Air France 2009 crash verdict sparks mixed emotions among victims’ families
Friday, May 22,2026,07:39
The Brazilian head of a victims’ association for the 2009 crash of Flight 447 from Rio to Paris said that justice has yet to be served in France’s worst aviation crash after a Paris appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter. Air France and Airbus, two of France’s most emblematic companies, said in separate statements that they would appeal Thursday’s ruling, potentially prolonging the legal battle for years. Brazilian Nelson Faria Marinho, who lost his son in the crash... .. read more..
Air France 2009 crash verdict sparks mixed emotions among families
Friday, May 22,2026,07:39
The Brazilian head of a victims’ association for the 2009 crash of Flight 447 from Rio to Paris said that justice has yet to be served in France’s worst aviation crash after a Paris appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter. Air France and Airbus, two of France’s most emblematic companies, said in separate statements that they would appeal Thursday’s ruling, potentially prolonging the legal battle for years. Brazilian Nelson Faria Marinho, who lost his son in the crash... .. read more..
16 dead after gunmen open fire in 2 separate attacks in Honduras
Thursday, May 21,2026,23:29
Gunmen opened fire in two separate attacks on Thursday on the Honduran coast, killing at least 16 people, including six police officers, police said. The first incident took place at a plantation in the municipality of Trujillo in northern Honduras, where at least 10 workers were shot and killed, National Police spokesman Edgardo Barahona said. The resource-rich region has been the site of a decades-long agrarian conflict. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has previously issued... .. read more..
At least 19 killed in Honduras palm plantation massacre
Thursday, May 21,2026,23:29
At least 19 people were killed at a palm plantation in northern Honduras, authorities said Thursday, as the Central American nation prepares for a resurgent wave of anti-gang militarisation. The killings took place the previous night in Rigores, in the restive Bajo Aguan region, where rival gangs have fought over control of palm plantations and drug trafficking routes. The attack came shortly after the national legislature approved a series of reforms to confront criminal violence in Honduras,... .. read more..
US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talks
Thursday, May 21,2026,21:16
One day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio portrayed Cuba as both a growing national security threat tied to China and Russia and a candidate for a negotiated political transition. The comments came amid renewed friction between Washington and Beijing over Cuba after China criticised the US charges against Castro and accused... .. read more..
US foreign affairs chairman warns of China role in Argentina contract bid
Thursday, May 21,2026,20:36
US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast has warned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of “Chinese malign influence” in a bid for a major contract in Argentina, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The April 23 letter concerns an auction for a 25-year contract to dredge and operate Argentina’s Parana River, a vital waterway for most of the country’s agricultural exports, that Argentina estimates will reach US$10 billion in investment. The terms of the tender, which is in its... .. read more..
With Tungsten Demand Surging, Almonty's CEO Talks Earnings And The Future Wit...
Thursday, May 21,2026,13:05
Lewis Black, president and CEO of Almonty Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: ALM ) , was recently a guest on Benzinga All Access. Black discussed the company's recent Q1 results, in which revenue of $25 million was up 221% year-over-year, and the company reported positive operating cash flow. "What it highlights is that a 136-year-old mine, with a grade more than five times less than what we have in Korea…hasn't seen these profit levels in twenty odd years," Black told Benzinga. "One can ... Full story available on Benzinga.com .. read more..
Jailed banker ties roil Flavio Bolsonaro’s Brazil presidential hopes
Thursday, May 21,2026,06:34
Brazil’s right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro was riding high in the polls until the news broke of his ties to a banker jailed over a multimillion-dollar fraud scandal. The 45-year-old senator had been polling neck-and-neck with 80-year-old President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is expected to seek a fourth term in presidential elections in October. But a change may be under way following the publication of an audio recording by investigative outlet The Intercept in which... .. read more..
