International
Bolsonaro courts powerful bloc with minister appointment
AFP
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, whose popularity has plummeted recently, on Tuesday named a senator from the largest bloc in congress as his new chief of staff.
Ciro Nogueira, 52, who represents the right-wing and center-right “centrao” (large center) bloc, will take on the role of minister of the civil house, a Cabinet-level position that is equivalent to a chief of staff.
“I have just accepted the honorable invitation from President Jair Bolsonaro to take over the Civil House,” said Nogueira on Twitter during a meeting with the president in Brasilia.
Nogueira is president of the Progressistas (Progressives) party that is among those to be courted recently by Bolsonaro, who ran for election in 2018 by opposing the “old politics” of such parties.
Legislators from the centrao bloc are known to offer votes in exchange for investment in their states, while their support for presidents can be fickle.
For example, many legislators from the bloc initially supported leftist Dilma Rousseff (2011-16) before subsequently voting for her impeachment.
This “give and take” form of governance has led to numerous scandals and corruption investigations over the years.
Bolsonaro spent almost 30 years of his political career with parties in the centrao, but he affiliated himself with the far right PSL when running for president in 2018 on an anti-establishment ticket.
He broke from the PSL just a few months later.
Initially he tried to govern without support from the centrao but his chaotic pandemic management and embroilment in a corruption scandal related to the purchase of vaccines saw his popularity plummet to just 24 percent.
Bolsonaro was thus forced to court the centrao, particularly with a general election just over a year away.
This year, he supported the election of two centrao legislators to head the Chamber of Deputies and Senate.
“I’m from the centrao, I was born here,” Bolsonaro said last week in defense of his imminent appointment of Nogueira.
In the latest opinion polls he has trailed well behind leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010).
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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