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Geopolitics

Soy, An Unlikely Weapon In The Sino-American Power Struggle

China has halted purchases of U.S. soybeans, cutting American farmers off from billions of dollars in revenue. It is a crucial example of how amid Donald Trump’s trade war is hitting his own voters, and feeding geopolitical rivalries beyond traditional diplomatic or military areas.

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In The News

Belém COP30: Sex Motels To Floating Rooms, A Delta Town Tries To Host The World

Billions in investment, soaring room rates, and hasty construction mark Brazil’s bid to put the Amazon at the center of climate diplomacy.

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Economy Work In Progress

Work Less, Live More: The Push For A Four-Day Work Week Around The World

From remote work to unlimited time off to now, the four-day working week, the workplace continues to evolve. While workplaces seek to avoid employee burnout, and workers hoping for greater flexibility, what was once a dream is quickly becoming reality around the world.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel-Palestine War

Kim In Beijing, Darfur Landslide, Mosul Mosque Reopens

👋 Allo!* Welcome to Tuesday, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived for a historic visit in Beijing, a landslide kills more than 1,000 in Sudan’s Darfur region, and today’s quiz question features a surprising find by the French police. Meanwhile, Juanjo Ramón in Catalan-language digital media outlet Catalunya Plural looks at how Spain’s […]

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Economy Geopolitics

Milei, Lula And Beyond? How Argentina And Brazil Can Finally Bond Like Brothers

Despite their leaders’ opposing politics, Argentina and Brazil’s similarities outnumber their differences. These neighboring countries must work together, writes former Argentine ambassador to Brazil Juan Pablo Lohlé.

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Geopolitics In The News

Canada To Recognize Palestine, Tsunami Warnings Lifted, Crying Argentina 

👋 Ekamowir omo!* Welcome to Thursday, where Canada says it will recognize a Palestinian state if democratic conditions are met, a Russian airstrike kills at least six in Kyiv, and today’s quiz question takes us back to one of the earliest traces of human addiction. Meanwhile, for German weekly Die Zeit, researcher Olivia Masseck lays […]

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Economy Geopolitics In The News Israel Russia-Ukraine War Syria Crisis War in Ukraine

EU’s New Russia Sanctions, Trump-Epstein Letter, Cry For Migrants

👋  Alò!* Welcome to Friday, where the EU imposes new sanctions on Russia, Donald Trump struggles to tamp down the Jeffrey Epstein uproar, and a famed Austrian daredevil dies in a paragliding accident. We also feature an article on the rise of the “Instagram Sheikhs” — a diverse group of digital-savvy Muslims who fuse Islamic […]

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In The News

Trump Keeps Bullying Lula’s Brazil — But It’s Going To Backfire On Bolsonaro

Donald Trump says he will hike tariffs on Brazil unless it halts prosecution of the country’s former right-wing leader Jair Bolsonaro. Only, Brazil exports relatively little to the U.S. and Trump’s meddling could be boosting his socialist nemesis, President Lula da Silva.

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Society

Brazil’s Susi To Russia’s Sonya Rose: Meet The Barbie Rivals Around The World

While Mattel’s Barbie doll is the world’s most popular fashion doll, she faces competition from local and regional dolls: from Mimi in South Korea to Steffi Love in Germany, Worldcrunch takes a look at her past and present counterparts around the world.

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Geopolitics In The News Israel Israel-Palestine War Trump And The World

Fragile Iran Ceasefire, NATO Summit Kicks Off, Venice v. Bezos

👋 Сайн уу* Welcome to Tuesday, where Israel orders new strikes on Iran as it says Tehran violated a ceasefire announced by Trump, NATO leaders meet Tuesday in The Hague, and today’s quiz question comes from under the sea. Meanwhile, Gazeta Wyborcza’s Anna S. Dębowska tells the story of the Polish influencer suing Netflix for […]

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Geopolitics In The News Society

Le Weekend ➡️ Poland’s presidential showdown, between Europe and its illiberal shadow

May 31-June 1 • Who owns AI?• RIP Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o• Reading from a mile away• … and much more ⬇️  STARTER Poland’s presidential showdown, between Europe and its illiberal shadow It has become something of a classic pattern: every election in Europe is presented as decisive in the battle between democracy and illiberalism — […]

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Geopolitics In The News Israel-Palestine War Russia-Ukraine War Trump And The World

West Warns Israel Over Gaza, Bolsonaro Trial Opens, Père Lachaise Lost & Found

👋 A jaaraama!* Welcome to Tuesday, where the UK, France and Canada warn Israel over its Gaza offensive, the coup trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro opens and our daily quiz question takes us to Paris’ most famous cemetery. Meanwhile, Jędrzej Słodkowski for Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza shines a light on the lesser known […]

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Future Geopolitics

How The Trump-Tech Alliance Is Turning Its Fire On A Brazilian Judge

Trump’s media company Truth Social and the far-right video platform Rumble have joined forces in a U.S. lawsuit against a Brazilian judge. The case, packed with conspiracy theories and legal acrobatics, is less about law and more about politics, turning the American courts into a stage for Bolsonaro’s allies and Trump’s broader war on institutions.

