International
Brazil’s Bolsonaro flexes muscles with military parade
AFP
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro drew criticism Tuesday for presiding over a military parade outside the presidential palace, a show of strength as he fends off sinking popularity and a raft of investigations.
Smiling with military top brass at his side, the far-right leader stood atop the palace steps as a long convoy of tanks and armored vehicles filed through the seat of power in Brazil, where Bolsonaro trails in the polls for presidential elections next year.
Critics said the display was reminiscent of Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship, for which Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is openly nostalgic.
“This is pathetic…. Our democracy has the means to defend itself from a coup-mongering outburst,” said Senator Omar Aziz, chair of a Senate committee investigating the Bolsonaro government’s widely criticized handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bolsonaro, 66, is also facing investigations over his attacks on Brazil’s electronic voting system, which he alleges — without evidence — is riddled with fraud.
The Supreme Court and Supreme Electoral Court have ordered him investigated for potential crimes in his unrelenting campaign against the system, which Brazil has used since 1996.
The military parade came on the same day Congress debates a Bolsonaro-backed bill to overhaul the system.
The president wants “printable and auditable” paper ballots for every vote cast, in addition to the electronic system.
Opponents accuse him of setting the stage to claim widespread fraud if he loses the October 2022 election, following in the footsteps of his political idol, former US president Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro insisted there was no link between the military parade and the bill before Congress.
Officially, the event was for the armed forces to give the president an invitation to upcoming military exercises outside the capital.
However, it is the first time tanks have filed past the presidential palace, Congress and high court since the dictatorship era.
“The president is using this tank parade to try to intimidate Congress and the Supreme Court,” said political scientist Mauricio Santoro of Rio de Janeiro State University.
“He wants to show the armed forces are on his side.”
Nine opposition parties issued a joint statement condemning the display, including the Workers’ Party of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who leads Bolsonaro in the polls for 2022.
Soldiers arrested a group of protesters who tried to block the convoy. A small crowd of Bolsonaro supporters also attended, some carrying signs calling for the military to intervene to “save Brazil.”
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.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
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