Hidden within the dense canopies of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest resides the Zo’é tribe, a community that challenges conventional societal norms. First sustained contact with outsiders occurred in 1987, revealing a society that thrives without formal leadership and embraces complex marital structures.

Society without hierarchy

In Zo’é culture, equality is paramount. The tribe operates without designated leaders; decisions are made collectively, ensuring that every voice holds weight. While articulate individuals, known as ‘yü,’ may influence discussions on matters like marriage or community relocation, they do not possess authoritative power over others. This absence of hierarchy fosters a harmonious environment where cooperation prevails.

Co-existence of polygamy and polyandry

The Zo’é’s approach to marriage is notably distinct. Both men and women have the freedom to engage in multiple marital relationships, practicing polygamy and polyandry without societal judgment. It’s common for a woman with several daughters to marry multiple men, some of whom may later wed one of her daughters. This intricate web of relationships is accepted and integrated into their social fabric.

Daily life

The Zo’é are semi-nomadic, residing in large, open-sided thatched houses that accommodate multiple families. They are adept hunters and gatherers, with men excelling in hunting game like monkeys and peccaries, while women participate in gathering and raising captured animals as pets. Agriculture also plays a role, with gardens producing manioc, tubers, peppers, and bananas.

Challenges and preservation

Despite their isolation, the Zo’é have faced challenges due to external contact, including exposure to diseases and cultural disruptions.

Also Read: Tata Steel launches 20 electric vehicles for Odisha plant operations

The Zo’é tribe exemplifies a societal structure where equality and complex marital arrangements coexist harmoniously. Their unique way of life challenges conventional notions of leadership and marriage.

PNN

Izabelle Leite, the Brazilian model and actress once linked to Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, has moved on to a different phase of her life following her breakup with Kohli in 2012. While the two never confirmed the full extent of their relationship, their time together caught the attention of media outlets and fans.

Nearly a decade later, Leite has continued her career in the spotlight, focusing on her modelling career, and forging a more private lifestyle. Here’s what we know about the life of Izabelle Leite since her relationship with Virat Kohli ended.

A look back at their relationship

In 2012, Kohli and Leite were often spotted together, with the model frequently appearing on Kohli’s social media. Their relationship, however, was short-lived, with media speculating that they parted ways later that year. Despite the breakup, both maintained a dignified silence about the details, and their relationship became one of the most talked-about celebrity pairings in India at the time.

Though their breakup was never publicly dissected, it marked a turning point in Kohli’s personal growth. Leite, too, moved forward and continued her career in India, largely distancing herself from the media circus that surrounded her.

Izabelle Leite’s current status:

In the years following her breakup with Kohli, Izabelle Leite has continued to build her career. Initially gaining attention for modelling in Mumbai, she was featured in films such as Purani Jeans, Sixteen, and Narendra and not-much-significant roles in films like Talaash, and a few TV commercials. While she never became a mainstream star, she successfully carved out a niche for herself in the Indian modelling scene. Leite’s distinct Brazilian charm and striking looks kept her in demand for various fashion shoots and promotional campaigns.

However, Leite’s life took a more private turn in recent years. She has transitioned out of the Indian film industry, choosing instead to focus on personal projects, including expanding her social media presence and promoting fitness.

As of 2025, she is married and has two daughters. Leite leads a very private lifestyle in Doha, Qatar.

Leite’s social media posts suggest that she’s living life on her own terms, free from the pressure of constant media attention. Her followers have responded positively to her openness and authenticity.

PNN

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday expressed his gratitude for a memorable welcome in Rio de Janeiro.

Taking to his X handle, PM Modi posted a video of his arrival at the airport and the warm welcome by the Indian community.

PM Modi wrote, “A celebration of Indian culture in Brazil! Gratitude for a memorable welcome in Rio de Janeiro…”

A celebration of Indian culture in Brazil! Gratitude for a memorable welcome in Rio de Janeiro… pic.twitter.com/osuHGSxpho

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 18, 2024

The Prime Minister is in Rio de Janeiro to participate in the G20 Summit hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

At the airport, the Indian community expressed their enthusiasm for PM Modi’s visit, waving Indian flags, displaying his pictures, singing welcome songs and presenting a folk dance. Some sought PM Modi’s autograph which he gave.

