@Jornal de Brasília
The Lula government made moves to normalize relations with Congress after weeks of conflict and hopes that the recess will ease the tension, while the tension between lawmakers shifts to the Judiciary, with consecutive police operations against congressmen and the looming of polarizing trials, such as the one questioning the constitutionality of budget amendments. Upon return, the government's priority will be the public security agenda, with the PEC on the topic and the anti-faction project, both in the House of Representatives. Additionally, approval in the Senate of Jorge Messias' nomination as Supreme Court minister is on the list of priorities. The semester is short due to elections, and lawmakers assess that the volume of votes will be more restricted. The government's relationship with the management of House President Hugo Motta has been tumultuous throughout the year. Among the frictions were the repeal of the IOF decree, the selection of Guilherme Derrite, an ally of São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, as the rapporteur of the anti-faction project, the voting of the project to reduce penalties for former President Jair Bolsonaro, and the PEC on Budget Shielding. Lula acted last week to ease the relationship. He called Motta to settle the economic agenda and chose the son of one of his allies, Deputy Damião Feliciano, as Tourism Minister, replacing Celso Sabino, a move that also reapproaches the party, which was previously broken. For Motta, the relationship is stabilized and there will be more dialogue in 2026. "As all our relationships, you have highs and lows, and that's very natural, because each power has its independence, each power has its way of acting, has its internal dynamics. It's not written in the Constitution that one power has to agree with another 100% on all points," he told journalists on Friday. Motta also reconciled with the PT's leader in the House, Deputy Lindbergh Farias, with whom he had been at odds since November. They met personally on Friday to discuss their disagreements and put an end to the feud. "For me, the game is zero," Motta said. With Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, Lula promised a conversation in the coming days, after disagreements over the nomination for the Supreme Court, which Alcolumbre wanted to be Rodrigo Pacheco, his ally. The PT leader also met with some of the main leaders of the House, who demanded more frequent dialogue. The resumption of conversations occurred after the postponement of Messias' vote to 2026 and also after the Senate's reaction to Justice Gilmar Mendes' decision, which made it difficult to impeach Supreme Court ministers, a scenario that opened up a crisis between the Senate and the Planalto Palace, taking the focus away from the government. A problem for 2026 is the disagreements between Senate Leader Jaques Wagner, a PT member, and some of the main figures in the House, including Alcolumbre, who spent weeks not taking his calls, believing he acted to choose Messias, and Renan Calheiros, who criticized the agreement of procedures that allowed the voting of the penalty reduction project. On the other hand, the tension between Congress and the Supreme Court continued to escalate. In December, police operations targeted all fields: the government, the center-right, and the opposition. The Federal Police executed search and seizure warrants against Mariângela Fialek, a Tuca, an assistant linked to former House President Arthur Lira and who continued to work in Motta's management with the management of parliamentary amendments to the budget. The operation was authorized by Supreme Court Minister Flávio Dino to investigate suspicions of irregularities in the destination of public funds through parliamentary amendments. The investigation targets several key figures in the center-right, who control the largest volume of these funds. The group came out in defense of Tuca, and Motta released a statement saying that the servant exercises a technical role and that there is no irregularity in the distribution of amendments. The move, however, annoyed the top of Congress, and there are reports that advisors are now afraid of being targeted by operations as well. Another police action targeted Senator Weverton Rocha, the rapporteur of Messias' nomination to the Supreme Court and leader of the PDT in the Senate, one of the most Lula's loyal groups. The same operation investigates a R$ 300,000 payment made by order of lobbyist Antonio Carlos Camilo Antunes, known as Careca do INSS, to a businesswoman friend of Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, Lulinha. All deny irregularities. On Friday, the targets were two opposition leaders. Deputies Carlos Jordy and Sóstenes Cavalcante, leader of the PL in the House, are suspected of diverting public funds from parliamentary quotas. At an address linked to the leader of the PL, the Federal Police seized around R$ 430,000 in cash. He attributed the money to the sale of a property, and both accused Dino of authorizing the operation to persecute them. A point that reduced the tension slightly was that, in the cases of parliamentarians, only personal or functional addresses were targeted, but there was no search and seizure in the congressional buildings. Police operations in the legislative building are a frequent source of complaints, as they expose lawmakers more. Motta also had to cancel, by the Board of Directors, the now former deputies Carla Zambelli and Alexandre Ramagem. The plenary rejected Zambelli's loss of office, but the First Chamber of the Supreme Court ordered her immediate removal from office, and she eventually resigned. Motta wanted to take Ramagem's case to the plenary, but backed down and decreed the loss for future absences, which was attacked by the opposition.
