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All rights reserved The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature education workers and public employees in the city of Belford Roxo held a protest rally in that municipality’s City Hall on Monday The Belford Roxo protest involved several hundred educators and health workers who broke through police barricades confronted police and guards and surrounded City Hall At issue is the refusal of the city government to pay two months of overdue wages plus the customary year-end one-month bonus leading workers to protest at city hall on New Year's Eve Belford Roxo’s Mayor Wagmer Carneiro is a close ally of President Lula The protest coincided with Carneiro’s last days in office Carneiro has so far refused to respond to the city workers’ demands particularly the “13th month,” is not new in Brazil due to high levels of municipal debt in the last few years many workers did not receive their year-end bonus until July Several other Rio de Janeiro cities have robbed workers of the year-end bonus known in Brazil as the “13th month,” including Cabo Frio hundreds marched behind the parents of four children murdered by the Ecuadorean Armed Forces on Christmas Eve Saúl Arboleda and Steven Medina were abducted from a soccer field by armed officers in the city of Guayaquil and taken away Their bodies were later found near an air force base near this port city carrying signs demanding justice and repudiating the government of fascistic president Daniel Noboa and the militarization of Ecuadorean society The murder of these youth was not an isolated incident; it takes place in the context of a murderous “war on crime,” which has normalized torture and extrajudicial murders by armed soldiers and police Three to four hundred machinists protested January 3 outside Pratt & Whitney’s jet-engine plant in Middletown against the company’s imposition of unpaid furlough days Most of the 3,000 members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) at plants in Middletown and East Hartford will be affected by the forced furloughs that began January 2 Pratt & Whitney stated that the furloughs reflected the company’s “planning for supply chain gaps and lighter production.” The IAM countered that the company has $100 billion of back orders Contract talks between the company and two separate IAM locals at the two Connecticut plants begin in May with the current agreements set to expire May 5 Workers are demanding increased wages and an end to the two-tier retirement benefits with the provision of a defined benefit pension for all workers The Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA) announced January 2 that 159 nurses at the Wilcox Medical Center on Kauai island voted by a 76 percent margin to strike January 14 through 17 after months of negotiations had failed to move hospital management towards safe staffing ratios This follows a vote by 1,900 nurses at Queen’s Medical Center campuses of Punchbowl and West Oahu on the island of Oahu to hold a three-day strike beginning January 13 The HNA has filed several charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Hawaii Pacific Health for “unlawfully interfering with the rights of employees who request union representation.” According to the HNA Wilcox nurses face harassment discrimination and retaliation by management and “are being put through hell because of their commitment to professionalism.” and the current practices at Wilcox do not address the older and sicker population coming through our ER OR and into the inpatient units.” This crisis and the increased demands it places on nurses are at the center of the demand for safe staffing This past Friday the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) which organizes some 15,000 provincial education workers in 24 community colleges filed notice that job action in pursuit of a new contract can begin as early as Thursday But despite a strike mandate given by the membership in a vote last October the union has yet to say what particular action will be taken Such action could take the form of anything from a work-to-rule campaign to an all-out work stoppage Both sides have agreed to one final round of mediated bargaining on January 6 and 7 after 30 days of bargaining and 4 days of conciliation both sides remain far apart on any contract settlement In 2021-22 the union rejected pursuing a full-scale strike in favour of a 13-week work-to-rule campaign that ended in binding arbitration and failed to address any of the unsatisfactory wage job security or working conditions that faculty faced a five-week all-out strike was ended when the union-backed Liberal provincial government of Premier Kathleen Wynne passed back-to-work legislation accepted the order and called the strike a “victory” simply because the government promised a “task force” to look into “staffing models” in the colleges the critical issues around precarious work and compensation facing faculty not only remain unresolved The education workers are demanding a significant increase in wages an end to unpaid labour and enhanced job security counsellors and librarians are employed under low-wage short-term contracts with little to no benefits or job security the workload formula devised for the education workers has not been revised in 40 years about one-half of bargaining unit members are not paid for preparation time student evaluations and curriculum development The unpaid time can amount to a significant portion of the workers’ labour The predicament faced by college employees is rooted in budget cuts by