International
Brazilian legislator makes Molotov cocktails for Ukraine
AFP
A Brazilian state lawmaker known for his social media antics said he had traveled to Ukraine to help the army make Molotov cocktails for use against Russian troops.
Arthur do Val, a Sao Paulo state legislator for the right-wing Free Brazil Movement (MBL), posted images of himself on Instagram sitting beside a mountain of glass bottles he said he was turning into weapons to help Ukraine fend off Russian forces.
“I never imagined one day I’d be making Molotov cocktails for the Ukrainian army,” he said in a video posted Thursday.
Do Val is known in Brazil for his YouTube broadcast, “Mamae Falei” (Mom, I Told You), which gained fame for its mocking depictions of left-wing activists during the political crisis that led to the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff in 2016.
But he is also a vocal opponent of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whom he has attacked for refraining from criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion.
Bolsonaro has said Brazil will maintain “neutrality” in the conflict.
Do Val said he had helped a unit near the Ukrainian-Slovakian border that made more than 75,000 petrol bombs.
The MBL said it had also raised 180,000 reais ($35,000) online that it would donate for food aid for Ukraine.
Do Val’s office confirmed the lawmaker had traveled to Ukraine, but said he would return to Brazil over the weekend to maintain his scheduled commitments in the legislature.
International
Merengue concert turns to mourning as Jet Set collapse claims 136 lives
Dominican rescue teams will end search and recovery operations on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Jet Set nightclubin Santo Domingo, where the building collapsed during a live concert.
Authorities estimate that the final 20 bodies will be recovered from the rubble today, bringing the official death toll to 136. This includes 12 additional bodies found overnight in the disaster zone, adding to the previously confirmed 124 fatalities.
Outside the collapsed nightclub, desperate relatives of the missing continue to gather, clinging to hope for news. Many also visited nearby hospitals and morgues in search of their loved ones.
A list of confirmed victims has been posted on a tent set up near the site, where the bodies are being transferred for identification.
The tragedy occurred during a performance by renowned merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among the deceased.
Central America
Colombia to host fourth EU-CELAC Summit in November
The Fourth Summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will take place on November 9 and 10 in Santa Marta, Colombia, according to a joint statement released Wednesday by the Colombian government and the European Council.
The summit will be co-chaired by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in his role as pro tempore president of CELAC, and European Council President António Costa, the statement added.
The last EU-CELAC summit took place in July 2023 in Brussels, when both blocs agreed to hold these meetings every two years.
The summit brings together the 27 EU member states and the 33 CELAC countries, representing 14% of the global population, 21% of global GDP, and one-third of the members of the United Nations, the communiqué noted.
International
Russia and US to Meet in Istanbul for Diplomatic Talks on April 10
The Kremlin confirmed today a forthcoming meeting with the United States to discuss the normalization of diplomatic relations, which will take place in Istanbul.
“Our participation will be through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Dmitry Peskov, the presidential spokesperson, during his daily telephone press conference.
Peskov was responding to a question about who would represent Russia in the new round of negotiations, which is supposedly scheduled for April 10.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the delegations will be led by the Russian ambassador to the U.S., Alexandr Darchiev, and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Sonata Coulter.
These are the same negotiators who met in late February in Istanbul, where the expert-level negotiation format was the same, according to the source.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had said a few days ago that the next meeting would be held in the Turkish city, though he did not confirm a date.
Lavrov, who participated in only one of these meetings, clarified that the upcoming discussions would address the issues still dividing Moscow and Washington diplomatically, referring to the operations of both countries’ embassies.
The Kremlin asserted that Washington has not yet responded to Russia’s security concerns, preventing a ceasefire declaration on land, sea, and air.
Meanwhile, Trump expressed discontent with Russia’s recent attacks, including one last week that killed 20 people in Krivi Rig, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
So far, Russia has rejected a cessation of hostilities and only declared a 30-day ceasefire on March 18 against attacks on energy infrastructure, which was extended by Kyiv a week later.
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