US charges Raul Castro as Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Cuba
Wednesday, May 20,2026,17:47
The United States announced on Wednesday criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people. The indictment, unsealed by Acting US Attorney Todd Blanche in Miami, includes charges of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of an aircraft and four individual counts of murder against Castro and five other... .. read more..
Bolivia’s capital under siege as protests and blockades deepen crisis for pre...
Wednesday, May 20,2026,05:02
Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz faces a deepening crisis as widespread protests and blockades leave the political capital under siege less than six months after he took office. Two weeks of road closures – spearheaded by the Bolivian Workers’ Central, COB, peasant unions and miners – have emptied markets in La Paz and depleted vital hospital oxygen reserves. The government reported that at least three people died after emergency vehicles were blocked from reaching medical centres. On Monday,... .. read more..
US plans to charge Raul Castro increases Trump administration’s pressure on Cuba
Tuesday, May 19,2026,20:03
The United States is expected to unseal criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro on Wednesday in a move that could further deepen tensions between Washington and Havana and inject new strain into an already volatile regional relationship. Multiple US media outlets, citing US Justice Department sources, have reported that federal prosecutors in Miami are preparing an indictment tied to Cuba’s 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group... .. read more..
Milei guts China currency lifeline after Trump ultimatum on financial ties: r...
Monday, May 18,2026,21:46
Argentina is on the verge of settling its debt with China’s central bank, winding down a currency lifeline that kept the country afloat during years of financial turmoil and now sits at the centre of a geopolitical tug of war between Washington and Beijing. Government officials confirmed to Argentine outlet Todo Noticias on Sunday that the repayment of the activated portion of the swap will be completed by mid-2026. Central bank records published last week show Buenos Aires has repaid nearly 90... .. read more..
Cuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks; Washington adds sanctions
Monday, May 18,2026,20:51
Cuba’s leader warned on Monday of a “bloodbath” in the event of an American attack, while the US Treasury sanctioned Cuba’s main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the arch-foes. President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed Cuba’s right to defend itself a day after US news site Axios reported that Havana had obtained over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and is considering using them against US targets. The report, which quoted US intelligence officials, came amid... .. read more..
Cuba warns of ‘bloodbath’ if US attacks as Washington expands sanctions
Monday, May 18,2026,20:51
Cuba’s leader warned on Monday of a “bloodbath” in the event of an American attack, while the US Treasury sanctioned Cuba’s main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the arch-foes. President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed Cuba’s right to defend itself a day after US news site Axios reported that Havana had obtained over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and is considering using them against US targets. The report, which quoted US intelligence officials, came amid... .. read more..
UK jails driver for smuggling cocaine in shipment of Kim Kardashian underwear
Monday, May 18,2026,17:45
A British court sentenced a Polish lorry driver to more than 13 years in prison for smuggling £7 million (US$9.4 million) worth of cocaine in a shipment of underwear and clothing from Skims, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, authorities said on Monday. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was driving a vehicle carrying 28 pallets of Skims clothing from the Netherlands when he was stopped by border officials at a port in Essex in September. The agency said Konkel had stopped... .. read more..
UK jails driver for smuggling cocaine in Kardashian brand underwear shipment
Monday, May 18,2026,17:45
A British court sentenced a Polish truck driver to more than 13 years in prison for smuggling £7 million (US$9.4 million) worth of cocaine in a shipment of underwear and clothing from Skims, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, authorities said on Monday. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was driving a vehicle carrying 28 pallets of Skims clothing from the Netherlands when he was stopped by border officials at a port in Essex in September. The agency said Konkel had stopped... .. read more..
Stanley Druckenmiller Dumps Amazon And Alphabet While Loading Up On Commoditi...
Monday, May 18,2026,14:12
Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller sharply reduced exposure to major technology and consumer internet names during the first quarter as Duquesne Family Office repositioned toward commodities, Latin America and healthcare. Amazon And Alphabet Stakes Cut The firm cut its direct position in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN ) by roughly 94% while completely exiting Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL ) (NASDAQ: GOOG ) , according to its latest 13F filing . Duquesne also sold out of positions in DocuSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU ) , Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL ) , DoorDash, Inc. (NASDAQ: DASH ) and Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS ) . The moves come as many hedge funds continue debating whet... .. read more..