Ontario governments of all political stripes over the past several decades In order to fund the Ontario colleges to the average of other provinces it is estimated that the disbursements by the hard-right provincial Conservative government of Premier Doug Ford would have to be doubled The College Employer Council (CEC)—the bargaining agent for the managements of the colleges—has insisted that the demands of the education workers are entirely unrealistic based on current government funding models whilst the Ford government has called for more cost-cutting “efficiencies” at the tottering post-high-school education facilities At a square in a Rio de Janeiro suburb plagued by drug trafficking and high rates of violent crimes children and young adults get together every Tuesday night to fight they spar in street boxing matches from about 10pm to 1:30am in a weekly event that has been attracting a growing audience in Belford Roxo It started about four months ago at local square Praca 1 and has since developed into a project called “Ultimate Fighting Praca 1,” or UFP1 the project has become a way for young people to learn more about boxing maybe drawing them away from the ever-present lure of working for drug traffickers “This is helping them to not have an empty mind,” said Reis whose brother died after getting involved with drug trafficking gangs Nervous at his first match just a few months ago 15-year-old Gabriel Gomes now holds one of UFP1’s championship belts and looks to a career in boxing as a possibility “I’m thinking of changing my life,” said Gomes who started training for competitions at a local gym he added that what they are doing is nothing different from what happens in other countries where martial arts are practiced in public places “We are now managing to make people understand that this is good for our young people,” he said Giullia Jaques Caldeira ’24 feels enormous pride for her hometown of Belford Roxo a Brazilian city that’s part of the larger metro area of Rio de Janeiro Belford Roxo is a place wracked by poverty and many of the problems that come along with it and Jaques’ mother often tells her daughter to just say she’s from Rio instead “I want them to see there are young people like me there A first-year student at Babson, Jaques was selected for the College’s Global Scholars Program full-tuition scholarships to international students It’s not an opportunity she takes for granted “There are hundreds of people in my hometown struggling to find the future that I have found,” she says Belford Roxo is never far from Jaques’ mind. Even though she’s now a college student, she works two jobs to support her mother, who still lives there. Jaques also formed an organization, Absorvidas to bring much-needed feminine hygiene products to an area women’s prison “You can study abroad and still care about the place you come from,” Jaques says “You can use entrepreneurship and your education to fight for that place Helping people from the city I come from is important to me.” Jaques has long had an entrepreneurial spirit Jaques began selling a traditional Brazilian chocolate dessert She would make the treats herself and then sell about 120 every day for 18 cents apiece “That’s what was paying the bills,” she says she realized she didn’t have enough money to buy the required ingredients but her classmates surprised her by pooling their money and buying what she needed That made Jaques realize just how important her community was to her “You can study abroad and still care about the place you come from You can use entrepreneurship and your education to fight for that place Jaques has left Belford Roxo for the time being With its cramped space and unreliable Internet not to mention the frightening and frequent gunfire outside Jaques says the one-room apartment she shared with her mom in Belford Roxo wasn’t an ideal place to be a college student She’s currently living in the Brazilian city of Goiânia with a fellow Babson student Jaques helps with admissions at a leadership academy and also serves as a writing tutor jobs she finds meaningful but which also pay the rent on that one-room apartment Jaques founded Absorvidas in 2019 because she grew concerned that women prisoners weren’t being given the basic menstrual products that they needed “This is because society doesn’t see their lives as worth dignity and respect,” she says Most women in Brazilian prisons must rely on their families to provide these products which is difficult given that many prisoners have become estranged from their families Absorvidas initially will be working with a prison in Rio de Janeiro called Talavera Bruce Jaques was saddened to see women from her neighborhood there She knew exactly the hard challenges these women have faced in their lives: the dangerous streets “We have more in common than what we have different,” she says the only thing that stands between us is luck.” Absorvidas first plans to provide 2,000 reusable menstrual pads to the prison along with lectures and written materials to educate about menstruation “There are a lot of people who didn’t go to high school and maybe only know what their mother told them,” Jaques says Absorvidas eventually wants to partner with a foundation that works with inmates to train them to make the pads themselves That would allow the women to no longer be dependent on outside donations of menstrual products Making the pads also would allow them to earn money both while in prison and once they are released “It’s not enough to have a temporary fix,” Jaques says “I see in entrepreneurship a powerful tool to empower people.” Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership More from Entrepreneurial Leadership » Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promises to give far-right rival Jair Bolsonaro a ‘thrashing’ in tighter-than-expected presidential race Thousands of favela residents and activists have hit the streets of Rio to voice their support for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva the leftist frontrunner to become Brazil’s next president Addressing a sea of supporters in one of Rio’s largest favelas, the Complexo do Alemão, Lula vowed to give his far-right rival Jair Bolsonaro “a thrashing” when South America’s biggest democracy holds the second round of its presidential election at the end of October. “We’re going to win these elections,” proclaimed the 76-year-old ex-president who fell just short of an outright victory over Bolsonaro in the first round 10 days ago. Lula, who rose from rural poverty to become Brazil’s first working-class president in 2002, said he was determined to return to power “to prove to the elites who have governed since 1500 that once again a metalworker will fix this country”. Read more“The only reason I’m running for president once again is my belief that we can change things,” Lula told activists during an assembly at the headquarters of Voz das Comunidades the favela news group that organised his rare visit “I promise you that this country is going to change – and it’s going to change for the better.” Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva greets supporters during a campaign rally in Belford Roxo Photograph: Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty ImagesResidents from more than 30 favelas had flocked to the Complexo do Alemão on Wednesday morning to champion a politician they hope can end Bolsonaro’s tumultuous four-year reign during which Covid killed nearly 700,000 people and millions were plunged into poverty “Lula setting foot in the favela is an act of resistance It shows that we’re not alone – that there’s hope,” said Douglas Viana a 30-year-old activist from another sprawling working-class community “This is a historic moment for the country We’ve never seen anything on this scale,” Viana added voiced optimism that social change was around the corner under Lula who used his two-term presidency to help millions escape poverty and enter higher education with the proceeds of a regional commodities boom “Lula represents hope – hope of less hunger and less inequality We’ve taken so many steps backwards during Bolsonaro’s four years in power – and it will take a long time to rebuild all of this,” said Silva A supporter of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva flashes the letter L for ‘Lula’ during a campaign rally in the Complexo do Alemao favela Photograph: Silvia Izquierdo/APAnielle Franco a campaigner whose politician sister Marielle Franco was assassinated in 2018 said she hoped a Lula victory might help secure justice for her murdered sibling the black and the north-easterners from the favela to the presidency – everything that we don’t have under this government,” Franco said Lula won the election’s first round in the region around Alemão a vast sweep of redbrick housing in north Rio with tens of thousands of residents as well as in other major favelas such as Rocinha and Maré But the leftist lost in Rio state as a whole with Bolsonaro winning 51% of the vote to Lula’s 40.7% and Lula has stepped up his campaigning here ahead of the 30 October showdown with the far-right incumbent a Labour party leader who is helping run Lula’s second-round campaign said Wednesday’s event was designed to raise awareness in the favelas about the urgent need for political change of anger – and we must defeat it,” Lupi said as the crowds streamed down one of Alemão’s main arteries with banners denouncing the hunger crisis blighting Brazil’s poor “We need to wake this community up to the harm this government is causing it.” with many evangelical favela residents remaining loyal to Bolsonaro whose allies have falsely accused Lula of plotting to close churches came to the Alemão rally carrying a towel featuring Bolsonaro’s image and his nationalist slogan: “Brazil above everything Lula rose from rural poverty to become Brazil’s first working-class president in 2002 Photograph: Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images“He has done more in two years than Lula did in eight,” Silva said of the right-wing radical Silva insisted the throng of Lula supporters around him didn’t represent the working-class area where he was born and raised But as the young favela leaders addressed Lula they were united in their plea for better healthcare and education – and an end to the government neglect and police violence that claims hundreds of mostly black lives each year “We are tired of dying,” local activist Alan Brum told Lula told the former president the only way of overcoming Bolsonaro and his far-right movement was to join forces with the voices of the favela “There’s no way that we can stop authoritarianism or stop Bolsonarismo without the leaders who are here today,” Aguiar said “It’s only with our help that we’ll be able to get Brazil back on track.” Rescuers conduct rescue operation in Lote XV The death toll from the storm that hit the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday has risen to 12 Governor Claudio Castro announced on Monday 15 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the storm that hit the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday has risen to 12 floods and