The Prime Minister also shared pictures of his welcome by the diaspora. “Deeply touched by the warm and lively welcome from the Indian community upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro. Their energy reflects the affection that binds us across continents,” the Prime Minister posted on X.

Deeply touched by the warm and lively welcome from the Indian community upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro. Their energy reflects the affection that binds us across continents. pic.twitter.com/hvA6GGKE9l

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 18, 2024

Earlier, PM Modi arrived in Brazil after concluding his first leg visit to Nigeria where he held discussions with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, focusing on strengthening partnerships in sectors like defence, technology, health, and education.

In a post on the social media platform X, PM Modi stated, “Landed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to take part in the G20 Summit. I look forward to the Summit deliberations and fruitful talks with various world leaders.”

India is a key member of the G20 Troika, alongside Brazil and South Africa, and has been actively shaping the discussions at the ongoing summit.

During the Summit Monday, the Prime Minister will put forward India’s positions on various issues of global importance building on the outcomes from the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and Voice of the Global South Summits hosted by India in the past two years.

“On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to meet several leaders,” the MEA said earlier Friday.

Following the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Georgetown which would be the first visit to Guyana by an Indian PM since 1968.

During the November 19-21 visit at the invitation of the Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Modi will not only hold bilateral discussions and meet other senior leaders of Guyana but also address the Parliament of Guyana and a gathering of the Indian diaspora.

Last year, Ali visited India as the Chief Guest at the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Indore, where he was also awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.

“In Georgetown, Guyana, the Prime Minister will also participate in the Second CARICOM-India Summit and hold meetings with leaders of CARICOM member countries to further enhance India’s long-standing friendship with the region,” the MEA mentioned.

Beijing: In a major setback to China’s BRI, Brazil has decided against joining Beijing’s multi-billion-dollar initiative becoming the second country after India in the BRICS bloc not to endorse the mega project.

Brazil, headed by President Lula da Silva, will not join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and instead seek alternative ways to collaborate with Chinese investors, Celso Amorim, special presidential adviser for international affairs, said Monday.

Brazil wants to “take the relationship with China to a new level, without having to sign an accession contract”, he told Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

“We are not entering into a treaty,” Amorim said, explaining that Brazil does not want to take Chinese infrastructure and trade projects as “an insurance policy”.

According to Amorim, the aim is to use some of the Belt and Road framework to find “synergy” between Brazilian infrastructure projects and the investment funds associated with the initiative, without necessarily formally joining the group, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted him as saying.

The Chinese “call it the belt [and road] … and they can give whatever names they want, but what matters is that there are projects that Brazil has defined as a priority and that may or may not be accepted [by Beijing]”, Amorim said.

The decision contradicts China’s plans to make Brazil’s joining of the initiative a centrepiece of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Brasilia November 20, the Post reported.

Officials from Brazil’s economy and foreign affairs ministries recently voiced opposition to the idea, it said.

The prevailing opinion in Brazil was that joining China’s flagship infrastructure project would not only fail to bring any tangible benefits for Brazil in the short term but could also make relations with a potential Trump administration more difficult.

Last week, Amorim and the president’s chief of staff Rui Costa travelled to Beijing to discuss the initiative. According to sources, they returned “unconvinced and unimpressed” by China’s offers, the Post reported.

Lula did not attend this month’s BRICS summit at Kazan due to an injury and his close associate and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff currently heads the Shanghai-based BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).

BRICS originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been admitted as new members.

Brazil will be the second member of the BRICS after India not to endorse the BRI.

India was the first country to voice reservations and stood steadfast in its opposition to BRI, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping to further the global influence of China with investments to build infrastructure projects.

India has protested against China for building the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), stated to be the flagship project of the BRI through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) in violation of its sovereignty.

India is also vocal about its criticism of BRI projects stating they should be based on universally recognised international norms, good governance, and the rule of law and follow principles of openness, transparency and financial sustainability.

China subsequently faced criticism that the BRI projects in smaller countries like Sri Lanka, especially for its take-over of the Hambantota for a 99-year lease as a debt swap turned out to be debt traps resulting in a deep financial crisis in both smaller countries.

Indian diplomats here point out that besides staying away from three annual high-profile meetings of the BRI in Beijing in the past few years, India continued to voice its opposition to it both in the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, (SCO).

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai recently urged Brazil to view the proposal to join BRI through an “objective lens” and “risk management”.

