Representatives from the Goias State Health Secretariat in Brazil met with Mexican specialists.
On Friday, Brazil and Mexico strengthened their cooperation on safe and resilient hospitals through a technical visit to Mexico City, with support from the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
The visit brought together representatives from the Goias State Health Secretariat in Brazil with Mexican specialists to exchange experiences on the response of health services to emergencies and disasters.
The Brazilian delegation was headed by the Secretary of Health of Goias, Rasivel dos Reis Santos, and the Undersecretary of Health Surveillance, Fluvia Pereira, accompanied by representatives from PAHO/WHO in Brazil.
The meetings facilitated the sharing of experiences related to governance, inter-institutional coordination, evaluation and monitoring systems, as well as certification and continuous improvement mechanisms for healthcare facilities.
The text reads, “Senator Canedo received 162 new pieces of equipment for its primary health care units (UBSs), representing an investment of approximately US$340,000. The equipment will be distributed according to the needs of each unit.”
Authorities highlighted the existing cooperation model between the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and the State Committee of the Safe Hospital Program in Mexico City, considered an example of institutional collaboration.
As part of the agenda, the Brazilian delegation visited the Central North Hospital of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), where they learned about civil protection, operational continuity, and hospital security protocols implemented in the event of emergencies.
Representatives from Goias emphasized the level of preparedness of the healthcare and management staff, as well as the practices developed to ensure the continued operation of medical services in critical situations.
The film honors generations of dancers, choreographers, and artists.
On Wednesday, the documentary “Afternoon Echoes,” directed by Cuban filmmaker Lourdes de los Santos, was presented at the Yara Cinema in Havana as part of the activities organized during Cuban Culture Week.
The film explores the history and significance of the ballet “Afternoon Echoes,” created by choreographer Alberto Mendez in 1973 and considered one of the most important pieces in the repertoire of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC).
It shows the links between dance, painting, and cinema, taking as a reference point the influence attributed to the painting “The Noon,” by Cuban painter Guillermo Collazo, on the conception of the choreographic work.
According to its director, the documentary constitutes a tribute to generations of dancers, choreographers, and artists who contributed to the formation and consolidation of the Cuban School of Ballet.
El Ballet Contemporáneo de Camagüey, en el marco de la Jornada por la Cultura Cubana, presentó la Peña “Escape”, la cual es una ventana de creación donde los bailarines, reafirman que la entrega artística va más allá de cualquier obstáculo. #PorCamagüeyTodo#CubaEsCulturapic.twitter.com/XMm52u12xz
The text reads, “The Camaguey Contemporary Ballet, within the framework of the Cuban Culture Week, presented the ‘Escape’ event, which is a window of creation where the dancers reaffirm that artistic dedication goes beyond any obstacle.”
The production also highlights the historic collaborative relationship between the BNC and the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), reflected in numerous audiovisual works dedicated to dance.
Among the central elements of the narrative are the testimonies of prominent figures associated with ballet, including Maria Elena Llorente, one of the most renowned performers of “Afternoon Echoes,” to whose memory the documentary is dedicated.
ICAIC president Alexis Triana emphasized that this production inaugurates a new line of work within the institution’s Documentary Department, focused on exploring topics related to Cuban culture and history.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | In Cuba, over a million students return to school, marking an achievement for the nation's education system amid ongoing United States aggression. pic.twitter.com/oMCCt8jRPD
They criticize the far-right candidate’s positions on labor rights, national sovereignty, poverty, violence, the environment, and human rights.
On Friday, Folha de Sao Paulo published the contents of a letter in which 54 Brazilian Catholic bishops warn that far-right presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro threatens the church’s social doctrine, democracy, national sovereignty and the practice of the common good.
“We cannot remain neutral, lest our conscience or history condemn us in the future. Those who remained silent in the face of totalitarian threats that materialized in 20th-century Europe left a shameful legacy for future generations,” stated the “Letter from Catholic Bishops to the People of God Ahead of the Second Round of the 2026 Presidential Election.”
The signatories say they are in communion with the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and aligned with the message issued by the organization’s Permanent Council, which defended the constitution and respect for the vote.
Besides urging voters to evaluate the records of the two candidates facing off in the Oct. 25 runoff, the bishops list the main positions through which Bolsonaro contradicts church teachings.
Labor Issues
The far-right candidate has consistently opposed eliminating the six-days-on, one-day-off work schedule and has proposed hourly pay, which “does not recognize the dignity of the worker and could bring this issue back to the forefront.”