The Lula government made moves to normalize relations with Congress after weeks of conflict and hopes that the recess will ease the tension, while the tension between lawmakers shifts to the Judiciary, with consecutive police operations against congressmen and the looming of polarizing trials, such as the one questioning the constitutionality of budget amendments. Upon return, the government's priority will be the public security agenda, with the PEC on the topic and the anti-faction project, both in the House of Representatives. Additionally, approval in the Senate of Jorge Messias' nomination as Supreme Court minister is on the list of priorities. The semester is short due to elections, and lawmakers assess that the volume of votes will be more restricted. The government's relationship with the management of House President Hugo Motta has been tumultuous throughout the year. Among the frictions were the repeal of the IOF decree, the selection of Guilherme Derrite, an ally of São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, as the rapporteur of the anti-faction project, the voting of the project to reduce penalties for former President Jair Bolsonaro, and the PEC on Budget Shielding. Lula acted last week to ease the relationship. He called Motta to settle the economic agenda and chose the son of one of his allies, Deputy Damião Feliciano, as Tourism Minister, replacing Celso Sabino, a move that also reapproaches the party, which was previously broken. For Motta, the relationship is stabilized and there will be more dialogue in 2026. "As all our relationships, you have highs and lows, and that's very natural, because each power has its independence, each power has its way of acting, has its internal dynamics. It's not written in the Constitution that one power has to agree with another 100% on all points," he told journalists on Friday. Motta also reconciled with the PT's leader in the House, Deputy Lindbergh Farias, with whom he had been at odds since November. They met personally on Friday to discuss their disagreements and put an end to the feud. "For me, the game is zero," Motta said. With Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, Lula promised a conversation in the coming days, after disagreements over the nomination for the Supreme Court, which Alcolumbre wanted to be Rodrigo Pacheco, his ally. The PT leader also met with some of the main leaders of the House, who demanded more frequent dialogue. The resumption of conversations occurred after the postponement of Messias' vote to 2026 and also after the Senate's reaction to Justice Gilmar Mendes' decision, which made it difficult to impeach Supreme Court ministers, a scenario that opened up a crisis between the Senate and the Planalto Palace, taking the focus away from the government. A problem for 2026 is the disagreements between Senate Leader Jaques Wagner, a PT member, and some of the main figures in the House, including Alcolumbre, who spent weeks not taking his calls, believing he acted to choose Messias, and Renan Calheiros, who criticized the agreement of procedures that allowed the voting of the penalty reduction project. On the other hand, the tension between Congress and the Supreme Court continued to escalate. In December, police operations targeted all fields: the government, the center-right, and the opposition. The Federal Police executed search and seizure warrants against Mariângela Fialek, a Tuca, an assistant linked to former House President Arthur Lira and who continued to work in Motta's management with the management of parliamentary amendments to the budget. The operation was authorized by Supreme Court Minister Flávio Dino to investigate suspicions of irregularities in the destination of public funds through parliamentary amendments. The investigation targets several key figures in the center-right, who control the largest volume of these funds. The group came out in defense of Tuca, and Motta released a statement saying that the servant exercises a technical role and that there is no irregularity in the distribution of amendments. The move, however, annoyed the top of Congress, and there are reports that advisors are now afraid of being targeted by operations as well. Another police action targeted Senator Weverton Rocha, the rapporteur of Messias' nomination to the Supreme Court and leader of the PDT in the Senate, one of the most Lula's loyal groups. The same operation investigates a R$ 300,000 payment made by order of lobbyist Antonio Carlos Camilo Antunes, known as Careca do INSS, to a businesswoman friend of Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, Lulinha. All deny irregularities. On Friday, the targets were two opposition leaders. Deputies Carlos Jordy and Sóstenes Cavalcante, leader of the PL in the House, are suspected of diverting public funds from parliamentary quotas. At an address linked to the leader of the PL, the Federal Police seized around R$ 430,000 in cash. He attributed the money to the sale of a property, and both accused Dino of authorizing the operation to persecute them. A point that reduced the tension slightly was that, in the cases of parliamentarians, only personal or functional addresses were targeted, but there was no search and seizure in the congressional buildings. Police operations in the legislative building are a frequent source of complaints, as they expose lawmakers more. Motta also had to cancel, by the Board of Directors, the now former deputies Carla Zambelli and Alexandre Ramagem. The plenary rejected Zambelli's loss of office, but the First Chamber of the Supreme Court ordered her immediate removal from office, and she eventually resigned. Motta wanted to take Ramagem's case to the plenary, but backed down and decreed the loss for future absences, which was attacked by the opposition.