the consequent disruption of public services in much of the northern part of Rio de Janeiro and neighboring municipalities such as Duque de Caxias Rio de Janeiro was declared in a state of emergency on Sunday following the disruption caused by the storm The governor said that the tragedy "exposed" the effects of the El Nino weather current and that is why he will ask President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to prioritize infrastructure projects to try to control the situation of rivers and streams that pass through the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro "It is fundamental that this work be a priority Especially this year as we are going through this new reality with El Nino The state and the cities have to be more resilient every day We have to work more every day on construction projects that help prevent situations like this from happening again," he said Castro said he will distribute subsidies of 3,000 reais per home (about 613 U.S dollars) next week so that families can rebuild homes and purchase destroyed appliances A resident walks through a flooded road in Lote XV Residents walk through a flooded road in Lote XV 2024 shows a house and a car submerged in flood water in Lote XV Volunteers arrange donated food in Lote XV Volunteers unload donations at a distribution spot in Jardim das Flores Volunteers carry donations in the floods in Duque de Caxias People choose clothes at a supporting spot in Duque de Caxias Firefighters evacuate residents through a flooded street after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo Residents cross a submerged road in a boat after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias A woman carries her belongings through a flooded street after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo rest in a school serving as a shelter for residents who lost their homes to flooding after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias A child pushes a bicycle in a flooded street after deadly People wade through a flooded street after deadly Streets are flooded after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo Ingrid Monteiro carries her one-year-old daughter Aylla Perola over floodwaters outside their home after deadly shows the inside of his flooded house after deadly Heloisa Regina walks inside her flooded bar after deadly Children play in a flooded street after deadly Dayse Almeida walks on the porch of her home by furniture and appliances she lost to flooding after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo Rosimery de Jesus closes the gate at her flooded home after deadly Residents cross a submerged road by boat after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias Neighborhoods in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state remained flooded after torrential rains killed at least 12 people the metro line in the city of Rio de Janeiro and a main freeway The heavy downpour wreaked havoc over the weekend the metro line in the city of Rio and a main freeway section Some people drowned and were killed in landslides while at least three died after being electrocuted Eighteen towns across the state remained at “high” risk of landslides The floods were particularly devastating in Rio’s northern peripheries It’s not normal to live like this,” Heloisa Regina said as she surveyed her flooded bar and home in Duque de Caxias a city to the north of Rio where more than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain fell in 24 hours Regina spent the night trying to sleep on a pool table wondering how she was going to pay to repair the damage to the bar she has owned for 30 years Residents waded through waist-high water Monday to navigate streets in Duque de Caxias Others climbed on roofs and called for help as helicopters flew overhead according to video footage from Brazil’s Globo television network Firefighters were searching for a woman who disappeared after her car fell into the Botas River in Rio’s Belford Roxo neighborhood Around 2,400 military personnel from Rio’s firefighters corps were mobilized over the weekend and used ambulances drones and aircraft to rescue residents and to monitor affected areas Ingrid Monteiro carries her one-year-old daughter Aylla Perola over floodwaters outside their home after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias Authorities intervened in over 200 incidents due to the flooding across the state according to a statement from Rio’s civil defense But some people accused authorities of negligence “We are completely abandoned,” Duque de Caxias resident Eliana Vieira Krauss “Nothing has improved” since similar floods more than a decade ago Krauss carried her 80-year-old disabled father-in-law to her sister-in-law’s home herself Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes on Sunday declared an emergency and urged people to not force their way through flooded areas and to avoid disrupting rescue and recovery efforts lightning and gusts of wind were forecast Monday afternoon Rio’s civil defense advised people not to swim in lakes or the sea and when at home to stay away from sockets Floods in the basement of the Ronaldo Gazolla Municipal Hospital led to power cuts that were resolved by Sunday but all appointments at the hospital have been delayed by 15 days Rio Health Secretary Daniel Soranz said on X Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology had warned Thursday of the potential for heavy rain in Rio Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais due to a combination of heat humidity and areas of low