International

Brazil firms, NGOs urge Biden to create forest fund

AFP

Hundreds of Brazilian companies and environmental groups urged President Joe Biden to make good on US climate pledges as lawmakers in Washington prepared to debate a measure Thursday on launching a $9 billion anti-deforestation fund.

The AMAZON21 bill, aimed at helping developing countries protect their forests, “would represent an important expression of commitment by President Biden and the US Congress regarding the fight against climate change by targeting one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions,” the Brazilians wrote in a letter to Biden and congressional leaders.

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold hearings Thursday on the legislation, introduced after Biden promised at the UN climate summit in Glasgow last November to provide that amount to fund projects that fight deforestation.

Home to around 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil is a key player in the battle to stop the advancing destruction of the world’s forests, which is accelerating global warming by turning them from carbon absorbers to carbon sources.

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The letter, dated Tuesday, highlighted recent studies finding that more than three-quarters of the Amazon has been losing its resilience since the start of this century, and that the world’s biggest rainforest is approaching a “tipping point.”

The document was signed by a broad-based list of 23 coalitions representing more than 300 companies and organizations, ranging from agribusiness firms that are themselves accused of fueling deforestation — top beef exporter JBS and soy exporter Cargill, for example — to environmental and indigenous-rights groups.

Brazil’s government has long argued wealthy nations should contribute financing for developing countries to protect their forests, to offset the revenue lost by not developing the land.

The letter was addressed to Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top-ranking members of Congress.

To be effective, it said, the bill needs to establish a “simple and transparent financing system.”

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It should also lay out “clear rules” for funding projects that bring in government, the private sector, universities and organizations; allocate resources based on results; and prioritize funds for indigenous peoples and others who live in and protect forests.

International

Gates Foundation to close by 2045 as Bill Gates pledges to donate $200 Billion

When Bill and Melinda French Gates established the Gates Foundation in 2000, they envisioned an organization that would continue its work for decades after their deaths. But now, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he doesn’t want to wait that long to give away most of his fortune.

On Thursday, Gates announced that he plans to donate “virtually all” of his estimated $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years and will dissolve the foundation on December 31, 2045.

The announcement comes amid deep cuts by the Trump administration to funding for health, foreign aid, and public assistance programs — the very causes the Gates Foundation supports. The shift raises concerns about setbacks in global health research and critical development initiatives.

Gates says he wants to accelerate the foundation’s work in global health and equity, and hopes the move will inspire other billionaires to follow suit. In a blog post published Thursday morning, he emphasized that the foundation’s final phase should serve as a model for large-scale philanthropic impact.

This new pledge builds on Gates’s long-standing commitment to philanthropy. Alongside French Gates and Warren Buffett, he co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The campaign now has more than 240 signatories worldwide.

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International

Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering the world’s poorest children

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft turned global health philanthropist, sharply criticized Elon Musk in a recent interview with The New York Times, saying the tech billionaire is “the richest man in the world and is involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”

At 69, Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will cease operations by 2045, and he urged the next generation of billionaires to step up. However, he expressed concern that today’s wealthy individuals are less committed to humanitarian work than they were two decades ago.

He cited Elon Musk as a prime example: “He’s the one who cut the USAID budget. He shredded it — all because he didn’t attend some party that weekend.”

Gates argued that Musk “could have been a great philanthropist,” but instead, “the richest man in the world is now contributing to the deaths of the world’s poorest children.” He pointed to how cuts to USAID have disrupted essential programs fighting HIV, malaria, and polio.

Gates called on the global elite to do more: “It’s not that we’re running out of rich people. There will be more, and they’ll reflect on what AI has done — or hasn’t — and what governments have done — or haven’t.”

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Looking ahead, he urged future billionaires to commit to greater philanthropy, especially as his own foundation phases out: “The rich of today should do more. The rich twenty years from now should do more.”

Despite his criticisms, Gates maintained his trademark optimism. He dismissed fears that repeated U.S. administrations will continue cutting humanitarian budgets: “I don’t think there will be administration after administration slashing these things. If we look 20 years ahead, I believe we’ll continue reducing child mortality.”

Gates also expressed faith in artificial intelligence, suggesting it can provide medical expertise in remote regions on par with doctors with decades of experience — potentially even better than what’s available in wealthy countries.

International

VP JD Vance to World Cup visitors: “Enjoy the game, then go home”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance issued a light-hearted but firm warning to international visitors planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“We know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to a hundred countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to enjoy the games,” said Vance during a press conference on Tuesday focused on the organization of upcoming major sporting events in the U.S.

“But when it’s over, they’ll have to go home,” he added.

Vance, speaking in a joking tone, also mentioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “Otherwise, they’ll have to speak with Secretary Noem.”

The comment came during the first joint working session aimed at preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 national teams and take place across multiple cities in North America.