Brazil's Supreme Court threatens Bolsonaro with arrest if interviews published on social media
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's Supreme Court said on Monday former President Jair Bolsonaro may be arrested if his press interviews are published on social media, raising questions about whether the right-wing leader is allowed to talk to journalists, as he faces backlash over the 50% tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on Brazil.
In a court order issued on Monday, Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees a criminal case in which Bolsonaro is accused of plotting a coup, said any attempt to circumvent the ruling could result in the former president's arrest.
On Friday, Moraes had ordered Bolsonaro to wear an ankle bracelet and banned him from using social media, among other measures, over allegations he courted the interference of Trump, who tied the new levies on Brazil to what he called a "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro.
In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Bolsonaro described Moraes' decision to prohibit his social media use as "cowardice," and said he intended to continue engaging with the press to ensure his voice was heard.
But Monday's ruling clarified that the restrictive measures also applied to Bolsonaro's use of social media through third parties. Bolsonaro canceled an interview with a local news outlet that would have been broadcast on YouTube on Monday.
"Obviously, the broadcasting, rebroadcasting, or dissemination of audio, video, or transcripts of interviews on any third-party social media platforms is prohibited," the judge wrote.
It is unclear if the measure amounts to a prohibition of all interviews.
"The prohibition is that he communicates on social media; it is not a prohibition against third parties speaking about him, whether to praise or criticize," said Ivar Hartmann, a law professor at Sao Paulo business school Insper. He added that, in his view, interviews are permissible, provided they are not intended to circumvent the legal limitations, such as giving an interview to a supporter.
But Vera Chemim, a São Paulo-based constitutional lawyer, said she believed the former leader is now on shaky ground, noting that interviews, while not explicitly mentioned in the court order, could still be used to justify Bolsonaro's arrest.
"Bolsonaro is now completely silenced," she said. "Any misstep could lead to a preventive arrest."
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Moraes' court orders a "political witch hunt" that had prompted him to make immediate visa revocations for "Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members."
The Supreme Court declined to comment or elaborate on the specifics of the decision. A spokesperson for Bolsonaro also declined to comment, but the former president has always denied any wrongdoing.
The court's crackdown on Bolsonaro added to evidence that Trump's tactics are backfiring in Brazil, compounding trouble for his ideological ally and rallying public support behind a defiant leftist government.
(Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes, editing by Manuela Andreoni and Rod Nickel)
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The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Bridge-building for mutual prosperity
SIXTY years ago, the only physical link between Malaysia and Singapore was the Johor-Singapore Causeway that opened on June 28, 1924. From the initial single motorway and railway track that now serves KTM Bhd's Tebrau Shuttle service, along with a footpath, the causeway has been widened several times over the century to cope with the increasing road traffic. The situation remained until January 1998, when the Second Link between the nations opened to connect Gelang Patah in Johor with Tuas in Singapore. The idea of a second link was first raised by the 11th Johor Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Othman Saat, in 1980. On Aug 30, 2018, the 16th Johor MB, Datuk Osman Sapian, said Johor was eyeing a 'third link' that would possibly start in Pengerang to connect with Singapore's Pulau Ubin. However, no concrete proposals have been unveiled since. On Dec 1, 2019, then Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malaysia was hoping to begin 'comprehensive research' on the matter in 2020, but nothing further about the proposal has been heard of since then. As Muhyiddin was speaking that day, discussions were ongoing in the background on how to proceed with the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) after an extensive cost-cutting exercise initiated by Malaysia. On July 30, 2020, then Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Muhyiddin, who had become Malaysia's prime minister by then, attended a ceremony at the midpoint of the Causeway to signal the resumption of the RTS project. Work on the 4km-long, twin-track rapid transit system finally commenced on the Johor side in November that year, with Singapore following suit shortly after, with expected completion by December 2026. The RTS is expected to provide a huge relief for commuters, especially those from JB (right) who need to enter Singapore for work on a near-daily basis. Overwhelming demand The RTS is expected to be a huge relief for commuters, especially those who need to enter Singapore for work on a near- daily basis. On an average day, around 450,000 people make the trip over the two physical links; the figure is derived