Brasilia:&nbsp;Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga signed a decree ending the Covid-19 public health emergency, effective 30 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.In its decision to lift the emergency, which has been in force since February 2020, the Health Ministry took into account the national public health system's response capacity, the improved epidemiological situation and the wide vaccination coverage against the virus, Xinhua news agency reported."Brazil has registered an 80 per cent decrease in the moving average of Covid-19 cases and deaths compared to the peak from the Omicron variant earlier this year," the Ministry said in a statement on Friday.In addition, almost 74 per cent of the Brazilian population are fully immunised, while 81 per cent have receive a first vaccine dose and over 74 million people have been given a booster dose, it added.However, the Ministry emphasized the importance of the vaccination campaign, even after the end of the Covid-19 public health emergency.It added that immunization against Covid-19 is essential to maintain transmission control and that Brazilians must complete the vaccination schedule with both doses and a booster dose.Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, Brazil has registered a total of 30,338,697 Covid-19 cases and 662,802 deaths.The country's caseload is the third highest in the world after the US and India, while its death toll is the second largest after the US.

 Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga signed a decree ending the Covid-19 public health emergency, effective 30 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Decree ends Brazil's Covid health emergency

Brazil: India wrapped up their shooting assignment at the 24th Deaflympics in Caxais do Sul, Brazil, by finishing in second place with three gold and two bronze medals.Only Ukraine finished ahead of the 10-strong Indian contingent, with six gold and an overall tally of 12 medals. It was a commendable performance by the Indian shooters in ensuring the country's best-ever performance at Deaflympics. India currently ranks eighth on the medals table with seven gold, one silver and four bronze medals.This is the first time an Indian shooting team has participated at the Deaflympics on the initiative of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). "It makes me even prouder to have such a dedicated and high-quality team of professionals at NRAI. Without their hard work and dedication this phenomenal performance would not have been possible in such a short time," NRAI secretary general K Sultan Singh said. "Our coaches Anuja Jung and Priti Sharma even went to the extent of learning sign language to better impart coaching. "My President Mr. Raninder Singh, forever the shooting promotion man, also made it very clear from day one that there should be left no stone unturned in the preparations of the squad."He also thanked the Sports Authority of India and the Sports Ministry for supporting the shooters. "The Hon. Minister, Anurag Thakur, MYAS, was himself at hand to flag-off the team, inspiring confidence and providing much deserving recognition to the deaf shooters." Dhanush Srikanth was the star of the shooting squad, bagging two gold medals in the men's 10m air rifle and 10m air rifle mixed team competitions respectively. Priyesha Deshmukh was his partner in the mixed event.Abhinav Deshwal won India's third gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol event while Shourya Saini in the men's air rifle and Vedika Sharma in the women's air pistol won individual bronze medals. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the NRAI and the All India Sports Council for the Deaf (AISCD), just three months ahead of the Games, whereby the national governing body of the sport would be involved actively from the trials to selection to coaching and training of the team for the Deaflympics.—PTI

 India wrapped up their shooting assignment at the 24th Deaflympics in Caxais do Sul, Brazil, by finishing in second place with three gold and two bronze medals.

India finish second in shooting at Deaflympics

Rio de Janeiro: At least 37 people were killed and about 5,000 others displaced in northeastern Brazil due to heavy rains, authorities have said.Recife City, the capital of northeastern Pernambuco State, is the most affected by the rains, where 35 people died and about 1,000 others fled their home, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the local Civil Defense.In Alagoas State, two people were killed in the rains, with more than 4,000 residents evacuated.Meanwhile, secondary disasters triggered by the heavy rainfall also caused casualties. On Saturday, 20 people were killed in a landslide in Recife, while six others died in another landslide in the nearby city of Camaragibe.According to the Pernambuco Water and Climate Agency, Recife recorded 150 mm of precipitation on Saturday, while Camaragibe registered 129 mm.—IANS

At least 37 people were killed and about 5,000 others displaced in northeastern Brazil due to heavy rains, authorities have said.

