Brazil's Bolsonaro faces probes over $3.2M Saudi jewels

BRASILIA - Brazil's justice minister asked federal police Monday to investigate reports ex-president Jair Bolsonaro tried to illegally import jewelry worth $3.2 million gifted by Saudi Arabia, as tax officials probe a second present of jewels.

The far-right former president has faced mounting questions over the jewels since newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo reported Friday that customs officers blocked an aide to his former mines and energy minister, Bento Albuquerque, from bringing them into Brazil without paying the required import duty after an official trip in October 2021.

According to the newspaper, Bolsonaro administration officials intervened at least eight times to try to convince customs officers to release the diamond jewels -- a necklace, a ring, a watch and a pair of earrings from Swiss luxury house Chopard -- that had been given to the president's wife.

Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing.

"They're accusing me over a gift I neither requested nor received. There was no illegality on my part," he told CNN Brasil on Saturday from the United States, where he has been living since two days before his leftist successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, took office on January 1.

The scandal deepened Monday when Brazil's tax agency said it had opened its own investigation over reports Albuquerque's delegation entered the country with a second, previously undetected set of jewels, also a gift from the Saudi government.

Albuquerque mentioned the second set of jewels -- a watch and a pen, also made by Chopard -- in an interview with Estado de Sao Paulo.

"The incident could constitute a violation of customs law for failure to declare goods and pay the required duties," the tax agency said in a statement, vowing to take "all necessary measures" to enforce the law.

Brazilian media reports said the second set of jewels had been handed over to the presidential palace's official collection on December 29, 2022.

Under Brazilian law, travelers entering the country with goods worth more than $1,000 are required to declare them.

The first family would then either have had to pay import duty on the jewels -- equal to half their value -- or give them to the presidential palace collection as official gifts to the nation.

Agence France-Presse

McDonald's sparks Brazil controversy over unisex toilet

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - A McDonald's restaurant in Brazil was on Sunday ordered to comply with health regulations by installing separate male and female toilets after sparking a controversy with its unisex bathroom.

The scandal erupted over a viral video shot from inside the unisex toilet of a McDonald's restaurant in Bauru, in Sao Paulo state.

In the video, a woman who appears to have shot the clip can be heard complaining: "This is absurd! Children use these bathrooms. This is communism in our city of Bauru, it's shameful!"

The video caused such a storm that health officials visited the restaurant and "found that the municipality's health regulations had not been respected," Bauru mayor Suellen Roim said on Twitter.

According to a local law, bathrooms must be "separated and identified, one for each sex."

McDonald's has been given two weeks to comply with the regulation or face either a fine or the restaurant's closure.

The company explained in a statement that it was trying to create areas of "inclusion and respect" so that "everyone feels welcome to use" the bathrooms.

The fast-food chain said it was cooperating with authorities to "meet certain standards."

But the issue riled up the ire of conservatives in a country where questions about gender have become a hot topic since far-right President Jair Bolsonaro -- often accused of sexism and homophobia -- took power three years ago.

Agence France-Presse

Protesters in Brazil demand Bolsonaro's impeachment

RIO DE JANEIRO - Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets around the country Saturday, once again calling for the ouster of unpopular President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, among other issues. 

Large crowds gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia and dozens of other towns and cities as part of the "Bolsonaro Out National Campaign," which is backed by a dozen left-wing political parties and labor groups.

Among other issues, the right-wing president has come under stinging criticism for his handling of the pandemic, which has claimed nearly 600,000 lives here.

Hundreds of people marched through the central Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Candelaria, shouting "Bolsonaro out!" which was also emblazoned on several large banners. 

"We're going to get him out. The hope of the people here in the streets is to put pressure on legislators so that they call for impeachment," 69-year-old retired professor Elizabeth Simoes told AFP. 

More than 100 requests for the impeachment of Bolsonaro have been filed with the Chamber of Deputies, but its leader Arthur Lira, a government ally, has refused to take any of them up. 

The Supreme Court has ordered several investigations into Bolsonaro and his aides, including for spreading false information.

In Sao Paulo, tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday afternoon on the central Paulista Avenue, including former cabinet minister Ciro Gomes.

"Bolsonaro is destroying the national economy," said the center-left politician, calling for unity. "He fills Brazil with shame abroad and is responsible for the death of almost 600,000 Brazilians" from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators gathered along the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia.

Local media counted protests in 24 of Brazil's 27 states, and in 84 cities, including 14 state capitals.

Red flags of the Workers' Party of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, or Lula, could be seen Saturday, along with Brazilian flags and the signs of several other left-wing and centrist parties often seen at protests against the far-right Bolsonaro.

- 'Can't stand this government' -

In recent months, protests led by leftist movements have demanded Bolsonaro's impeachment due to his mismanagement of the pandemic. But Saturday's demonstrations were also against a hike in food and fuel prices, as well as for relief for the 14.1 million unemployed people throughout the country.

"The population is going hungry, and we can't stand this government any longer," said Isadora Lessa, 22, in Rio.

"What is the importance of being here? That he knows he doesn't have unanimity, that he's going to have a hard time getting elected again," said Marcelo Werneck, who joined the protests in Rio in memory of the "friends and family" who died of COVID-19.

"If he doesn't face an impeachment, he loses the election in 2022," Werneck added.

Besieged by judicial investigations and the economic crisis, Bolsonaro's popularity has plummeted in recent months to 22 percent, its lowest level since he took office in January 2019.