WHO kicks off annual assembly amid Ebola, hantavirus, US withdrawal, funding ...
Monday, May 18,2026,14:07
The World Health Organization opened a meeting of global health ministers on Monday amid concern over deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks and uncertainty over announced US and Argentinian withdrawals. While the rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that has gripped global attention is not officially on the agenda, it is expected to feature prominently in discussions, alongside the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The two outbreaks “are just the latest crises in... .. read more..
Shakira acquitted by Spanish court of tax fraud, over US$64 million to be ret...
Monday, May 18,2026,12:53
A Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return more than 55 million euros (US$64 million) in wrongly imposed fines, according to a court document. The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar. The ruling relates to a dispute over the 2011 tax year in which Spanish authorities failed to prove that the singer was a resident of Spain, the Madrid-based court said in its decision. For a person to be considered a tax resident... .. read more..
Trump's Cuba Threats Could Trigger 1980 Style Migration Wave, Bush-Era Defens...
Monday, May 18,2026,09:49
In the wake of recent threats from President Donald Trump towards Cuba, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has voiced concerns about a potential migration crisis from the island to the U.S. Gates, in a conversation with CBS News's Margaret Brennan on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, expressed apprehensions about a possible large-scale departure from Cuba, similar to the Mariel boatlift in the past. “I think that, actually, the biggest risk is, that we end up with another Mariel evacuation from Cuba that has tens of thousands of Cubans heading to the United States out of desperation,” Gates said. According to the National Coast Guard Museum, the Mariel Boatlift ... .. read more..
10 Mexican government, justice officials indicted in US, will surrender
Saturday, May 16,2026,11:18
The former Secretary of Public Security for Mexico’s Sinaloa state appeared in a US court on Friday, days after his arrest in Arizona on charges he and other officials took bribes to help the Sinaloa Cartel smuggle vast quantities of drugs into the US. Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, 66, was not required to enter a plea during his initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan. He was ordered jailed but could request bail at a later date. He is due back in court on June 1. A message seeking comment... .. read more..
Peru’s leftist Sanchez to face Fujimori in presidential run-off
Friday, May 15,2026,17:15
Peru’s leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez will face Keiko Fujimori in the June run-off after narrowly securing second place in April’s first-round vote, official results showed Friday, with 100 per cent of votes tallied. The month-long count led to allegations of fraud in the politically turbulent South American nation, notably from right-wing candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who narrowly trailed Sanchez for much of the counting process. Fujimori, the daughter of late former... .. read more..
Ukraine war: 36 nations approve tribunal creation to prosecute Russia over in...
Friday, May 15,2026,13:44
Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica and the EU said on Friday they would join a future special tribunal for Ukraine to prosecute Russia over its invasion of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the “crime of aggression” in the invasion Russia launched in February 2022. The Council of Ministers, comprising foreign ministers from the organisation’s 46-member states, in a... .. read more..
Xi-Trump summit aside, 2 meetings in Asia matter for global trade
Friday, May 15,2026,08:30
Most readers of foreign news pages this weekend will be assuming that US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has been dominating everyone’s attention. But across Asia, Trump, with his massive business entourage, was not the only act in town this week. At least two other major sets of meetings should not be overlooked. First, in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosting foreign ministers from the 10 Brics economies and a growing community... .. read more..
CIA chief makes rare Cuba visit as island runs out of oil
Thursday, May 14,2026,22:00
The head of the CIA visited Cuba on Thursday, an extraordinary step-up in contact between Washington and Havana as the communist-run island reels from US pressure, declaring that it is out of oil. John Ratcliffe’s trip appeared to be only the second visit by a CIA director to Cuba since former leader Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. Ratcliffe met with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of former president Raul Castro, Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuban... .. read more..