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This Happened

Captain’s Debut To Brazilian City Founding— On This Day In History March 1

A superhero debut, a pivotal military operation, and the birth of a legendary city.

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Society

In Rio De Janeiro, How Buses Deliver Justice To Those In Need

Rio de Janeiro’s state tribunal brings judges and prosecutors to 26 locations disseminated around the city inside buses, as part of a program started in 2004. The buses mostly go to the poorest areas of the city, in an effort to bring justice to those that are oftentimes most distant from the Brazilian state.

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Geopolitics Society

“I’m Still Here” — Brazil’s Oscar Contender Is A Timely Portrait Of The Evils Of Dictatorship

A personal journey through memory, loss, and resilience — reflecting on Eunice Facciolla Paiva’s quiet strength, Marcelo Paiva’s storytelling, and the haunting echoes of dictatorship in today’s world. It’s a rare Oscars Best Picture nominee from Brazil.

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Economy Geopolitics Ideas Society

Modern Slavery In Brazil: The BYD Factory Victims Show Colonial Legacy Living On

The rescue of 163 Chinese workers from a BYD plant in Brazil reveals the persistence of labor exploitation in the 21st century. This case, alongside reports of politicians with slave-owning ancestors facing similar accusations, underscores how Brazil’s colonial legacy continues to shape its present.

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Food / Travel Geopolitics

Photos Of The Week: L.A. Inferno, Charlie Hebdo Tribute, Trudeau Bows Out

Among the images, are photos from France, China, Canada, the U.S., Ghana and Greenland.

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Food / Travel Russia-Ukraine War

Photos Of The Week: Muan Airport Crash, Ukraine-Russia POW Swap, NYE Dive

In partnership with ZUMA photo agency, here are the top images for the week of Dec. 27-Jan. 2. The selection includes a devastating plane crash in South Korea that claimed 179 lives, an apparent terror attack that marred New Year’s Eve in New Orleans, while Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners in a UAE-brokered […]

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Society

Brazil’s Mohamed Al-Fayed? Why The Media Buried Our Worst Sex Abuse Scandal

Brazil’s independent investigative outlet Agência Pública has published revelations that link the founder of one of the country’s largest retail chains to a decade-long sexual exploitation scheme. Why has the mainstream media stayed silent?

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Future Society

Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning “Orb” Is The Google-Street-View Of Our Bodies And Minds

The initiative led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to create a global identity system through iris scanning has landed in Brazil. But what about privacy, transparency and the ethical implications of such a vast biometric project?

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. Future

Trump’s Victory Marks New Dawn For Crypto — And A Global Spike In Corruption

With a pro-crypto agenda and substantial backing from industry investors, Donald Trump’s presidency is poised to reshape the landscape of digital currencies, promising a future where Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies thrive under favorable regulations and government support.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Can Democracy Survive This Fragile Moment? A View From Latin America

Critics are right to denounce crooked politicians or elected leaders for undermining the democratic system of checks and balances. But defending those checks and balances is not the key to restoring democracy — because people’s pervasive distrust and discontent with politics is a much deeper problem to address.

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Migrant Lives Society

In Lisbon, A Brazilian Theater Troupe Explores A Unique Migrant Experience

A new group theater in Lisbon — made up by a majority of Brazilian migrants — has set out to explore the idea of migration through plays. They started with putting in scene a story about the concept of nationhood — because every migration story looks different, but it also has some universal basis, the artists tell independent media Mensagem.

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This Happened

This Happened — August 21: Amazon Rainforest Ablaze

Updated August 21, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Brazil reports fires burning in the Amazon Rainforest at unprecedented rate on this day in 2019. How extensive were the fires in the Amazon rainforest? The fires in the Amazon rainforest of 2019 were widespread, affecting multiple countries in the region. The exact extent of the fires varied, […]

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Society

Scientific Colonialism? Time For Looted Ceará Fossils To Go Back To Brazil

Some 88% of fossils from the Araripe Basin northeastern Brazil, one of the world’s richest paleontological sites, are housed in foreign museums — a historical and cultural heritage Brazilian authorities and researchers are working to repatriate.