But backers of the president have also made themselves known in recent weeks, as around 125,000 of them gathered in Brasilia and Sao Paulo September 7 in a show of support for Bolsonaro. 

A mid-September opinion poll by the Datafolha Institute found that Bolsonaro has 26 percent support compared with Lula's 44 percent, just one year ahead of the presidential vote. 

Agence France-Presse

Messi ends trophy drought as Argentina beat Brazil to win Copa America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Superstar Lionel Messi won his first trophy with his national team as Angel Di Maria's goal gave Argentina a 1-0 win over hosts Brazil in the Copa America final on Saturday.

The victory at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium ended Argentina's 28-year wait for a major trophy, and also ended Brazil's unbeaten home record that stretched back more than 2,500 days.

Argentina had last tasted success at a major tournament in 1993 when the great Gabriel Batistuta's brace gave them a 2-1 win over Mexico in the Copa final in Ecuador.

It was the first time in six editions playing at home that Brazil had failed to lift the trophy.

And while 34-year-old Messi's odyssey has come to an end, Brazil's Neymar, five years his junior, is still without a major title at international level having missed the Selecao's win on home soil two years ago through injury.

Argentina edged a brutal and fractious affair thanks to Di Maria's goal on 22 minutes.

The 33-year-old winger ran onto Rodrigo De Paul's sumptuous through ball to lob Brazil goalkeeper Ederson with a first time finish.

Messi could have wrapped up the win two minutes from time but slipped when clean through with only Ederson to beat. 

- Di Maria the tormentor -

In a frantic start, Argentina's burly enforcer Nicolas Otamendi was quickly in with his first foul while Brazilian midfielder Fred picked up the first booking after just three minutes for a studs up lunge at Gonzalo Montiel.

Brazil were unchanged from their semi-final win over Peru while Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made five alterations, notably bringing in Di Maria -- who made an energetic and decisive entry off the bench against Colombia last time out.

The final was the first match of the tournament, which was originally due to take place last year, to allow in fans as 7,800 -- a tenth of the Maracana capacity -- took their seats after authorities partially lifted pandemic restrictions.

The first clear chance came on 13 minutes as Richarlison headed down Marquinhos's long ball into the path of Neymar but the Brazilian star was crowded out by a pair of defenders.

The brutal nature of the early challenges could be seen on the players' kits, with Neymar sporting ripped shorts and Lucas Paqueta being left with a hole in his sock following an intervention by Otamendi.

Argentina played with aggression and commitment, but no lack of quality with Di Maria tormenting Brazil's left back Renan Lodi, who probably should have cut out De Paul's pass for the winger's goal.

Di Maria had a shot from 20 yards blocked while Messi fired just wide following a 40 yard run.

Brazil struggled to create anything of note and even when they had a free-kick from shooting range, Neymar couldn't beat the wall.

When the hosts did finally maintain some pressure late in the first half, Everton's deflected strike bobbled though to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

- Fractious, niggly -

Brazil coach Tite was quick to act, bringing on forward Roberto Firmino for defensive midfielder Fred at half-time.

Richarlison had the ball in the net soon after but he was flagged offside.

And moments later Neymar teed up Richarlison but Martinez parried his near post effort.

Increasingly it descended into a fractious, niggly affair with little fluid play between fouls and a plethora of theatrics and petulant bickering.

It was playing into Argentina's hands as they looked to run down the clock and hold onto their slender lead. 

Brazil managed to up the pressure again at the end of the half but they lacked a killer touch against some full-blooded defending -- Montiel even finished the game with his white sock soaked in blood.

When Brazil substitute Gabriel Barbosa fired a volley on target, Martinez was equal to it.

Messi slipped embarrassingly late on with a chance to clinch victory but it mattered little as moments later his teammates were tossing him in the air to celebrate their win.

Agence France-Presse

Supermoon shines bright over Christ the Redeemer

The Super Flower Blood Moon shines over the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday. Astronomy enthusiasts on Wednesday were treated to a rare sight as a total lunar eclipse coincided with a super blood moon as in the past 10 years, there have only been 10 total lunar eclipses. 

-reuters

Bolsonaro seeks Israeli anti-COVID nasal spray for Brazil

BRASILIA — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Monday his government would seek emergency use authorization for an Israeli-developed nasal spray against COVID-19 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a "miracle" treatment.

"EXO-CD24 is a nasal spray developed by the Ichilov Medical Center in Israel, with nearly 100-percent effectiveness -- 29 out of 30 -- against COVID in serious cases," Bolsonaro tweeted, two days after speaking on the phone with Netanyahu, who calls the Brazilian far-right leader a "good friend."

"A request to analyze this medication for emergency use will be sent shortly to (federal health regulator) Anvisa," Bolsonaro wrote.

The Ichilov Medical Center announced two weeks ago that one of its researchers had carried out Phase One testing -- typically the first of three phases of clinical trials -- on a nasal spray he developed against respiratory symptoms linked to COVID-19.

The researcher, Nadir Arber, reported he had administered the spray to 30 patients with moderate to severe cases of COVID-19, and that 29 of them had been released from hospital in three to five days.

But the medical center did not say whether a placebo had been given to a control group, and has yet to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

In order to be accepted as effective by scientists, new treatments must generally undergo randomized, controlled, blind clinical trials that are then shared in a research publication.

However, that did not stop Netanyahu from hailing EXO-CD24 as a "miracle" drug last week.

Bolsonaro, too, has been eager to embrace experimental treatments against COVID-19, even when health experts question them.