37 Dead In Heavy Rains In Brazil

Brasilia: The death toll due to the heavy rain in Brazil’s northeastern state of Pernambuco has increased to 56, disaster management authorities said. Fifty-six people are still missing and nearly 4,000 have been evacuated due to the floods and landslides caused by the heavy rains, Xinhua news agency quoted the authorities as saying on Sunday.Recife City, the capital of Pernambuco state, is the hardest hit with 30 deaths. President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted that he will visit Recife on Monday to assess the situation. Heavy downpour has also lashed the neighbouring state of Alagoas, where two people died and around 7,000 were displaced due to the flooding.In nine municipalities of Pernambuco, local authorities have declared a state of emergency. In February this year, 185 people were killed due to record rainfall and subsequent landslides and floods in the city of Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro state.—IANS

The death toll due to the heavy rain in Brazil’s northeastern state of Pernambuco has increased to 56, disaster management authorities said.

Death Toll Due To Heavy Rain In Brazil Reaches 56

Rio De Janeiro: The toll from heavy rains in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco has risen to 100, primarily in the state capital Recife and its metropolitan area, rescue teams said.At least 16 people were still missing, according to reports, among them 14 were buried by landslides and two were swept away by water currents, while more than 6,000 residents were evacuated from their homes, Xinhua news agency reported.Rescue work had to be suspended intermittently on Tuesday as heavy rainfall continued, which, the fire department warned, could lead to new landslides and flooding in the area.At least 14 Pernambuco municipalities declared a state of emergency, while 33 did the same in the neighbouring state of Alagoas, where three people were killed and more than 18,000 evacuated as a result of the rains, which started last week and intensified over the weekend.Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Monday that the government will allocate 1 billion reals (nearly $210 million) for the reconstruction of the affected areas.—IANS

The toll from heavy rains in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco has risen to 100, primarily in the state capital Recife and its metropolitan area, rescue teams said.

Toll Climbs To 100 From Heavy Rains In Brazil

Rio De Janeiro: The death toll from heavy rains last week in the Brazilian city of Recife and its metropolitan area has risen to 126, with two people still missing, the government of the northeastern state of Pernambuco said. At least 9,302 people have been driven from their homes due to rains that caused major floods and landslides in Recife, burying dozens of hillside houses and causing most of the deaths, Xinhua news agency reported. It is the worst tragedy to occur in Pernambuco since the start of the 21st century and the second worst in the state’s history, after the May 1966 flooding caused the Capibaribe river to overflow leaving 175 dead.Firefighters and army soldiers are working to recover the bodies of the two missing victims with the help of trained rescue dogs. A total of 31 municipalities in Pernambuco have declared a state of emergency due to the rains, while 51 towns suffered some type of damage. The federal government has announced it will allocate some $200 million to rebuild affected areas. Rains also affected the states of Sergipe, Alagoas, Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte, in the northeast region of Brazil. In Alagoas, four people died and nearly 12,000 remain homeless.—IANS

The death toll from heavy rains last week in the Brazilian city of Recife and its metropolitan area has risen to 126, with two people still missing, the government of the northeastern state of Pernambuco said.

Toll Rises To 126 From Heavy Rains In Brazil

Sao Paulo: Brazil on Thursday confirmed the country's first case of Monkeypox in the city of Sao Paulo, according to local health authorities. The virus was detected in a 41-year-old man who recently travelled to Spain and Portugal, the city's health secretariat said in a statement.The patient is currently in isolation at the Emilio Ribas Public Hospital, while his recent contacts are being monitored. Another suspected monkeypox case being investigated in Sao Paulo involves a 26-year-old woman, who is now hospitalized, said the secretariat.—ANI

Brazil on Thursday confirmed the country's first case of Monkeypox in the city of Sao Paulo, according to local health authorities. The virus was detected in a 41-year-old man who recently travelled to Spain and Portugal, the city's health secretariat said in a statement.

Brazil confirms first monkeypox case

New Delhi (The Hawk) : A Brazilian Navy delegation led by Vice Adm Liberal Enio Zanelatto, Director of Industrial Production &amp; Engineering, called on Vice Adm Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command on 11&nbsp;Jul 22.The two senior officers discussed various issues of common interest, including defence &amp; submarines technology, Make in India, initiatives towards professional cooperation between the navies, and the outlook of the Indian Navy towards shared maritime interests with all like minded navies/ nations.During the two day visit, the Brazilian delegation held extensive discussions with the Indian Navy counterparts with focus on maintenance of submarines. As part of the visit, the delegation also visited Mazagon Docks Shipbuilders Ltd. &amp; a Kalvari (Scorpene) class submarine of the Indian Navy.The Brazilian Navy also operates 4 Scorpene class submarines and is exploring options for collaboration towards maintenance of the diesel-electric attack submarines.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/Pix1(1)7T6B.jpeg">

A Brazilian Navy delegation led by Vice Adm Liberal Enio Zanelatto, Director of Industrial Production & Engineering, called on Vice Adm Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command on 11 Jul 22.

