International

Brazil announces aid to population affected by drought in Amazonas

Photo: @geraldoalckmin

October 5 |

The vice president of Brazil, Geraldo Alckmin, traveled Wednesday to the city of Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas (northwest) to assess firsthand the damage caused by the extreme drought affecting that region and announced several measures to help the population.

Alckmin met with several authorities, including Governor Wilson Lima and mayors. He visited affected communities, where he spoke with local leaders, businessmen and representatives of civil society. He also flew over the city of Manaus.

According to local media, the delegation sent by President Luiz Inázio Lula da Silva – who is recovering from surgery – announced a group of measures to combat the effects of the event. Among other measures, it was announced that two stretches of rivers will be dredged to clear flows and guarantee navigation, and protection insurance will be issued for affected producers.

According to the provisions, an 8 km stretch of the Solimões river will be dredged, a work that will last 30 days and will cost R$ 30 million (US$ 7.4 million). The second section, 12 km long and budgeted at R$100 million (US$19.48 million), will be dredged on the Madeira River. Both projects will seek to restore navigation capacity.

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The Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, announced that 191 firefighters will be sent to reinforce the contingent dealing with the forest fires in the south of the state.

For his part, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, explained that in Amazonas enough diesel oil has already been stored to supply transportation for the next 30 days to 169 isolated sectors – which depend on river navigation – and to provide them with food, water and electricity, as well as to guarantee electricity generation (they use diesel generators).

Through the social network X, Alckmin assured that 850 reais (US$ 165) will be allocated to small farmers, extractivists and fishermen (with incomes up to 1.5 times the minimum wage) who have lost production.

Also, R$800 (US$150) per person will be given in the form of housing aid to 200 residents of the municipality of Beruri whose houses were destroyed by a landslide.

Among other concrete measures, he added that basic food baskets and sanitary kits will be distributed to the population, who will also receive other social benefits.

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The Brazilian vice-president said that 55 of 62 municipalities are directly affected by the drought, which is having a negative impact on the lives of some 200,000 people, some 50,000 families. The drought is considered to be caused by the combined effect of the El Niño phenomenon and the warming of the North Atlantic.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.