Jornal de Brasília
Congresso se reaproxima do governo e desloca crise para o Judiciário após operações - Jornal de Brasília
A relação do governo com a gestão do presidente da Câmara, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), viveu momentos conturbados ao longo do ano
The mass deportation campaign conducted by US President Donald Trump is one of the most visible and far-reaching measures taken by the Republican since he returned to the White House this year. Raids by immigration authorities at parking lots, supermarkets, schools, courts, and public transportation have transformed the lives of immigrants in the US, who now live in a state of fear. According to activists, many have withdrawn from public life, participating less in cultural events and even staying indoors. The agency responsible for arresting immigrants in the country illegally is ICE, the US immigration service. Turbocharged with a 200% increase in budget from next year, the agency sees its methods of violent car and home invasions, mass arrests on farms, and more, increasingly questioned by the opposition. However, despite the high visibility of ICE operations, the total number of immigrants deported by the agency is unclear. The Trump administration claims that 2.5 million foreign nationals are no longer in the country, with 600,000 having been deported, and the rest having left voluntarily. Several American media outlets have published different estimates. Now, an analysis of government data conducted by Folha points out that, from January to September 2025, ICE deported at least 113,000 immigrants, a 126% increase from the same period last year, when Democrat Joe Biden was in power. The data was analyzed from documents obtained through the US Freedom of Information Act and compiled by the Deportation Data Project, an initiative of the University of California. The analysis considers deportations conducted by ICE, not by the other US immigration agency, CBP (Customs and Border Protection), responsible mainly for preventing immigrants from entering the country through the Mexican border. This means that the actual number may be higher, but not much, as the number of people entering the US through the southern border has plummeted in 2025. "My prediction is that this is a temporary victory," says Daniel Kanstroom, a Boston College law professor specializing in immigration. "The forces driving people to immigrate, mainly from Latin America, are very, very powerful. I don't think it's possible to stop them unless there are structural changes in the hemisphere. As long as American companies continue to hire people, immigrants will continue to come." The records show that under Biden, ICE deported 50,000 immigrants from January to September 2024. A report from the immigration agency that year puts the total number of removals at 270,000, but includes expulsions, where an immigrant leaves voluntarily or is immediately repelled at the southern border. Although a significant increase compared to the Biden administration, the number of 113,000 deportations obtained by Folha is lower than the 600,000 presented by the Trump administration. The report contacted ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the discrepancy but did not receive a response. "Among my colleagues, there is a sense of exhaustion and immense uncertainty," Kanstroom says. "There are more and more evidence that ICE is operating illegally in the way it arrests and deports people. Nobody knows what to tell their clients, and I've been working with this for a quarter of a century. Many lawyers are angry because it seems we live in a lawless system." The report also examined the countries to which immigrants were deported and their nationalities. These two data points were practically the same under Biden. However, this changed under Trump, who began deporting immigrants who were not citizens of those countries to places like Mexico and El Salvador. The documents show that the most deported are Mexicans, who represent 40% of the total. Then come Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Venezuelans, with Brazilians in 11th place. 1,373 Brazilian citizens were expelled from the US by the Trump administration during the period analyzed, almost four times more than under Biden. The number of people deported to Mexico exploded, rising from 25,000 to 48,000, and at least 4,000 of these were not Mexican citizens. The number of people sent to Venezuela also skyrocketed: from around 400 people in 2024 to over 6,000 in 2025, a 15-fold increase, partly due to Trump's pressure on the regime of Nicolás Maduro to accept flights of deportation from the US. With the approval of Congress of Trump's budget project in July, resources allocated to ICE tripled: from $10 billion in 2025 to at least $30 billion next year, with an investment of $75 billion by 2029. The surge in budget will transform ICE. With $30 billion, if it were a traditional army, the US immigration service would be the 17th most expensive in the world, above countries like Canada, Turkey, Spain, and Brazil, which spend $20 billion a year on defense. With the investment, the immigration service plans to hire an additional 5,000 agents, reaching a total of 30,000, and expand capacity in detention centers from 70,000 to 100,000. Reports from American media also claim that ICE's daily arrest goal will be 2,000 from 2026. "I live in Boston, where there is a large Brazilian community. I have many Brazilian friends. And even people with American citizenship ask me: Should I walk around with my passport?" says Professor Daniel Kanstroom. "It's a question and a level of fear unprecedented in this country. And I think the fear and cruelty caused [by the Trump administration] are intentional."
Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who is under house arrest, was hospitalized in the afternoon of this Saturday (20) in Buenos Aires. The 72-year-old Peronist left her home in the Constitución neighborhood for the first time since her arrest. She was transferred to the Otamendi hospital after presenting a case of abdominal pain and will undergo emergency surgery for appendicitis. Cristina's supporters gathered in front of the medical center to show solidarity, and the mayor of Quilmes, Mayra Mendoza, visited the former president. Cristina has faced various health problems over the past few decades. In 2012, she underwent surgery to remove her thyroid gland less than a month after taking office for her second term. In 2013, she had to be hospitalized for a chronic subdural hematoma (a hematoma on the head) that required surgery and prolonged rest. In 2014, she suffered a fracture in her left ankle, which did not leave permanent sequelae. In 2021, she underwent surgery to treat a uterine polyp. In recent days, Cristina has participated in virtual hearings of the trial involving the so-called "Cuadernos case", in which she is being accused of corruption in public works tenders, a case different from the one for which she was convicted. The hearings take place twice a week, and recently, the judge responsible for her sentence limited the visits she can receive at home, allowing only visits from doctors, lawyers, and family members. Cristina was sentenced to six years in prison on June 11 for corruption in the Vialidad case, a corruption case involving the construction of a highway, which prevents her from running for public office. Since her conviction, she has remained at home, serving house arrest and only left due to a medical emergency. During this period, she has received visits from supporters and friends, including President Lula, and has conducted her political activities from her residence through social media messages and meetings with candidates from the Força Pátria coalition. Despite her judicial situation, Cristina has maintained an intense political agenda, receiving leaders and former presidents at her home and criticizing the management of her political opponent, Argentine President Javier Milei. Her residence has become a meeting point where she appears to interact with her supporters and monitor the protests.
Amores, I swear that for a few seconds I thought I was seeing something. Blink, rub my eyes, look again... and no, it wasn't a collective hallucination. The sky of Balneário Camboriú simply became the main attraction of the night. Amidst the roar of the Desafio Jota Racing engines, when everyone thought they'd seen it all, came the final blow. Look up. Hundreds of drones rose together, in perfect synchrony, drawing light figures in the air as if someone had pressed play on a futuristic film. No fireworks, no smoke. It was pure light, calculated movement, millimeter-perfect choreography. A digital panel floating above the heads of the audience. Breathtaking? Yes. Perplexing? Totally. Because it's not every day that technology decides to put on an artistic performance in the sky. Photo: Publicity Each drone knew exactly where to be, when to change color, and how to move. All controlled by algorithms, GPS, and embedded intelligence. The soundtrack wasn't a coincidence. The music was composed by the event organizer himself, Jonathan Neves, and served as a timer for the light commands. Music controlling the machine. Technological luxury. Photo: Publicity The show was developed by Fly Works, a reference in aerial shows, with cinematographic coverage by Coptercam, which put a Porsche Cayenne camera car in the air, the same used in productions like the Senna series. So it wasn't just beautiful live. It was cinema in the sky. When the drones rose, the Speedway Music Park turned into a silent audience. Everyone looking up, momentarily forgetting their cell phones, trying to understand how it was happening. There was no explosion. There was engineering. There was no gunpowder. There was software. In the end, it was clear that the event didn't just show speed on the track. It showed that entertainment has entered a new phase. The sky is now a stage. Programmable, choreographed, and absolutely hypnotic. If before we looked up at the sky to see stars, now we look up to see a show.
A plane carrying Federal Deputy Maurício Carvalho (Union-RO) and City Councilor Márcio Pacele (Republicans) made an emergency landing and caught fire in the district of Extrema, in Porto Velho (RO), on Saturday, 20. There were no injuries. Through social media, the deputy stated that all occupants of the aircraft are safe and that there was a "problem" with the plane, which led to the emergency landing. 'Here is Federal Deputy Maurício Carvalho, passing here to thank all the calls, all the prayers, and say that we are all fine: the pilot, all the assistants, the entire team. We had an emergency landing due to a problem with the aircraft, but everything is fine. Unfortunately, only material damage was sustained, a shock, a deliverance from God', said the parliamentarian. Carvalho and Pacele were on the plane to fulfill professional commitments, as reported by the deputy himself. 'We are leaving now, at this moment, to go home, by car, leaving Extrema (...) I ask for understanding, as I won't be able to answer all the calls, all the phones. We are on a work schedule, we left home early this morning, working, and unfortunately this happened'
The President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, met in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Mercosur summit in Foz do Iguaçu. The heads of state were satisfied with the implementation of the measures agreed upon when Mulino visited the country in August. The Panamanian president thanked Brazil for its adherence to the Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty Protocol, which has already been sent to Congress. In turn, Lula thanked Mulino for the purchase of Embraer aircraft. Mulino invited Lula to visit Panama and participate in the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Forum on January 28.