VISIT OF BRAZILIAN NAVY DELEGATION 

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan held a bilateral meeting with HE Victor Godoy, Minister of Education, Brazil, in Bali today. The Ministers had fruitful discussions on deepening the bilateral engagements in education, entrepreneurship, research and innovation. They agreed to revive the Joint Working Group engagements in the areas of education and skill development between our two countries.
Shri Pradhan said that research collaborations in priority areas like energy security, collaborations in traditional medicine, preventive healthcare, yoga, ayurveda &amp; digital technologies, linkages between Higher Education Institutions &amp; Skill institutions are key areas that can immensely benefit both India and Brazil.
HE Victor Godoy expressed his keenness to deepen academic and research engagements and make our coperation in education more vibrant. As a G20 Troika co-chair, he also expressed Brazil’s support to India in taking forward the EdWG agenda during our upcoming presidency. Later, Shri Pradhan also interacted with Indian community at Seminyak in Bali.

 Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan held a bilateral meeting with HE Victor Godoy, Minister of Education, Brazil, in Bali today. 

Pradhan Holds Bilateral Meeting With His Brazilian Counterpart In Bali 

Sao Paulo: At least nine people were killed and as many as 28 injured when part of a container depot collapsed in Brazil's southeastern state of Sao Paulo, the fire department has reported. The incident occurred on Tuesday in the city of Itapecerica da Serra, at a depot belonging to Multiteiner, a company that sells and leases containers to businesses that export goods, Xinhua news agency reported. About 64 employees were in a meeting at the depot when a platform collapsed, according to fire department spokesperson Luciana Soares, who added that rescue workers were sifting through the rubble to help the victims. The incident took place as two candidates for deputy seats, Jones Donizette and Ely Santos, were visiting the facility on a campaign trail in the lead-up to the October 2 elections. "As they were saying goodbye to the workers, part of the concrete structure broke and they were trapped in the rubble," a press team for the candidates posted on social media.&nbsp;
—IANS

At least nine people were killed and as many as 28 injured when part of a container depot collapsed in Brazil's southeastern state of Sao Paulo, the fire department has reported.

 Nine dead in container depot collapse in Brazil

Sao Paulo: Brazil's incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro will face former President Luiz Inacio 'Lula' da Silva in the deciding second round of Brazil's presidential election later this month.
Neither candidate was able to hit the 5 per cent mark needed to win in the first round, reported CNN.
With more than 97 per cent of the vote counted on Sunday evening, results released by Brazil's Electoral Superior Court (TSE) showed left-wing candidate and former president Luiz Silva held a slight lead over incumbent President Bolsonaro - but not enough to cross the threshold to victory.
Lula and Bolsonaro will face each other again on October 30 for a run-off vote, reported CNN.
The vote on Sunday followed a bruising campaign season marked by bitter verbal attacks and a series of violent incidents between supporters of Bolsonaro and Lula.
Several other presidential candidates were in the running but trailed far behind the two frontrunners. Voters also cast ballots for new state governors, senators, federal and state deputies for the country's 26 states and the federal district, reported CNN. While there were nearly a dozen candidates on the ballot, the race was dominated from the outset by Lula and Bolsonaro, two titans of Brazilian politics.
Bolsonaro, 67, ran for re-election under the conservative Liberal Party. He has campaigned to increase mining, privatize public companies, and generate more sustainable energy to bring down energy prices. He has vowed to continue paying a Brazilian real 600 (about USD 110) monthly benefit known as Auxilio Brasil.
Often referred to as the "Trump of the Tropics," Bolsonaro, who is supported by key evangelical leaders, is a highly polarizing figure. His government is known for its support for ruthless exploitation of land in the Amazon, leading to record deforestation figures. Environmentalists are warning that the future of the rainforest could be at stake in this election.
Bolsonaro has also been widely criticized for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 686,000 people in Brazil have died from the virus, reported CNN.
Lula, 76, focused his campaign on getting Bolsonaro out of the office and highlighted his past achievements throughout his campaign.
His campaign promised a new tax regime that will allow for higher public spending. He has vowed to end hunger in the country, which has returned during the Bolsonaro government. Lula also promises to work to reduce carbon emissions and deforestation in the Amazon, reported CNN.
Lula, however, is also no stranger to controversy. He was convicted for corruption and money laundering in 2017, on charges stemming from the wide-ranging "Operation Car Wash" investigation into the state-run oil company Petrobras. But after serving less than two years, a Supreme Court Justice annulled Lula's conviction in March 2021, clearing the way for him to run for president for the sixth time.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro sowed doubts about the voting system without evidence, raising questions about whether he would accept defeat
Lula is making a bid to return to the top of Brazilian politics 20 years after he first stormed to the presidency
The 76-year-old former metal worker and union leader lifted millions out of poverty as president but has since been tainted by corruption scandals. —ANI