National Sovereignty
Flavio Bolsonaro “promises Brazil’s submission to the United States, participated in a conspiracy to impose tariffs on Brazilian products, advocates foreign interference in elections, and promises to hand over our rare earth resources for U.S. exploitation.”
Poverty
The bishops cite the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te and say the Liberal Party “has always publicly opposed social programs and the fight against poverty,” even though Flavio Bolsonaro now says he will maintain some of those programs.
🇧🇷⛪️ Creencias y política chocan en Brasil: crece la polémica por la promesa religiosa de Bolsonaro
✝️ Miles de fieles conmemoraron el aniversario de Nuestra Señora Aparecida, patrona del país sudamericano, en medio de la controversia por la promesa de campaña del candidato a la… pic.twitter.com/5AgyIQGEzv
The text reads, “Beliefs and politics collide in Brazil: controversy grows over a religious pledge made by Bolsonaro. Thousands of the faithful commemorated the anniversary of Our Lady of Aparecida—the patron saint of the South American nation—amidst controversy surrounding a campaign promise by presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro to declare that the nation belongs to Jesus Christ.
Catholics and representatives of Afro-Brazilian religions have warned of potential risks of exclusion and discrimination. Although the campaign asserted that this is merely a symbolic expression of faith, the debate has reignited questions regarding religious freedom and respect for the diversity of beliefs within Brazil.”
Violence
The bishops criticize Bolsonaro’s promise to expand access to firearms, “as his father did during his administration.” The issue had already been criticized in the homily delivered by the archbishop of Aparecida, who preached a message of “unarmed peace” during Mass on the Feast of Our Lady.
Environment
The bishops accuse Flavio Bolsonaro of denying the climate crisis and seeking to continue the “devastating policies” of his father, Jair Bolsonaro. They cite the environmental licensing law approved in 2025, known as the “Devastation Law.”
Human Rights and Democracy
The bishops recalled that the far-right candidate “publicly expresses support for torture” and that his family honored Col. Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra, a torturer during the military dictatorship.
Flavio Bolsonaro “made several statements that threaten the constitutional order” and, if elected, would govern with a majority in Congress and the Supreme Federal Court (STF), “creating the conditions for a usurpation of power,” the bishops warned.
The Brazilian Situation
Without mentioning Lula, the letter states that the Workers’ Party candidate, “although he has also been the subject of criticism, has always demonstrated responsibility toward the poor and our Common Home, and has acted within the limits of the democratic order, respecting the Constitution.”
“Whether one likes the current government or not cannot be a reason to hand the country over to someone who demonstrates such a contradiction with the teachings of our church,” the bishops say. They also urge Catholics not to abstain from voting.
Among the signatories are Bishop Jose Ionilton Lisboa de Oliveira, president of the Pastoral Land Commission, and the archbishops of Porto Velho, Roque Paloschi; Feira de Santana, Zanoni Demettino Castro; and Uberaba, Paulo Mendes Peixoto. The list includes bishops from Brazil’s Amazon, Northeast, Southeast, Central-West, and South regions.
The letter adds to the existing rivalry between Flavio Bolsonaro and the Catholic Church during the 2026 presidential campaign. In September, the Brazilian Commission for Justice and Peace delivered a report to the bishops detailing 58 attacks by the far right against Catholics and their church since 2018.
Including Messi in the Sports category reinforces Latin America’s presence in the awards.
On Friday, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi joined the list of Latin American personalities recognized with the Princess of Asturias Award, expanding a regional presence that now includes 45 prominent figures.
Since 1981, Latin America has played a significant role in these awards, accumulating 64 prizes awarded to individuals and institutions from fifteen countries in the region.
Mexico leads the list with 21 awards, followed by Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, with eight each. Venezuela, Peru, Guatemala, Cuba, Chile, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Uruguay, and Puerto Rico are also represented.
Among the honored institutions are the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Caro y Cuervo Institute of Colombia, the People of Puerto Rico, and the Brazilian National Football Team.
The text reads, “Leo Messi, Princess of Asturias Award for Sports 2026.”
In literature, figures such as Mexican Juan Rulfo and Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa stand out, while in communication and popular culture, the Argentine Quino, creator of Mafalda, was recognized.
The region’s political and social dimension has also been recognized, with figures such as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, distinguished for his contribution to international cooperation.
These personalities represent contributions to human rights, literature, journalism, science, politics, and art. Including Messi in the Sports category reinforces Latin America’s presence in the awards and adds one of the most influential footballers of all time.
Persian official also warned that energy markets not to find calm for next 3 years if anti-Iran situation continues.