A fierce critic of lockdown measures, which he says unnecessarily harm the economy, he has instead fervently pushed the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to fight Covid-19.

He took the latter himself when he tested positive last July, despite scientists' findings that the two drugs are ineffective against the new coronavirus.

Bolsonaro has sought to cultivate close ties with Netanyahu.

In one of his first moves after winning election in 2018, he vowed to follow the lead of his political role model, then US president Donald Trump, and move Brazil's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem -- despite Palestinian claims to parts of the city.

Agence France-Presse

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil —  A tourist who was robbed while vacationing in Rio de Janeiro posted a disgusted message online... only to have Brazil's national tourism board post it to its official Instagram account by mistake.

"Rio is such a beautiful city," begins the message posted by Instagram user @withlai -- and that is perhaps as far as the Brazilian Tourist Board's social media department read before clicking "share."

But the message continues: "Beautiful is not enough."

During a three-day stay in Rio, @withlai wrote, "my family and I were robbed and my nine-year-old sister witnessed a violent robbery. I can't recommend a visit to a city where I felt afraid of even leaving the apartment."

Embratur, as the tourism board is known, shared the message on its own Instagram account Tuesday evening, leaving it up long enough for the gaffe to go viral before deleting the post.

"This message was shared by mistake," Embratur said in a red-faced statement, adding that it was in fact working to "publicize the drop in violent crime (in Brazil) in 2019."

Rio, the port of entry for many of the millions of tourists who visit Brazil each year, is known for the breathtaking beauty of its sun-soaked beaches and emerald mountains, but also its violent crime.

Rio de Janeiro state, of which the city is the capital, registered nearly 4,000 murders and 120,500 muggings last year -- though that was a drop of 19 percent and eight percent, respectively.

Agence France-Presse

Gay Pride parade engulfs Sao Paulo despite unease over Brazil's conservative turn

SAO PAULO, Brazil — One of the world's largest LGBT Pride parades took center stage in Sao Paulo on Sunday, with the carnivalesque festivities tinged with unease over Brazil's conservative political climate under President Jair Bolsonaro.

Tens of thousands of people took part in the annual march through the heart of Brazil's economic capital, traditionally an exuberant celebration of camp, color and fantasy.

But this year, many participants said they were turning out because they feel their liberties are increasingly under threat.

"I came to fight against homophobia and disrespect," said 31-year-old Monique Barber, who said she faced verbal attacks at the start of the march.

"We have a homophobic politician and we are seeing things go backwards. Just imagine being attacked at the LGBT march itself," she said.

Bolsonaro, a right-wing ex-army officer who was elected president last year, has a long history of homophobic, racist and chauvinist remarks.

Since taking office January 1, he has doubled down on that anti-gay posture, calling a recent Supreme Court decision criminalizing homophobia "an error."

Bolsonaro, who is Catholic, has strong support from Brazil’s growing Evangelical community.

This week he became the first Brazilian president to join the annual "March for Jesus," also held in Sao Paulo, an event that attracts Evangelical faithful from around the country.

Marina Fernandes, 19, said she was taking part in the march for the first time in support of LGBT rights, although she identifies as heterosexual.

"I came because I feel empathy and because I believe in respect for others. You don't have to be homosexual for that," she said.

Nineteen sound vehicles ran the length of the parade route, laden with music acts that include Spice Girl Mel C, as well as the Brazilian performers Karol Conka, Iza and Luisa Sonza.

'50 Years Since Stonewall'

This year's theme is "50 Years Since Stonewall," in tribute to the protests at a New York gay bar in 1969 that helped launch the modern LGBT rights movement.

Pedestrian crossing lights on Paulista Avenue were retouched for the event; instead of the traditional red and green, they flash same-sex couples.

A medical station displayed enormous rainbow decorations, and some businesses joined in, draping storefronts with the movement's symbolic colors.

"Prejudice has a cure, through education," read a sign borne alongside the parade's lead sound truck.

"I define myself as powerful," said a smiling Jonathan Alves, 27, ducking discussion of his sexual preference.

Wearing black pants and bra, his lips daubed with pink lipstick, Alves said he had overcome his fears to take part in the march for the first time.

"You have to come because it helps you accept yourself. Some people hide their entire lives and it's important to accept yourself, and even more so to show that we are no different," he said.

Brazil under Bolsonaro is a scary place, said demonstrator Felipe Ferreira, 27.

"We have a homophobic government that promotes and facilitates the carrying of weapons. A president that does not believe that homophobia is a crime, and who empowers intolerant people," he said.

Ferreira, who lives in the Sao Paulo area, said that the LGBT community outside of the big cities is extremely vulnerable.

"Just holding hands with your partner could cost you your life," said Ferreira, who was shirtless and had a rainbow flag tied around his neck.

source: philstar.com

Last remaining multiple World Cup champions eliminated

KAZAN, Russia  — Only five countries have won the World Cup more than once. None of them have a chance to win another this year.

Five-time champion Brazil and two-time champion Uruguay were both eliminated Friday, losing in the quarterfinals. Argentina, another two-time winner, lost in the round of 16 while four-time champion Germany couldn’t make it out of the group stage.

Italy, which also has won four titles, didn’t even qualify, losing to Sweden in the playoffs.

This is the first time there will be a semifinals without at least one of Argentina, Brazil, Germany or Italy.

That only leaves France and England as former champions still with a chance to win another title in Russia.

