Latest news with #RioDeJaneiro
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- Health
- The Independent
The martial art which is helping Parkinson's disease patients overcome their symptoms
Parkinson's disease patients are seeing their symptoms alleviated thanks to a well-known martial art. Capoeira is a movement practice that originated within the large enslaved communities in Brazil, where nearly 5 million kidnapped Africans disembarked during the transatlantic slave trade that started in the 16th century. It is considered both a martial art and a dance, combining ritual, exercise, spirituality and music – and it is helping patients living with the neurodegenerative illness. Nilma Teles de Freitas, an 80-year-old retired teacher in Brazil who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than a decade ago, says she used to fall over all the time. That changed after she began attending a capoeira class in downtown Rio de Janeiro especially designed for people with the disease. 'Capoeira gives me freedom to work on my body. What I can do. What I can't do. So I can have balance and a more comfortable life,' Teles de Freitas said during a recent class. Practiced for centuries by Afro-Brazilians, it has since become popular around the world. UNESCO recognized the practice in 2014 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The project started in 2018 with physical therapist Rosimeire Peixoto, 60, who at that point had been attending capoeira classes herself for over a decade. After working with many patients with Parkinson's, she said she became convinced that introducing them to capoeira may help alleviate some of their symptoms. Parkinson's has a range of different symptoms, and along with difficulties in balancing, some common ones include slowness of movement, tremors and stooped posture. Patients can also experience anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and nausea. 'I had the idea after reading an article that said alternating both hands when using a cell phone stimulates both hemispheres of the brain,' she said. 'And as a physiotherapist treating neurological patients, I was lacking exercises that would motivate them.' Peixoto's project was dubbed 'Parkinson na ginga' — or 'Parkinson's in the swing' — a reference to the first fluid, rhythmic step that capoeira practitioners learn. She now holds classes twice a week in the Progress Foundry, a sprawling cultural center in downtown Rio next to a famed white 18th century aqueduct and surrounded by palm trees. Capoeira helps improve balance, coordination and strength, with music loosening up tense bodies, Peixoto says. 'There is a lot happening in a capoeira circle. They feel the vibration, the energy, they pay attention to the music and to the partner to dodge blows' and to themselves, she said. During a recent class, Peixoto walked among the students, placing a gentle hand on a back here and there to help with balance, patiently repeating demonstrations and offering words of encouragement. Antônio de Azevedo, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few years ago, said he could hardly stand before. But since he started practicing capoeira, his stability returned. 'It's the best thing that's ever happened to me,' he said while he attended a capoeira class with around 10 other people, all with Parkinson's. Peixoto tries to make the classes a fun and social event — she often suggests a group samba dance at the end of the class, and regularly brings a cake to share. Teles de Freitas, the retired teacher, says that she loves the camaraderie among the class. 'We are there for one another,' she said. 'Feeling and conversing with friends gives strength.' She remembers how when she got her diagnosis, she left the doctor's office crying, terrified of the future. 'Today I'm smiling,' she said. 'I'm managing to live. I'm managing to interact with other people. I'm managing to be happy.'