On Friday, Fada Hossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned regional countries that any support for the United States in the event of a renewed armed conflict would be regarded as a hostile act toward the Persian nation.
“Iran would be able to identify which regional states are prepared to back American forces if military action resumes,” he told RIA Novosti in an interview.
“In that case, the decisions taken by Iran may go beyond strikes on the military bases of those countries, and those countries themselves will be classified as hostile states,” he added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that the United States has spent US$11 billion in taxpayers’ money on missile defense for Israel within the past three years.
“It has fired more interceptors defending Israel than Israel has. That is not a symbiotic relationship. It is a parasitic one,” he pointed out.
‼️ WE ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS THE BIGGEST WAR IN HISTORY FOR THE SURVIVAL OF PETRODOLLAR
US military has quietly been scaling back its troop presence at bases across the Middle East.
Energy markets not to find calm for next 3 years if anti-Iran situation continues
On Thursday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei warned that global energy markets will remain volatile “for the next three years” if the U.S. continues its current pressure campaign against Iran.
“Perpetuating the current situation will carry strategic consequences, not least that the energy markets will not find calm for the next three years,” he stated in an interview with U.S.-based news outlet Drop Site News.
Rezaei said that if another war is imposed on Iran, Tehran still has the capacity to launch missiles and drones at various U.S. assets across the region and will expand its target list to include “cables, data centers and artificial intelligence facilities.”
The official stressed that Iran will neither reopen the Strait of Hormuz nor return to negotiations, unless its seven new conditions, presented to the United States through mediators, are met.
He also said Gulf states “are rapidly redefining their relationship with Iran” as they realized that “the U.S. military is incapable of defending its own bases.”
He has achieved twelve European Tour titles and three PGA Tour victories.
On Friday, English golfer Ian Poulter announced his departure from LIV Golf and confirmed he will not participate in the new project being considered after the withdrawal of Saudi funding that had supported the tour since its inception in 2022.
Poulter joins other players who have also opted not to participate in the so-called new phase of the competition, including Jon Rahm, David Puig, Bubba Watson, and Louis Oosthuizen.
The Briton explained that the decision was made after discussing it with his family and team, particularly valuing the “possibility of reducing” travel and dedicating more time to his personal life.
Poulter leaves behind a distinguished career in international golf, with twelve European Tour titles and three PGA Tour victories. However, he shared his interest in competing more frequently in senior tournaments.
He plans to enhance his activity on social media and digital platforms, especially through his YouTube channel, where he shares golf-related content. The player will also dedicate time to supporting his son Luke Poulter, who is taking his first steps on the competitive circuit.
The player stated that, despite the controversy surrounding LIV Golf since its inception, he is proud to have been part of the project and to have competed with the Majesticks team.
In his message, he highlighted the numerous changes professional golf has undergone in recent years and expressed his conviction that these transformations can open new opportunities for players and organizers.
The former presidential candidate was arrested over alleged irregularities in the handling of funds during the 2023 campaign.
On Friday, Prosecutor General’s Office requested preventive detention for leftist former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez, who was arrested on Thursday over the alleged irregular handling of funds from the 2023 election campaign.
Prosecutors requested that she be provisionally held in prison while proceedings against Gonzalez continue. She is accused of the alleged crime of money laundering.
The case comes five weeks before subnational elections in Ecuador, an Andean country where Citizens Revolution, the main opposition force to the U.S.-backed President Daniel Noboa, has denounced judicial persecution of progressive politicians and activists.
The hearing to present charges against Gonzalez is taking place while the leftist leader remains detained at Model Barracks in Guayaquil. She was transferred there after being arrested in the early hours of Thursday at her home in Canuto, a rural locality in the province of Manabi.
During the same hearing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office also requested preventive detention for two other defendants in the case: former lawmaker Santiago Diaz, a Correista whose testimony prompted the investigation, and Wendy Onofre, a former official with the Municipality of Guayaquil under the administration of now-imprisoned Mayor Aquiles Alvarez.
The initial investigation into Gonzalez gained momentum in March following unsubstantiated testimony from Diaz, who was arrested and accused of raping a minor. He was sentenced to 29 years in prison in that case.
Diaz said he had allegedly brought cash from Venezuela on the orders of former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017) to finance Gonzalez’s campaign in the 2023 snap presidential election.
The Prosecutor General’s Office is seeking to establish whether the campaign also received money from a company owned by Aquiles Alvarez, another opponent of Noboa who became mayor of Guayaquil in 2023 with the support of Citizens Revolution, Correa’s party.