What Brics lacks in unity, it makes up for in flexibility
Thursday, May 14,2026,21:30
In recent years, the Brics grouping has attracted attention as it adds members and positions itself as the voice of the Global South. At a Brics forum held in Beijing last month, officials discussed expanding trade within the grouping. Such initiatives reflect both an impulse to reduce exposure to external shocks linked to the US dollar and a long-term ambition to reshape global finance. These gatherings are as much about signalling intent as delivering substance. Brics wants to be seen as a... .. read more..
US renews US$100 million Cuba aid offer as Trump raises island with Xi
Wednesday, May 13,2026,20:20
The Trump administration on Wednesday publicly renewed an offer of US$100 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba, stepping up pressure on Havana despite Beijing’s continued political and economic backing for the island. The announcement came as US President Donald Trump travelled to China this week for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Trump saying before departure that Cuba would be among the issues discussed during the visit. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the State Department... .. read more..
Argentine city tries to shrug off hantavirus ship ‘patient zero’ suspicions
Wednesday, May 13,2026,04:48
Argentina’s city “at the end of the world” Ushuaia, the jump-off point for expeditions to the Antarctic, has been labouring under suspicion of being the source of the deadly hantavirus outbreak that killed three cruise ship passengers. The MV Hondius set sail from this spectacular Patagonian port, sandwiched between snow-capped mountains and the South Atlantic, on April 1. Five days later, a Dutch man who had travelled through South America on a birdwatching trip with his wife, developed... .. read more..
Beijing calls Paraguay leaders willing ‘chess pieces’ after disputed Taiwan trip
Tuesday, May 12,2026,20:06
Beijing lashed out at Paraguay on Monday after President Santiago Pena wrapped up a four-day visit to Taiwan, branding Paraguayan leaders as willing “chess pieces” for independence forces on the self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China “firmly opposes and condemns” the trip and urged Asuncion to “change course at an early date” and recognise the one-China principle. “The wheels of history wait for no one. Rejecting the one-China... .. read more..
Trump says Cuba is seeking help, will hold talks
Tuesday, May 12,2026,13:31
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Cuba was asking for help and “we are going to talk”, without providing any more detail. “No Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction – down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the meantime, I’m off to China!” Trump wrote on social media. Representatives for the White House and the State Department could not be immediately reached for comment. Representatives for... .. read more..
Brics doesn’t need a unified voice on Iran war to have a future
Monday, May 11,2026,21:30
With the war in the Middle East entering its third month, questions have surfaced over its geopolitical ramifications in the region and beyond. An entity that has drawn particular scrutiny is Brics. The 10-member grouping is defined less by a clear set of common values and more by contingently overlapping interests. It does not and cannot speak with one voice on the conflict. Two Brics members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are at loggerheads: Tehran has launched missile and drone... .. read more..
Arrest warrant reissued for Bolivia ex-president after court no-show
Monday, May 11,2026,18:20
A Bolivian court on Monday reissued a warrant for the arrest of former president Evo Morales on charges of trafficking a minor after he failed to show up for the start of his trial. Bolivia’s first Indigenous president is accused of fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office. The parents of the teen are accused of consenting to the relationship in exchange for favours from Morales. The former socialist leader, who governed from 2006 to 2019, rejects the accusations. Morales did... .. read more..
‘Horrific scene’: bodies found in shipping container at Texas rail yard
Monday, May 11,2026,16:57
Federal agents are investigating the deaths of six people thought to be immigrants found inside a shipping container at a Union Pacific rail yard near the border with Mexico in Laredo, Texas, on Sunday as a “potential human smuggling event”. A Union Pacific employee found the bodies of six people inside a shipping container Sunday afternoon, said Jose Baeza, the Laredo Police Department public information officer. Dr Corinne Stern, the Webb County medical examiner, is conducting autopsies and... .. read more..
