International

Brazil rescuers end search after storms that killed 128

AFP

Emergency workers in Brazil ended their search Friday for victims of deadly floods and landslides that hit the country’s northeast, after finding the body of the last person reported missing, bringing the death toll to 128, officials said.

Days of torrential rain late last month in the region around Recife, the capital of Pernambuco state, triggered flash floods and violent landslides that wiped out virtually everything in their path.

The last body, that of a woman buried beneath a landslide in the city of Camaragibe, just outside Recife, was recovered Friday morning, officials said.

“We have ended the search for the missing. I want to send my condolences and solidarity to the families of the 128 victims,” Governor Paulo Camara said in a statement.

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He said the state would hold three days of official mourning for the victims, 32 of whom were children.

The state government announced it would also pay emergency aid of 1,500 reais (around $315) each to 82,000 families that lost their homes or property in the disaster.

Brazil has been hit by a series of deadly storms in recent months that experts say are being made worse by climate change.

Poor communities — especially hillside “favelas,” or slums — are typically hit hardest.

In February, 233 people were killed in floods and landslides in the historic southeastern city of Petropolis, in Rio de Janeiro state.

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In January, torrential rains claimed at least 28 lives in southeastern Brazil, mostly in Sao Paulo state.

International

Habeas Corpus at risk as Trump team eyes drastic border policy shift

The White House is reportedly considering suspending habeas corpus, the legal principle that protects individuals against arbitrary detention, as part of its efforts to escalate anti-immigration measures in the United States.

In remarks to reporters, Stephen Miller, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, argued that the U.S. Constitution allows the suspension of habeas corpus “in times of invasion.”

“It’s an option we are actively considering, and it all depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not,” Miller stated.

The Trump administration has frequently invoked the notion of a “migrant invasion” to justify actions such as the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border and the deportation of foreign nationals—primarily Venezuelans—to El Salvador’s CECOT megaprison.

International

Maduro to Xi: Venezuela is a loyal friend to China

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro assured his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, during a meeting held in Moscow on the sidelines of the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory in World War II, that China has “loyal friends” in the Caribbean nation.

“You know that in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela you have loyal friends and people willing to continue working for a new world,” said the South American leader, according to footage aired Friday by Venezuelan state broadcaster VTV.

Maduro, accompanied by several of his ministers including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, highlighted the “great results” of a 2023 agreement between China and Venezuela called the “All-Weather and All-Round Strategic Partnership.”

“I believe we can multiply the great results we’re already seeing, and I’m sure that strong and clear guidelines will emerge from this meeting to keep moving forward together,” Maduro added.

International

Iberojet reaffirms commitment to Honduras as Central American Hub

Spanish airline Iberojet and Palmerola International Airport, located in central Honduras, signed a three-year renewal of their exclusive agreement to operate direct flights between the Honduran terminal and the cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

With this renewal, Iberojet—part of the Spanish tourism group Ávoris Corporación Empresarial—reaffirms its commitment to Honduras as its main gateway to Central America from Europe.

The agreement was signed by Iberojet’s Commercial Director, Mario Domínguez, and Erick Spears, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Palmerola.

The signing ceremony took place at the residence of the Spanish Ambassador to Honduras, Diego Nuño García, who served as an honorary witness.