The Chinese embassy in Brasilia called her remarks “irresponsible” and “disrespectful”.

China’s state-run Global Times in an editorial on Monday termed Tai’s comments against BRI as “steeped in the spectre of “Monroe Doctrine”.

“Brazil does not need others to dictate who to cooperate with or what kind of partnerships to conduct, and the normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Latin American countries should not be subject to scrutiny from third countries,” it said.

“Currently, the US is attempting to build a “small yard, high fence” against China in Brazil and other Latin American countries”, it said.

“The cooperation between China and Brazil not only aligns with the interests of both countries but also meets the need for the Global South to build a more just and equitable international economic order. This trend is something that Washington cannot stop,” it said.

PTI

Beijing: In a major setback to China’s BRI, Brazil has decided against joining Beijing’s multi-billion-dollar initiative becoming the second country after India in the BRICS bloc not to endorse the mega project.

Brazil, headed by President Lula da Silva, will not join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and instead seek alternative ways to collaborate with Chinese investors, Celso Amorim, special presidential adviser for international affairs, said Monday.

Brazil wants to “take the relationship with China to a new level, without having to sign an accession contract”, he told Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

“We are not entering into a treaty,” Amorim said, explaining that Brazil does not want to take Chinese infrastructure and trade projects as “an insurance policy”.

According to Amorim, the aim is to use some of the Belt and Road framework to find “synergy” between Brazilian infrastructure projects and the investment funds associated with the initiative, without necessarily formally joining the group, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted him as saying.

The Chinese “call it the belt [and road] … and they can give whatever names they want, but what matters is that there are projects that Brazil has defined as a priority and that may or may not be accepted [by Beijing]”, Amorim said.

The decision contradicts China’s plans to make Brazil’s joining of the initiative a centrepiece of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Brasilia November 20, the Post reported.

Officials from Brazil’s economy and foreign affairs ministries recently voiced opposition to the idea, it said.

The prevailing opinion in Brazil was that joining China’s flagship infrastructure project would not only fail to bring any tangible benefits for Brazil in the short term but could also make relations with a potential Trump administration more difficult.

Last week, Amorim and the president’s chief of staff Rui Costa travelled to Beijing to discuss the initiative. According to sources, they returned “unconvinced and unimpressed” by China’s offers, the Post reported.

Lula did not attend this month’s BRICS summit at Kazan due to an injury and his close associate and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff currently heads the Shanghai-based BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).

BRICS originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been admitted as new members.

Brazil will be the second member of the BRICS after India not to endorse the BRI.

India was the first country to voice reservations and stood steadfast in its opposition to BRI, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping to further the global influence of China with investments to build infrastructure projects.

India has protested against China for building the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), stated to be the flagship project of the BRI through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) in violation of its sovereignty.

India is also vocal about its criticism of BRI projects stating they should be based on universally recognised international norms, good governance, and the rule of law and follow principles of openness, transparency and financial sustainability.

China subsequently faced criticism that the BRI projects in smaller countries like Sri Lanka, especially for its take-over of the Hambantota for a 99-year lease as a debt swap turned out to be debt traps resulting in a deep financial crisis in both smaller countries.

Indian diplomats here point out that besides staying away from three annual high-profile meetings of the BRI in Beijing in the past few years, India continued to voice its opposition to it both in the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, (SCO).

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai recently urged Brazil to view the proposal to join BRI through an “objective lens” and “risk management”.

The Chinese embassy in Brasilia called her remarks “irresponsible” and “disrespectful”.

China’s state-run Global Times in an editorial Monday termed Tai’s comments against BRI as “steeped in the spectre of “Monroe Doctrine”.

“Brazil does not need others to dictate who to cooperate with or what kind of partnerships to conduct, and the normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Latin American countries should not be subject to scrutiny from third countries,” it said.

“Currently, the US is attempting to build a “small yard, high fence” against China in Brazil and other Latin American countries”, it said.

“The cooperation between China and Brazil not only aligns with the interests of both countries but also meets the need for the Global South to build a more just and equitable international economic order. This trend is something that Washington cannot stop,” it said.

Moscow: Russia’s top diplomat has said that his country believes that India, Brazil and African countries should be represented in the UN Security Council on a permanent basis to ensure the representativeness of the global majority, state-owned TASS news agency reported Sunday.