Alvarez is currently imprisoned and faces two convictions, one of them for the illegal sale of fuel through service stations he owns with his family.
Luisa Gonzalez was the Correismo candidate in the 2023 and 2025 presidential elections, losing to Noboa in the runoff in both contests.
Investigations targeting Citizens Revolution have led to the party’s suspension, barring it from participating in local elections scheduled for Nov. 29.
The US-backed right-wing narco-dictatorship in Ecuador has arrested presidential candidate Luisa González, from the leftist Correísta movement, on fabricated charges.
This came after Ecuador's narco-regime banned the main left-wing opposition party.
On Thursday night, the Women’s International Democratic Federation (FDIM) demanded the immediate release of Ecuadorian former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez.
“We denounce before the international community the kidnapping of our comrade Luisa Gonzalez, former candidate for the Presidency of Ecuador, by the fascist regime of Daniel Noboa,” the FDIM said.
“The capture of Luisa is part of the repressive plans of the Ecuadorian government, which intends to subdue, through repression, imprisonment, and kidnapping, all those who demonstrate against corruption and the government’s submission to Trump’s dictates.
“We demand respect for their physical and moral integrity. We demand the immediate release of Luisa Gonzalez, Jorge Glass, and all political prisoners,” the FDIM stated.
The legal proceedings against Gonzalez come weeks after the Electoral Disputes Tribunal upheld her political disqualification, preventing her from registering as a candidate for the Manabi provincial prefecture.
Before these events, the former presidential candidate herself had denounced foreign pressure and the recurring use of lawfare as methods to silence progressive social and political leaders.
Following her arrest, Gonzalez addressed the public, rejecting the allegations made by the Prosecutor General’s Office, describing the accusation against her as absurd and asserting that her case was part of a political persecution campaign driven by the Noboa administration.
In her statement, the opposition leader called on progressive organizations and the Citizens Revolution movement to unite to restore democracy in the country. She also thanked those who had expressed support for her nationwide.
“Sooner or later, the silence will explode in every corner of the country, and we will achieve the long-awaited democracy,” she said.
Treasury Department says the reasons for Venezuela’s inclusion no longer exist.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed Venezuela from the list of countries subject to restrictions on U.S. investment.
Established under the 2025 Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act (COINS Act), the list still includes countries such as China, Russia, Cuba, Iran and North Korea.
To justify Venezuela’s removal from the list, the Treasury Department said the reasons that led to the country’s inclusion no longer exist and that the current government does not meet the definition established by the COINS Act.
However, the OFAC announcement included a warning: The rule could still apply to certain investments in Venezuelan entities, although no details were provided.
“The COINS law significantly expanded the scope of U.S. controls on capital flowing abroad. The proposal requires notification in six sectors and five designated countries, and imposes a total ban on artificial intelligence. The public can submit comments through Dec. 7; the final rule will follow,” the financial website PitBullChain explained.
“The key distinction that must not be overlooked is that this is a mechanism for scrutinizing outbound investments. It is not a lifting of the OFAC sanctions regime. Removal from the COINS list does not mean that existing restrictions on specific individuals and entities disappear.”
“Venezuela’s removal from the COINS list can be interpreted as a sign of reduced friction: less friction for a U.S.-based exchange, a payment processor or a small fund to consider operating with Venezuelan counterparties without automatically falling into the category of a country under scrutiny,” the financial website added.
The list of countries included under the COINS Act was originally advanced with bipartisan support. Its goal was to expand oversight of capital flows into sectors considered sensitive to U.S. national security.
Regarding the scope of the policy, Treasury Undersecretary Chris Pilkerton explained that the program’s purpose “is to ensure that we have the ability to monitor and potentially prohibit those types of investments” that could pose risks to U.S. national security.
From a hard-line security agenda to a cultural battle, he is adopting tactics used by Trump, Bukele and Milei.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella is following the playbook that other far-right leaders, such as U.S. President Donald Trump, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and Argentine President Javier Milei, have implemented in recent years.
The Colombian politician is touting his commitment to the “cultural battle,” along with a hard-line approach to crime and migration, attacks on the opposition, appeals to religion, personalized communications and government actions that threaten to erode democracy and limit rights.
Emphasis on Security
Since taking office in August, De la Espriella has focused on security. Almost every morning, he announces a new operation on social media involving drug and weapons seizures, arrests and the killing of suspected guerrillas and criminals.
