Chemical spill turns Brazilian lake blue and kills fish
NewsFeed Chemical spill turns Brazilian lake blue and kills fish
A chemical spill in the city of Jundiaí has turned a lake bright blue, killing fish and dyeing local wildlife. Authorities are now investigating the environmental impact as the dyed water flows toward the Jundiaí River, whose water is used by nearby cities and companies.
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Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Suspected teen ‘sicario' pleads not guilty to shooting Colombian senator
A 15-year-old boy accused of trying to assassinate Colombian Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has pleaded 'not guilty', the prosecutor's office said. The teen was formally charged on Tuesday with the attempted murder of 39-year-old conservative presidential candidate Uribe, who was shot in the head on Saturday and is fighting for his life in critical condition in hospital. The teenager – who police believe was a 'sicario' or hitman working for money – was also charged with carrying a firearm. 'No family in Colombia should be going through this,' Uribe's wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, told reporters outside the hospital where her husband is being treated. 'There is no name for this – it's not pain, it's not horror, it's not sadness,' she said. The senator's father, Miguel Uribe Londono, thanked the 'millions of Colombians and people around the world for their prayers'. 'Miguel, amidst the pain and dismay that overwhelms us, has managed to unite this country in a single voice that rejects violence,' his father added. It is not known why Senator Uribe, who was vying for the candidacy of his party, was attacked. He was polling well behind other party candidates at the time of the shooting. Footage from the scene of the shooting showed Uribe addressing supporters in the west of the capital Bogota when a youth rushed towards him firing at least eight shots. Uribe was hit twice in the head and once in the leg. The alleged attacker was apprehended by security guards and a Glock 9mm pistol was recovered. In a video of the teen's capture, independently verified by the Reuters news agency, the suspect can be heard shouting that he had been hired by a local drug dealer. An earlier video showed that as the suspect, who was wounded, attempted to escape the scene, a voice could be heard shouting, 'I did it for the money, for my family.' But in court, the teenager rejected charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm, the attorney general's office said. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in a rehabilitation centre, not prison, as he is a minor. Also on Tuesday, Colombia was rocked by bomb and gun attacks in the country's southwest where at least seven people were killed in a wave of violence that echoed earlier decades when attacks by armed fighters, paramilitary groups and drug traffickers were common. The bomb and gun attacks were likely caused by an armed group that splintered from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, according to the army and police. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, meanwhile, has broadly pointed the finger at an international crime ring as being behind the attack on Uribe, without providing details or evidence. Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti suggested there may be a link with the assassination attempt as rebels have increasingly turned to drug trafficking to finance their activities, though he did not provide evidence. President Petro has ordered beefed-up security for government officials and opposition leaders in response to the attacks. Uribe had been a staunch critic of Petro's security strategy, aimed at ending six decades of armed conflict, arguing that Petro's approach of pausing offensives on armed groups despite the failure of peace talks only backfired. The senator had two government-provided bodyguards protecting him at the time of the shooting, the head of the National Protection Unit said. Uribe's lawyer, Víctor Mosquera, said his client had repeatedly asked for more bodyguards.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Brazil's Bolsonaro testifies before Supreme Court over alleged coup plan
Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, testifying for the first time before the nation's Supreme Court, has denied involvement in an alleged coup plot to remain in power and overturn the 2022 election result that he lost to current leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro, 70, and seven of his close allies were questioned by a panel of top judges on Tuesday as part of a trial over allegations that they devised a multi-step scheme to keep Bolsonaro in office despite his defeat to Lula. Bolsonaro and his co-defendants risk prison sentences of up to 40 years in a trial dubbed 'historic' – the first ever for an attempted coup under a democratic government in Brazil. 'That's not the case, your honour,' Bolsonaro replied on Tuesday when asked by Judge Alexandre de Moraes – an arch political foe – about 'the truthfulness' of the accusations against him. 'There was never any talk of a coup. A coup is an abominable thing … Brazil couldn't go through an experience like that. And there was never even the possibility of a coup in my government,' Bolsonaro claimed. The plot only failed, the charge sheet says, due to a clear lack of military backing. Bolsonaro, a former military officer himself. who has been known to express nostalgia for the country's past military dictatorship, openly defied Brazil's judicial system during his 2019-2022 term in office. On Monday, Bolsonaro's former right-hand man Mauro Cid – a co-defendant who has turned state's witness – told the court Bolsonaro had 'received and read' a draft decree for the declaration of a state of emergency. He then 'edited' the document, which would have paved the way for measures to 'redo the election' and also envisaged the imprisonment of top personalities including Moraes, said Cid. Cid also testified that he had received cash in a wine crate from Bolsonaro's former running mate and Defence Minister Walter Braga Netto that investigators say was earmarked to finance an operation by special troops to kill Lula, his Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Moraes. Apart from Cid, the other co-defendants are four ex-ministers and the former heads of Brazil's navy and intelligence agency. Most who have taken the stand so far have rejected the bulk of the accusations in the charge sheet. The defendants are standing trial on five counts: attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organisation, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage. A coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, the accused could be sentenced to up to 40 years behind bars. Two former army commanders have claimed Bolsonaro hosted a meeting where the declaration of a state of emergency was discussed as a means of overturning Lula's election victory. Bolsonaro has denied all the charges, saying he is the target of political persecution. He has already been banned in a separate court ruling from running in elections until 2030 over abuse of power while in office and casting unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system. However, he is still hoping to run in the 2026 presidential elections. 'They have nothing to convict me; my conscience is clear,' the former leader told reporters on Monday. Almir Garnier, who was Brazilian Navy commander under Bolsonaro, denied the former president had discussed the declaration of a state of emergency with military officials. He also denied offering Bolsonaro any Navy troops. The Supreme Court headquarters in Brasilia was one of the targets of a rioting mob of supporters known as 'Bolsonaristas' – who raided government buildings in January 2023 as they urged the military to oust Lula, an insurrection attempt that evoked the supporters of Bolsonaro ally United States President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021. Bolsonaro was abroad in Florida at the time of this last-gasp effort to keep him in power after the alleged coup planning fizzled. But his opponents have accused him of fomenting the rioting. Judges will hear from 26 other defendants at a later date. The court has already heard from dozens of witnesses in hearings that began in mid-May.
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Peruvian police seize 5.5 tonnes of drugs in major raid
NewsFeed Peruvian police seize 5.5 tonnes of drugs in major raid Peruvian police showcased 5.5 tonnes of seized drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, following an anti-narcotics operation across multiple regions. Authorities say the haul from recent raids is part of a larger 13-tonne seizure, primarily bound for Europe and North America. Fifteen suspects were arrested.