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Economy Geopolitics

Why Trade With China Weakens Mercosur — And How South Americans Only Make It Worse

Asia and above all China, have shown how the size of a market can drive state relations, and nowhere is this truer than in the Mercosur bloc’s increasing dependence on Asian exports. But regional integration in South America is stalling, as Argentina and Brazil are in another nasty spat.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

Lessons For Trump? How Bolsonaro Sealed His 2018 Election Win After Assassination Attempt

Natalia Viana, editor-in-chief of Agência Pública, draws a comparison between Trump and Bolsonaro, who survived an assassination attempt in 2018. The path to victory for the Democrats is narrowing with every passing day.

Categories
This Happened

This Happened — June 29: Brazil Wins World Cup

Updated June 29, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. Brazil won their first World Cup on this day in 1958 which was hosted by Sweden with the final match held at the Rasunda Stadium in Solna. Who did Brazil beat in the final to win their first World Cup? In the final match, Brazil defeated Sweden by […]

Categories
Green

Brazil Floods: Lessons For Porto Alegre From New Orleans’ Post-Katrina Mistakes

Similarities have been drawn between the cases of New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Porto Alegre, which last month the worst flooding in 80 years. But the U.S. reconstruction was an enormous failure, and Brazil should not look at it for solutions.

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This Happened

This Happened — May 1: 30 Years Ago, The Crash That Changed Formula 1 Forever

Updated April 30, 2024 at 10:15 p.m. Thirty years ago, Formula 1 icon Ayrton Senna died in a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. Who was Ayrton Senna? Ayrton Senna was a Brazilian Formula One racing driver who is widely considered to be one of the greatest drivers in the history of […]

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Geopolitics

A Vote At 16? Experiments With Lowering The Voting Age Around The World

As Poland considers lowering the voting age to 16, what can other countries’ experiences with reducing the voting age teach us about political trends and ralling young constituents?

Categories
Geopolitics

Lula vs. Bolsonaro, Brazil Has Its Own Dark Sequel Brewing

Uncertain economic conditions and divisive posturing in favor of the Global South may send Brazilian President Lula da Silva’s middle class voters back to the Right, where his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro is maneuvering between criminal charges and a return to the presidency.

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Society

My Mom’s In Jail: How Brazil Fails To Care For Children Of The Incarcerated

Children and teenagers whose parents are in prison report depression, anxiety and a drop in school performance. New laws meant to protect them are not properly applied.

Categories
Ideas

On Democracy, Republics And Lula’s Theory Of Relativity

A democracy is not just the vague and dangerously malleable promise of popular rule. It is instead an institutional regime or “republic” that defines and protects the rights of the people, and of individuals.

Categories
This Happened

This Happened — October 27: Lula Elected (The First Time)

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the presidency in Brazil on this day in 2002. Who is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva? Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, is a Brazilian politician who first served as the 35th President of Brazil. He served two terms, from 2003 to 2010, and he was […]

Categories
Society

How Thousands Of Brazilian Girls Have Been Duped Into Slavery By Foster Families

Brazil has come a long way in improving the rights of domestic workers, but it has failed to completely abolish the dangerous nexus between domestic work and child labor.

Categories
In The News

An End To Venezuela Sanctions? The Lula Factor In Biden’s Democratization Gamble

The Biden administration’s exploration to lift sanctions on Venezuela, hoping to gently push its regime back on the path of democracy, might have taken its cue from Brazilian President Lula’s calls to stop demonizing Venezuela.

Categories
In The News

Brazil’s Evangelical Surge Threatens Survival Of Native Afro-Brazilian Faith

Followers of the Afro-Brazilian Umbanda religion in four traditional communities in the country’s northeast are resisting pressure to convert to evangelical Christianity.

Categories
In The News

U.S. To Send Controversial Shells To Kyiv, Mexico Decriminalizes Abortion, Vi$it V€nice

? Dumêlang!* Welcome to Thursday, where the U.S. says it will supply Ukraine with controversial uranium-based anti-tank shells, Mexico throws out all criminal penalties for abortions, and Venice will soon start charging daytrippers. Meanwhile, for French economic daily Les Echos, Leïla Marchand looks at the “Wild West” of bosses monitoring their remote workers. [*Northern Sotho, […]

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