“Countries such as India, Brazil, as well as representatives of Africa should have been on a permanent basis in the Security Council for a long time. This is necessary to ensure representativeness, representation of the global majority,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told aif.ru. in an interview, TASS reported.

India has been at the forefront of years-long efforts calling for reform of the Security Council, including expansion in both its permanent and non-permanent categories, saying the 15-nation Council, founded in 1945, is not fit for purpose in the 21st Century and does not reflect contemporary geo-political realities. Delhi has underscored that it deserves a permanent seat at the horse-shoe table.

Last month, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in backing India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

India last sat at the UN high table as a non-permanent member in 2021-22. There has been a growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality.

PTI

Rio de Janeiro: Brazil’s Supreme Court has authorised the social media platform X to resume operations in the country after being banned for over a month due to non-compliance with court rulings.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes lifted the ban Tuesday after X paid approximately 28.6 million reals (around $5.17 million) in fines to the Brazilian government, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local media.

“I hereby declare the suspension lifted and authorize the immediate resumption of X Brasil Internet Ltd.’s activities within the national territory. I also order the National Telecommunications Agency to implement this decision and report back to this Supreme Court within 24 hours,” Moraes ruled.

X was banned August 30 for refusing to appoint a legal representative in Brazil and for not paying fines for disregarding a court order.

The platform has since appointed a legal representative and complied with a separate court order to block the accounts of individuals being investigated for inciting a coup in Brazil.

San Francisco: Calling Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ‘a fake judge’, tech billionaire Elon Musk Sunday said that evidence is growing to show that he deliberately interfered in the country’s election held last year.

Musk said this after de Moraes ordered to block Musk’s social media platform X nationwide, following the company’s refusal to appoint a legal representative in the country.

“There is growing evidence that fake judge Alexandre engaged in serious, repeated, and deliberate election interference in Brazil’s last presidential election,” Musk said in a post on X.

He said that former Twitter employees helped him. He also called out people to share examples.

“Under Brazilian law, that would mean up to 20 years in prison. And, I’m sorry to say that it appears that some former Twitter employees were complicit in helping him do so. Anyone with examples or evidence to this effect, please reply to this post,” Musk said.

Brazil is one of the biggest markets for X, with reportedly more than 22 million users.

The platform has been in conflict with de Moraes for months over the platform’s refusal to comply with court orders to remove profiles that promote coup-related content or undermine democracy, according to Xinhua news agency.

Musk also cautioned investors from investing in the country. Saturday he said: “The oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries”.

The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court has also ordered X to pay fines amounting to 18 million reais (about $3.2 million) for non-compliance.

As per De Moraes, X has facilitated “the actions of extremist groups and digital militias”. The SC judge said that the platform is “enabling the spread of Nazi, racist, fascist, hateful, and anti-democratic speech”, particularly ahead of the upcoming elections.

De Moraes has also instructed the country’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to block access to X within 24 hours. The Brazilian judge also gave Apple and Google five days to remove the X app from their online stores.

IANS

San Francisco: Tech billionaire Elon Musk Saturday said that freedom of speech is under massive attack around the world, after Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered to block his social media platform X nationwide.

The order came after the company refused to appoint a legal representative in the country.

Musk hit back, saying they are shutting down the “top source of truth” in Brazil.

They’re shutting down the #1 source of truth in Brazil https://t.co/RasqcQ3ySM

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2024

“The oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries,” said the billionaire.

“Just a reminder that you can always access this platform via X.com, even on your phone. No app is needed. Now would also be a good time to download a VPN in case you get blocked,” the X owner told his millions of followers.

Musk-owned X has been in conflict with de Moraes for months over the platform’s refusal to comply with court orders to remove profiles that promote coup-related content or undermine democracy, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court has also ordered X to pay fines amounting to 18 million reais (about $3.2 million) for non-compliance.

De Moraes said that X has facilitated “the actions of extremist groups and digital militias, enabling the spread of Nazi, racist, fascist, hateful, and anti-democratic speech”, particularly ahead of the upcoming elections.

The Brazilian judge also instructed the country’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to block access to X within 24 hours. Apple and Google have been given five days to remove the X app from their online stores.

Musk said: “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes”.

Sao Paulo: Brazil started blocking Elon Musk’s social media platform X early Saturday, making it largely inaccessible on both the web and through its mobile app after the company refused to comply with a judge’s order.