Latin America is reassessing the benefits of warm ties with Beijing
Monday, May 11,2026,12:30
China’s position in Latin America is far from collapsing, looking at the number of countries in the region that have switched diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing. But in parts of the continent, governments are increasingly reassessing what their relationships with Beijing are delivering economically and politically. The shift is becoming visible in countries such as Honduras, Venezuela and Cuba, where economic strain, energy instability and geopolitical pressure are exposing the limits of... .. read more..
EVs surge in Bolivia amid fuel shortages, ‘junk gas’ scandal
Sunday, May 10,2026,08:52
Tired of petrol shortages and skyrocketing prices, Simón Huanca took matters into his own hands. The 53-year-old Indigenous artisan imported a Chinese electric car to navigate El Alto, Bolivia’s highest city, using the vehicle to transport both his family and the alpaca wool for his weaving workshop. He also installed a dedicated charger in his own garage, mainly for convenience, but also because there are only three public charging stations serving the vast metropolitan area of El Alto and... .. read more..
Mexico to end school year 40 days early for World Cup amid heatwave
Saturday, May 9,2026,00:54
Mexican authorities have announced that the school year will end over a month early as the country gears up to host World Cup matches, prompting broad backlash. Education Secretary Mario Delgado said the decision to end the school year 40 days early was made in part due to a heatwave affecting several states. “We’re going to end the school year on June 5 because many states are already experiencing high temperatures, and there’s also the issue of the World Cup,” he said at an event on Friday in... .. read more..
Thanks to Trump, the gloves are off. There may be no new global order
Friday, May 8,2026,21:30
The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... .. read more..
‘Almost zero’ chance Dutch man got hantavirus in Argentina’s Ushuaia, officia...
Friday, May 8,2026,21:05
There is an “almost zero” chance that the Dutch man linked to the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship contracted the disease in the Argentine port of Ushuaia, a provincial health official said on Friday. Juan Petrina, director of epidemiology for Tierra del Fuego province, where Ushuaia is located, told reporters that his assessment was based on the virus’s incubation period, among other factors. The Dutch man and his wife, both of whom died of the virus, boarded the Hondius in... .. read more..
Lula won’t sideline China or anyone in rare earths, tells Trump refining stay...
Thursday, May 7,2026,23:01
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that his country’s rare earth reserves are open to investment from China and any other nation willing to process the minerals on Brazilian soil, resisting pressure to side with Washington in its contest with Beijing over critical mineral supply chains. “We have no preference. What we want is to share with whoever wants to invest in Brazil,” Lula said at a press conference at the Brazilian embassy in... .. read more..
US targets Cuba nickel operation in move with implications for China-linked s...
Thursday, May 7,2026,18:15
The Trump administration has expanded its pressure campaign against Cuba into the critical minerals sector, sanctioning a nickel joint venture tied to Canadian miner Sherritt International in a move that could reverberate through China-linked battery supply chains. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Thursday against Moa Nickel SA, a joint venture between Sherritt and Cuba’s state-owned General Nickel Company, as part of a broader effort targeting Havana’s military-controlled... .. read more..
China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top investment worldwide...
Thursday, May 7,2026,14:30
China made Brazil its top global investment destination last year, pouring US$6.1 billion into the country across a record 52 projects. The figures come from the China-Brazil Business Council (CBBC), which released its annual report on Thursday. The 45 per cent jump in value from the previous year far outpaced the 4.8 per cent rise in total foreign investment into Brazil. It also dwarfed China’s worldwide outbound flows, which grew just 1.3 per cent. Brazil absorbed 10.9 per cent of all Chinese... .. read more..