BRAZIL

Brazil was one of the biggest favorites heading into the tournament in Russia, but it struggled early in the group stage and finally lost to Belgium 2-1 on Friday in Kazan.

After a lackluster start in qualifying, Brazil replaced 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga with Tite as coach. Tite oversaw an immediate improvement in results that led to Brazil’s qualification.

Although Brazil finished first in Group E, it failed to impress in attack. There were glimpses of pace and skill from Neymar and Philippe Coutinho, but the team was not as free-flowing going forward as many had hoped.

At least the defense was solid, conceding only one goal through the round of 16.

Brazil has now been eliminated by European opposition in the knockout stages at each of the four World Cups since it last won in 2002.
URUGUAY

Uruguay was the World Cup’s first winner back in 1930 and the country added a second title 20 years later when it defeated Brazil in the final match in Rio de Janeiro.

Although the Uruguayans haven’t made a final since, they have become a presence again in the final stages.

In 2010, Uruguay made the semifinals, losing to the Netherlands 3-2. The team came close again this year, but lost to France 2-0 on Friday in Nizhny Novgorod.

Uruguay came second in South American qualifying behind Brazil. Its strong all-around performances in Russia, particularly in the 2-1 victory over Portugal in the round of 16, raised hopes that the team could at least match its performance from 2010.

However, during the loss to France in the quarterfinals, Uruguay was forced to play without injured striker Edinson Cavani. And a bad mistake from goalkeeper Fernando Muslera gifted Antoine Griezmann a goal.

ARGENTINA

Argentina, the World Cup champion in 1978 and 1986, has arguably the best player of his generation in Lionel Messi. But few gave the team much of a chance of making a second straight final.

Qualifying for the tournament in Russia proved to be an ordeal, requiring a final day hat trick from Messi.

With coach Jorge Sampaoli struggling to build a team around Messi, Argentina labored during the group stage in Russia, notably in its opening 1-1 draw against Iceland.

A 3-0 loss to Croatia raised the prospect that it wouldn’t even make it out of the group, but the team scraped through with a late winner against Nigeria.

The reward, though, was tough — France in the round of 16. Kylian Mbappe exploited the lack of speed in Argentina’s defense and lead France to a 4-3 victory.

GERMANY

Germany won its fourth World Cup in Brazil four years ago. A chance for a fifth was expected in Russia, not least because the team hadn’t done much wrong in between.

Germany’s failure to make the second stage for the first time since 1938 is one of the World Cup’s great surprises. After all, Germany has made it to the semifinals in each major tournament it has contested since 2006.

Losing its opening group match against Mexico was seen as a blip. Normal service would surely resume, it was thought. However, the team struggled in its second match against Sweden, requiring a curling goal from Toni Kroos with virtually the last kick of the match to win 2-1.

In its final match against South Korea, the Germans lost 2-0.

ITALY

At least the others qualified for this year’s World Cup.

Italy, however, didn’t even make it to Russia after losing to Sweden in the playoffs. It’s the first time Italy has missed out on a World Cup in 60 years.

Italy’s national team has been in decline since winning its fourth World Cup title in 2006. At the World Cups of 2010 and 2014, the Italians failed to get out of their group.

source: philstar.com

Brazilians disappointed after 1-1 tie at World Cup

RIO DE JANEIRO — Disappointment and frustration swept over Brazilians who gathered at public squares, bars and parks across Latin America's biggest country to watch their national team end up with a 1-1 tie in its opening World Cup match.

In Rio de Janeiro, thousands jammed the downtown Maua Square to watch Brazil's game with Switzerland on large TV screens. People cheered wildly when Brazil made it 1-0. But the mood started declining into glumness once Switzerland scored the equalizer and Brazil failed to get in another goal.

People watching the game in Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte and other cities in soccer-mad Brazil expressed similar feelings of disappointment.

source: philstar.com

Balanced Brazil reduces dependence on Neymar for World Cup

SAO PAULO — Brazil is still shaking off the embarrassment of losing to Germany 7-1 in its home World Cup.

Since Tite took over as coach in 2016, the five-time world champions have become a winning machine again and were the first to qualify for Russia.

Neymar, who missed the humiliating match against Germany because of injury, has had to recover from a broken foot that kept him out for three months before the trip to Russia.

But there isn’t such a reliance now on the world’s most expensive player. In six games without Neymar, Brazil still won four times, including a friendly against Germany in Berlin in March.


“He will be missed by any team,” Brazil defender Thiago Silva said, “but not having him sometimes helps us consolidate the style we want.”

Indeed, the Brazilians head into the World Cup looking more balanced and with a range of top players available in every position. They were so dominant in South American qualifying that they would still have secured first place without the points secured in six games under Dunga before the coach was fired.

Brazil should be even more dangerous in Russia if Neymar, who sustained the injury playing for Paris Saint-Germain in February, is fully fit.

“Skill wise, he is already the best player in the world,” Brazil great Pele said. “This is his time to shine.”

Here’s a closer look at the Brazil team:

Coach
In less than two years on the job, Adenor Leonardo Bachi — better known as Tite — has turned Brazil from a flop into a title favorite.

A former pupil of defense-minded Luiz Felipe Scolari — the 2002 World Cup-winning coach who also presided over the Germany match — Tite has grown into a fan of Carlo Ancelotti and his well-balanced teams. The two have exchanged ideas since 2014.
Detractors say Tite’s teams are low scoring and that he charms players and journalists into sparing him from criticism. But his title streak at Corinthians from 2011-15 underscores his credentials for the national team job.