Brazil's incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro will face former President Luiz Inacio 'Lula' da Silva in the deciding second round of Brazil's presidential election later this month.

Bolsonaro To Face Lula In Run Off To Brazil President Poll

San Francisco: In a bid to introduce an ad-supported tier for its users, popular streaming platform Netflix has announced that it will roll out the "Basic With Ads" steaming plan on November 3 in the US for $6.99. The plan will also be rolled out in several other countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the UK. "In short, 'Basic with Ads' is everything people love about Netflix, at a lower price, with a few ads in-between. Starting in November, signing up will be easy -- visit Netflix.com, and register with your email, date of birth, and gender to get started," Greg Peters, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer, said in a statement. "The plan also represents an exciting opportunity for advertisers -- the chance to reach a diverse audience, including younger viewers who increasingly don't watch linear TV, in a premium environment with a seamless, high-resolution ads experience," Peters added. At launch, ads will be 15 or 30 seconds in length, which will play before and during shows and films.&nbsp;
"To help advertisers reach the right audience and ensure our ads are more relevant for consumers, we will offer broad targeting capabilities by country and genre," the company said. "Advertisers will also be able to prevent their ads from appearing on content that might be inconsistent with their brand," it added. The plan will sit alongside the Basic, Standard, and Premium plans and will be limited to 720p content. Users can sign up via Netflix.com and register with their email, date of birth, and gender. Meanwhile, a recent report said that the platform, with nearly 221 million subscribers worldwide, collaborated with the UK TV rating agency BARB to reveal how many people are watching its streaming shows and movies. From the second week of November, BARB will publicly report the monthly reach and share of viewing for broadcaster groups, and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD)/advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD) services which account for more than 0.5 per cent of total identified viewing.&nbsp;
—IANS

In a bid to introduce an ad-supported tier for its users, popular streaming platform Netflix has announced that it will roll out the "Basic With Ads" steaming plan on November 3 in the US for $6.99.

