International

Brazil begins first operations to protect Amazon

January 20 | By AFP |

Brazil this week began the first operations against Amazon deforestation since veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office, the Ibama environmental agency said Friday.

On the campaign trail before his October election victory — when he defeated far right climate change skeptic Jair Bolsonaro — Lula promised to end deforestation by 2030.

The Amazon rainforest suffered during Bolsonaro’s four-year presidency as the former army captain repeatedly enacted laws favoring agriculture and mining in the forest at the expense of that critically important ecosystem. Reducing deforestation is key to slowing climate change.

“The deployment of teams for the start of inspection operations began on January 16, 2023,” Ibama told AFP.

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Average Amazon deforestation soared by 75 percent during Bolsonaro’s presidency, compared with the previous decade.

“The environmental team put in place by the federal government has, since the beginning of the transition period, been working to build a plan capable of inverting the rate of deforestation seen these last few months,” added Ibama.

On Wednesday, Lula told the Globo News television channel that he wanted to create a federal police force to “act in a stronger manner” to protect forests.

He also said he wanted to arrange a meeting with the other South American countries that share the Amazon to discuss a continental preservation policy.

Lula said he would fight deforestation “by any means” and added: “I will need the armed forces, I will need the federal police force.”

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Since taking office on January 1, Lula has signed a series of decrees pertaining to the protection of the Amazon.

He also reactivated an Amazon protection fund that had been frozen since 2019 due to a disagreement between the Bolsonaro government and major donor countries Norway and Germany over how to spend the money.

And Lula revoked a Bolsonaro decree authorizing mining exploitation in Indigenous areas and protected zones.

International

Spain rebukes U.S. over euthanasia case as minister defends legal framework

Spain’s Minister of Health, Mónica García, on Wednesday responded to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump after reports that Washington requested an investigation into the euthanasia case of Spanish citizen Noelia Castillo.

The minister questioned the U.S. government’s stance and urged it not to interfere in matters governed by Spain’s legal and healthcare framework. “Stop fueling an international ultra agenda by meddling everywhere,” García wrote in a message on the social platform X.

In her remarks, García also criticized the U.S. healthcare system, noting that thousands of people die each year without access to medical coverage. She further accused the Trump administration of supporting actions that undermine human rights in international contexts.

García defended the legality of euthanasia in Spain, emphasizing that the procedure is strictly regulated and subject to medical and judicial oversight. “Spain is a serious country, with a strong healthcare system and a legal framework that protects individuals, including those who choose to seek assistance in dying under regulated conditions reviewed by clinical committees and upheld by the courts,” she said.

The case of Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old woman living with paraplegia, drew widespread attention following a legal dispute with her father, who opposed her decision to undergo euthanasia. The procedure was ultimately carried out in accordance with Spanish law.

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International

New York City lifts TikTok ban on government devices under new security rules

New York City has lifted its ban on TikTok on government-owned devices, allowing city agencies to resume posting on the platform under newly established security protocols, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday.

The initial ban, implemented in 2023 by former mayor Eric Adams, aligned with federal and state-level restrictions across the United States, which limited the use of TikTok on official devices over concerns related to its parent company, ByteDance. The company has previously denied these concerns, calling them unfounded.

Under the updated guidelines issued by the city’s Cyber Command, devices designated for TikTok use by government agencies must not store or access sensitive information. Officials indicated that the policy shift is intended to enhance communication with residents.

“The Mamdani Administration is committed to using every tool in our toolbox to communicate with New Yorkers,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.

Following the announcement, the mayor’s official TikTok account resumed activity after remaining inactive since the ban was first enforced.

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International

Rubio signals possible engagement with Iranian factions amid internal divisions

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington is hopeful of engaging with factions within the government of Iran, noting that the United States has received positive private signals.

Speaking to ABC News’ Good Morning America, Rubio suggested that internal divisions exist within the Islamic Republic and expressed confidence that figures with the authority to act could emerge.

“We are hopeful that this will be the case,” Rubio said. “Clearly, there are people there who are communicating with us in ways that those previously in power in Iran did not. This is reflected in some of the steps they appear willing to take.”

Despite this, Rubio maintained a firm stance toward Iran, reiterating that the ongoing conflict seeks to eliminate its capacity to develop nuclear weapons—an objective that President Donald Trump has previously claimed was achieved during a military strike last year.