The president has emphasized his order to act with an “iron fist” and use the full force of “the weapons and laws of the Republic.” This show of force has led him, not without controversy, to film himself walking among bodies in bags or wearing a pistol on his belt during a police raid in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta. In addition, inspired by Bukele, he has expressed interest in building as many as six mega-prisons.
Colombia has a new far-right multimillionaire president, Abelardo de la Espriella.
He is a US citizen who voted for Trump.
He wants Colombia to adopt the US dollar.
He worked for years as a lawyer in Miami, defending drug traffickers.
Like Trump and Milei, De la Espriella targets the opposition, led by the leftist Historic Pact party and former President Gustavo Petro (2022-2026). He accuses Petro’s administration of having left public finances in their “most critical situation” because of “wasteful spending” and “corruption.”
Centralization of Communications
Similar to Bukele, De la Espriella has become the first and almost sole source of information about his government, whether regarding security operations, infrastructure meetings or talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He has also prohibited all senior officials from making statements without his authorization.
De la Espriella’s approach to communications is one-way: During the 11 weeks of his presidency, he has held no news conferences at which journalists could ask questions and has granted no interviews, limiting accountability.
Alignment With the U.S. and Israel
Like Chilean politician Jose Antonio Kast, Peruvian politician Keiko Fujimori and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, De la Espriella was quick to align himself with Washington, joining the Shield of the Americas, a security alliance promoted by the United States, and advancing his country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
In his rapprochement with Israel, he has gone further than Milei. The Colombian far-right leader has recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and moved Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Budget Cuts
De la Espriella promised during his campaign to cut government spending by 40%, following Milei’s chainsaw approach, and has already moved in this direction with his first general budget, approved by decree this week.
In addition to reducing allocations for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and the Ministry of Equality and Equity, the Colombian president is cutting spending on contractors, bureaucracy, subsidies and social assistance.
Colombia has opened an embassy in West Jerusalem under new far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella, who is reversing his predecessor's break with Israel by also restoring a free trade agreement. pic.twitter.com/LnZ4uufnaC
The Colombian president has surrounded himself with Christian symbols since his inauguration and adopted the practice of ending his speeches by shouting, “Long live Christ the King!” This has led to lawsuits accusing him of violating the state’s secular character.
De la Espriella, who has included a significant number of evangelicals in his Cabinet, recalls Milei and Brazil’s Bolsonaro family in these practices, including former President Jair Bolsonaro and his son and presidential candidate, Flavio.
Cultural Battle
The far-right politician has announced a “cultural counterrevolution” to eliminate “wokism,” which he believes entered Colombian institutions under his predecessor.
The most high-profile controversy in this area has been his government’s decision to remove more than 30 works from the National Museum. The move has drawn criticism over “censorship” and sparked protests outside the cultural institution for several days, recalling Trump’s moves involving the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center.
Irregular Migration
A few days after taking office, the Colombian president announced that immigrants in irregular situations would be “identified and deported.” Although police have conducted some raids in cities such as Cartagena, Cucuta, Bucaramanga and Medellin, the issue does not appear to be a priority for the authorities.
An Outsider to the System
Like Trump, Bukele and Milei, De la Espriella denies being a politician and rejects being like other politicians, whom he disparages in general terms and frequently accuses of corruption and backroom deals. He explains his government in terms of a break with the past and a process of purging the system.
This stance goes hand in hand with behavior that departs from traditional norms, as when he accused two regional leaders of corruption in front of the cameras.
The External Enemy
De la Espriella has just announced that his government will detail, in just one month, what it considers its territories in the Caribbean Sea, including all the islets and reefs of the San Andres archipelago. The move could reignite a decades-old conflict with Nicaragua. The situation, in some ways, though with clear caveats, recalls the Falklands campaign launched by Milei.
Neil Bush and Wayne Thorburn back Talarico over Ken Paxton less than two weeks before midterm elections.
Two prominent Republican voices in Texas have announced their support in recent days for Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton, less than two weeks before the midterm elections, in which Donald Trump’s party risks losing control of Congress.
Neil Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush (1989-1993) and brother of former President George W. Bush (2001-2009), and Wayne Thorburn, former executive director of the Texas Republican Party, publicly said Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and former teacher, is a figure with the right values to represent Texas in the Senate.
Bush even said he had already cast his early vote for Talarico. Both cited the Democrat’s “character,” and Bush went further, directly attacking Paxton and expressing his “concern” about his conduct and track record.