 Netflix to bring 'Basic With Ads' early next month

Washington (The Hawk): Toxicity and polarization defines the national discourse. One side views the other as agents of gender-bending sin and Satanism, communist stooges bent on leftist indoctrination in schools and socialist capture of the economy. The other sees its opponents goose-stepping the nation down the path of fascism and ruin, spewing bigotry, misogyny and violence along the way.
While this absolutely could be the United States, we’re talking about Brazil, which, on Sunday, will stage the second round runoff vote in its presidential elections. The contest between hard-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro and leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva represents the most heated showdown in the history of Brazil’s relatively young democracy. And the ideological intensity on show is an echo of — but also a prologue to — battles to come in the United States.
The sense of existential clash has been amplified by interventions elsewhere: Illiberal demagogues like former president Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban are enthusiastic cheerleaders of Bolsonaro. In Washington, meanwhile, left-wing lawmakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have been warning of the risk of Bolsonaro subverting Brazilian democracy and even launching his own Jan. 6-style insurrection should current polls prove accurate and Lula wins on election day.
“That Brazil is mirroring American politics should come as no surprise,” writes my colleague Anthony Faiola in a forthcoming piece. “They are both continent-sized, New World countries saddled with unresolved issues over race and the legacy of slavery. They share cultural similarities — from rodeos to evangelical voting blocs — that remain alien to most nations in Western Europe.”
As in the United States, the dynamic is asymmetric. While Lula casts himself as a more inclusive figure eager to bring back happy days and lower the tensions roiling Brazilian society, Bolsonaro is a fire-breathing culture warrior, snarling resentment at journalists, liberals, atheists, the poor and LGBT people. Like Trump, even while in office, Bolsonaro fumed against the political establishment and prevailing order. He has for years sowed doubt over the integrity of Brazil’s electoral system, raged at high court judges impeding his will and voiced nostalgia for the days of the country’s right-wing military dictatorship.
Bolsonaro supporters see the possible return of Lula — who was jailed on corruption charges that were later thrown out by a Supreme Court ruling — as an unacceptable return of a left-leaning status quo they seek to wholly jettison. Lula, meanwhile, is counting on the votes of Brazilians who aren’t necessarily enamored by his political legacy, but fear Bolsonaro more. In power from 2003 to 2010, Lula presided over a commodities-driven economic boom that his government redirected through landmark welfare programs that lifted millions out of poverty.
“Not only did he put three meals a day on millions of poor people’s plates, but they were then also able to start buying cars, access a loan for a house, which invigorated the economy even more,” said journalist Fernando Morais, the author of the biography “Lula,” to my colleagues.
But the shine of Lula’s rule faded amid an economic downturn and a sweeping corruption scandal that implicated much of the Brazilian political establishment and animated Bolsonaro’s rise to power.
“The idea that Brazil could somehow turn back the clock by electing Lula and recapture the optimism and promise of the early twenty-first century has always seemed fanciful,” wrote Brian Winter, editor in chief of Americas Quarterly. “And even if Lula does win, he will be boxed in by a Congress, and indeed a society at large, that is significantly more conservative than it was during his first presidency.”
Bolsonaro, again not unlike his fellow traveler Trump, is no flash in the pan. “Bolsonarismo has strong roots in society,” Camila Rocha, a Brazilian political scientist, told the Financial Times. “[Even if he loses,] he will be able to keep the movement going because he will have a lot of money and I think he will try to come back in four years.”
It’s far from clear that Bolsonaro will accept defeat this Sunday. He presides over a vast realm of what many analysts flatly describe as online misinformation, fueled in part by partisan influencers on social media. Talk of vote rigging and fraud abounds. Attempts by the Supreme Court to rein in disinformation ahead of the election has put the institution and some of its judges at odds with Bolsonaro and his allies, who see themselves as victims of an establishment witch-hunt.
A glimmer of what may come was on view the previous weekend, when Roberto Jefferson, a former congressman and Bolsonaro supporter, fired a rifle and threw grenades at federal police officers who were attempting to take him into custody. The officers had come to take him into custody after Jefferson insulted a Supreme Court justice online, violating the terms of his ongoing house arrest for allegedly attacking democracy through online misinformation. In a video posted to social media, Jefferson said he opposed the “tyranny” and “oppression” of the justices.
“What we saw on Sunday could well be the prelude to a new wave of political violence, in particular amongst groups who won’t accept the election result if President Bolsonaro loses,” said Mauricio Santoro, a political scientist at Rio de Janeiro State University, according to Reuters.
Bolsonaro distanced himself from Jefferson, who was charged with attempted murder, and condemned his actions, but Lula seized on the moment. “Hate, violence and disrespect of the law,” Lula tweeted. “Roberto Jefferson is not only a criminal, he is one of the main allies of our adversary: He is the face of everything that Bolsonaro stands for.”
Such is the febrile nature of the moment that analysts fear a Bolsonaro victory will only accelerate a process of democratic erosion in Brazil. Oliver Stuenkel, an international relations expert at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo, noted that many of the world’s democratically elected strongmen were emboldened only after being reelected. Consider, he suggested, Orban, or Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega or Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, “all of which only began to pursue explicitly anti-democratic strategies after being reelected — such as undermining the independence of the judiciary, putting pressure on the media or stuffing anti-corruption watchdogs with allies.”
In the case of Brazil — and arguably, too, the United States — there’s a vast population of voters willing to give such illiberal nationalism a chance. “Brazil’s democracy would face tremendous pressure if Bolsonaro were to triumph on October 30,” Stuenkel concluded. “We aren’t choosing between two democratic candidates here,” Simone Tebet, a center-right senator who endorsed Lula, told the Guardian. “There’s only one democrat — and without democracy we will lose our rights.” Rishi Sunak’s new cabinet, which looks a lot like the old one, met for their first cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. His allies cast his government as a steady hand that brings “stability” and even a “more boring” cabinet after the tumult buffeting the Conservative Party and the economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Toxicity and polarization defines the national discourse. One side views the other as agents of gender-bending sin and Satanism, communist stooges bent on leftist indoctrination in schools and socialist capture of the economy. 

