International

Brazil hikes interest rate as inflation surges

AFP

Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday hiked its benchmark interest rate by a whopping 150 basis points for the second straight time, seeking to fight surging inflation even as Latin America’s biggest economy is stuck in recession.

The increase, the seventh straight, was in line with analysts’ expectations. It brought the Selic rate to 9.25 percent, the highest since mid-2017.

The decision was made unanimously by the nine members of the bank’s monetary policy committee, which said in a statement it expected “another adjustment of the same magnitude” when it ends its next meeting, on February 2.

“It is appropriate for the monetary tightening cycle to advance significantly into the territory of a contraction,” it said.

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“The committee will persevere in its strategy until not only the process of disinflation but the anchoring of (inflation) expectations in line with its targets are consolidated.”

Policymakers are navigating treacherous waters as they try to right Brazil’s listing pandemic recovery.

The South American giant’s economy is in recession, having contracted by 0.4 percent in the second quarter of 2021 and 0.1 percent in the third.

Despite the slump, the central bank has hawkishly slammed on the monetary policy brakes because of surging inflation, fueled by both global price pressures and Brazil’s own domestic problems.

The annual inflation rate came in at 10.67 percent in October, nearly triple the bank’s target of 3.75 percent.

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– Spending amendment –

Rapidly rising prices have been driven by a series of factors: internationally, those include global supply chain shortages, increasing oil prices and pandemic uncertainty.

At home, Brazil faces electricity rate hikes caused by droughts that sapped crucial hydroelectric dams, a weak currency and uncertainty around President Jair Bolsonaro’s bid to amend the constitution to free up money in the government’s tight budget for massive social spending.

Critics accuse the far-right president of embracing economic populism with the new spending measures.

But he won a victory Wednesday when Congress adopted a first portion of the spending amendment, enabling the government to postpone court-ordered debt payments.

That will free up 62 billion reais ($11 billion) to spend in 2022, with most expected to go to welfare payments.

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The economy has turned into a major headache for Bolsonaro heading into elections next October that polls currently place him on track to lose to leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Double-digit inflation has left many Brazilian families struggling to make ends meet, weighing down Bolsonaro’s already sagging popularity — and driving his bid for new social spending, political analysts say.

Brazil’s unemployment rate has meanwhile been stubbornly high, at 12.6 percent for the third quarter.

International

Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka

Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.

The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.

An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.

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Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.

Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.

Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.

Internacionales

Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages

May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.

In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.

Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.

International

Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.

During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.

“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.

“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”

Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.

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On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.