BRAZIL – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro rallied thousands of supporters in Rio de Janeiro in a bid to raise his political capital after losing a bid for reelection to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October 2022 and facing allegations of involvement in a coup. Images shared on social media and broadcast by the media showed a large crowd of Bolsonaro supporters, many wearing Brazilian football jerseys. Organizers of the demonstration estimated attendance at 100,000 people. Authorities did not release a tally. Right-wing Bolsonaro, the subject of police probes before and during his four years in office, is facing an investigation into his alleged role in a campaign to undermine faith in Brazil’s voting system, which culminated in a Jan. 8, 2023, insurrection by thousands of his supporters in Brasilia, the capital. On February 8, police seized Bolsonaro’s passport and accused him of editing a draft decree to overturn the results of the 2022 election, pressing military chiefs to join a coup, and planning to jail Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. “Have you seen the draft decree? Neither have I,” Bolsonaro told reporters. “I want to see it, the people want to see it and so does the press.” The former president, who cannot run for office until 2030, said his government never played “outside the four lines of the Constitution.” Last month, Brazil’s federal police formally accused Bolsonaro, a vaccine skeptic during the COVID-19 pandemic, of tampering with his vaccination records, opening the door to criminal charges. Last Sunday Bolsonaro also used the opportunity to praise Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab and owner of the social media platform X, whom Bolsonaro called a defender of free speech. Bolsonaro urged the crowd to give the billionaire “a round of applause.” After Musk said he would challenge a decision by Moraes ordering X to block certain accounts, lawyers representing Musk told Brazil’s Supreme Court that X would comply with every ruling issued by the court or Brazil’s top electoral court, according to a letter seen by Reuters yesterday. Moraes is investigating “digital militias” that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of Bolsonaro. (Reuters)…[+]

“Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk has no objections to the request for legal assistance that was made by the Netherlands,” Humphrey Dundas, spokesman of the VP, told Times of Suriname. Last week the Dutch media reported that the Dutch justice department had asked Suriname for legal assistance because they want to question Brunswijk about a batch of gold that was found in the house of Siegfried Pier Wortel who is a convicted felon. The gold reportedly has a street value of € 6 million. The VP has confirmed via his notary that the gold belongs to him. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Dutch Justice department has already sent the request to Suriname’s Justice and Police Minister Kenneth Amoksi. “We received information about the request for legal assistance. We have not received the formal reports. Brunswijk is willing to cooperate with the investigation. Amoksi could not be reached for comment. It is not clear if Brunswijk is labeled as suspect or as witness…[+]

BOGOTA – Tens of thousands of Colombians marched to reject economic and social reforms being proposed by the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro, the latest in a series of demonstrations against Petro’s policies. The reforms, which Petro says will fight deep inequality but which opponents say will damage the country’s alreadystruggling economy, were key campaign promises for the 64-year-old leader, who took office in 2022. Despite gray skies and rain, some 70,000 people marched in Bogota, the capital, according to city government estimates, chanting “out with Petro,” waving national flags and blowing on trumpets before gathering in the central Bolivar Square. The march comes after a Senate committee earlier this month rejected a proposed health reform aimed at stripping power from insurers and expanding access to healthcare, as the government took control of two major insurers it said had failed to correctly care for patients. The government is expected to propose a new version of the health reform once the new legislative session begins in July. Pension and labor reforms are still being debated by lawmakers. “This government’s policies are dire. The health system, despite its flaws, was working and now Petro is putting an end to it by plunging patients who have no healthcare or medicine into a crisis,” said Monica Leon, a 45-year-old doctor. Accountant Miguel Angel Larrota, 52, said he was protesting against bad governance and demanding that Petro “not destroy what works and put an end to the corruption he promised to fight.” Paloma Valencia, a senator from the opposition Democratic Center, a conservative political party founded by former President Alvaro Uribe, said the march was bringing together not only opponents but people who voted for Petro two years ago. People also took to the streets in the city of Medellin and in Cali, near the Pacific coast. Marches have also previously taken place in support of Petro’s reforms. (Reuters)…[+]

GUANGZHOU – A total of 38 hydrological stations at 24 rivers in south China’s Guangdong Province have reported water levels surpassing the alert threshold as of 4 p.m. last Sunday, according to the provincial department of water resources. The lower reaches of the Beijiang River were expected to experience big floods caused by the heavy and continuous downpours. The provincial disaster reduction committee has initiated a Level IV emergency response to tackle the floods that hit the cities of Shaoguan and Qingyuan in Guangdong. Rescue efforts are also underway. A total of 652 people have been relocated and properly resettled in the Longgui Township in Shaoguan, according to the local officials. Over 200 sanitation workers were deployed to promptly clear the streets of mud and fallen trees, and to dredge waterways and drains. The Guangdong provincial meteorological observatory forecasted frequent precipitation in Guangdong Province over the next week. (Xinhua)…[+]