Brazil’s Election Offers Even More Intense Echo Of US Culture War

United Nations (The Hawk): Brazil's Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant was chosen by the UN Security Council (UNSC), which met concurrently with the General Assembly but separately from it, to serve on the International Court of Justice until February 5, 2027.
According to the Xinhua news agency, Brant will take over the bench immediately after Judge Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade of Brazil passed away on May 29.
According to the court's statute, a candidate is deemed elected if they receive an absolute majority of votes in both the Security Council and General Assembly.
The Security Council does not distinguish between its permanent and non-permanent members, and eight votes equal an absolute majority.
In contrast, the General Assembly's 193 member states all have voting rights.
Therefore, in the General Assembly, 97 votes are required for an election to pass with an absolute majority. One of the main US institutions is the International Court of Justice, which has its headquarters in The Hague.
The World Court, often known as the International Court of Justice, is a UN body that renders advisory judgments on legal issues brought up by other UN bodies or organisations.
There are 15 judges on the court, and five of them are chosen every three years.
A judge is elected to fill the remaining months of the term in the event of a death or other vacancy.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Brazil's Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant was chosen by the UN Security Council (UNSC), which met concurrently with the General Assembly but separately from it, to serve on the International Court of Justice until February 5, 2027.

Judge chosen by the UNSC for the International Court of Justice

Los Angeles (The Hawk): Andrew Morton, a consultant for "The Crown," claims that the 74-year-old king once brokedanced in Brazil with topless ladies.
In the Netflix smash "The Crown," King Charles III, who assumed the throne after Queen Elizabeth passed away in September, is portrayed by Dominic West. In a recent episode, he was shown performing the street dance at a charity event, and according to Andrew, he once took his ability abroad.
According to him, Entertainment Tonight: "It piqued my interest. They questioned me in the fullest detail possible, even the wallpaper's colour. They may take liberties, but they also tell a lot of truth, I discovered. He can break dance, for sure! In Brazil, he brokedanced with topless women!"
King Charles III is shown "breakdancing to 1992 hip hop track "Don't Sweat the Technique" in the latest episode of "The Crown," but the sequence is actually based on a real-life occurrence from March 1985, when the then-King participated in a workshop for his Prince's Trust charity in West Sussex.
In a story from the time, it was stated that Prince Charles "threw royal propriety to the wind, went down on his knees with a group of kids at a workshop for the unemployed and joined them in break-dancing."
"The prince was persuaded to join Dwayne Smith and two other kids by his praise of the prince's footwork: "He's extremely talented, he got his foot motions right." He responded, "No, I can't do that," but I encouraged him to try. He requested that I teach him how to dance."
(Inputs from Agencies)

Andrew Morton, a consultant for "The Crown," claims that the 74-year-old king once brokedanced in Brazil with topless ladies. In the Netflix smash "The Crown," King Charles III, who assumed the throne after Queen Elizabeth passed away in September, is portrayed by Dominic West.