The 6th Chamber of the 1st Federal Regional Court (TRF-1) recognized former President Dilma Rousseff (PT) as a political amnesty and fixed a moral damages compensation of R$ 400,000 due to the persecution and torture she suffered during the military dictatorship, as well as the right to economic reparations in the form of a permanent and continuous monthly payment. The decision partially alters the previous sentence, which had limited this second payment to a single payment of R$ 100,000 determined by the Amnesty Commission. The value of the monthly payment to which Dilma will be entitled will be calculated based on her salary at the time she was removed from work during the dictatorship. While the Union and the Amnesty Commission defended the settlement through a single payment, limited to R$ 100,000, the TRF-1 held that, given her employment link with the Foundation for Economic and Statistical Studies at the time of the persecution, Dilma is entitled to the regime of monthly payments provided for in Article 5 of Law No. 10,559/2002. The decision establishes that the value of the pension must be equivalent to what the former president would receive if she were still active, considering the functional evolution she would have had in her career if she had not been removed due to political reasons. The judges highlighted the 'exceptional gravity' of the acts perpetrated against Dilma Rousseff. The ruling details that she was subjected to successive sessions of electric shocks, rubber baton, drowning, and absolute isolation, resulting in permanent physical sequelae. Faced with the brutality of the human rights violations, the Union attempted to argue the occurrence of prescription (loss of the deadline for processing), but the court rejected the thesis. The judges reaffirmed that actions for moral damages resulting from acts of torture and political persecution are imprescriptible, as the right to human dignity does not expire over time. In his vote, Judge Flávio Jardim emphasized that amnesty is an instrument of social reconciliation. He stressed that 'complete compensation to the political amnesty is not just an individual act of justice, but an essential contribution to durable social reconciliation', reinforcing that political persecution is incompatible with the rule of law. The decision dismisses the lawsuit with a resolution of merit, confirming Dilma Rousseff's political amnesty status and imposing on the Union the obligation to update the payments due according to the Justice criteria. In May, the Amnesty Commission had approved Dilma's recognition as a political amnesty, a request that had been rejected in 2022 during the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The petition for indemnification filed by the PT leader in 2002 was suspended, at her own request, when she became a minister of state and remained paralyzed while she was president of the Republic. After her impeachment in 2016, she appealed for the request to be reinstated. In April 2022, Minister Damares Alves denied the petition for indemnification. The former president's defense appealed. In the 1970s, Dilma joined opposition organizations to the dictatorship, including the VAR-Palmares, one of the main groups of armed struggle. She was arrested and tortured. In a 2001 deposition, she described being subjected to rubber baton, electric shocks, and palmate, and receiving blows to the face, which generated lasting consequences.
A truck accident involving a truck and a mini-bus left five people dead and four injured on the BR-386 highway in Carazinho, Rio Grande do Sul. The accident occurred on Friday (19) at around 11:15 PM. The mini-bus belongs to the Health Secretariat of Constantina (RS) and was transporting people after medical consultations in Porto Alegre. Three men, one woman, and one child died in the collision. The identities of the victims have not been released by the Federal Highway Police. At least four people were injured, three of whom were on the mini-bus and one was the truck driver. The injured were rescued by firefighters and taken to the Hospital de Clínicas de Carazinho. The mayor of Constantina was at the accident site and mourned the deaths. Christian Bratz (PP) stated that it was a sad night for the entire state and criticized the roads. "Another accident claiming lives in Rio Grande do Sul due to the roads. Indeed, we had an accident two years ago also involving a sanitary transportation and now again five fatal victims and three Constantina residents hospitalized for exams and surgical procedures", he said in an interview with Carazinho News. The causes of the accident are being investigated. There is no information yet on what happened. Images circulating on social media show the mini-bus destroyed after the collision.
