International

Massacre reported in rural area of Bahia state, Brazil

Photo: EFE

August 29|

In the northeast of Brazil, the police reported the day before the discovery, in two neighboring houses, of nine lifeless bodies; seven of them charred, including those of three children, in a massacre that occurred in Mata de Sao Joao, a rural area on the outskirts of the city of Salvador, belonging to the state of Bahia.

Although authorities did not disclose the identities of the victims or the motive for the episode of extreme violence, local media reported that there are suspicions that it is due to a territorial dispute between gangs over the sale of drugs.

As part of the incident, a 12-year-old adolescent was rescued alive and is currently being treated at a hospital with half of his body burned. The victim was questioned by the police, but his version was not disclosed.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the case evolved when the Civil Police located in a nearby wooded area several suspects of the act, who confronted the agents.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

In the crossfire, two of the suspected criminals were killed and another was arrested, while a fourth individual is still being sought and captured. The operation resulted in the seizure of several guns, ammunition and drugs.

In 2022, Bahia was, for the fourth year in a row, the state with the most violent deaths in all of Brazil, with more than 6,600 murders, which represents the second highest homicide rate in the South American country (47.1 per 100,000 inhabitants), according to data from the Brazilian Public Security Forum.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

20260212_constancia_pagos_mh_728x90

Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.