"The Crown" reenacts King Charles III's breakdance with topless Brazilian women

Sau Paulo (Brazil): Madagascar's nature is so unique that 82 per cent of its plant species and 90 per cent of its animals are endemic, found exclusively on the island off the coast of Southeast Africa. A population so impoverished that the country's human development index (HDI) is one of the lowest in the world and lives among this rare biodiversity, creating the problem of balancing conservation with economic and social growth.
Two studies published in the journal Science by researchers affiliated with 50 organisations worldwide, including a Brazilian biologist supported by FAPESP, provide a portrait of Madagascar's biological riches and the main threats to nature the conservation outlook.
"From the conservation standpoint, Madagascar faces similar challenges to Brazil. It's a developing country with extremely poor remote areas. Both need to work on conservation and improve social conditions," said Thais Guedes, a co-author of both articles. Guedes is a researcher at the State University of Campinas's Institute of Biology (IB-UNICAMP) with a scholarship from FAPESP.
In one of the articles, the team of researchers presents a comprehensive up-to-date review of the literature on the evolution, distribution and uses of the island's biodiversity, showing that its plants and animals are so locally distinctive that extinction of only one species could spell the end of an entire evolutionary lineage.
"Madagascar has species that are unique in the world, but it's far more than that. There are categories broader than species that only exist there, such as the lemurs (Lemuroidea), an entire order of birds (Mesitornithiformes) and all Mantella frog species (Mantellidae) except three. Loss of one species could mean the end of an entire lineage that took millions of years to evolve," Guedes said.
Indeed, three lemur lineages (koala, monkey, and sloth lemurs) have already become extinct, as have the island's two hippopotamus species, the Grandidier's giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys grandidieri), and the elephant bird order (Aepyornithidae). According to experts, megafauna extinctions have serious consequences for the ecosystem's functioning.
The study includes updates that reveal 11,516 vascular plant species (82 per cent of which are endemic) and 1,215 bryophytes (28 per cent of which are endemic) have been described. In terms of terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates, 95 per cent of the island's mammals, 56 per cent of its birds, 81 per cent of its river fish, and 98 per cent of its reptiles are unique to the island and cannot be found anyplace else on the planet.
Opportunities:
The other piece reflects on Madagascar's biodiversity degradation and suggests conservation opportunities for the island. The fact that a considerable proportion of the population makes a living from woods by collecting firewood or hunting, according to the authors, represents an opportunity for development based on the sustainable use of biodiversity.
Madagascar has 1,916 (5 per cent) of the 40,283 plant species used by people globally, with 595 being native to the island. With 28 million inhabitants, 10.4 per cent of the territory is legally protected.
"To date, the focus has been on creating protected areas and keeping people out of them as much as possible in order to reduce the impact of human activity on biodiversity. Unfortunately, this hasn't produced the expected results, because poor communities - the vast majority of the population - need to cook and heat their homes and have no option other than to cut down trees in the existing reserves in order to get firewood," says Alexandre Antonelli, who led both studies. A biologist from Sao Paulo state, Antonelli is Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (Kew Gardens) in London, England (UK).
Given these challenges, the authors propose that the emphasis should be on restoring vegetation elsewhere rather than on creating additional protected areas in order to relieve the strain on current conservation units. Among the five options identified for the country are reforestation and conservation based on scientific evidence and efficacy. The writers consulted scholars in Madagascar and other regions of the world, as well as conservation activists and politicians, to come up with their recommendations.
The authors also advocate for increased biodiversity monitoring and the creation of species databases. Furthermore, they emphasise the importance of increasing the efficacy of existing protection by engaging communities and giving possibilities for training and revenue-generating.
In this context, conservation and restoration initiatives should include landscapes and communities adjacent to protected areas. Actions to conserve forests should take into account the main causes of biodiversity loss, which include poverty and food insecurity, problems that also affect Brazil, despite the peculiarities of each country.
"It's very important to both countries and the world that they protect their forests and restore degraded areas, which capture and store large amounts of carbon. They're essential to combat global warming. When forests are cleared, the consequences affect the most marginalized groups in society," Antonelli said.
The consequences of deforestation, he continued, include lack of drinking water from rivers and water tables, heightened risks of landslides in hilly areas, fewer pollinating insects to service croplands near forests and less capacity for human communities to cope with extreme heatwaves owing to lack of shade and disappearance of the chill factor fueled by evapotranspiration from forests.
"Generally speaking, our description of biodiversity in Madagascar is shaped by knowledge of plants and vertebrates. We don't know much about invertebrates or fungi, for example," Guedes said. "We need to sample these poorly understood groups and use multiple metrics of diversity in future studies. For both Madagascar and Brazil, we advise policymakers to take into account not only species diversity but also the evolutionary history of these places." —ANI

Madagascar's nature is so unique that 82 per cent of its plant species and 90 per cent of its animals are endemic, found exclusively on the island off the coast of Southeast Africa.