Goalkeepers
Alisson Becker wasn’t a household name in Brazil when he started wearing the No. 1 jersey two years ago. Now a starter for Roma, the 25-year-old Becker’s admirers include Italy great Gianluigi Buffon.

Alisson’s skills with both hands and feet made Tite relegate Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson to the bench. He is now being linked with a move to a leading club, including Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea.

The third option is Tite’s most trusted player in the position, Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio.

Defenders
In 12 South American World Cup qualifiers under Tite, Brazil conceded only three goals.

The coach would have preferred to play with a solid back four featuring Paris Saint-Germain duo Dani Alves and Marquinhos, Inter Milan’s Miranda and Real Madrid’s Marcelo. But Alves will miss the World Cup because of injury and will be replaced by Manchester City defender Danilo.

At the pre-World Cup training camp, Tite decided to move PSG central defender Thiago Silva to Marquinhos’ place.

The three other reserves, right back Fagner, defender Pedro Geromel and left back Filipe Luis, are clearly lagging behind the starters.

Midfielders
Philippe Coutinho could replace Renato Augusto, who plays at Chinese club Beijing Guoan and is returning from injury, as the playmaker.

If that happens, Coutinho’s position on the left could be filled by Chelsea midfielder Willian. Fred is also in contention to start if he recovers from an ankle injury.

A more defensive variation would see Fernandinho, who plays with Premier League champion Manchester City, take Augusto’s place. While Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro offers protection to the defense, Barcelona rival Paulinho is a box-to-box player who also provides goals.

Forwards
If Neymar isn’t fit for the World Cup, Tite may have to resort to using Willian or Douglas Costa, who is also returning from injury, in his place.

While Gabriel Jesus was Brazil’s top scorer in qualifying, the Man City player faces competition from Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino.

Tite lacks an old-fashioned center forward, so he chose a speedier player, Shahktar Donetsk’s Taison, for the bench.

Group games
Brazil will have its base in Sochi despite playing no games near the Black Sea resort. The team will face Switzerland on Sunday in its Group E opener in Rostov-on-Don and then play Costa Rica on June 22 in St. Petersburg and Serbia on June 27 in Moscow.

Squad
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Roma), Ederson (Manchester City), Cassio (Corinthians)

Defenders: Danilo (Manchester City), Fagner (Corinthians), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Miranda (Inter Milan), Pedro Geromel (Gremio), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Casemiro (Real Madrid), Paulinho (Barcelona), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Fred (Manchester United), Fernandinho (Manchester City)

Forwards: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Willian (Chelsea), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Douglas Costa (Juventus), Taison (Shakhtar Donetsk)

source: philstar.com

Microsoft opens fourth Transparency Center to cater Latin America

BRASILIA — Microsoft Corp, still stung by accusations that it installed “back doors” for the U.S. government to access customers’ communications, opened a center in Brazil on Wednesday where officials will be able to inspect its programming code, in an attempt to allay suspicions in the region that its software programs are vulnerable to spying.

Behind reinforced walls and with strict security settings, the world’s biggest software company showed off its fourth ‘Transparency Center’ in Brasilia, where experts from Latin American and Caribbean governments will be able to view the source code of its products.

The effort to build trust follows heightened suspicions in the region after former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents in 2013 that showed the agency was capturing massive amounts of data from emails handled by major U.S. technology companies, including Microsoft.

The leak, in addition to another Snowden disclosure that the United States had been spying on communications including those of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, prompted Brazil and other governments around the world to reconsider how much they could trust U.S. technology companies not to install back doors at the request of U.S. intelligence agencies.

At the new site, visited on Wednesday by officials including the speaker of Brazil’s Congress, no electronics will be allowed into the secure viewing room.

Microsoft prevents anyone from copying the massive amount of coding on display – as much as 50 million lines for its email and server products. Viewers inspect copies of source code on computers connected only to local servers and cut off from the internet. The copies are later deleted.

Viewers can use software tools to examine the code, Microsoft said, but it was not immediately clear whether experts would be able to run deep code analysis necessary to uncover back doors or other bugs.

It is by no means certain the effort by Microsoft will diminish concerns about spying, but Brazil’s reaction to the generally secretive software company opening up its code was initially positive.

“This center is aimed at showing that there are no traps, it is a good step,” a Brazilian government official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak about cyber security, told Reuters.

The Brasilia facility is Microsoft’s fourth transparency center after the NSA scandal. It set up the first one at its Redmond, Washington headquarters in the United States in 2014, one in Brussels last year and one in Singapore earlier this month. It will soon open another in Beijing.

The centers allow for face-to-face discussions between government experts and developers. “Governments can verify for themselves that there are no back doors,” said Mark Estberg, senior director of Microsoft’s global government security program.

source: interaksyon.com

Lacuna second to fall in Rio; places 46th in 400m freestyle

MANILA, Philippines – Jessie Lacuna is the second Filipino athlete to fall in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after finishing 6th in heat 2 and 46th overall in the 400m freestyle competition, Sunday morning.

Lacuna, one of the 50 swimmers to dispute the eight slots for the next phase, clocked 4:01:70, the second worst in heat 2. His finished 46th overall.

The 23-year-old swimmer from Ateneo de Manila University raced in a heat of seven swimmers.

His personal best in the 400m freestyle  is 3:59.75.

Venezuelan Cristian Quintero registered the quickest time in the same heat, but he wound up finishing 33rd in the final ranking.

