International

Judge says Brazil was governed by groups with paramilitary ties

February 3^rd |

Justice Gilmar Mendes, dean of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, denounced today that during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023) the South American country was “being governed by people in the shadows” with the support of paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro.

“What it shows is that we were being governed by people in the shadows. This is a fact of reality, people from the militia (paramilitary groups) of Rio de Janeiro with a leading role in national politics,” Mendes said today in declarations to journalists in Lisbon in the framework of the Portuguese-Brazilian business forum LIDE.

The magistrate was referring to statements made yesterday, Thursday, by Brazilian senator Marcos do Val, who accused Bolsonaro of trying to convince him to stage a coup d’état and not recognize the victory in the elections of leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who assumed the presidency of Brazil last January 1.

“We lowered the scale of political degradation,” the magistrate added.

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He also advocated reforming the area of public security and the Armed Forces, since, during the attacks perpetrated in Brasília last January 8 on the headquarters of the three branches of government by radical Bolsonaristas, “there was a breakdown of the security system”.

The forum, which began today and concludes tomorrow, Saturday, in a Lisbon hotel, was attended by former Brazilian President Michel Temer, as well as members of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court and the Superior Electoral Court, among others, who have defended that normality is being restored in the country.

Among the participants was the president of the Brazilian Court of Auditors, Bruno Dantas, who defended before journalists that those responsible for the attacks of January 8 have to answer to Justice.

“History teaches that leniency is not the best way to deal with criminals. The criminal needs to be punished with the rigor of the law,” he argued.

He clarified that the damages caused by these protests are still being analyzed and that, once quantified, those responsible for the vandalism will be identified through their tax records and fined.

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“It is a job that is in charge of the police, the identification of people, but when we have the list of vandals, we will hold them responsible”, measures that may even include the blocking of patrimony, he asserted.

So far, they have more than 18 million reais (about 3.2 million euros) blocked from the assets of these people.

On the other hand, Temer acknowledged that he does not believe that protests like those that occurred last January 8 will be repeated, and predicted that “absolute tranquility” will return to the country in the next few days.

“I think there was a movement that was not useful for the country. It created an image that was even negative, but, in the face of the very fast action of the Brazilian justice system, I think it is also being overcome with extraordinary speed,” he said.

Temer told EFE that Brazil “has already gone through many political, economic and social crises and overcame them all (…). A few days from now, the country will be in absolute tranquility”.

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International

Child Found Malnourished in Van in France; Father Admits Confinement

French gendarmes discovered a child in a van in Hagenbach, in northeastern France, after a neighbor reported hearing what she described as “childlike noises” coming from the parked vehicle.

After unlocking the van, officers found the boy lying in a fetal position, unclothed and covered with a blanket, surrounded by garbage and near human waste, according to a statement from the Mulhouse prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz.

Authorities said the child appeared pale and severely malnourished. Due to prolonged confinement in a seated position, he was no longer able to walk. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Mulhouse for medical care.

The boy’s father, who lived with his partner and two daughters aged 10 and 12, admitted to keeping the child confined and depriving him of proper care.

According to the prosecutor, the man said he placed the child in the van in November 2024, claiming he wanted to “protect him” because his partner intended to have the boy admitted to a psychiatric facility.

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The suspect also stated that he allowed the child out of the vehicle in May 2025 and permitted him to enter the family apartment around mid-year, when the rest of the family was on vacation.

The man’s partner—who is not the child’s mother—also faces charges, including failure to report abuse. However, she has denied all accusations.

International

Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Risk Amid Hormuz Disruption

The Airports Council International Europe has warned of a potential “systemic shortage” of jet fuel if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored within the next three weeks, according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Friday.

In the document, addressed to the European Commission and first reported by the Financial Times, the European airport lobby stated that a “systemic jet fuel shortage will become a reality” in the European Union unless stable and significant transit through the strait resumes soon.

The association, which represents around 600 airports across 50 countries, called on Brussels to implement “urgent monitoring of fuel availability and supply” over the next six months.

Jet fuel prices have surged amid the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transport.

The conflict escalated on February 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.

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In response, Tehran imposed several countermeasures, including blocking maritime traffic through the strait, a route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil, jet fuel, and gas supply passes.

International

Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery

Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.

Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.

On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.

Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.

At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.

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NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.

Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.

NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).

Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.