OCCUPIED WEST BANK – Two Palestinians have been shot and killed by the Israeli forces as raids have been carried out in several locations, including Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa news agency.
Quoting two Palestinian security sources, Wafa reported that the men succumbed to their wounds after they were fired on.
The Israeli military said the two men attempted to stab and shoot troops near the village.
“One of the terrorists attempted to stab [Israeli army] soldiers that were in the area, who responded with live fire and neutralised him,” the military said in a statement yesterday.
“At the same time, the other terrorist opened fire at the soldiers,” the army said, adding he too was “neutralised”.
Yesterday’s raids come after at least 14 people were killed in three days of incursions on Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said late last Saturday their crews had “evacuated 14 martyrs from Nur Shams camp to the hospital”. The Israeli army said troops had killed 10 “fighters” during the operation, which it said started on Thursday.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said yesterday that there were at least five active raids across the territory, primarily focusing on the Nablus, Hebron and Ramallah areas.
“At least one Palestinian has been arrested in Nablus. In Hebron, in the village of Beit Ummar, Israeli forces are invading one of the homes, reportedly looking for someone,” she said from the occupied East Jerusalem.
According to Wafa, at least four people were arrested in Hebron.
Since early last year, Israel has intensified raids in the occupied West Bank, which were accelerated after Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7. At least 482 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the war began. More than 34,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks in the past six months.
Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said it had confirmed 11 injured in the Israeli raid, seven of them “wounded by live gunshots”. Among them was a paramedic shot while trying to get to the wounded, it added.
Medics had been alerted to “a number of killed and injured” inside the camp, but the army was “denying them access to tend to the wounded”, the ministry said.
Moreover, residents contacted by the AFP news agency on Saturday said there was no electricity in the camp and food was running short, but nobody was being allowed to enter or leave.
Minister Muayad Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, said residents were suffering from the “destruction of homes, shops, the electricity grid, the sewerage, the water network and infrastructure”.
Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reporting from Tulkarem early yesterday witnessed first responders attempting to fix the electricity and water lines amid damage at an unprecedented scale.
“People here say even during the second Intifada in the early 2000’s, this is even worse when compared to that,” Ibrahim said.
“We’ve seen some burn (signs) in some of the homes but we’re told more and more homes have been burned up. The feeling here is that what is happening here was a targeted demolition, a targeted damaging…Wherever you go in the camp, you’ll see the roads (have) been completely damaged…the water lines have burst as well as the sewage lines.”
Tulkarem governor Mustafa Taqatqa has called for a strike and a day of public mourning over the Nur Shams raid.
“All these crimes will not affect the determination of our people and their free will, leading to the end of the occupation and the establishment of our independent Palestinian state,” he was quoted as saying by Wafa.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 50-year-old ambulance driver was killed by Israeli gunfire near the village of as-Sawiya, south of the city of Nablus, as he was making his way to transport people injured during the attack on the village on Saturday.
It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by Israeli settlers, and there was no immediate comment from the military.
More than 700,000 settlers – 10 percent of Israel’s nearly seven million population – now live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
All settlements are considered illegal under international laws as they violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which bans an occupying power from transferring its population to the area it occupies.(Al Jazeera)…[+]

JAPAN – One rescued crew member has died and seven others are still missing after two Japanese military helicopters appeared to have crashed during a drill late last Saturday, Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said.
“It is very unfortunate that this situation has come to this point,” Kihara told reporters yesterday. “As for the other seven people, we are doing our utmost to search and rescue them.”
According to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), two of its helicopters, each carrying four crew members on board, are believed to have crashed during a training exercise in the Pacific Ocean late Saturday.
Kihara said that “there is a high possibility of a collision,” and the flight recorders of the two helicopters were found and recovered from the area.
“What is believed to be part of the aircraft has been confirmed at sea, and the two aircraft are thought to have crashed,” Kihara said. “The cause is unknown at this time, but we will do our utmost to save lives first.”
The US government has offered assistance with the search and rescue operation, the US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“We will stand together, side by side, with our friend and ally, Japan. My thoughts are with the crew members, and their families and friends during this challenging time,” he added.
Communication with one of the helicopters was lost at 10:38 p.m. local time on Saturday off Japan’s Izu Islands, an archipelago that stretches south into the Pacific Ocean.
At 11:04 p.m., communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same area, according to the JMSDF.
The SH-60K helicopters are mainly stationed on and operated from destroyers, and the two aircraft were conducting night-time training to search for submarines, according to the JMSDF.
Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told CNN that his country is boosting its defense spending and changing its security policy, after years of pacifism, due to soaring geopolitical tensions and mounting international security challenges. (CNN)…[+]