American Dwyer Conor logged the best time of 3:43.42.

Lacuna, who currently holds the record 2015 SEA Games record of 2:00.9 in the 200m butterfly, is the second casualty the Philippine contingent suffered in the Games.

The Bulacan native also competed in the 2012 Olympics in London, where he ranked 36th in heat 2. He was the youngest athlete in that year's Philippine contingent.

Earlier, Ian Lariba bowed out of contention in the hands of naturalized Congo paddler and frequent training mate, Han Xing in the women's table tennis singles.

The Philippine crew is now down to 11 athletes.

Charly Suarez is next to see action. He will take on Great Britain's Joe Cordina in the men's lightweight boxing which begins Sunday, 5 a.m.

source: philstar.com

Zika outbreak will worsen before it gets better - WHO head

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The head of the World Health Organization warned Wednesday that the Zika outbreak would likely worsen before nations besieged by the mosquito-borne virus linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil see relief.

Director General Margaret Chan made the comments at the end of her two-day visit to Brazil, the country at the epicenter of the Zika crisis.

"Things may get worse before they get better," Chan said at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro. "Don't be surprised to see microcephaly reported in other parts of Brazil."

As yet, Brazil's Zika outbreak has been concentrated in the northeastern part of the nation.

Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly, a condition marked by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems. Chan underscored that scientists are still working to determine causality between the virus and the birth defect.

Brazil said this week it has confirmed more than 580 cases of microcephaly, and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating more than 4,100 additional suspected cases of microcephaly.

After Brazil, Colombia has been hardest hit by Zika infections with the country's health officials reporting on Wednesday a probable case of microcephaly possibly linked to Zika in an aborted fetus.

Colombia has reported more than 37,000 cases of Zika including 6,356 in pregnant women but has yet to have a confirmed microcephaly case linked to the virus. At least 34 countries, mostly in the Americas, have active Zika outbreaks and the virus is expected to spread.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international health emergency on February 1, citing a "strongly suspected" relationship between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly.

Scientists are also studying a potential link between Zika infection and Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological disorder that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis.

source: interaksyon.com

Argentina’s Messi named player of the tournament; Germany’s Neuer top goalkeeper

RIO DE JANEIRO – Lionel Messi, who lost out on the World Cup title after Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Germany in Sunday’s final, was named the Golden Boot player of the tournament.

The Barcelona legend and four time Player of the Year was a key part in Argentina’s march to the Maracana stadium, picking up four man of the match performances.

He scored four goals at the tournament, but failed to pick up the one honor eluding him after Germany substitute Mario Goetze’s 113th minute goal dashed the South Americans’ dream of a third title.

Germany’s Manuel Neuer won the World Cup Golden Glove award for the tournament’s best goalkeeper after helping his side to a 1-0 victory over Argentina.

The 28-year-old Bayern Munich player was presented with the award at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium moments after the triumph.

He beat off competition from Argentine opposite number Sergio Romero and Keylor Navas of surprise package Costa Rica.

Neuer was beaten only four times in the tournament and kept clean sheets in the 1-0 quarter-final win over France and the victory over Argentina in the final.

He succeeds Spain’s Iker Casillas, who was voted outstanding goalkeeper at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

Colombia’s young striker James Rodriguez claimed the World Cup’s top scorer honors with six goals.

Despite his country going out at the quarter-final stage the 23-year-old’s haul was never matched.

Among his half dozen goals was the magical chest and volley against Uruguay.

The Monaco forward, who stepped in manfully to fill the void left by Colombia’s injured Radamel Falcao, also scored in the 2-1 quarter-final loss to Brazil.

He got a second against Uruguay in the last 16 game, and one in each of Colombia’s first round matches against Ivory Coast, Greece and Japan.

Germany’s world champion Thomas Mueller ended up in second place with five goals.

Losing Argentina finalist Lionel Messi, injured Brazil star Neymar and Dutch striker Robin van Persie, shared third spot on four.

source: interaksyon.com

‘This can’t happen’: Brazil rival Argentina nears World Cup crown as home fans lick wounds after exit

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilians might have thought that their World Cup nightmare couldn’t possibly get any worse — and then bitter rivals Argentina reached the final in their own backyard Wednesday.

Still agonizing over their traumatic 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany just 24 hours earlier, Brazilians will now have to watch Argentina and their superstar Lionel Messi battle for the trophy in Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Maracana Stadium on Sunday.

Many Brazilians rooted for the Netherlands to beat their South American neighbors in Wednesday’s semi-final. But Argentina saw off the dogged Dutch 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in 120 minutes of attritional stalemate.

“Seeing Argentina in the final in our home hurts, especially after the Selecao’s worst ever defeat,” said Marcio Carneiro da Silva, 36, a mailman drowning his sorrows with a beer on the terrace of a Rio de Janeiro restaurant.

His friend Cesar Augusto, 37, already picked a new team for Sunday.

“Now I’m German,” he said.

Brazilians noted that the final will be in the same stadium where Brazil lost the decisive game of the 1950 tournament to Uruguay, a defeat that traumatized the country.

‘We are all Germany’

“The nightmare continues,” wrote O Dia newspaper in its online edition.

“In addition to not being able to dream about a sixth title, Brazilians will have to live with the real possibility of one of its main rivals triumphing in the ultimate football temple,” it said.

The sports daily Lance used a Twitter hashtag for its title, #SomosTodosAlemanha! (We Are All Germany). Argentines responded on the social media website by repeatedly typing the number 7, reminding Brazilians of their humiliating defeat.