Despite Peculiarities, Conservation Challenges Similar In Madagascar, Brazil

Sitapur, UP (The Hawk): A couple has been detained under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act for allegedly pressuring people to convert to Christianity while they were visiting Sitapur with Brazilian tourists.
David Ashthana, the primary suspect, was taken into custody late on Monday night.
A resident of Sehbajpur village named Naimish Gupta filed a FIR, stating that four Brazilian tourists—Rivaldo Joses DaSilva, Magnolia Maro Laronzera, Gulheram Nasimento Edalgo, and Alexander D'Silva—advanced to their hamlet with David and Rohini Asthana, a married couple from Lucknow.
They approached the people and made an effort to convert them, according to Gupta.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Mahmoodabad Circle Officer, stated: "A police squad arrived at the village after receiving information from Naimish Gupta. The Brazilians told us they were travelling with the Lucknowian couple to Sitapur on a tourist visa. The tourists will be questioned while an investigation is being conducted. David and his wife are the targets of a case that we have filed. They were unable to explain why they drove the tourists to a remote Sitapur area, according to Prasad.
Before taking further action, he stated that the statements of the locals will also be recorded.
The way the tourists connected with the couple is still unknown, according to the police.
(Inputs from Agencies)

A couple has been detained under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act for allegedly pressuring people to convert to Christianity while they were visiting Sitapur with Brazilian tourists.

UP couple charged with forced conversion to Christianity

Mumbai (The Hawk): He left the world as the most cherished and adored sports star we have ever seen with that name.
Pele, 82, died in a Sao Paulo, Brazil, private hospital after fighting advanced cancer-related complications for about a month.
In September 2021, his colon tumour was removed, but neither his family nor the physicians could say whether cancer had spread to other organs. Recently, he was receiving "elevated care" for "kidney and heart dysfunction."
Pele was named "the greatest" by FIFA, the organisation that governs the sport of football, was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, was listed among the 100 most significant people of the 20th century by TIME Magazine, and was also one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award in 2000.
However, Pele was the first person who made football as "the beautiful game" for millions of followers throughout the world.
He was the original No. 10 in football history, which Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbapp currently wear. He was the brilliant player who loved the game and was so unstoppable that the many defenders he faced had no choice but to foul him.
However, Pele was the pioneer who popularised football as "the beautiful game" for millions of followers throughout the world.
(Inputs from Agencies)

He left the world as the most cherished and adored sports star we have ever seen with that name. Pele, 82, died in a Sao Paulo, Brazil, private hospital after fighting advanced cancer-related complications for about a month.

Pele, Who Made Football "The Beautiful Game," Is no more

Beijing: The New Development Bank (NDB), a multinational financial organisation founded by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), "unanimously" elected former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff as its president on Friday.
The Shanghai-based bank stated that Rousseff, 75, will be replacing Marcos Troyjo, also of Brazil.
The NDB of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) announced that Dilma Rousseff had been unanimously elected as the bank's president.—Inputs from Agencies

The New Development Bank (NDB), a multinational financial organisation founded by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), "unanimously" elected former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff as its president on Friday.

Dilma Rousseff to lead BRICS Bank

Sao Paulo (Brazil): Ace Indian shuttler Pramod Bhagat and World No 4 Sukant Kadam have secured their spots in the semi-finals of the ongoing Brazil Para-Badminton International 2023, here.

The Padma Shri Awardee Bhagat reached the semi-finals in singles and men's doubles event while Kadam has reached the semi-finals of men's singles and doubles.

Pramod eased past Peru's Pedro Pablo De Vinatea 21-7, 21-12 in the men's single quarter final clash. It took him just 30 minutes to book a clash with Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the semi-finals.

He also secured a semi-final spot in the men's doubles with his partner Sukant Kadam. The duo defeated Peru's pair of Pedro Pablo De Vinatea and Renzo Diquez Bances Morales.

The match lasted for 25 minutes, and the final score read 21-10 and 21-14. The duo will now face India's Kumar Nitesh and Tarun in the semi-finals.

However, Pramod had to face a loss in the mixed doubles with his partner Manisha Ramadass as the pair went down fighting to Indonesia's Hikmat Ramdani and Leani Ratri Oktila.

On the other hand, Sukant Kadam won a hard-fought quarterfinal against India's Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj. The match was tight and went all the way to 3 sets. Sukant put on a great fight and had all the answers for Suhas and the final score read 29-27, 11-21 and 21-17.

Sukant will now face Tarun in the semi-final clash. IANS

Brazil Para-Badminton International: Pramod Bhagat, Sukant Kadam book semis spots

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