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Parkinson's patients in Brazil turn to a movement practice known as capoeira to ease symptoms
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Nilma Teles de Freitas, an 80-year-old retired teacher in Brazil who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than a decade ago, says she used to fall over all the time. That changed after she began attending a capoeira class in downtown Rio de Janeiro especially designed for people with the neurodegenerative illness. Capoeira is a movement practice that originated within the large enslaved communities in Brazil, where nearly 5 million kidnapped Africans disembarked during the transatlantic slave trade that started in the 16th century. It is considered both a martial art and a dance, combining ritual, exercise, spirituality and music. 'Capoeira gives me freedom to work on my body. What I can do. What I can't do. So I can have balance and a more comfortable life,' Teles de Freitas said during a recent class. Practiced for centuries by Afro-Brazilians, it has since become popular around the world. UNESCO recognized the practice in 2014 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The project started in 2018 with physical therapist Rosimeire Peixoto, 60, who at that point had been attending capoeira classes herself for over a decade. After working with many patients with Parkinson's, she said she became convinced that introducing them to capoeira may help alleviate some of their symptoms. Parkinson's has a range of different symptoms, and along with difficulties in balancing, some common ones include slowness of movement, tremors and stooped posture. Patients can also experience anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and nausea. 'I had the idea after reading an article that said alternating both hands when using a cell phone stimulates both hemispheres of the brain,' she said. 'And as a physiotherapist treating neurological patients, I was lacking exercises that would motivate them.' Peixoto's project was dubbed "Parkinson na ginga' — or 'Parkinson's in the swing' — a reference to the first fluid, rhythmic step that capoeira practitioners learn. She now holds classes twice a week in the Progress Foundry, a sprawling cultural center in downtown Rio next to a famed white 18th century aqueduct and surrounded by palm trees. Capoeira helps improve balance, coordination and strength, with music loosening up tense bodies, Peixoto says. 'There is a lot happening in a capoeira circle. They feel the vibration, the energy, they pay attention to the music and to the partner to dodge blows' and to themselves, she said. During a recent class, Peixoto walked among the students, placing a gentle hand on a back here and there to help with balance, patiently repeating demonstrations and offering words of encouragement. Antônio de Azevedo, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few years ago, said he could hardly stand before. But since he started practicing capoeira, his stability returned. 'It's the best thing that's ever happened to me,' he said while he attended a capoeira class with around 10 other people, all with Parkinson's. Peixoto tries to make the classes a fun and social event — she often suggests a group samba dance at the end of the class, and regularly brings a cake to share. Teles de Freitas, the retired teacher, says that she loves the camaraderie among the class. 'We are there for one another,' she said. 'Feeling and conversing with friends gives strength.' She remembers how when she got her diagnosis, she left the doctor's office crying, terrified of the future. 'Today I'm smiling," she said. "I'm managing to live. I'm managing to interact with other people. I'm managing to be happy.'
Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Parkinson's patients in Brazil turn to a movement practice known as capoeira to ease symptoms
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Nilma Teles de Freitas, an 80-year-old retired teacher in Brazil who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than a decade ago, says she used to fall over all the time. That changed after she began attending a capoeira class in downtown Rio de Janeiro especially designed for people with the neurodegenerative illness. Capoeira is a movement practice that originated within the large enslaved communities in Brazil, where nearly 5 million kidnapped Africans disembarked during the transatlantic slave trade that started in the 16th century. It is considered both a martial art and a dance, combining ritual, exercise, spirituality and music. 'Capoeira gives me freedom to work on my body. What I can do. What I can't do. So I can have balance and a more comfortable life,' Teles de Freitas said during a recent class. Practiced for centuries by Afro-Brazilians, it has since become popular around the world. UNESCO recognized the practice in 2014 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The project started in 2018 with physical therapist Rosimeire Peixoto, 60, who at that point had been attending capoeira classes herself for over a decade. After working with many patients with Parkinson's, she said she became convinced that introducing them to capoeira may help alleviate some of their symptoms. Parkinson's has a range of different symptoms, and along with difficulties in balancing, some common ones include slowness of movement, tremors and stooped posture. Patients can also experience anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and nausea. 'I had the idea after reading an article that said alternating both hands when using a cell phone stimulates both hemispheres of the brain,' she said. 