Argentines were on cloud nine, singing and chanting at the stadium in Sao Paulo and in bars across Brazil.

“Reaching the final in Brazil is the best thing that could happen to us, although I would have preferred to beat them in the final,” said Miguel Martin, 32, a truck driver wearing a hat in Argentina’s blue and white colors who watched the game at a public screening in Sao Paulo.

Brazil and Argentina have battled for football supremacy in South America for decades.

Brazilians flaunt their record five World Cup titles at Argentines, whose team has won the trophy twice.

Throughout the World Cup, Argentine fans chanted in stadiums that football legend Diego Maradona was better than Brazilian great Pele.

But the competition goes beyond the pitch. Argentina was a leading emerging nation in the early 20th century but it was eclipsed by Brazil in economic and political might in recent decades.

Unbearable nightmare
At the official “Fan Fest” in Sao Paulo, some Brazilians wore the Dutch team’s orange colors, applauding every time the Netherlands were close to scoring.

Now they have to cope with the possibility of President Dilma Rousseff handing the trophy to Argentine captain Messi.

“I can’t imagine Dilma giving the trophy to Argentina at the Maracana. This can’t happen,” said Marcos Raimondi, a 44-year-old economist wearing the official Dutch team jersey. “It’s worse than what happened yesterday. It’s a nightmare. Unbearable.”

Amadeus Marques, a 27-year-old doctor also in Dutch regalia, was equally dumbstruck.

“This is incredible. I feel the same sensation as yesterday. Since the fourth German goal I was already hoping that Argentina would not go through and that we would play them for third place.”

But not all Brazilians were rooting against their South American peers.

Leonan Freitas, a 33-year-old bank worker, was the only one among a group of friends sipping beers at a Rio bar who cheered for Argentina.

“Argentina is a neighbor. I want South America to win,” he said to his friends’ disapproval. “I was more scared of losing the third-place game to Argentina.”

source: interaksyon.com

Couples tie knot en masse in Rio's first gay marriages

RIO DE JANEIRO - A total of 130 couples said "I do" in a mass wedding Sunday at Rio de Janeiro's Superior Court of Justice, marking the city's first gay civil marriages.

In mid-May, Brazilian courts determined that public offices that oversee marriages cannot reject gay couples, even though Brazil's national congress has passed no law on the matter.

Some public offices had already been accepting marriage applications from homosexual couples, while others denied them.

An emotional Viviane Soares Lessa de Faria, 38, smiled at her partner and told news site G1 "I've dreamed of marrying her since I met her."

Her wife's 29-year-old son was the couple's best man.

For Giuseppe Laricchia, 21, marrying his boyfriend was about guaranteeing rights.

"We need to have equality compared with heterosexual couples," he said.

Judge Cristina Gaulia said the mass ceremony marked a "political victory."

Civil unions between gay couples were recognized two years ago by the Supreme Court, which granted gay spouses the same rights as heterosexual spouses.

source: interaksyon.com

FIFA insists World Cup preparations on track despite setbacks

COSTA DO SAUIPE – Global football chief Sepp Blatter insisted preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil were on track Tuesday despite construction delays and a deadly accident which mean three stadiums will miss an end-of-year deadline to be ready.

As the football world geared up for Friday’s eagerly-anticipated draw, governing body FIFA revealed three of the tournament’s 12 venues would not be able to meet the December 31 deadline for completion.

One of the venues, Sao Paulo’s Itaquerao stadium, was the scene of a fatal accident last week which claimed the lives of two workers who were crushed to death when a crane toppled over.

In addition, the completion of stadiums at Curitiba and and Cuiaba is now set for February, just four months before the finals kick off in June.

FIFA President Blatter however played down the significance of the construction delays, saying he was confident Brazil would be successful hosts of their first World Cup since 1950.

“We have just received a report. There are some small delays in construction of stadia. But so small that with one exception (Sao Paulo) we can say everything is ready,” said Blatter.

The issues are “so small we can close our eyes,” he added.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said the stadium in Curitiba, which has been lagging behind schedule more than the other venues, would not be ready until the end of February.

“We are not in crisis mood,” Valcke stressed.

“Curitiba is the one where we are facing the most problems and won’t be delivered before the end of February 2014.

“We will be ready to get the stadium by the end of February 2014,” Valcke said.

The Arena Amazonia in Manaus, in the heart of the tropical rain forest, also remains under construction, as does the one at Cuiaba.

Brazilian sports ministry executive secretary Luis Fernandes indicated that the stadiums lagging behind would be ready “in late January, or late February.”

On Wednesday, Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo will be among officials fronting pre-draw events where the hosts will stress they can overcome doubts about transport links, hotel prices and urban crime.

Representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and the Civil Aviation authority will also address complaints about unreasonably high prices.

Other concerns focused on accommodation capacity with some 600,000 foreign tourists expected to attend the month-long event starting June 12 in Sao Paulo.

There is also a shortage of domestic flight links between venues as the government mulls whether to allow foreign airlines to run domestic routes to ease the strain.

Some countries are also worried about the sheer size of the country, as some teams may face an onerous travel schedule with matches as far south as Porto Alegre, cold in the Brazilian winter, but also in tropical Manaus, and sultry Fortaleza some 3,000 kilometres (1,900 miles) away.

Italy on Wednesday is set to propose the introduction of two two-minute time-outs per match to reduce the risk of players becoming dehydrated after FIFA elected not to change early afternoon kickoff times in some venues where the heat is likely to be a factor.