pressure in the atmosphere spent Saturday night on the roof where she was taken by neighbors to escape the flooding of her home in Belford Roxo she found her belongings drenched in muddy water We don’t have any money to leave,” Geralda Francisco said so this is what we’re getting in return,” she added Felipe Luther spends his afternoons studying for a degree from one of Brazil's top universities tucked in the green hills of Rio de Janeiro above the ritzy beaches of Leblon and Ipanema He spends his nights hauling trash in those wealthy communities below they're often shocked," Luther said in an interview he got a full scholarship to the social sciences program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio (PUC-Rio) a private school that has minted central bank presidents and movie stars Luther's rare opportunity and daily routine are reminders of the disparities in Brazilian society and Rio in particular where a police raid killing dozens in May stirred fresh debate about the dangers and disadvantages facing Black men like him had previously passed up college for work to support his family including a job sweeping streets with the municipal cleaning agency since 2009 "Many students like me start working when they are very young," said Luther who comes from humble roots in the northern reaches of Rio "This reduces the time and structure they need to be able to compete with children of the elite." Studying at PUC-Rio has put Luther's dreams within reach while bringing him face-to-face with the overwhelmingly white elite of a country where 54% of people have African ancestry the national census found white Brazilians were five times more likely to have attended university than their Black "Because there are so few Black people at this renowned university a woman mistook Luther for an elevator operator someone tried to pay him for a cup of coffee because you get the impression that you don't belong there," he reflected Brazil's educational inequalities have only grown during the pandemic as remote classes force students to rely on resources at home widening a gap between the haves and the have-nots Luther was reading at night by candlelight in Niterói where his student residence often lacked power He charged his phone and laptop at work and used them to study until his street-sweeping shift from 9 p.m I need a better computer than the one I got But some people aren't even given a computer," he said noting the array of challenges for disadvantaged students forced to study from home "Not all phones are good enough for working or enough internet data to download their readings." Recent events in Rio have underscored even greater challenges Luther faces as a Black man in a raid targeting the Red Command drug gang The hours-long shootout killed 27 men in the neighborhood and one officer making it one of the deadliest police operations in the city's history and drawing backlash from human rights groups who has two sisters living a few minutes from Jacarezinho joined a demonstration in Rio the week after the deadly raid using the official anniversary of abolition in the country to protest police violence against Afro-Brazilians "NO to genocide against Black people," read one protestor's sign Luther said he lives in constant fear of police violence and makes a point of staying off the streets in certain neighborhoods at night I would still be living in a Black body in a city a country where Black people seem expendable," he said More than three-quarters of the almost 9,000 people killed by Brazilian police over the last decade were Black men Afro-Brazilian culture continues to thrive in Brazil as it has for centuries Luther visits a local "terreiro" to practice Umbanda a religion with origins in West African spiritual traditions Dressed in all-white clothing with beaded necklaces hanging over his chest "It connects me with my ancestry," he said like fellow Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé has roots in the transatlantic slave trade which brought as many as 5 million enslaved people from Africa to Brazil – 10 times the number brought to the United States Those who sought to practice their rituals free from the harassment by Europeans would blend their native traditions with elements of Catholicism creating syncretic religions now practiced by over half a million people in the country Brazilian churches often serve as community centers like the one where Luther took a free college prep course in 2017 Luther says one of his goals is to begin teaching college prep courses in low-income communities opening the door for the next generation of aspiring students "I want to give back to other young people by allowing them to hope that this is possible," he said (Photo editing Marika Kochiashvili; Text editing Brad Haynes and Lisa Shumaker; Layout Julia Dalrymple) Luther takes part in an online class as his wife Erica Maria da Silva Luther kisses Da Silva goodbye as she leaves for work Luther holds his cell phone as he takes part in an online class at his home Luther packs his lunch as he gets ready for work Luther travels to work on a bus in Belford Roxo Luther walks along the shore of the beach picking up rubbish that sunbathers leave on the sand on Arpoador beach Luther has breakfast with a friend at the student residence where he temporarily lives in Niteroi Luther stands in front of a poster of Marielle Franco a Black openly gay Rio de Janeiro politician and her driver Anderson Gomes were gunned down in 2018 in what investigators said appeared to be a political assassination Luther takes a bath at the student