Brazil is indeed a creative country. When it lacks novelty, it revives an old song and turns it into a serious case. From those who trigger an inquiry, analysis, and a stern face. The Garotos Podres band entered the authorities' radar due to a song written almost four decades ago. A lyric that has already passed through censorship, the concert stage, political debate, and tired ears. Now, it resurfaces as a current problem, those that bother more those who listen than those who sing. The song has circulated again, been excerpted, descontextualized, and landed in the lap of modern indignation. From those who don't care when it was written, why it was written, or what it was written against. They just want to point a finger and demand action. The result is this: punk treated as a threat, metaphors taken literally, and irony confused with a crime. The vocalist Mao summed it up as recycled authoritarianism. Change the packaging, but the content is the same. The inquiry has been concluded and is now with the Prosecutor's Office, which decides whether to archive it or continue with this unlikely script. Meanwhile, punk continues to fulfill its historical function. To bother, provoke, and expose the lack of sense of humor of those who take everything literally. In the end, the music remains old, the discomfort is new, and the question remains in the air. If an 80s song still scares, imagine the silence.
While many people are still choosing their New Year's Eve outfit, CNN Brazil decides to anticipate tomorrow and put the whole country in thought. On Saturday, December 28th at 11:15 PM, the special program 'Perspectivas' will air, commanded by Elisa Veeck, with two hours of sharp, elegant, and anesthesia-free analysis about what will shake Brazil in 2026. In the political arena, the program will read the power of the chessboard, expose backstage stories, project disputes, and rub the electoral chessboard, the Supreme Federal Court in turmoil, and the echoes of Bolsonarism that still haunt Brasília. No small talk, it's a real scenario with real tension. In the economy, the climate is on high alert. Public spending, interest rates, Bolsa, fiscal pressure, and the world keeping an eye on Brazil, while the United States plays a global game and no one escapes unscathed. The program proposes a thorough analysis of the main themes that will influence Brazil and the world in 2026. The international news takes center stage, with Venezuela, wars, migration, and a world that's more nervous than an airport security line on a holiday. In sports, the historic World Cup in three countries enters the scene, along with the national team, new names, and that old dream of dominating football again, as well as Brazilian brilliance in tennis and skateboarding. And to close with glamour, culture, and ambition, the special program enters the entertainment territory, talking about the Oscars, Wagner Moura's international radar, and Brazil becoming increasingly disputed as a stage for festivals, shows, and major events. In short, 'Perspectivas' is not a program to watch distracted. It's to pay attention, because the future speaks loud and clear.
Wearing her 'Mama Noel' costume, the model and actress dedicated her morning to children undergoing cancer treatment, distributing gifts, smiles, and moments of affection. The action is part of an initiative that Maria has maintained since 2011, the year she won Big Brother Brasil and also overcame cancer. Since then, the artist has transformed commemorative dates into opportunities to be close to children who face similar challenges to those she herself has lived through. During the visit, Maria talked to patients and families, participated in activities, and emphasized the importance of emotional support during the treatment process. The presence of the artist brought lightness to the hospital environment and moved hospital staff and volunteers. The solidarity action reinforces Maria Melilo's commitment to social causes and promoting hope, especially during symbolic periods like Christmas.
The China Media Group (CMG) held the event 'Presentation of the Transmission Matrix in Brazil and Screening of 'Shenzhou 13' at the Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana Hotel. The initiative marked a new step in media cooperation between Brazil and China and consolidated the presence of Chinese audiovisual content in the Brazilian market. The meeting was organized by CMG Latin America, the CMG Film, Drama, and Documentary Programming Center, and the China International Television Corporation (CITVC). Among the guests, representatives from the Chinese Consulate-General in Rio de Janeiro, the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, and Brazilian media groups and partner broadcasters of CMG were present. Transmission Matrix: a permanent window to China. In recent years, CMG has established in the country a 'transmission matrix' - an integrated network of open TV, paid TV, and digital platforms dedicated to showing Chinese content. Major projects include the VOD 'Hi+' China Channel, launched during the 50th anniversary of Brazil-China diplomatic relations, the digital space 'China Zone', and partnerships with platforms such as Bandplay. Through this network, the Brazilian public has had access to Chinese documentaries, series, and animations, covering topics such as culture, gastronomy, and history to science fiction and technology. According to the organizers, the event aimed to deepen mutual knowledge between Brazilian and Chinese societies, offering the local public a plural portrait of contemporary China and creating new opportunities for cooperation between producers and broadcasters from both countries. The highlight was the screening of the documentary '窗外是蓝星' ('Blue Planet Outside the Window' / 'Shenzhou 13'), produced by CMG from real images captured by Chinese astronauts on board the Chinese space station, in 8K resolution. The film records daily life in orbit, scientific experiments, and the emotions of observing the Earth as a 'blue planet' through the window, combining science, technology, and human sensitivity. In Rio, the Portuguese version was presented, allowing the Brazilian public to experience the advanced space program of the Chinese space station in an immersive way. After the session, representatives of CMG and guests participated in a conversation about cooperation in scientific and documentary content, possibilities of co-production, and the expansion of the circulation of audiovisual works between the two countries.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday, 19th, that he is strongly attacking ISIS strongholds in Syria in retaliation for the deaths of two US Army soldiers killed in a terrorist attack in the central part of the country last Saturday. 'We are strongly attacking ISIS strongholds in Syria, a blood-soaked place that has many problems, but has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated', Trump wrote on Truth. According to him, the Syrian government, led by a 'man who is working hard to bring greatness back' to the country, is fully in support. 'All terrorists who are wicked enough to attack Americans are warned that THEY WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN EVER BEFORE IF, IN ANY WAY, THEY ATTACK OR THREATEN THE US', he added in the post.
