International
Brazil: Amazon deforestation falls 33.6% in first half of 2023
July 7 |
The Brazilian government reported Thursday that deforestation in the Amazon in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year, decreased by 33.6 percent.
The data were published by the Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (Deter), of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and was presented this Thursday (6) by the Ministry of the Environment (MMA).
The Brazilian Amazon lost 2,649 square kilometers of vegetation cover between January and June, which represents an area less than that of the first six months of 2022 with an affectation of 3,988 kilometers.
One of the actions identified as key to safeguarding the Amazon rainforest is the resumption of environmental inspection. Compared to the first half of 2022, the first six months of 2023 saw a 348 percent increase in the number of assessments, which reached 1,141.
Meanwhile, in the comparison between June of the previous year and that of 2023, a 41 percent drop was detected.
For her part, the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, said that “deforestation was increasing exponentially. Now there is a constant downward trend in deforestation in the Amazon”.
“President Lula’s decision to assume as government policy the idea that environmental policy is transversal is something intangible, but very powerful. Of the ten decrees issued on the first day of government, five were in the environmental area. We could not stand still. With the tools we had, we were doing the job”, said Marina Silva.
However, Deter indicated that in the Cerrado, the world’s largest savannah, there was a 21 percent increase in the first semester compared to the same period of the previous year.
According to Murilo Pajolla, who published an article on the Brasil de Fato platform on June 23, “in 2022, deforestation in all Brazilian biomes was 22 percent higher than in the previous year. The Cerrado and the Amazon were the scene of 90 percent of all the devastation recorded in the country. Every second, around 21 trees are cut down in the Brazilian Amazon”.
They also pointed out that the triple border between Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia is called Amacro, the union of the acronyms of the states (AM, AC, RO), and this region accounted for a quarter of all deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon last year.
International
Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza
Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.
Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.
“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.
Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”
Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..
“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”
She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.
Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.
International
Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions
Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.
“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.
The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.
Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.
The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
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