by combining data from the Causeway and Second Link. Demand for travel is unlikely to abate even if the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is in full swing; the zone is a collaboration formally established on Jan 7 to boost crossborder trade and investment by optimising the strengths of both countries. As it is, Johor-based commuters may need close to three hours to reach their workplaces in Singapore, even if they start the journey at 5.30am from Johor Baru. A huge amount of the time is spent waiting for stage buses on the Johor side during the morning rush hour, with some commuters deciding that doing the 1km walk across the Causeway is a more tenable option at that hour. KTMB's Tebrau Shuttle could only do so much, given its limited capacity of only 320 passengers per trip. In any case, under the bilateral agreement with Singapore, the service will have to end within six months after the commencement of RTS services. On an average day, around 450,000 people cross the Malaysia-Singapore border over the two physical links. — THOMAS YONG/The Star The demand for cross-strait mobility is such that on Aug 1 Malaysia proposed that the republic commence its crossborder stage bus services earlier, as early as 4am, to help manage the morning rush. In a statement on Aug 3, Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is assessing whether the operating times of these services can be adjusted to help address crowding in the early mornings. 'A key consideration is that the first buses should match the starting time of our local bus and MRT services when they arrive in Singapore,' said LTA. Singapore's MRT services typically begin at 6am. 'LTA is exploring with cross- border bus operators the possibility of bringing forward the bus start times slightly, as well as engaging private bus operators on their interest in operating earlier services at higher fares,' it added. Malaysia and Singapore are also looking at how to improve existing arrangements for legal crossborder taxi services. 'We are also considering increasing the number of boarding and alighting points in each other's country, and to use ride- hailing apps to book crossborder trips on licensed taxis. In any adjustment to our crossborder point-to-point transport regime, our key priorities are to better meet commuter demand while safeguarding the interests of our taxi and private hire drivers,' said the LTA. Long gestation periods The proposal to connect both countries by MRT was first discussed by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathr Mohamad and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Kuan Yew in 1990. From those talks, it has taken more than 35 years for the RTS to become a reality, showing the complexities of a bilateral rail project, even one that only needs to cross a 1km stretch of sea around Johor Baru. The proposal to connect both countries by MRT was first discussed between Dr Mahathir and Lee in 1990.— Photos: THOMAS YONG/The Star It is a heartening sign that more and more people are seeing the value of rail in supporting overall growth and development. Just last month, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said he has discussed several proposals with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during a meeting in Singapore on July 31. The second rail link (RTS2) is meant to connect Iskandar Puteri in Johor with Tuas in Singapore. 'In line with the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail's decree, I have put forward several strategic proposals including connecting Tuas to Iskandar Puteri via the RTS2 system,' he said on Facebook. Elsewhere, the much-talked about KTMB train from Gemas in Negri Sembilan (passing through Segamat and Kluang in Johor) to JB Sentral is still not on the horizon. On Wednesday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the current target to reach Johor Baru is at the 'end of the year' after several timeline revisions since the project's groundbreaking ceremony on April 3, 2018, by then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. However, urban planners and traffic consultants note that while road building can provide some quick relief, it is still akin to 'fighting obesity by loosening the belt' as no road construction can keep up with vehicle population growth. A green alternative Last year, the KL-Singapore flight sector ranked fourth in the world in terms of number of seats for international flights, demonstrating the healthy demand for travel between the Klang Valley and Singapore. In the run up to the pandemic years, the KL-Singapore route consistently ranked among the world's top five busiest air routes. With 5.4 million seats on offer last year, the KL-Singapore sector lost out on the third spot to the Incheon-Narita (Seoul to Tokyo) route by just 28,293 seats (or 0.5%). In the initial days of the post-pandemic travel rebound, the KL International Airport-Changi Airport route even held the top spot in 2023, showing that this route has a strong latent demand that can withstand the test of time. With just a 350km distance separating the two cities, bridging this distance using high speed rail (for trains that travel at speeds not slower than 250kph on newly built lines, or at least 200kph on upgraded lines) is a viable option, as is the case in many developed countries. With the latest generation of high speed rail (HSR) assets, the distance from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore can be covered by a nonstop trip in 90 minutes, while the domestic leg to Iskandar Puteri can be done in two hours after the train makes several stops at major growth centres in Selangor, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor. First proposed by Najib in September 2010, the idea of HSR quickly gained traction, with then Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong formally agreeing to the bilateral project in February 2013, all with the intent of seeing the KL-SG HSR up and running by 2026. The initial proposal for that would link a new township called Bandar Malaysia with Singapore's Jurong East. However, following Najib's defeat in 2018, subsequent administrations postponed or delayed the project until its eventual termination by both governments on Jan 1, 2021. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Madani government is now relooking at restarting the project by calling for the proposals from the private sector. On Feb 18, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in Parliament that the government is finalising key parameters for the proposed project with the 'parameters to be presented to the Cabinet for approval'. 'Details regarding the shortlisted consortium, financing methods, and project model study will be reviewed in the next phase, which is the 'Request For Proposal' process,' he said in a ministerial written reply to update MPs on the status of the project, which received seven concept proposals following a request for information exercise called in July 2023. For industry observer Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, founder of transport thinktank My Mobility Vision, the KL-SG HSR goes way beyond speed. 'It's about reclaiming time and opportunity as we begin transforming the Kuala Lumpur to Johor region into a high-value growth corridor, beyond just the JS-SEZ, as part of the wider Klang Valley-Singapore conurbation. 'This isn't just a train line; it's our chance to lead the next Asean economic growth cycle,' he told Sunday Star . On the local front, HSR, especially as the JS-SEZ takes off, would serve as a vital catalyst in enhancing the southern corridor's contribution to national growth. Rapid transit via HSR also attracts higher-value industries, professional talent, and knowledge-based firms, which require high levels of connectivity and mobility to unlock their true potential across geographically- linked regions. The KL-Singapore HSR, like Jakarta-Bandung'shigh-speed train 'Whoosh', could serve as a vital catalyst in enhancing the southern corridor's contribution to national growth. — AFP On its part, Singapore remains open to fresh HSR proposals from Kuala Lumpur, a clear indicator that physical connections still matter, even in the era of digitalisation. In June, even Singapore's Opposition leader Pritam Singh expressed support for the project, describing the shelving as a missed opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties. In a Keluar Sekejap podcast co-hosted by former minister Khairy Jamaluddin and politician Shahril Hamdan, Pritam said HSR can transform the way Malaysians and Singaporeans connect, for the better. 'I think what would have been the cherry on the cake is HSR, which changes a lot of things; distances become so much shorter,' he said.
Borneo Post
3 hours ago
- Borneo Post
The South China Sea Code
Photo shows a chain of islands in the South China Sea. — AFP photo FIRST of all, I wish to join other Malaysians in congratulating Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, our Prime Minister, for his recent success in securing the agreement of Thailand and Cambodia to stop fighting, For a while, anyway. At the time of writing this article, the ceasefire appeared to be holding. Secondly, I think there is a job that Malaysia should also attempt, as Chairman of Asean. The success in the peace-making is no mean achievement for our country, showing the relevance of Malaysia's role in international diplomacy. All this success at diplomacy should embolden our diplomats to think about embarking on another task – tuning the text of the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC). Asean leaders have been talking about this Code for the past 20 years or so, but have not been able to produce it for reasons only the diplomatic fraternity would talk about, out of hearing of the journalists. The COC is a mechanism for managing internal disputes among the littoral countries of Asean, namely the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and China. China's active participation in the discussion on the Code is crucial because all decisions reached at meetings will be binding on the countries concerned. Good relations and rapport between China and the Asean member countries are urgent because these Asean member countries lie inside the loop of the so-called 'Nine-Dash Line'; they must be set free as soon as possible. Asian and China's statesmen in the past wanted this region of the world to be classified as a Zone of Peace and Neutrality (ZOPAN). Why cannot it remain such for all times? The current leaders of the countries and China must show statesmanship if they want history to be kind to their leadership when they disappear from the scene. By 2018, the soft copy of the Code was put on the backburner until Singapore assumed the Asean Chair. According to a report by Reuters, quoted by The Borneo Post on Feb 8, 2018, the move to 'expedite negotiations on a code of conduct on China for the disputed South China Sea' had