Paxton, the state’s current attorney general, has a lengthy history of corruption and fraud allegations that even led him to face an impeachment trial in 2023, initiated by his own party in the state Legislature, where he was acquitted. Bush also criticized Paxton’s close ties to Trump, whom he accused of causing “enormous damage” to the Republican Party.
Neil Bush, brother of George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, has broken his longstanding silence on politics to back Democrat James Talarico over Ken Paxton.@Timodc reacts: "Hopefully there are going to be a lot of Neil Bushes out there over the next two weeks." pic.twitter.com/T27wUmJXpw
“I am concerned about a political culture in which loyalty to one person takes precedence over loyalty to principles and in which those in power begin to believe they no longer have to be held accountable,” said Bush, an energy industry businessman.
In 2015, a Collin County grand jury formally indicted Paxton on securities fraud charges. The case was closed in 2024 with a pretrial intervention agreement, without Paxton pleading guilty.
In addition, the Justice Department investigated him over allegations of corruption and abuse of power. The investigations did not result in charges and were closed in the final weeks of Joe Biden’s administration (2021-2025).
BREAKING: George W. Bush's brother Neil just dropped a BOMB on MAGA by proudly announcing that he voted for James Talarico in the Texas Senate race.
This just gave Republicans a flashing green light to vote blue…
Trump’s decision to endorse Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary drew widespread criticism from lawmakers and party strategists. The race for Texas’ Senate seat, which the state has not awarded to a Democrat since 1988, has become one of the most important contests of this election cycle.
More than US$500 million has been spent on advertising in the race overall, according to data from the firm AdImpact cited by U.S. media outlets.
Polls, which for weeks showed Talarico leading Paxton by a few percentage points, have shown the gap narrowing in recent days and now put the Democrat 1.5 points ahead of the attorney general, according to RealClearPolitics.
Brazilian president mobilizes supporters online ahead of Sunday’s runoff, as a new poll shows the two candidates tied at 50%.
On Thursday, Brazilian President and reelection candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on the country’s young and elderly people to “defeat” opposition Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro to build a society that “distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate.”
“Our army is much bigger, full of enthusiasm and heart, where nobody wants to kill anybody,” said the Workers’ Party (PT) candidate during his first digital event of this kind.
Lula spent an hour and a half participating in a livestream on social media alongside lawmaker Andre Janones, who created a public WhatsApp channel in support of the progressive leader called “Lula’s Army.” The channel has already attracted 8.5 million users ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff.
Shortly before the digital event, polling firm Datafolha released a survey showing both candidates tied at 50% of the valid vote, three days before voters head to the polls.
🚨 PESSOAL, URGENTE!!!
Preparados pra ver a história acontecendo AO VIVO diante dos olhos?!
Vamos encerrar a campanha mais importante da história do Brasil!
Um ato que ficará para sempre marcado na memória das lutas do povo brasileiro! 🇧🇷
The text reads, “Folks, urgent!!! Are you ready to watch history unfold live before your very eyes?! We are bringing the most important campaign in the history of Brazil to a close! It will be an event that remains forever etched in the memory of the Brazilian people’s struggles! Join us this Saturday, the 24th, at 2:00 pm, on Avenida Paulista, in Sao Paulo!”
In the first round of the election, the eldest son of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro won 47% of the vote, two percentage points more than Lula, who appears to have drawn even in the final days of the campaign.
Part of the Brazilian president’s strategy has involved mobilizing his supporters in the streets and on social media, with an emphasis on young people and those over 70. The latter are exempt from voting in a country where voting is mandatory.
Introduced as “Marshal Lula,” the Workers’ Party leader acknowledged feeling “like a fish out of water” during his first livestream, where he listened to accounts from young and elderly people.
“I have to talk with my army; we have a great battle ahead of us,” Lula said, adding that his candidacy represents “democracy,” “the fight against femicide” and a “life focused on health, culture” and education.
Estas eleições serão um divisor de águas para o Brasil. É hora de transformar essa esperança e mobilização das ruas em mais participação e compromissos.
Seguiremos firmes na luta por um país mais justo, com oportunidades para todos e políticas voltadas às necessidades da… pic.twitter.com/TzOkr47RH8
Lula da SIlva’s text reads, “These elections will be a watershed moment for Brazil. It is time to transform this hope and the mobilization seen in the streets into greater participation and concrete commitments. We will remain steadfast in the fight for a fairer country—one with opportunities for all and policies geared toward the needs of the population. Our ‘army’ consists of more than just soldiers; it is driven by reason, motivation, and a cause. And our cause is the best in the world, because it is the Brazilian people. Let us work together to secure another victory!”