The Military Police carried out an operation on Friday afternoon to serve a search and arrest warrant in the Moinho Favela, in the central region of São Paulo. During the action, there was an exchange of gunfire and a suspect was shot and killed, according to the police. According to the PM, fire department teams were dispatched and the injured man was taken to the Santa Casa hospital, but he died at the scene. So far, there is no information on arrests or seizures. The Moinho Favela has been a frequent target of police operations and investigations by the Public Ministry due to suspected activity of the First Capital Command (PCC) in drug trafficking. In 2024, Leonardo Moja, known as 'Léo do Moinho', who was identified as the head of the drug trade in the region, was arrested. In September last year, a joint operation by the Public Ministry, the Military Police, and the Civil Police arrested seven other suspects, including his sister, Alessandra Moja. Investigations by the Public Ministry indicated that leaders of the drug trade continued to command criminal activities from prison, including giving orders to intimidate CDHU employees and try to prevent families from leaving the Moinho Favela. The community is said to be an area of influence of the PCC and has been a frequent target of police operations. The territory has also become a focus of political dispute between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans). The state government supports the eviction of the area and its transformation into a park, while the federal government argues that the removal of residents should be done with guarantees of resettlement and without the use of police force. In May, the Union and the São Paulo government signed an agreement for the removal of the approximately 900 families living in the community, located on federal land.
The United States forces launched an operation against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria in response to an attack in Palmira that killed three Americans, announced the Pentagon commander, Pete Hegseth on Friday (19). 'US forces began in Syria the OPERATION HAWKEYE to eliminate IS combatants, infrastructure and weapon locations, in direct response to the December 13 attack on American forces', Hegseth posted on Twitter.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva inaugurated the Brazil-Paraguay Integration Bridge on Friday (19th) which will connect the Paraguayan city of Presidente Franco to Foz do Iguaçu (PR), which will host the Mercosur summit of presidents on Saturday. The bridge aims to alleviate traffic on the Friendship Bridge, located 7 km away, and boost the economy of the Triple Frontier with Argentina. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña plans to present the bridge tomorrow, but had to postpone due to a family issue in Asunción. I couldn't make it tomorrow afternoon because I'll be traveling to Brasília after the Mercosur summit, explained Lula during the bridge's delivery, which is 760 meters long and over 60 meters high. The Brazilian president's speech was cut short due to a technical issue with his microphone. The two presidents will meet tomorrow at the Mercosur summit, a bloc formed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The bridge had an investment of $345 million (R$1.9 billion), according to the Brazilian government. Supported by two 190-meter-high towers, the bridge was completed at the end of 2023, but its inauguration was delayed due to delays in access road and customs post works. The passage will be opened gradually from December 20. Trucks without cargo and tourist buses will be the first to use the bridge. Vehicles carrying cargo will be allowed to cross it between the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2027, according to the Brazilian presidency. Around 100,000 people and 45,000 vehicles cross the Friendship Bridge daily, according to the Brazilian government. The new structure was partly financed by the Itaipu binational hydroelectric dam, which has been a point of contention between Brazil and Paraguay. Relations between the two countries were affected in April by the revelation of a Brazilian intelligence operation to spy on Paraguayan institutions to know its position on the negotiations between the two countries over the price of Itaipu energy, according to Brazilian press. The Brazilian government recognized the espionage, but blamed its predecessor Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022). Paraguay requested 'explanations' from the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción. In November, the two governments announced the end of the conflict and the resumption of negotiations, after a meeting between Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and his Paraguayan counterpart, Rubén Ramírez.