Boy, 13, shoots 2 dead at Brazil school
Tuesday, May 5,2026,23:50
A teenage boy shot dead two staff members and injured two other people, including a student, at a school in northeast Brazil on Tuesday, prompting panicked students to try to escape over a wall, authorities and a witness said. A 13-year-old boy was arrested over the attack at Sao Jose Institute in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre state, the local government said in a statement. Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, who works as a receptionist at a hotel next to the school, said that when the shooting... .. read more..
Panama minister blasts China’s ship crackdown, tells deputies to demand answe...
Tuesday, May 5,2026,18:01
Panama’s foreign minister has called on a group of opposition lawmakers visiting China to deliver a firm message defending the country’s sovereignty, as tensions over a wave of detentions of Panamanian-flagged vessels show no signs of easing. Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez said on Monday that the lawmakers should relay a clear message to their Chinese counterparts on Panama’s behalf. “I can only suggest that you convey that Panama respects China, but Panama first respects the Constitution of our... .. read more..
Birthday girl among 3 crushed to death by monster truck in Colombia
Monday, May 4,2026,23:29
A Colombian girl celebrating her 10th birthday was among three people crushed to death at a monster truck display when a vehicle veered out of control and ploughed into spectators, authorities said on Monday. Hellen Velarde was attending Sunday’s exhibition in the southwestern city of Popayan as a birthday gift when she was crushed by the truck in an incident that caused widespread anger. A second girl and a young woman were also killed, local media reported. Images circulating on social media... .. read more..
China consul in Mexico calls protectionism a ‘dead end’ as trade tensions wit...
Monday, May 4,2026,19:40
China’s top diplomat on the US-Mexico border denounced protectionism as a dead end at the weekend, delivering a pointed defence of open trade just weeks before Mexico, the United States and Canada sit down to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that governs North American commerce. Consul General Fu Xinrong told a business gathering in Tijuana that unilateralism benefits no one and called on nations to build economic ties based on sovereignty and mutual respect rather than... .. read more..
Trump expands Cuba sanctions with global reach, targeting foreign banks and f...
Friday, May 1,2026,19:23
US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order expanding sanctions on Cuba, authorising penalties not only against Cuban officials but also on foreign companies and financial institutions that do business with the island. The order significantly broadens Washington’s ability to exert economic pressure, allowing US authorities to target third-country actors deemed to support the Cuban government, in a move that could have implications for global firms, including those in China and... .. read more..
Beijing backs Cuba, Brazil slams BYD slave labour conditions: Latin America r...
Friday, May 1,2026,15:00
We have selected six of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said in April after police dismantled the network... .. read more..
Brazil’s Congress forces early release for jailed Bolsonaro in major blow to ...
Thursday, April 30,2026,20:39
Brazil’s Congress on Thursday overturned President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s veto of a law dramatically reducing the prison sentence of his arch-rival Jair Bolsonaro, the second major defeat for Lula in as many days. Former president Bolsonaro, 71, was sentenced last year to 27 years behind bars for coup plotting over his attempt to cling to power after losing the 2022 election to Lula. The left-wing Lula had attempted to block a subsequent push by the conservative-majority Congress to reduce... .. read more..
Senate vote leaves Cuba’s uncertain future at dangerous crossroads
Thursday, April 30,2026,20:39
With Congress again failing to curb US President Donald Trump’s authority over Cuba, the centre of gravity in US policy towards the island is shifting decisively back to the White House – and to a narrower, more consequential question: what comes next? Tuesday’s 51-47 Senate vote to block a Democratic-led war powers resolution on Cuba does not change policy on its own. It was widely expected, reflecting a long-standing pattern in which Congress has struggled to assert its war powers authority... .. read more..
Tropical rainforest loss eases after record year, but still ‘11 football fiel...
Wednesday, April 29,2026,13:35
The pace of tropical forest destruction slowed in 2025 after record losses the year before but remained at worrying levels equivalent to 11 football fields per minute, researchers said Wednesday. The world lost 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest last year, down 36 per cent from 2024, said researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland. “A drop of this scale in a single year is encouraging – it shows what decisive... .. read more..