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Signs of something ‘buried’ in Amazon disappearance of journalist, expert

AFP

Authorities combing a remote corner of the Amazon for signs of a missing British journalist and Brazilian indigenous expert are investigating a patch of earth where something appears to have been buried, officials said Friday.

Fears have been mounting over the fate of Dom Phillips, 57, a veteran contributor to The Guardian newspaper, and Bruno Pereira, 41, a respected specialist in indigenous peoples, since they disappeared Sunday after receiving threats during a research trip to Brazil’s Javari Valley, a far-flung jungle region that has seen a surge of illegal fishing, logging, mining and drug trafficking.

Authorities, who have arrested a suspect witnesses say pursued the men upriver and found blood on a tarp in his boat, told journalists accompanying the search operation they had a new lead in the case: a suspicious site with “overturned earth” near the area where the men were last seen, said emergency official Geonivan Maciel.

“It’s as if someone had dug something at the site, buried something there,” Maciel said.

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“We’re going to carry out a scan of the bottom to verify… We can’t say there’s definite evidence, but we’re going to see if there’s something there that could identify something about the two missing men.”

President Jair Bolsonaro’s government has faced criticism of failing to scale up the search operation fast enough, and mounting pressure from high-profile media organizations, rights groups and celebrities including football legend Pele and iconic singer Caetano Veloso.

Bolsonaro appeared to blame the men, saying they had gone on an “unadvisable adventure.”

Police have said they are hopeful of finding the pair alive but are not ruling out any possibility, including homicide.

Witnesses say they saw the arrested man trailing Phillips and Pereira’s boat as the pair made their way back to the small city of Atalaia do Norte after a research trip to an area known as Jaburu lake.

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Local indigenous activists say Phillips and Pereira received threats last week while working in the region.

Pereira, a highly regarded expert on the region currently on leave from Brazilian indigenous affairs agency FUNAI, has been a target of death threats for his work fighting illegal invasions of indigenous lands.

Phillips was accompanying him for a book project on sustainable development in the Amazon.

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International

Joe Biden finishes prostate cancer radiotherapy at Penn Medicine

Former U.S. President Joe Biden completed his prostate cancer radiotherapy on Monday, a condition he has been managing since 2023.

The 82-year-old touched a ceremonial bell at Penn Medicine in Pennsylvania after his final session, according to a video posted on Instagram by his daughter, Ashley Biden. She expressed gratitude to the doctors and nurses for the care her father received during his treatment.

A spokesperson for Biden told ABC News that it is currently unclear whether the former president will need to continue radiotherapy.

Biden’s prostate cancer was detected during a routine check-up. According to his medical team, it was a localized, slow-growing tumor. At the time of diagnosis, doctors indicated a positive prognosis with no signs of metastasis.

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Central America

White House targets Nicaragua over human rights and labor violations

The White House is considering imposing new tariffs of up to 100% on Nicaragua or removing the country from the benefits of the CAFTA-DR free trade agreement, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) reported Monday.

The USTR determined that Nicaragua’s policies under the Ortega-Murillo regime regarding violations of labor and human rights, as well as the dismantling of the rule of law, are “unreasonable” and constitute a burden on commerce.

The resolution follows an investigation that began on December 10, 2024, when the USTR, based on recommendations from the Section 301 Committee and other advisory bodies, started reviewing the practices of Nicaragua’s government. The process included a public hearing and more than 160 comments and testimonies, including evidence of severe human rights abuses that have been forwarded to the U.S. State Department for evaluation and follow-up.

The report published Monday extensively documents how Nicaragua’s authoritarian practices — including the repression of fundamental freedoms — create a high-risk environment for U.S. businesses and investments.

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International

Zelenskyy: Meeting with Trump “Positive” Despite Rejected Missile Request

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described his reportedly tense meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last week as “positive,” despite failing to secure Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine. He emphasized what he said was the continued U.S. interest in economic cooperation with Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said Trump backed away from the possibility of sending long-range missiles to Ukraine after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, held just hours before the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders met on Friday.

“In my view, he doesn’t want an escalation with the Russians until he meets with them,” Zelenskyy told reporters Sunday. His remarks were embargoed until Monday morning.

Ukraine is seeking to purchase 25 Patriot air defense systems from U.S. manufacturers using frozen Russian assets and assistance from partners. However, Zelenskyy noted that acquiring all of them will take time due to long production lines. He said he discussed with Trump potential support to accelerate procurement, possibly through European partners.

According to Zelenskyy, Trump stated during their meeting that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sweeping demands — that Ukraine cede the entire eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk — remain unchanged.

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Zelenskyy was diplomatic when describing his encounter with Trump, though reports suggest he faced pressure to accept Putin’s terms — a strategy Trump has reportedly maintained since the tense Oval Office confrontation on February 28, when the Ukrainian leader was publicly scolded for not being “grateful enough” for U.S. aid.

Still, Zelenskyy said that since Trump ultimately supported maintaining the current front line, the overall message was “positive” for Ukraine.

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