International

Lula to travel to Egypt for climate summit

Photo: Sergio Lima / AFP

| By AFP |

Brazil’s president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday he would travel to Egypt to take part in the COP27 global climate summit next week to meet international leaders.

“I will travel to Egypt on Monday. I will have more conversations with world leaders in a single day than (Jair) Bolsonaro did in four years,” Lula said during a meeting with legislators in Brasilia, in a dig at the current president, whom he beat in last month’s election.

The Workers’ Party (PT) leader did not specify which leaders he would meet with.

He was invited to the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh by Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

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“We will reposition Brazil at the center of international geopolitics,” added Lula, 77.

He said his re-election after two previous mandates from 2003-2010, was generating much “expectation” in the world after he defeated the far-right Bolsonaro in a tight run-off in October.

In the first three years under Bolsonaro, a climate change skeptic, average annual deforestation in the Amazon rainforest increased 75 percent on the previous decade.

Lula has made environmental protection a key part of his platform and has vowed to achieve “zero deforestation.”

He is due to assume the presidency for his third term on January 1.

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When COP27 ends on November 18, Lula will travel to Portugal to meet President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa, according to Brazilian media.

International

Trump Delays Potential Iran Strikes as Regional Peace Talks Continue

Donald Trump announced a new deadline for potential military action against Iran, saying he would temporarily delay planned strikes while regional negotiators continue efforts to secure a peace agreement.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said he decided to postpone the operation after receiving requests from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. president explained that the pause would remain in place for only a limited period, adding that discussions could continue through the end of the week or early next week.

Trump also warned that military action remained a possibility if negotiations fail to produce results, stressing that the United States could not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

“Maybe we’ll have to hit them again,” Trump said, referring to Iran while reiterating his willingness to resume military operations if necessary.

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International

FAO Urges Urgent Action as Hormuz Disruption Threatens Global Food Supply

A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a “systemic agri-food shock” capable of causing a major global food price crisis within six to twelve months, the Food and Agriculture Organization warned on Wednesday.

Before the recent attacks launched by United States and Israel against Iran, roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil shipments passed through the strategic waterway.

The UN agency said the disruption should not be viewed as a temporary shipping issue, but rather as the beginning of a broader global agro-food crisis with potential long-term economic consequences.

The FAO urged governments to establish alternative trade routes, avoid export restrictions, protect humanitarian supply chains and build reserves to absorb rising transportation costs.

Máximo Torero said countries must urgently strengthen their resilience and prepare for the potential impact of disruptions linked to the maritime bottleneck.

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According to the organization, the window for preventive action is rapidly closing.

International

U.S. Sanctions Alleged Sinaloa Cartel Money Launderers Linked to Fentanyl Trade

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on Wednesday against more than a dozen individuals and companies allegedly linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, accusing them of laundering money connected to fentanyl trafficking operations.

Among those targeted are Armando Ojeda Avilés, identified by U.S. authorities as a leading money laundering operator for the cartel, and Jesús “Chuy” González Peñuela, who has been subject to a $5 million reward since January 2024.

According to the sanctions list released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), other individuals sanctioned include Jesús Alonso Aispuro, described as the network’s financial chief, and Rodrigo Alarcón Palomares, accused of overseeing cash collection operations in the United States.

Relatives of the alleged cartel figures were also sanctioned for managing businesses reportedly tied to the network, including the security company Grupo Especial Mamba Negra and the restaurant Gorditas Chiwas in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The Sinaloa Cartel was designated a narcoterrorist organization last year under an order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump and has since become a major focus of U.S. law enforcement efforts.

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Two weeks ago, prosecutors in New York’s Southern District accused Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and several associates of collaborating with the cartel, a development that increased tensions with the administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.