“Our army fights to build a harmonious, loving society that builds rather than destroys, that distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate,” said the Workers’ Party leader, who also referred to Sunday’s runoff election as a “war.”
“Brazil cannot fall into the hands of a militiaman,” Lula said, alluding to the Bolsonaro family’s ties to relatives of members of paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro.
Lula also recalled that Flavio Bolsonaro had served as the lawyer for a police officer accused of killing a 5-year-old girl during an operation against suspected drug traffickers.
The Workers’ Party also urged those who abstained from voting — who accounted for 21% of voters in the first round, or about 33.5 million Brazilians — to vote for Lula on Sunday.
“You who did not go to vote because you didn’t like the candidates or because you are over 70, that is your right; but not now. Now you have to think about Brazil, about your homeland,” he said.
The neuroscientist is investigating whether the brain has an internal map before an animal begins exploring its surroundings.
Even before we begin exploring the world, the brain may have a kind of internal map, “like a GPS,” ready to guide us. This hypothesis, which is still under investigation, fascinates Norwegian neuroscientist May-Britt Moser, the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate, who has spent decades trying to unravel how we know our way around.
“It seems that we could have an internal map that is ready for us when we start moving and exploring,” Moser said in an interview with EFE, although she cautioned that the findings she is currently working on have not yet been published.
Moser refers to philosopher Immanuel Kant and the possibility that, to experience the world, the brain needs certain pre-existing structures that allow it to organize what it perceives.
"I was not always the best student… but my teachers saw something in me."
May-Britt Moser, inspired by her teachers, went on to uncover the brain’s "inner GPS," for which she was awarded the 2014 medicine prize.#WorldTeachersDaypic.twitter.com/9AeljdCWRk
The neuroscientist is now trying to determine whether one of these structures exists before an animal — rats, in her case — begins moving around and learning about its surroundings.
The clue comes from so-called “grid cells,” which Moser discovered with her husband, Edvard Moser. Their discovery helped the couple share the Nobel Prize with British neuroscientist John O’Keefe.
These neurons fire in a highly regular “spatial pattern.” When the locations where a single cell fires as a rat moves around are plotted, equilateral triangles can be drawn between its different activity fields.
Moser said she remains surprised by this level of precision, precisely because the brain is a biological system and, therefore, one might expect much more noise and many more errors.
“Because the brain is a biological system, you would expect many errors. And if there were many errors, we would never see a pattern like the one we observe in grid cells, where equilateral triangles can fit between each activity field as the animal moves through its surroundings. It is incredible,” she stressed.
The geometry becomes even stranger when scientists simultaneously record the activity of numerous grid cells and use mathematical tools to represent it in three dimensions.
What emerges is a “torus,” a doughnut-shaped surface across which neuronal activity appears to move, a kind of map that would not switch off even when the outside world disappears.
“This internal map is active even when the animal sleeps, so it does not need any information from the outside to keep functioning. It is simply the way the cells are connected that makes this pattern possible,” she said, adding that the question remains whether this architecture, or scaffolding, exists before exploration begins.
Moser is confident that the combination of new technologies capable of recording thousands of neurons, better mathematical theories and computational models will make it possible to achieve major advances in understanding the brain over the coming years.
"This is not biology! You can't get this in biology!"
Medicine laureate May-Britt Moser and artist Olafur Eliasson discuss the intersection of art and science at an event in 2015 at the Nobel Week Dialogue: The Future of Intelligence.
“But, as Professor Geoffrey Hinton, considered the ‘godfather’ of AI, said, understanding how we can come to have that feeling of being alive, of being conscious, can be quite difficult,” Moser reflected.
Artificial intelligence could become a tool for investigating this question, in part because it makes it possible to compare how a machine and a brain perform similar functions.
Asked whether she is optimistic about AI or a “doomer” — a term for someone who takes a catastrophic view of its future — Moser said that losing hope means surrendering. “But I think we need hope,” the neuroscientist replied.
In her view, tools can be used both to do good and to cause harm, and artificial intelligence does not eliminate this long-standing human trait, although it can greatly amplify its consequences, she added.
“It becomes dangerous if evil people use the tool to become even more evil. But they can also use their brains to be evil,” she said.
Against an international backdrop that she describes as “depressing” when she watches the news, Moser champions cooperation, science and education. She also points to individuals capable of mobilizing many others, from Malala Yousafzai to Greta Thunberg and Jane Goodall.
Thus, despite this depressing situation, Moser does not see machines as having intellectual supremacy, either. “For now, I think the brain is the best tool we have,” she concluded.