'And as a physiotherapist treating neurological patients, I was lacking exercises that would motivate them.' Peixoto's project was dubbed 'Parkinson na ginga' — or 'Parkinson's in the swing' — a reference to the first fluid, rhythmic step that capoeira practitioners learn. She now holds classes twice a week in the Progress Foundry, a sprawling cultural center in downtown Rio next to a famed white 18th century aqueduct and surrounded by palm trees. Capoeira helps improve balance, coordination and strength, with music loosening up tense bodies, Peixoto says. 'There is a lot happening in a capoeira circle. They feel the vibration, the energy, they pay attention to the music and to the partner to dodge blows' and to themselves, she said. During a recent class, Peixoto walked among the students, placing a gentle hand on a back here and there to help with balance, patiently repeating demonstrations and offering words of encouragement. Antônio de Azevedo, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few years ago, said he could hardly stand before. But since he started practicing capoeira, his stability returned. 'It's the best thing that's ever happened to me,' he said while he attended a capoeira class with around 10 other people, all with Parkinson's. Peixoto tries to make the classes a fun and social event — she often suggests a group samba dance at the end of the class, and regularly brings a cake to share. Teles de Freitas, the retired teacher, says that she loves the camaraderie among the class. 'We are there for one another,' she said. 'Feeling and conversing with friends gives strength.' She remembers how when she got her diagnosis, she left the doctor's office crying, terrified of the future. 'Today I'm smiling,' she said. 'I'm managing to live. I'm managing to interact with other people. I'm managing to be happy.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brazilian ex-President Jair Bolsonaro echoes Trump by describing coup plot trial as a 'witch hunt'
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's chief prosecutor has called for a guilty verdict in the case of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial accused of leading an alleged coup plot. 'The evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilization of the democratic rule of law,' Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a 517-long page document released late Monday. Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by a left-wing rival. 'All the accusations are false. I never violated democracy or the constitution,' Bolsonaro said on X hours before Gonet submitted his final report. The ex-president said that the trial was a 'witch hunt,' echoing a term used by U.S. President Donald Trump when he came to his South American ally's defense last week. The prosecution accuses Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organization, attempting to stage a coup and attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage. The defence will present its case shortly. Then the panel of Supreme Court justices that opened a trial against the former leader will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts expect that to happen in the second half of the year. A coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. A conviction on that and other charges could bring decades behind bars. The former president has repeatedly denied the allegations and asserted that he's the target of political persecution. A lawyer for Bolsonaro didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Last week, Trump imposed a 50% import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Bolsonaro's trial. The U.S. president has hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020. Last week, he compared the Brazilian's situation to his own. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump repeated the claim that the trial is a 'witch hunt.' 'Bolsonaro is not a dishonest man,' he said. 'Nobody is happy with what Brazil is doing because Bolsonaro was a respected president.' Trump added that Bolsonaro isn't a friend, but someone he knows. Gonet formally charged Bolsonaro and 33 others in February in connection with an alleged coup days after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office. Gonet said Bolsonaro's actions 'were not limited to a passive stance of resistance to defeat, but were a conscious effort to create an environment conducive to violence and a coup.' He added that 'the criminal organization documented almost all of the actions described in the indictment through recordings, handwritten notes, digital files, spreadsheets and exchanges of electronic messages.' The prosecution is also seeking convictions for several close allies of Bolsonaro, including his running mate during the 2022 election and former defense minister, Walter Braga Netto, ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres and his aide-de-camp Mauro Cid. Brazil's Supreme Court president, Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, said that the U.S. 'sanctions' — a reference to Trump's tariffs — are based on 'an inaccurate understanding' of events. 'For those who didn't live through a dictatorship or don't remember one, it's worth remembering: there was a lack of freedom, torture, forced disappearances, the closure of Congress, and the persecution of judges. In today's Brazil, no one is persecuted,' Barroso said. Bolsonaro, a former military officer who was known to express nostalgia for the country's past dictatorship, openly defied Brazil's judicial system during his 2019-2022 term in office. He has been banned by Brazil's top electoral court from running in elections until 2030 over abuse of power while in office and casting unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system. Eléonore Hughes, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Can BRICS become a rival to the West?