residence Luther stands at the front door of the student residence Luther gathers with his friends as they take part in a protest against racism and police violence in Rio de Janeiro The Brazilian star who played a favela gangster on film and sang Bowie in Portuguese says he makes music to get people thinking as well as dancing • Voices of Brazil: ‘Funk is dangerous and democratic’ “It’s a long time since I’ve been to my place,” says Seu Jorge referring not to the LA home he shares with his wife but to the favela in the city of Belford Roxo where he grew up as a different person entirely – Jorge Mário da Silva It was only as a musician that he become Seu (“Mr”) Jorge – the drummer Marcelo Yuka assigned him the nickname “My place had nothing,” he says of Belford Roxo Sitting poolside at Sydney’s Four Seasons hotel in blue jeans and a grey T-shirt the 44-year-old Jorge is a world away from that home – and visibly fatigued Intermittently he pauses to sip on tea with honey Scheduled to arrive a day earlier to be boxfresh for two headline dates at Sydney festival Jorge pushed back his plans to attend his father’s 84th birthday the legendary Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso along to spend time with their grandfather “Lots of friends and musicians there for my daddy.” In Brazil, Seu Jorge is a superstar. A consummate performer, respected composer but, above all else, possessor of an incredible, smoky baritone. It’s a voice that first reached a significant international audience via the director Wes Anderson’s quirky comedy The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou in which Jorge plays a sailor with a penchant for singing David Bowie songs in Portuguese Bowie himself credits Jorge with giving his songs “a new level of beauty”. But it is Jorge’s performance in another film – Fernando Meirelles’ powerful drama City of God – that affords more insight into his previous life The film brutally depicts the sort of rampant violence and corruption he grew up with in the favelas “They are true, true stories in City of God and expecting that one day everything is going to be fine Everyone wants to express themselves and in the favela it is not different.” At 12 he left school (though he’d later return to a private college after his mother wangled four scholarships through a vote-seeking politician) He picked up his first instrument – the cornet – during a year of compulsory military service his 16-year-old brother was killed in one of Belford Roxo’s frequent battles between police and favela drug gangs Jorge spent the next three years living on the streets It is difficult to reconcile this hardened youth with the gentle man opposite me – with Seu Jorge the star Jorge has always eschewed the gangster life and culture of vengeance “I take my revenge when I decide to make music and send a great message to the people,” he says “I’ve done movies and talked about these stories but as an artist I never played in favelas because I’ve been working hard to escape that “I don’t want to go back because if I go back the big boys say I’m gonna meet him,’ – and I don’t want to be involved with these things.” The ultimate revenge: Jorge in the Domain he left the favela after his brother’s death in 1990 to avoid being cast as avenger “especially as I was older than my brothers He moved in with his uncle in a different neighbourhood and he learned of a theatre program run by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro auditioned for the great saxophonist Paulo Moura he doesn’t like my voice.” But it turned out Moura wanted him for his composition team with the single Carolina still a popular classic Subsequent records Cru and Músicas Para Churrasco Vol 1 cemented his place as one of Brazil’s most important samba and Afro-Brazilian artists He’s now working on a second volume of Músicas Para Churrasco and has wrapped an acting role as the father of the Brazilian football great Pelé in a film due out this year “I don’t have so much skills but cinema is magic “If you look at me in the movie you’ll say Jorge likes to experiment with different musical styles, as well as the ball, but so far has baulked at funk carioca, otherwise known as favela funk the electronic dance music hybrid derived from Miami bass that has been popular in Brazil’s favelas since the 90s “I like the idea but I don’t like the lyrics So what does he think the role of an artist should be “In my country I think it is to produce culture,” he says “Maybe in the US it is to be a great entertainer Maybe you don’t need a big connect [with] the people you need a connect with the audience – this is different you need to send a sound for making people think.” “His sound needs to say something; [it’s] not just for making people dance You need to touch people and I think my role is this.” As for reaching people worldwide: “I never imagined I’d be in Australia Now I have five continents that I’ve discovered – this is more than I expected for my life.” The Sydney festival runs until 26 January. Find all Guardian Australia’s coverage here we can't find the page that you are looking for Don't let that stop you from visiting some of our other great related content protected by reCAPTCHA.css-trhdh3::after{background-color:#fa9000;}EXPLORE MOREblinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, ‘Blackmail tool’: Hamas rejects Israeli plan to bypass Gaza aid agenciesUN and humanitarian aid groups say Israel proposed ‘dangerous’ ration ‘scheme’ after nine-week siege Francis-era reforms that saw a diverse group of cardinals join the mix make his successor nearly