X missed a deadline imposed by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to name a legal representative in Brazil, triggering the suspension. It marks an escalation in the monthslong feud between Musk and de Moraes over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation.

To block X, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, told internet service providers to suspend users’ access to the social media platform. As of Saturday after midnight local time, major operators had begun doing so.

De Moraes had warned Musk Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he failed to comply with his order to name a representative, and established a 24-hour deadline. The company hasn’t had a representative in the country since earlier this month.

“Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country,” de Moraes wrote in his decision Friday.

The justice said the platform will stay suspended until it complies with his orders, and also set a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900) for people or companies using VPNs to access it.

In a later ruling, he backtracked on his initial decision to establish a 5-day deadline for internet service providers themselves — and not just the telecommunications regulator — to block access to X, as well as his directive for app stores to remove virtual private networks or VPNs.

Brazil is one of the biggest markets for X, which has struggled with the loss of advertisers since Musk purchased the former Twitter in 2022. Market research group Emarketer says some 40 million Brazilians, roughly one-fifth of the population, access X at least once per month.

“This is a sad day for X users around the world, especially those in Brazil, who are being denied access to our platform. I wish it did not have to come to this – it breaks my heart,” X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino said Friday night, adding that Brazil is failing to uphold its constitution’s pledge to forbid censorship.

X had posted on its official Global Government Affairs page late Thursday that it expected X to be shut down by de Moraes, “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”

“When we attempted to defend ourselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts,” the company wrote.

X has clashed with de Moraes over its reluctance to comply with orders to block users.

Accounts that the platform previously has shut down on Brazilian orders include lawmakers affiliated with former President Jair Bolsonaro’s right-wing party and activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy. X’s lawyers in April sent a document to the Supreme Court in April, saying that since 2019 it had suspended or blocked 226 users.

In his decision Friday, de Moraes’ cited Musk’s statements as evidence that X’s conduct “clearly intends to continue to encourage posts with extremism, hate speech and anti-democratic discourse, and to try to withdraw them from jurisdictional control.”

In April, de Moraes included Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news and opened a separate investigation into the executive for alleged obstruction.

Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” has repeatedly claimed the justice’s actions amount to censorship, and his argument has been echoed by Brazil’s political right. He has often insulted de Moraes on his platform, characterizing him as a dictator and tyrant.

De Moraes’ defenders have said his actions aimed at X have been lawful, supported by most of the court’s full bench and have served to protect democracy at a time it is imperiled. He wrote Friday that his ruling is based on Brazilian law requiring internet services companies to have representation in the country so they can be notified when there are relevant court decisions and take requisite action — specifying the takedown of illicit content posted by users, and an anticipated churn of misinformation during October municipal elections.

The looming shutdown is not unprecedented in Brazil.

Lone Brazilian judges shut down Meta’s WhatsApp, the nation’s most widely used messaging app, several times in 2015 and 2016 due to the company’s refusal to comply with police requests for user data. In 2022, de Moraes threatened the messaging app Telegram with a nationwide shutdown, arguing it had repeatedly ignored Brazilian authorities’ requests to block profiles and provide information. He ordered Telegram to appoint a local representative; the company ultimately complied and stayed online.

X and its former incarnation, Twitter, have been banned in several countries — mostly authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Venezuela and Turkmenistan. Other countries, such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, have also temporarily suspended X before, usually to quell dissent and unrest. Twitter was banned in Egypt after the Arab Spring uprisings, which some dubbed the “Twitter revolution,” but it has since been restored.

A search Friday on X showed hundreds of Brazilian users inquiring about VPNs that could potentially enable them to continue using the platform by making it appear they were logging on from outside the country. It was not immediately clear how Brazilian authorities would police this practice and impose fines cited by de Moraes.

“This is an unusual measure, but its main objective is to ensure that the court order to suspend the platform’s operation is, in fact, effective,” Filipe Medon, a specialist in digital law and professor at the law school of Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university in Rio de Janeiro, told The Associated Press.

Mariana de Souza Alves Lima, known by her handle MariMoon, showed her 1.4 million followers on X where she intends to go, posting a screenshot of rival social network BlueSky.

On Thursday evening, Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet service provider, said on X that de Moraes this week froze its finances, preventing it from doing any transactions in the country where it has more than 250,000 customers.