The legislation requires social media platforms to implement age-verification measures to ensure compliance. Companies that fail to meet the requirements could face fines of up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover.
Addressing parliament ahead of the vote, Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou described the measure as a necessary step that is compatible with the European Union’s (EU) existing regulatory framework.
“It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law. But the challenge is here. Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do,” he said.
4 countries. 1 growing movement.
France, Denmark, Spain and Greece are all moving to block children from social media — and Greece wants Brussels to make it a Europe-wide rule.#EUXLpic.twitter.com/xH6iJrO139
Minister of State Akis Skertsos said technology should be regulated in ways that give children greater freedom to grow up safely.
Excessive use of social media can negatively affect children’s sleep, concentration, social relationships and psychological development, said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, who described digital addiction as a public health challenge.
The legislation forms part of broader government efforts to protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying and platform features that encourage excessive use. Greece aims to become the first EU member state to introduce such a ban.
The French parliament passed legislation on July 21 aimed at protecting minors from the risks associated with social media use. However, the French Constitutional Council ruled on Aug. 14 that the key provision banning under-15s from accessing social media was unconstitutional.
Both candidates remain statistically tied three days before the presidential runoff.
On Thursday, polling firm Datafolha published a survey showing far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tied at 50% of valid votes, three days before the presidential runoff.
This is the first runoff poll to show a numerical tie between the two candidates and represents a two-point recovery for Lula compared with the survey released by the same firm last week.
In terms of voter intention, Bolsonaro has 47%, compared with Lula’s 46%, representing a one-percentage-point increase for the incumbent.
On Wednesday, another poll released by Quaest also showed a trend toward a narrowing gap between the two candidates, in this case with Bolsonaro leading by one point, 45% to Lula’s 44%.
Amazing turnout and energy in London yesterday in support of President Lula, ahead of his crucial election against Bolsonaro. His campaign has given hope to people around the world!
In both polls, the results amount to a statistical tie within the margin of error, which is two percentage points for each survey. For its latest poll, commissioned by television network Globo and Folha de Sao Paulo, Datafolha interviewed 2,520 voters between Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Bolsonaro received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, held Oct. 4, with 47.03% of the vote, followed by Lula with 45.16%. This was the narrowest result between two candidates in the first round of a presidential election held in Brazil, demonstrating the extreme polarization of the Brazilian electorate.
In Brazil’s recent democratic history, presidential runoffs have been held seven times, and in every instance, the candidate who received the most votes in the first round has won.
On Friday, Lula and Bolsonaro will face off in the second and final televised debate and will wrap up their respective campaigns on Saturday, the day before voters head to the polls.
One person was killed and four were seriously injured in three shootings in Trappes and La Verrière.
France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office will take charge of the investigation into the shootings that took place Friday about 20 miles from Paris, in which one person was killed and four were seriously injured.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who announced that he would travel to the scene, said three shootings occurred in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière. The perpetrator, who was arrested, used an automatic weapon.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said it had opened an investigation into murder and attempted murder targeting people because of their “actual or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.”
The other charges are weapons possession and terrorist conspiracy to prepare crimes against individuals. The Police Anti-Terrorism Subdirectorate (SDAT) will lead the investigation in coordination with intelligence services.
🔴 Une fusillade a éclaté ce vendredi matin à Trappes et La Verrière (Yvelines), faisant au moins un mort et 4 blessés. Un homme a été interpellé par la BAC à Coignières. pic.twitter.com/n2El3MQY1S
The text reads, “A shooting broke out this Friday morning in Trappes and La Verrière (Yvelines), leaving at least one person dead and four others injured. A man was arrested by the anti-crime brigade (BAC) in Coignières.”
The incidents occurred at around 10:30 a.m. (8:30 GMT), when the perpetrator fired several bursts of gunfire at people who were on the street.
La Verrière Mayor Nicolas Dainville explained that three people were injured, including a 12-year-old girl who was struck by eight bullets and whose condition had been stabilized. The other two injured people are men, ages 29 and 49, who were taken to two major hospitals in the Paris region.
Although the mayor insisted on caution regarding the nature of the incidents, he said the perpetrator appeared to have selected his victims, specifically Black people.
Authorities arrested the suspect in Coignières and identified him as Kevin, a native of Saint-Cyr, another town in the same department. “He fired randomly and wanted to carry out a massacre,” said Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh, who specified that the deceased victim was of African origin and that another of the injured people, who is in very serious condition, is of Maghrebi origin.
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