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Brazil’s Lula unveils social, green campaign priorities

AFP

Brazil’s leftist former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who heads the presidential election race, announced Tuesday that his priorities in power would be social policies and protecting the Amazon.

Polls show Brazil’s far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro lagging behind Lula ahead of a two-round presidential election in October.

“We will have to rebuild this country, with construction based on a sound foundation,” Lula said during a ceremony in Sao Paulo when he presented a 121-point program to “get Brazil back on track.”

Surveys show Lula favored to win a first round vote with 48 percent against 27 percent for Bolsonaro.

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According to Lula’s program, the first priority of his government would be to improve “the living conditions of the vast majority of Brazil’s population” including tackling hunger and a decline in purchasing power.

Fighting inflation, which reached 11.73 percent year-on-year in May, is also top of his agenda, said Lula, who accused Bolsonaro of having “abandoned” the battle against rising prices.

Lula, who is seeking a third term after serving as president from 2003 to 2010, added it was “imperative to defend the Amazon” and oppose the “policy of destruction” set out by Bolsonaro.

“We will fight environmental crimes… and we will ensure protection of the rights and territories of Indigenous people against the advance of predatory activities,” such as illegal gold mining and logging, he said.

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International

Justice Department Misses Deadline as Millions of Epstein Files Remain Under Review

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Monday that it is continuing to review more than two million documentspotentially linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Last month, the department began releasing records from its decades-long investigation into Epstein, a wealthy financier who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors.

However, the Justice Department failed to meet the legal deadline established by the so-called Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required all related documents to be made public no later than December 19.

In a letter sent Monday to a federal judge, the department stated that more than two million documents remain “at various stages of review.”

According to the filing, authorities have so far released approximately 12,285 documents totaling more than 125,000 pages, in compliance with the law. Those materials, however, represent less than 1 percent of the total volume currently under review.

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Beijing Says International Support Strengthens Its Position on Taiwan Sovereignty Issue

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, stated at a regular press briefing that several dozen countries have expressed support for China’s actions following recent countermeasures and military drills concerning the Taiwan region. These comments were made as Beijing continues to defend its stance on Taiwan after large-scale military exercises by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) near the island

According to the official statement, countries including Russia, Cuba, Serbia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and others publicly reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China principle, reiterated their opposition to external interference in China’s internal affairs, and voiced support for China’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Lin emphasized that these countries specifically noted that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” and that “the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair,” adding that any form of Taiwanese independence must be rejected. He also praised these nations for their firm diplomatic support.

The spokesperson reiterated China’s position that it will remain steadfast in defending its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and warned that any provocations concerning the Taiwan question would be met with a firm response.

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International

Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism

U.S. citizens have revived a lawsuit in Miami against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following his capture, as well as against Vice President and now acting leader Delcy Rodríguez and other senior Chavista officials, whom they accuse of kidnapping, torture, and terrorism.

The plaintiffs — including U.S. citizens who were kidnapped in Venezuela and two minors — filed a motion over the weekend before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida asking the court to declare the defendants in default for failing to respond to the lawsuit initially filed on August 14, 2025, according to court documents made public on Monday.

The case, assigned to Judge Darrin P. Gayles, accuses the Venezuelan leaders of violating the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Florida Anti-Terrorism Act, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

In addition to Maduro and Rodríguez, the lawsuit names Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López; Attorney General Tarek William Saab; Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello; former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno; and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.

The complaint also lists the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and former Electricity Minister Néstor Reverol as defendants.

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According to the filing, Maduro “committed flagrant acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens,” citing the criminal case in New York in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in court for the first time on Monday following their arrest on Saturday.

The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs “were held captive by Maduro” with “illegal material support” from the other defendants, whom it identifies as members of the Cartel of the Suns, a group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization last year.

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