“This order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied—unconstitutionally—against X. It was issued in secret and without affording Starlink any of the due process of law guaranteed by the Constitution of Brazil. We intend to address the matter legally,” Starlink said in its statement. The law firm representing Starlink told the AP that the company appealed, but wouldn’t make further comment.

Musk replied to people sharing the reports of the freeze, adding insults directed at de Moraes. “This guy @Alexandre is an outright criminal of the worst kind, masquerading as a judge,” he wrote.

Musk later posted on X that SpaceX, which runs Starlink, will provide free internet service in Brazil “until the matter is resolved” since “we cannot receive payment, but don’t want to cut anyone off.”

In his decision, de Moraes said he ordered the freezing of Starlink’s assets, as X didn’t have enough money in its accounts to cover mounting fines, and reasoning that the two companies are part of the same economic group.

While ordering X’s suspension followed warnings and fines and so was appropriate, taking action against Starlink seems “highly questionable,” said Luca Belli, coordinator of the Getulio Vargas Foundation’s Technology and Society Center.

“Yes, of course, they have the same owner, Elon Musk, but it is discretionary to consider Starlink as part of the same economic group as Twitter (X).

AP

Sao Paulo: At least 180 people have died from weeks of record flooding in southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state and 32 people remain missing, said the civil defence agency.

Torrential rains began April 29 and continued for days, inundating cities across the state. Rescue and recovery work started after the flooding began to subside in mid-June, reported Xinhua news agency.

Severe weather has impacted some 2,398,255 inhabitants in 478 towns, including the state capital, Porto Alegre, said the agency in a report, adding that during the height of the storms, more than 450,000 people were evacuated.

Brazil’s government has allocated 85.7 billion reals (about $15.4 billion) to aid and rebuild Rio Grande do Sul, according to Secretary of Social Communication Paulo Pimenta, who was appointed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to oversee the reconstruction effort.

Rio Grande do Sul, an agricultural state located on the border with Uruguay and Argentina, has seen record economic losses from the disaster.

Los Angeles: Disappointment struck SoFi Stadium Tuesday (IST) as Brazil, the nine-time Copa America champion, was held to a 0-0 draw by a determined Costa Rica side.

Despite controlling possession and peppering the goal with shots, the Selecao’s attack sputtered, failing to find a breakthrough.

Costa Rica’s goalkeeper, Patrick Sequeira, emerged as the hero, making several key saves and keeping a clean sheet for his team.

Brazil’s woes were compounded by a disallowed goal in the first half when Marquinhos’ header was chalked off after a lengthy VAR review deemed him offside by a narrow margin.

There was a lot of criticism for the team heading into the tournament and the draw marked a frustrating start for Brazil’s new generation, spearheaded by young talents Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. The team struggled to convert their dominance into goals. Refereeing decisions also added to the frustration, with questionable calls going against Brazil throughout the match.

However, credit must be given to Costa Rica. Despite being the underdogs with the youngest squad in the tournament, Los Ticos displayed remarkable defensive resilience, frustrating Brazil’s attack and securing a historic result. They had entered the match having lost nine consecutive encounters with the South American giants.

Looking ahead, Brazil finds itself playing catch-up in Group D. Colombia currently leads after their 2-0 victory over Paraguay.

Coach Dorival Junior has a lot to ponder as he aims to get his team firing on all cylinders in the upcoming matches. The quest for a tenth Copa America title seems to have gotten off to a rocky start.

Bangkok: Brazil have been named host for the Women’s World Cup 2027 at the 74th FIFA Congress, Friday.

The Brazilian bid prevailed against the submission from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, becoming the first nation to be handed a hosting rights with an open vote at the FIFA Congress.

Brazil obtained 119 votes while a joint bid from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium received 78 votes.

The Women’s World Cup will be held for the first time in South America. China, Sweden, the USA, Germany, Canada and France all hosted on at least one occasion prior to the 2023 event.

Previously, Brazil organised the men’s World Cup in 1950 and the 2014 World Cup.

“Today we are experiencing a historic day in Bangkok. This is a victory for world women’s football. I assure you all that Brazil it will be the best Women’s World Cup in history”, said Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues.

“In addition to investing in the World Cup, the entire women’s football production chain in Brazil and North America South will take an immense leap in development,” he added.

It will be the tenth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. It will feature 32 countries and will be played across ten cities.