The draw itself will feature eight groups of four teams and one of nine non-seeded European nations will face being moved into pot 2 alongside the five-strong African contingent and two South American sides.

England coach Roy Hodgson, whose unseeded team could be in line for a tough draw, says the geography issue is almost as important as which teams his men will face.

“There are venues in Brazil that will be harder to play in than others,” said Hodgson before heading for Costa do Sauipe from Rio.

The eight seeds are hosts Brazil, reigning champions Spain, three-time winners Germany, Argentina, conquerors of two titles, fellow two-time winners Uruguay, Colombia, Belgium, and Switzerland, whom Hodgson led to the second round at USA ’94.

With the draw venue an hour’s drive north of the Bahia state capital Salvador, organizers are hoping the event will not be marred by the kind of popular unrest which hit last June’s Confederations Cup.

Many Brazilians are angry at the estimated $11 billion cost of staging the World Cup — about another $15 billion will follow for the 2016 Rio Olympics — believing the money would have been better spent on improving public transport,education and health care services.

source: interaksyon.com

Rio police probe Justin Bieber over wall tagging

RIO DE JANEIRO - Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber, currently on a Brazil concert tour, is under police investigation in Rio for alleged unauthorized wall tagging.

A police statement sent to AFP Wednesday said a probe had been launched to determine whether the 19-year-old pop star had received permission from City Hall to tag the wall of a disused hotel in Rio's tourist southern zone as claimed by his entourage.

Late Tuesday, protected by his security detail, Bieber tagged "Respect privacy" and "I am off" as well as several drawings on the hotel wall while nearby Brazilian police officers did not stop him.

The daily O Dia reported that Bieber's bodyguards threatened paparazzi who photographed the scene and that one of their cars was hit by a stone.

Since his arrival Friday after a stop in Sao Paulo, Bieber, who gave a concert here Sunday, has grabbed media attention with a series of peccadilloes.

He was photographed emerging under a blanket from a notorious Rio brothel and later vainly tried to bring prostitutes into the posh Copacabana Palace.

Furious that he was not able to do so, the teen sensation reportedly went on a rampage in his suite, breaking various objects valued at nearly $6,000 in total.

Bieber and his entourage were subsequently kicked out of the hotel, local press reports said.

Bieber, who is on the Brazilian leg of his world tour to promote his Believe album, was due to leave Rio for Paraguay late Wednesday.

source: interaksyon.com

Brazil central bank launches $60 billion currency intervention

SAO PAOLO - Brazil's central bank announced a currency-intervention program on Thursday that will provide $60 billion worth of cash and insurance to the foreign-exchange market by year-end, a move aimed at bolstering the country's currency, the real, as it slips to near five-year lows against the dollar.

The bank said in a statement it will sell, on Mondays through Thursdays, $500 million worth of currency swaps, derivative contracts designed to provide investors with insurance against a weaker real. On Fridays, it will offer $1 billion on the spot market through repurchase agreements.

Both are designed to prevent companies and individuals with dollar obligations from scrambling to the market at the same time, afraid that waiting will force them to pay more to buy dollars. When that happens, the real tends to weaken further and faster.

"This shows the firm determination of monetary authorities to keep the exchange rate from slipping further," said Andre Perfeito, chief economist with Gradual Investments in São Paulo.

The program starts on Friday and runs until December, the central bank said, adding it may announce additional auctions if it sees fit.

The move comes as the government seeks ways to control inflation and keep the real from sliding while at the same time trying to kick-start an economy that has stagnated despite a rapid expansion of credit. While a weaker real can help Brazil's export of commodities and manufactured goods, it makes raw materials and other imports more expensive, helping drive inflation higher.

Brazil cut its outlook for gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 2.5 percent from 3 percent in 2013 and to 4 percent from 4.5 percent for 2014, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said in an interview with Brazil's Globo Television Network late on Thursday.

For Perfeito, the move signals the central bank's intention to limit interest rate hikes. In addition to controlling inflation, higher rates would attract investment to Brazil, helping the real firm against the dollar. At the same time higher rates could also slow growth by making borrowing more expensive.

"I think that this is an effort to adjust expectations a bit because $60 billion is a lot," Perfeito said. "This kind of attitude just before a Copom meeting shows that exchange rate controls won't be carried out only through monetary policy."

The bank's Copom monetary policy committee, which sets Brazil's benchmark rate, meets on August 28.

Interest-rate futures contracts suggest that there is a 76 percent chance that the central bank will raise the benchmark Selic target rate half a percentage point to 9 percent and a 24 percent chance of raising it 1.25 percentage points to 9.25 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

The real's weakening and the Copom meeting come as the United States' central banking authority, the Federal Reserve, is moving closer to ending a bond-buying program that has injected billions into the U.S. economy driving down interest rates.

As a result investors have been searching for higher-yielding, emerging market securities.

With the end of the Fed's "quantitative easing" program expected soon, capital flows have flowed out of emerging markets such as Brazil and back to the United States and other developed countries, helping to weaken the real.

"Today, the big problem is there is a structural change (in the world economy)," said Eduardo Velho, chief economist with Miami-based investment bank INVX Global Partners LLC, in São Paulo. "The central bank's move is an important measure to reduce volatility and slow the pressure on the exchange rate. I see this as positive."

On Thursday Brazil's real firmed 0.1 percent to 2.4305 reais to the dollar.

source: interaksyon.com