Latest news with #LuizInácioLuladasilva


South China Morning Post
25-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
In a first, Xi will miss Brics summit in Rio as Li Qiang leads China delegation: sources
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend next week's Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking his first-ever absence from the gathering of leading emerging economies, the Post learned from multiple sources on Tuesday. According to officials familiar with the matter, Beijing told the Brazilian government that Xi had a scheduling conflict. Instead, Premier Li Qiang is expected to lead the Chinese delegation, as he did at the G20 summit in India in 2023. Chinese involved in preparations, they said, cited Xi's having met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva twice in less than a year – first at the G20 summit and state visit to Brasília last November, and again in May during the China-Celac forum in Beijing – as a reason for his absence. As China's leader, Xi has never missed a Brics summit. In 2023, when Xi was expected to give a speech at the gathering in South Africa , at the last minute he sent Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in his place. Beijing offered no official explanation at the time. Play
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
At least 8 dead after hot air balloon accident in southern Brazil
At least eight people are dead following an accident involving a hot air balloon in Brazil's southern region of Santa Catarina on Saturday, according to the local governor. 'We are all shocked by the accident involving a balloon in Praia Grande, this Saturday morning. Our rescue team is already on site… So far, we have confirmed eight deaths,' local governor Jorginho Mello said on X. He said 21 people were on board; the other 13 survived. Video posted to social media shows a hot air balloon catching fire while in the sky. The balloon then deflates and falls to the ground. 'We saw two people fall from above, and soon after the basket broke, and the balloon fell,' an eyewitness told local media outlet Jornal Razão. The eyewitness said she ran to see where the balloon fell and saw two survivors, 'a woman covered in mud and in a state of shock, and a man with her who was limping,' as well as two bodies. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims on X. 'I would like to place the Federal Government at the disposal of the victims and the state and municipal forces that are working on the rescue and care for the survivors,' he said. Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in some parts of Brazil's south during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as Saint John, the Associated Press news agency reports. 'My solidarity with the city of Praia Grande… We are in mourning. It's a tragedy that happened. We will check the developments, what happened, and why it happened,' Mello said in a video statement on X. According to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil, Saturday's incident was the third involving a hot-air balloon in Brazil in less than a week. Last Sunday, a balloon carrying 35 people – which did not have authorization to fly – fell in São Paulo. One person died and the pilot was arrested. Last Thursday, another balloon fell on the coast of São Paulo, although no serious damage was caused and no homes were hit. This is a developing story and will be updated.


The Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
What to know about Bolsonaro's trial now that he has testified over an alleged coup plot
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has finally testified before the country's Supreme Court over an alleged plot to remain in power and overturn the 2022 election result. After Bolsonaro and 33 allies were charged in February with five counts related to a plan to remain in power, a five-Justice panel of Brazil 's top court opened a first trial for eight of them, including the former leader. Judges will hear from 26 other defendants in coming months. The former president has repeatedly denied the allegations and said he is the target of political persecution, but kept a soft tone in his testimony on Tuesday. The case stems from a Jan. 8, 2023 riot, when the Supreme Court, Congress and the Presidential Palace in Brasilia, the capital, were stormed by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters. Police say the uprising — which came after current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in — was an attempt to force military intervention and oust the new president. If convicted for the alleged coup, Bolsonaro could be sentenced to up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, the accused might face decades behind bars. The case might not be over even after a conviction by the panel, which Bolsonaro can appeal before Brazil's Supreme Court full panel. Here's what is next in the trial: Testimonies The testimonies of the eight defendants is the final stage of the evidence collection phase, but their attorneys are allowed to request additional searches to help their case. Legal experts have said it is unlikely that Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the presiding judge and a member of the panel, will allow it. The evidence phase will be deemed complete once de Moraes decides on all requests. Final allegations Fifteen days after the collection phase is finished, Brazil's attorney-general will be allowed to present his final allegations. The attorneys of the defendants will get the same chance. Each of those allegations are expected to take several hours or even days. This needs to be completed before July, when Brazil's Supreme Court enters its recess until August. As soon as the final allegations stage is completed, the sentencing phase starts. Sentencing A Supreme Court panel of five judges will decide whether Bolsonaro and his allies are guilty or not. The judges who will decide the future of Brazil's former president are de Moraes, Cármen Lúcia, Cristiano Zanin, Flávio Dino and Luiz Fux. All of them had public battles with Bolsonaro. De Moraes was the primary judge in several cases against the far-right leader, while Zanin and Dino joined the court as Lula's appointees. Lúcia and Fux were also targets of Bolsonaro during their respective tenures chairing the electoral court and the Supreme Court. Should Bolsonaro be convicted, these judges will also decide his penalty. What if he's found guilty Bolsonaro would still be able to appeal to Brazil's Supreme Court full panel. Brazil's top prosecutor could do the same if the former president is not convicted on all counts. Before any potential jail time, Bolsonaro's lawyers could further delay the conclusion of the trial by asking for clarifications on the decisions of each judge. Legal experts have said all these steps are likely to be concluded by the end of the year. ___ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at


CNN
26-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Brazilian leader Lula released from hospital after suffering vertigo
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was diagnosed with labyrinthitis Monday after suffering from vertigo, hospital officials said. The 79-year-old leftist leader has already returned to the country's presidential residence, where he is resting. The Sirio-Libanes Hospital said in a statement that Lula underwent imaging and blood tests, and its results came within normal limits. Labyrinthitis is an inflammation of the labyrinth in the inner ear, which is responsible for hearing and balance. The health scare adds to Lula's recent medical worries, which are also part of his allies' concerns ahead of his likely bid for reelection next year. The most serious is a fall he had in the bathroom of the presidential residence in Brasília on Oct. 19. Almost two months later, he was transferred to São Paulo for surgery after suffering headaches caused by new a bleeding in his head. He was discharged Dec. 15.


Bloomberg
13-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Lula's China Trip Channels Xi's Trade Defiance
Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven't yet, sign up here. No matter how much he insists he doesn't want to, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sure looks like he's picked a side in the standoff between Brazil's two largest commercial partners.