with Brazilian Navy
EDGE, one of the world's leading advanced technology companies and defence groups, has announced the signing of a strategic letter of intent with the Brazilian Navy, through the Navy's Weapons Systems Directorate, detailing the joint development of anti-drone systems. The next phase will involve establishing a joint working group, comprising technical experts from both parties, to advance the established partnership. The objective of this cooperation is to develop and deploy counter-drone systems tailored to naval defence needs, with a focus on autonomous surface and aerial technologies, said EDGE in a statement. These systems will incorporate advanced sensors, such as radars and electro-optical technologies, combined with signal jamming capabilities to effectively neutralise threats from autonomous air and surface vehicles, it stated. The document was signed at LAAD Defence & Security 2025, currently being held at the Riocentro Exhibition & Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro.