IRAN – Iran fired air defense batteries to shoot down three drones over the central city of Isfahan, according to state media reports, after officials in the United States told US broadcasters that Israel carried out military operations against Iran.
Explosions were reported yesterday in the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, but the Iranian government has downplayed the incident.
There has been no official comment from Israel. Several countries have called for “de-escalation”. Here are some reactions:
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said Oman “condemns the Israeli attack this morning on Isfahan in the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
It also “condemns and denounces Israel’s repeated military attacks in the region”, the statement said.
The Gulf country has long mediated between Iran and Western countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Egypt was “deeply concerned” about an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Egypt also warned of the consequences of expanding the conflict and instability in the region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all sides to refrain from steps that could lead to a wider conflict in the Middle East.
It said in a statement that priority of the international community should be “to stop the massacre in Gaza and to ensure lasting peace” in the region by establishing a Palestinian state.
“It is becoming increasingly evident that the tensions that were initially caused by Israel’s illegal attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus risk turning into a permanent conflict,” it added.
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Israeli-Iranian retaliations must end, warning against the danger of regional escalation.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for an “absolute de-escalation”.
“We invite everyone to be cautious to avoid an escalation,” he told RAI news from the Italian island of Capri, where Italy is hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
The G7 foreign ministers urged “all parties” to “work to prevent further escalation” in the Middle East.
“In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end,” they said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “It’s a developing situation, it wouldn’t be right for me to speculate until the facts become clearer and we’re working to confirm the details together with allies.
“Significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest. What we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region.”
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called for restraint to avoid further escalation in the Middle East.
“We have to do everything possible [so] that all sides restrain from the escalation in that region,” she told reporters during a visit to Finland.
“It is absolutely necessary that the region stays stable and that all sides refrain from further action.”
The United Nations nuclear watchdog confirmed that “there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites”. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called for extreme restraint and said nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts.
The IAEA “is monitoring the situation very closely,” it said on X.
Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said that the Netherlands is “closely monitoring the situation in Iran”.
“The recent developments in the Middle East are deeply worrying. It is of paramount importance that further escalation is prevented,” Bruins Slot added on X.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against further escalation in the Middle East.
“Everyone must ensure now and in the near future that there is no further escalation of the war,” Scholz said.
The Kremlin said it was studying information on Israel’s reported strike on Iran and urged both sides to show restraint.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said: “Japan is deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East and strongly condemn any actions that lead to the escalation of the situation.
“Japan will continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts to prevent the situation from worsening further.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom said: “This is something we from the government’s side take very seriously and are following very closely.”
He added that there “has to be an end to the exchange of blows and escalation”.
“We are monitoring the situation closely. We will address the situation with the foreign ministers at the G7 session this morning in Italy,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on X.
Deputy foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France’s “position is to call on all actors for de-escalation and restraint”.
“Israel’s latest strikes on Iran are another violation of the prohibition on the use of military force under international law & the UN Charter, and threaten the human right to life.” (Al Jazeera)…[+]

UKRAINE – Two Russian strikes in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region have killed eight people, including two children, officials say.
The station in the main city Dnipro came under attack, and several homes were hit further east in Synelnykove.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the attack highlighted the need for every city to have adequate air defenses.
In a separate strike, Ukraine said that for the first time it had downed a long-range bomber in Russian territory.
According to Ukraine’s interior minister, a boy aged eight and a girl of 14 were among six people killed when private homes were targeted by Russian strikes on the town of Synelnykove.
A third child, who had earlier been reported killed, was in a critical condition and several other people were wounded.
Another two people were killed and 19 wounded in the regional capital, Dnipro, when the train station and a five-storey building were hit. Rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said a woman who was on duty at the time was killed and seven other railway workers were hurt.
Rescue services were continuing to search the rubble and warned that the number of victims would rise, the ministry added. A maternity hospital was also hit.
Ukraine has for months warned that it is running low on weapons capable of bringing down Russian missiles and drones, and Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has spoken of an “urgent, critical need” for fresh military aid.
Earlier this week, the northern city of Chernihiv was struck in Russia’s deadliest attack for some time, leaving 18 dead and dozens wounded. Three Iskander cruise missiles hit residential buildings close to the centre of the city, the regional leader said.
For months, a US military aid package worth $60.8bn (£49bn) has been blocked by Republican representatives in Congress. However, the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has said he is determined to bring the matter to a vote, which could take place as early as today.
Meanwhile, the air force in Kyiv said it had brought down a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber 300km (186 miles) from Ukrainian territory. It said the plane eventually went down in Russia’s Stavropol region after it had launched a missile strike on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence described the strike as a special operation similar to an earlier attack on a Russian long-range radar plane.
In January, Ukraine’s military said it had brought down an A-50 spy plane and a control centre plane over the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian media reported yesterday that the bomber had been hit by a missile fired from an upgraded Soviet S-200 air defense system.
Unverified video yesterday showed a plane on fire spiralling out of control to the ground and Stavropol regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov said only that the plane had crashed in a Russian field some distance north of the main city.
Russia’s defense ministry blamed a technical malfunction after the bomber had carried out a “combat task”. Two pilots had been found alive, a third crew member was killed and rescue services were looking for a fourth, the governor said.
Ukrainian air force chief Lt Gen Mykola Oleschuk said Russia had fired six Kh-22 cruise missiles overnight and two of them had been destroyed for the first time.
The Tu-22M3 is described as a supersonic bomber and the air force commander said the planes were used to carry Kh-22 missiles for attacks on Ukrainian cities. (BBC)…[+]