Spain are the current FIFA Women’s World Cup holders, joining USA (four titles), Germany (two), Japan and Norway as the nations who have lifted the much-coveted trophy.

Sao Paulo: The death toll rose to 143 from the worst extreme weather to ever hit south Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state, with 125 people missing and more than 600,000 evacuated, the Civil Defence agency said.

In two weeks of record rainfall that has unleashed flooding and mudslides across the state, 446 towns have witnessed dramatic scenes of survivors rescued from floodwaters, including in the state capital Porto Alegre, where the Guaiba river burst its banks, inundating more than half of the city, Xinhua news agency reported Sunday.

Downpours began April 29 and continued Sunday, erasing hopes of floodwaters receding, and raising the number of the displaced from about 441,000 Saturday to 618,550 Sunday.

The National Institute of Meteorology has forecast more heavy rains through Monday in Brazil’s southernmost state, which borders on Argentina and Uruguay.

Governor Eduardo Leite said this week it will take nearly 19 billion reais ($3.7 billion) to rebuild Rio Grande do Sul after the floods.

Rio De Janeiro: Massive floods in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday.

At least 155 people were injured, while damage from the rains forced more than 88,000 people from their homes. Approximately 16,000 took refuge in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters.

The floods left a wake of devastation, including landslides, washed-out roads and collapsed bridges across the state. Operators reported electricity and communications cuts. More than 800,000 people are without a water supply, according to the civil defence agency, which cited figures from water company Corsan.

A rescue team pulled an elderly man in serious medical condition into a helicopter from a remote area in the Bento Gonçalves municipality, according to footage from military firefighters. Torrents of brown water poured over a nearby dam.

On Saturday evening, residents in the town of Canoas stood up to their shoulders in muddy water and formed a human chain to pull boats carrying people to safety, according to video footage shared by local UOL news network.

The Guaiba river reached a record level of 5.33 metres (17.5 feet) Sunday morning at 8 am local time, surpassing levels seen during a historic 1941 deluge, when the river reached 4.76 metres.

“I repeat and insist: the devastation to which we are being subjected is unprecedented,” state Gov. Eduardo Leite said Sunday morning. He had previously said the state will need a “kind of Marshall Plan’ to be rebuilt.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Rio Grande do Sul for a second time Sunday, accompanied by Defense Minister José Múcio, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Environment Minister Marina Silva, among others. The leftist leader and his team surveyed the flooded streets of Porto Alegre from a helicopter.

“We need to stop running behind disasters. We need to see in advance what calamities might happen and we need to work,” Lula told journalists afterwards.

During Sunday mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis said he was praying for the state’s population. “May the Lord welcome the dead and comfort their families and those who had to abandon their homes,” he said.

The downpour started Monday and was expected to last through Sunday. In some areas, such as valleys, mountain slopes and cities, more than 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of rain fell in less than a week, according to Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology, known by the Portuguese acronym INMET, Thursday.

The heavy rains were the fourth such environmental disaster in the state in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people.

Weather across South America is affected by the climate phenomenon El Niño, a periodic, naturally occurring event that warms surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region. In Brazil, El Niño has historically caused droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south.

This year, the impacts of El Niño have been particularly dramatic, with a historic drought in the Amazon. Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.

“These tragedies will continue to happen, increasingly worse and more frequent,” said Suely Araújo, a public policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory, a network of dozens of environmental and social groups.

Brazil needs to adjust to the effects of climate change, she said in a Friday statement, referring to a process known as adaptation.

Sao Paulo: The death toll from heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to 39 with nearly 70 people still missing, the Civil Defence agency said.

The heavy rain was one of the worst climate tragedies that has so far affected 235 municipalities, including the state capital of Porto Alegre, according to the agency Friday.

The state has seen persisting rainfall since Monday, causing rivers to swell, destroying bridges, and putting the city of Porto Alegre, with a population of more than 1.4 million, on alert, Xinhua news agency reported.

Heavy rains also spread to the neighbouring state of Santa Catarina, where a person was killed in the flooding and landslides.

Recognising the calamity, the Brazilian government has sent equipment and financial aid to Rio Grande do Sul.

More than 24,000 people were displaced by the disaster, according to the agency.

“These will be difficult days. We ask people to leave their homes. Our goal is to save lives. Things will be lost, but we must preserve lives. Our priority is to rescue people. As for the rest, we’ll find the way ahead,” Governor Eduardo Leite said.