hit a snag. But this was eventually solved after China and Asean had decided on a negotiating framework. In fact, the parties had begun preliminary discussions on the Code itself. Unfortunately, the substantive discussions petered out. I don't know why. Meanwhile, China's activities in terms of building more and more islands/land reclamations in parts of the Sea, threats about an imminent invasion of Taiwan by China, and about the use of water cannons on Filipino fishers by Chinese patrol boats, made the littoral states nervous. To compound the anxiety, there has been intense competition for hegemony between China and the USA, the 'Big Boys'. More worries for the peoples of the Asean block. Hence the urgency for a rule to govern relations. We were relieved for a short time only when in 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled that 'China's Nine-Dash Line had no legal basis', referring to a judgment in a case brought by the Philippines against China. But China simply rejected the ruling. Malaysia, if given the chance to handle the fine-tuning of the Code, has to be careful about making too much noise (fishing in troubled waters). We must avoid getting into trouble with China, or be seen as siding with other major powers. But the job is of such importance that the Chairman of Asean is expected to handle it, however difficult the task will be. The idea of the COC was seriously discussed in August of 2018. It should be a mechanism by which disputes would be managed, peace and stability be promoted among all the littoral states around the South China Sea. Reuters reported that 'China and the 10- member Asean block adopted a negotiating framework on the code and had commenced talks on the code itself'. That was seven years ago. It is a difficult issue to solve indeed but Malaysia, given another chance at diplomacy, has nothing to lose by trying! Try it we must for a reason – a good reason. The federal government of Malaysia might lose some credibility on the home front should Malaysia's national interests in Sarawak, now at stake, be relegated to the backburner – or worse, ignored. Don't forget that Sarawak and Sabah, with long shorelines facing the South China Sea, are well within the sights of any power that might want to enforce a Nine-Dash-Line! When Malaysia was about to assume the chairmanship of Asean, many people in Sarawak were wondering if the federal government had forgotten about the state's interests. These interests were subject to dispute by China, referring to the famous Nine-Dash-Line again. The preservation and protection of this nation's rights and interests over the territorial waters off Sarawak are fundamental to the future of the Federation itself. That's not just headline fodder, obviously Sarawak can't be expected to defend its own territory against possible attacks from the sea! It is essential that all the Asean countries, where the territorial waters are inside that Nine-Dash-Line, to come together and, in one voice, talk to China about mutual respect for each other's right to own property within one's boundary. * The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist's own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper. asean China nine-dash line south china sea
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Australia, Canada, UK urge Belarus to end 'campaign of repression'
FILE PHOTO: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends an expanded format meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk, Belarus June 27, 2025. Sputnik/Sergey Bobylev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The governments of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom condemned what they called ongoing repression and human rights violations in Belarus and accused Belarusian authorities of waging a campaign to shut down civil society, independent media and any form of political opposition. KEY QUOTES "We — Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom — stand united in condemning the ongoing repression and human rights violations," the three countries said in a joint statement on Saturday. "Thousands have been unjustly detained, subjected to torture, or forced into exile. These actions represent a flagrant breach of Belarus' international law obligations and are a serious violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms," they added, urging Belarusian authorities "to end their campaign of repression." WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has led Belarus through more than three decades of authoritarian rule and was re-elected in January for a seventh five-year term. Lukashenko crushed huge street protests in 2020 after an election the opposition and Western governments accused him of stealing, and all his leading opponents were jailed or forced to flee the country. CONTEXT Several hundred people convicted of extremism and other politically related offences have been released since mid-2024 in what analysts see as a bid by Lukashenko to ease his isolation from the West. However, human rights groups say nearly 1,200 are still behind bars. Lukashenko denies there are any political prisoners in the country. Australia, Canada and the UK said they welcomed the recent releases of several political prisoners in Belarus but added that they remain concerned by what they termed as continued arrests and persecution of individuals for exercising their human rights. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter)