impossible to call the California federal penitentiary has been shut for more than six decades The attack comes as Moscow prepares to welcome foreign leaders from China and Brazil Reports say Israel now eyeing occupation of entire enclave control of aid and possible expulsion of Palestinians A study gives clue to cosmic origin of gold and heavy elements and they were created earlier than we thought Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe says the ‘ongoing’ discussions are ‘still in the early stages’ Attack claimed by Houthis temporarily halts air traffic at Israel’s busiest airport and triggers air raid sirens US president claims that Hollywood is undergoing a ‘very fast death’ despite raking in $30bn in revenues in 2024 Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information Christian pastors and their followers attend a rally with Brazil’s minister for social development under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Belford Roxo The country’s fastest-growing religious group holds the keys to Brazil’s political future Its president is fighting to regain their support.  XLinkedInEmailLinkGiftFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftBy June 4, 2024 at 7:00 AM EDTBookmarkSaveOn a sweltering day in March in a scruffy Rio de Janeiro suburb, a group of hundreds of Christian pastors and their followers listened intently as Brazil’s top social policy official pleaded for help. “We need you,” Wellington Dias, Brazil’s minister for social development under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, told the crowd. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Investigator alleges wife began plotting with lover to kill ambassador after the couple had serious fight three days before Christmas I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis went missing on Monday in Nova Iguacu, a city just north of Rio de Janeiro The couple lived most of the time in the capital of Brasilia police investigator Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes said that 29-year-old police officer Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho had confessed to killing Mr Amiridis He said the policeman was having an affair with the ambassador's 40-year-old wife acknowledged taking part in the killing as a lookout The cousin accused Francoise of offering him the equivalent of $25,000 (£20,000) to participate A judge ordered the detention of Francoise Francoise has denied any role in the alleged plot Francoise said she couldn't stop Filho from killing her husband and insisted she was not at home at the time of the crime But the police investigator said in a press conference late Friday that the "evidence clearly puts the ambassador's wife as a co-author of the crime." He said she started plotting with her lover to kill the ambassador after the couple had a serious fight three days before Christmas "All our evidence suggests that her motivation was to use the financial resources left by the ambassador so she could enjoy life with Sergio," the police officer The first signs the ambassador had been murdered emerged late Thursday when police found blood spots believed to be his on a sofa inside the house the couple kept in Nova Iguacu Filho told police that he strangled the ambassador during a fight but the blood evidence found on the scene makes his claim unlikely Neighbours said they did not hear any shots leading police to believe the policeman stabbed Amiridis The investigation showed that Amiridis' body was removed from the house in a carpet at the same time that Francoise arrived with their 10 year-old daughter who did not see the body of her dead father Brazil's government has offered its condolences to Greece over his death. The Greek Embassy website in Brazil says Mr Amiridis started his career as diplomat in 1985 in Athens and became Greece's top diplomat in Brazil in 2016. He earlier was Greece's ambassador to Libya and worked as consul in Rio from 2001-2004. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies This Page Has Washed AwayLooks like this page has disappeared with the tide — perhaps it’s buried in the sand at Vazon or drifting off Petit Port Welcome to Obama-mania, Brazil-style. Few countries have embraced the idea of the US's first black president as enthusiastically as Brazil a country with one of the largest Afro-descendant populations on Earth yet where black faces remain a minority in politics Obama T-shirts are everywhere while chat shows and newspaper columns are filled with talk of the 47-year-old Illinois senator Now even Brazil's politicians are lining up for their piece of the pie candidates are allowed to run under the name of their choice at least six Brazilian politicians have officially renamed themselves "Barack Obama" in a bid to get an edge over their rivals in October's municipal elections "In truth it was an accident," says Belford Roxo's Obama an IT consultant who is bidding to become the city's first black mayor "I'd been on the television wearing a suit and people thought I looked a bit like him so they started calling me Barack Obama They'd see me in the street and shout: 'Hey Barack!" So I decided to register it." Brazil's Obama also has one foot in Africa His grandfather was the descendant of slaves He admits he has also been looking to his namesake's speeches for inspiration Despite their similarities the two Obamas have yet to meet although the Brazilian Obama says that as mayor he would "extend an invitation" to the real Obama to dine in Belford Roxo "It would be great if he could come and see our reality," he beams