Leite confirmed that this is “the biggest disaster in the state” and that Rio Grande do Sul is in a “state of war”.

New Delhi: Elon Musk Thursday claimed that the X platform was asked to suspend accounts of sitting members of the Brazilian Parliament and journalists, as the US government now looks into possible law violations in the country.

In a post on his X social media platform, the billionaire said that they have just received an inquiry from the US House of Representatives regarding actions taken in Brazil that “were in violation of Brazilian law”.

“There were hundreds, if not thousands. This is getting spicy,” posted Musk.

He further said that they were “asked to suspend sitting members of Brazilian parliament and journalists”.

The Brazilian government is apparently attempting to ban X in the country and has even allegedly threatened to arrest its employees if their demands are not met.

Neither Musk nor the Brazilian government revealed which accounts were ordered by Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, to be blocked, which kicked off the tensions between Musk and the government.

Earlier this week, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO alleged that X employees in Brazil were facing arrest.

“They have been told they will be arrested,” he had posted on X.

The tech billionaire earlier said that he would lift “all the restrictions” even if the company had to close their office in the country.

New Delhi: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Tuesday alleged that employees of his X social media platform in Brazil are facing arrest amid his ongoing stand-off with the judiciary over blocking some X accounts.

The tech billionaire said that X needs to get employees in Brazil to a safe place and then “we will do a full data dump”.

“They have been told they will be arrested,” he posted on X.

Neither Musk nor the Brazilian government revealed which accounts were ordered by Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, to be blocked, which started the tussle between Musk and the government.

Amid reports that the Brazilian government will also suspend all Starlink contracts in their ongoing battle with Musk, the X owner said that Starlink will provide free Internet for schools in Brazil “if the government won’t honour their contract.”

“When did de Moraes become the dictator of Brazil?” said Musk.

“He (de Moraes) demanded that X suspend accounts of people who raised corruption concerns while insisting that X pretend the suspension was for violating our terms of service,” Musk alleged.

“We obey the laws of countries even if we disagree with them, but this requires violating the laws of Brazil.”

The tech billionaire earlier said that he would lift “all the restrictions” even if the company had to close their office in the country.

New Delhi: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Tuesday alleged that employees of his X social media platform in Brazil are facing arrest amid his ongoing stand-off with the judiciary over blocking some X accounts.

The tech billionaire said that X needs to get employees in Brazil to a safe place and then “we will do a full data dump”.

“They have been told they will be arrested,” he posted on X.

Neither Musk nor the Brazilian government revealed which accounts were ordered by Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, to be blocked, which started the tussle between Musk and the government.

Amid reports that the Brazilian government will also suspend all Starlink contracts in their ongoing battle with Musk, the X owner said that Starlink will provide free Internet for schools in Brazil.

“When did de Moraes become the dictator of Brazil?” said Musk.

How did @Alexandre de Moraes become the dictator of Brazil? He has Lula on a leash

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 9, 2024

“He (de Moraes) demanded that X suspend accounts of people who raised corruption concerns while insisting that X pretend the suspension was for violating our terms of service,” Musk alleged.

“We obey the laws of countries even if we disagree with them, but this requires violating the laws of Brazil.”

The tech billionaire earlier said that he would lift “all the restrictions” even if the company had to close their office in the country.

IANS

Kolkata: Ambassador of Brazil to India, Kenneth Félix Haczynski da Nóbrega Saturday said energy, defence and agro-processing are the three key pillars for strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking at a session on ‘India-Brazil Fostering Trade Partnership – Focus West Bengal’ organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce here, the diplomat emphasised on business-to-business collaborations in iron and steel, milk production, leather, biofuels, and aquaculture.

He also expressed optimism about the evolving defence sector alliance between the two countries.

Ambassador Nóbrega said the first Brazil-India Defence Dialogue is expected to begin next week, focusing on strategic partnerships and technological cooperation.

The interactive session explored avenues to deepen economic ties and leverage West Bengal’s potential in various sectors.

The diplomat expressed interest in exploring partnerships and technological exchange in food processing and aquaculture sectors, highlighting West Bengal’s potential in these areas.

The two countries have been strategic partners since 2006.

In 2022, the bilateral trade between the two countries expanded by 32 per cent to $15.2 billion.

PTI