Latest news with #ChamberofDeputies
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Brazilian man gets 17 years for stealing Neymar's signed football
BRASÍLIA: A Brazilian man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for stealing a football autographed by Neymar during the 2023 riots in Brasília. Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, 34, was convicted by the Supreme Court for theft, violent abolition of democratic rule, armed criminal association, and coup attempt. The incident occurred on January 8, 2023, when thousands of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings, protesting his election loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Over 500 people have been convicted in connection with the riots. Ribeiro admitted taking the ball, which was gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012 by Neymar's boyhood club Santos. His lawyers argued he took it to protect it and later handed it to police. However, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled Ribeiro actively participated in the violent events. The ball, displayed in a congressional corridor, was described as 'public good belonging to the public heritage' of Brazil. The riots occurred a week after Lula's inauguration, following his narrow victory over Bolsonaro in 2022. Bolsonaro, accused of instigating the unrest, faces trial for allegedly plotting to overturn the election results. Prosecutors claim the plan failed due to lack of military support. Bolsonaro denies all charges.
Local Italy
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Italy
Why you shouldn't wait to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage
If you're a foreign national married to an Italian, you're currently entitled to apply for Italian citizenship in your own right once enough time has passed. But a draft law from Italy's hard-right coalition government could increase processing times and block non-residents from applying altogether as part of an ongoing crackdown on citizenship acquisition. Here's what you need to know if you're thinking of applying for Italian citizenship through marriage. What are the current rules? Under current Italian law, the spouse of an Italian national can apply for citizenship after two years of marriage if they are resident in Italy, or three years if they live outside of Italy. For couples who have a child together, the waiting time is reduced by half. Applications must be made via the interior ministry's online portal, and most applicants must submit proof of Italian language proficiency at the B1 (low-intermediate) level, as well as a birth certificate, marriage certificate and criminal record check, along with sworn translations in Italian. How could the rules change? In March, Italy's government issued an emergency decree that imposed major restrictions on who can apply for Italian citizenship by ancestry. The decree was ratified by parliament (with some changes) in May. When the decree was first announced in March, the government also announced that it was putting forward a bill that would further restrict access to citizenship. Under the proposed rule changes, 'spouses of Italian citizens may continue to obtain naturalisation but only if they reside in Italy.' That means that if the bill becomes law, non-resident spouses of Italian nationals will no longer be eligible to apply for citizenship unless they relocate to Italy. The bill also proposes raising the maximum processing time for all citizenship applications to four years. When might these changes happen? The bill – known as DDL 1450 – was presented to the Senate for review in April. As of early July, it hasn't yet been debated by Italy's parliament, and there are currently no publicly available details on when this might happen. Under Italy's perfect bicameral system, a bill must be approved by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate before it passes into law – a process that usually takes several months, and sometimes even years. However, it can take less time if the provisions are straightforward and both houses are in agreement from the start – and given that the government enjoys a comfortable majority in both the lower and upper house and seems to be highly motivated about restricting access to Italian citizenship, this is very possible. It's worth bearing in mind that once you've submitted an Italian citizenship application, it should be processed under the rules in place at the time, even if they change shortly afterwards. That means that if you already qualify to apply for marriage-based Italian citizenship, it's worth filing your application as soon as possible to avoid having to wait an extra year to have it processed; or worse, if you're a non-resident, being disqualified altogether.
Arab Times
28-06-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Kuwait strategic ally of Italy
PARIS, June 28: Kuwait's Ambassador to Italy Nasser Al-Qahtani spoke with the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana, at the Chamber's headquarters in Rome recently. A statement by the Kuwaiti Embassy in Rome said that both sides discussed bilateral relations during the meeting and ways of strengthening them in an array of fields. The President of the Chamber of Deputies expressed his gratitude for the historic relations his country has with Kuwait to say that Kuwait is considered an 'important strategic ally of Italy,' given the strong political, diplomatic, economic, defense, and cultural relations that unite the two sides. Fontana also praised Kuwait's ambitious economic vision, which aims to diversify sources of income and implement major development projects, as he emphasized that this vision opens up broad horizons for Italian companies to contribute to implementing these projects and enhance economic cooperation between the two countries.(KUNA)
Scoop
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Brazil Must Abandon 'Marco Temporal' Doctrine Once And For All, Says UN Expert
GENEVA (11 June 2025) – A UN expert today expressed grave concern about Brazil's continued use of the controversial 'Marco Temporal' legal interpretation to revoke the legal foundation for indigenous land demarcation and annul the demarcation of indigenous territories in Santa Catarina. 'This legislative move enforces the discredited 'Marco Temporal' doctrine, which restricts Indigenous land rights to territories physically and permanently occupied as of 5 October 1988, the date of Brazil's current Constitution,' said Albert Kwokwo Barume, Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Brazil's Senate has approved Legislative Decree No. 717/2024, which seeks to revoke the legal foundation for Indigenous land demarcation and annul the demarcation of the Toldo Imbu and Morro dos Cavalos Indigenous Territories in Santa Catarina. The Bill is now before the Chamber of Deputies. 'This is a deeply regressive step that undermines Indigenous Peoples' rights, environmental protection, and climate action, I urge lawmakers not to approve the Bill,' the expert said. The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil has already declared the Marco Temporal thesis unconstitutional. Despite this, the proposed decree threatens to hamper the work of the Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas (FUNAI), which plays a vital role in the demarcation of Indigenous lands. 'This is the fourth time in four years that the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples has raised public alarm over this issue,' Barume said, recalling statements issued in 2021, 2023 and 2024. 'It has also been the subject of formal communications with the Brazilian Government and should be of grave concern to the international community.' The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has also issued warnings against the Marco Temporal thesis, which violates international treaties such as ILO Convention 169 and contradicts the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 'Marco Temporal not only undermines legal certainty and Indigenous land rights—it also fuels rural violence and environmental degradation,' Barume said. 'It threatens Indigenous Peoples' security, health and cultural practices, contributing to a slow and painful process that could lead to their extermination.' 'I urge Brazil to abandon the Marco Temporal once and for all. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stated, Indigenous Peoples' rights are non-negotiable.'
12-06-2025
- Politics
Princess Kako Attends Ceremony for 130 Years of Japan-Brazil Ties
Brasilia, June 11 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Princess Kako, on an official visit to Brazil, attended a ceremony on Wednesday marking the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between her country and the South American country. During the ceremony in Brasilia, Princess Kako, the second daughter of Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, said in her speech that despite the geographical distance between the two countries, she feels "the distance of hearts is very close." She noted that a samba carnival has been held in Japan. The ceremony was hosted by the Brazilian National Congress. Wearing a traditional Japanese kimono, the princess delivered the speech in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower chamber of the congress. She expressed gratitude to Brazil, home to the world's largest community of Japanese immigrants and their descendants, totaling about 2.7 million, for "warmly accepting immigrants from Japan." "I envision a future in which (people from the two countries) will continue to interact and remain close to each other as a dear friend and amigo (the Portuguese word for friend)," she said. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