Cuba denounced on Friday (19) that the US Embassy in Havana denied visas to almost 70 athletes, referees, and sports officials from the island in 2025, a number without precedent. Although this is a common practice since the 1959 revolution, which initiated a historic political confrontation with Washington, we are talking about 68 visa applications without positive responses, said Gisleydis Sosa, Director of International Relations at the Cuban Institute of Sports, in a statement sent to AFP. Sosa highlighted that this level of restrictions has affected athletes from table tennis, basketball, football, athletics, softball, and volleyball, as well as referees and directors of the Cuban Olympic Committee. This creates an environment of uncertainty and insecurity that hinders Cuba's preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a path that will include several pre-event events held in the United States, observed the director. The US Embassy in Havana did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) expressed concern in early December about the participation of Cubans in the VI World Baseball Classic, to be held in March, with three of its four venues in the United States. We hope that US authorities will ensure the visas that will allow us to participate in the tournament, without any external problems or contrary to the principles of sports interfering in this process, said the FCBS in a statement. Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has increased pressure on Cuba, which was re-listed as a state sponsor of terrorism by the US government, making it difficult for travelers and economic flows. Sosa explained that Washington granted visas this year only to 14 girls who were part of the team that was to participate in the Little League Softball World Series in Puerto Rico. However, Cuba refused to participate in that competition, as the seven adults who were to accompany the girls, aged nine to ten, were not authorized to enter the United States. In May, the Cuban Olympic Committee reported that its president, Roberto León Richards, was unable to attend a meeting of the Pan American Sports Organization (Panam Sports) in Miami.
The United States announced new sanctions against relatives and alleged associates of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Friday (19th), amid escalating tensions with Venezuela. Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, the nephew of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, who was arrested and convicted of drug trafficking in the United States and later released in a prisoner exchange, was again sanctioned on December 11. Now, the Treasury Department has sanctioned his mother, father, wife, sister, and daughter. They are 'individuals who are sustaining Maduro's criminal narco-state', said Treasury Secretary Scott Bentsen, cited in a statement. 'We will not allow Venezuela to continue flooding our nation with deadly drugs', he added. The United States accuses Maduro of heading the alleged 'Sun Cartel', an organization linked to Venezuela's military forces to traffic drugs and support organized crime groups within and outside the country. Washington has increased the reward for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million (R$ 275.7 million, at the current rate). Additionally, it is conducting a unprecedented military campaign against ships that, according to Washington, transport drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific. Washington has never provided evidence for these claims. The attacks as part of this operation have left over 100 dead. The United States has also seized a tanker ship sanctioned for transporting Venezuelan oil. Maduro is not only accused by the US government, but also has a lawsuit filed against him in the Southern District of New York, reminded the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, during a press conference. In addition to Maduro's nephew's relatives, on December 11, the Treasury Department also sanctioned a Panamanian lawyer, Ramón Carretero. Two of his relatives, Roberto Carretero Napolitano and Vicente Luis Carrtero Napolitano, have now been added to the list, although the statement does not detail their relationship with the lawyer.
The Military Police of the Federal District arrested a man and apprehended two adolescents on Wednesday night (18), after a robbery was reported in the Asa Sul area. The action took place at SQS 202, Block F, where a couple was approached while under the pilotis of the building and had two cell phones taken by the suspects. Shortly after the crime, the occurrence reached the Center of Operations of the PMDF (COPOM). From then on, teams from the 1st Battalion began searches in the region. Not long after, the police located the suspects in the commercial parking lot of the 402/403 South area, which accelerated the outcome of the occurrence. During the apprehension, the military found the two stolen cell phones. Then, the victims recognized the phones, confirming the direct link between the suspects and the crime. As a result, the police action was able to interrupt the escape and recover the stolen goods. The two adolescents were apprehended for an act analogous to the crime of robbery, while the adult was arrested on the spot. Subsequently, all were taken to the Civil Police units of the Federal District, where they were placed at the disposal of the Justice for the applicable legal procedures.
The New York Stock Exchange closed higher on Friday (19), driven by renewed interest in large technology stocks thanks to a series of good news in the semiconductor sector. The Nasdaq technology index rose 1.31%, the Dow Jones rose 0.38%, and the broad S&P 500 gained 0.88%. 'Investors are looking to end the year 2025 with a golden key by investing in technology stocks,' said José Torres of Interactive Brokers. 'They responded positively to Micron's financial results, which helped to calm a somewhat unstable market,' commented Patrick O'Hare of Briefing.com. The company's shares soared after publishing its quarterly results on Wednesday and providing financial forecasts far above expectations. The data center giant Oracle also closed with significant growth after confirming its participation in the new company that will combine TikTok activities in the United States. 'High-capitalization stocks are showing dynamism again,' said Patrick O'Hare.