The 17th annual BRICS Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro last week, ended with something of a global shoulder shrug. Last year's summit in Russia was interpreted by many as a sign that Moscow had found ways of overcoming the diplomatic isolation that accompanied the Ukraine war. The year before, in South Africa, the summit saw the group invite new members, raising hopes a new 'BRICS+' could challenge the West's global dominance. In contrast, although its members adopted a long list of joint positions in Brazil, the summit appeared lackluster compared to what had gone before. The leaders of four members — Russia, China, Egypt and Iran — opted not to attend, while, despite declarations of unity, clear divisions were visible. For all the hopes that an expanded BRICS could be a voice for the Global South and a rival to the West, has the bubble already burst? When BRICS voted to expand two years ago, its members declared they sought 'greater representation of emerging markets and developing countries' in international institutions. At the same time, China and Russia, which had been the most enthusiastic about expanding membership, stated they hoped to challenge US and Western hegemony, seeing the expanded BRICS as a Global South rival to the G7. There followed a flurry of optimism. The UAE, Egypt, Iran and Ethiopia became members in 2024, though Argentina declined the invitation and Saudi Arabia, despite attending subsequent summits, has not formally joined. Indonesia then became the bloc's 10th formal member in early 2025. Last year in Kazan, members even discussed launching a new joint currency to challenge the global primacy of the dollar and, unofficially, weaken the effect of US dollar-based sanctions on members like Russia and Iran. But a year on, the collective mood is less upbeat. The absence of four of the 10 leaders was a blow to the summit's prestige. Vladimir Putin's absence was due to a fear of arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant and he spoke by video link, but Xi Jinping's absence was his first since becoming Chinese premier. Though officially this was due to 'scheduling conflict,' some observers suggested Xi's enthusiasm for BRICS has somewhat waned. Related to this might be the bloc's reaction to Donald Trump. Russia and China were among the most supportive of a new BRICS currency to challenge the dollar in Kazan. But on the eve of the Rio de Janeiro summit, Trump declared on social media that any country aligning itself with the 'anti-American' policies of BRICS would face an additional 10 percent US tariff — a not very subtle threat about the possible new currency. This likely contributed to reluctance among other BRICS members, especially India, which fears Chinese dominance of the new currency, to advance the proposal. No major headway was made on the issue and the final joint statement even contained references to the global importance of the dollar — perhaps an effort by some to appease Trump. With 10 members, there are far more actors at play, making it harder for any consensus to be reached. Christopher Phillips But Trump and the new currency were not the only points of disagreement among the members in Brazil. One of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's big hopes for the summit was agreeing proposals to reform international institutions to make them more representative. But two new members, Egypt and Ethiopia, blocked a proposal for South Africa to gain a permanent place on the UN Security Council (along with India and Brazil), arguing it undermined the African Union's policy of proposing two permanent seats for African states, elected by the continent's governments. Another division concerned Iran. While Iran received support from fellow members following the recent attacks by Israel and the US, neither were explicitly condemned. Tensions continued when the final summit declaration called for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but Tehran voiced its opposition, arguing instead for a one-state 'South African' resolution. Chatham House's Natalie Sabanadze suggested that the rifts in Rio de Janeiro exposed 'that not all members are interested in taking sides in a global power confrontation or turning BRICS into a tool to help reshape the global order.' China and Russia, especially, seem to have a different vision for what they want the group to be. One of the problems is the recent expansion. In a smaller grouping of just five, China and Russia were better able to direct the agenda. With 10 members, plus attendant partners, there are far more actors at play, making it harder for any consensus to be reached, let alone one that satisfies Moscow and Beijing's anti-Western preferences. While some new members, like Iran, have a history of hostility to the West, others like the UAE and Egypt, remain close partners despite increasingly pursuing their own middle path in international affairs. Moreover, the expansion has exacerbated existing fault lines. China and India, for example, though cooperative in BRICS, have long been strategic rivals and New Delhi fears Beijing using the grouping to amplify its power. India is now able to use the new members to build support against China's dominance. Another issue is climate change, with Brazil especially keen to push a united position, but it is restrained by the presence of large fossil fuel providers and carbon dioxide emitters within the expanded group. These are not easy obstacles to overcome, so it is perhaps unsurprising that, just a few years into its expansion, BRICS does not yet look like the 'Global South G7' rivaling the West some hoped it would become. That does not make the task impossible but merely highlights the scale of the challenge. As G7 leaders will attest, getting any consensus at these summits is often a challenge, even for relatively minor policies. Perhaps then, the limited progress of BRICS+ thus far is as should be expected. While Brazil, China, Russia and the other members have lofty ambitions for the group, they may not, at heart, be the same, which will make further advances and closer alignment in the future a challenge. • Christopher Phillips is professor of international relations at Queen Mary University of London and author of 'Battleground: Ten Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East.' X: @cjophillips
