Pedro Lucas Fernandes has declined President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s offer to become Minister for Communications—a key post that oversees the country’s telecoms and postal system.
Fernandes, who leads the conservative União Brasil party in the lower house, said he was honoured but would serve the country better from his current position.
The offer was no surprise. Lula had agreed to let União Brasil choose the successor to Juscelino Filho, who stepped down earlier this month after facing public allegations of embezzling public funds.
The decision was meant to keep political balance. Filho, like Fernandes, belongs to União Brasil. Government minister Gleisi Hoffmann had previously confirmed Lula’s intention to name Fernandes, based on the party’s proposal.
But Fernandes declined. The reasons remain political—and personal.
“I believe I can contribute more to Brazil where I am,” he said in a brief statement on Tuesday.
Filho’s departure followed a probe into misuse of public money, linked to actions before he joined Lula’s cabinet. His exit triggered a reshuffle Lula hoped would stabilise relations with Congress.
For now, the Communications Ministry remains vacant—and Lula, once again, must negotiate.
Prosecutors in Brazil have filed a lawsuit to annul a $180 million carbon offset agreement signed by the state of Para, citing legal and ethical violations in the high-profile rainforest conservation initiative backed by major global firms.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
A Brazilian criminal group known as C4 allegedly conspired to assassinate lawmakers and judges using rifles, explosives, and hired lures—prompting a nationwide police operation that has so far led to five arrests.
Brazilian police have exposed a Russian spy network operating under false documents, dealing a major blow to Moscow’s intelligence program.
Mexico, Chile and Uruguay have suspended poultry imports from Brazil after the country reported its first outbreak of bird flu on a commercial farm, Brazilian officials reported.
In a sweeping new proclamation issued late Wednesday night, President Donald Trump has announced an immediate ban on the enrollment of new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard University.
In a rare direct call, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed escalating trade tensions and a critical minerals dispute that threatens global supply chains. The hour-long conversation, which touched on tariffs, rare earth exports.
In a grey government building near Tiananmen Square, a small team within China’s Ministry of Commerce is quietly shaping the future of the global auto, aerospace, and tech industries—one export permit at a time. With rare earth magnets now under strict export control.
Armenia's unchecked mining pollution poses a severe environmental crisis, imperilling water resources and health across the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan. Heavy metal contamination in shared rivers threatens ecosystems and human well-being, demanding urgent international action.
China approved 11.29 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power capacity in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing the 10.34 GW approved in the entire first half of 2024, according to a new report released by Greenpeace on Thursday.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
Federal authorities have arrested 14 suspects in Los Angeles linked to an Armenian organized crime ring accused of stealing $30 million in COVID relief and Small Business loans intended to support American taxpayers.
In a sweeping new proclamation issued late Wednesday night, President Donald Trump has announced an immediate ban on the enrollment of new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard University.
In a rare direct call, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed escalating trade tensions and a critical minerals dispute that threatens global supply chains. The hour-long conversation, which touched on tariffs, rare earth exports.
In a grey government building near Tiananmen Square, a small team within China’s Ministry of Commerce is quietly shaping the future of the global auto, aerospace, and tech industries—one export permit at a time. With rare earth magnets now under strict export control.
President Donald Trump announced a "very good" phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, centred on the recently finalised trade deal and rare earth product agreements. Both leaders expressed optimism, and high-level delegations are set to meet soon.
Greece and Egypt have committed to preserving the historic and spiritual status of St Catherine’s Monastery after a court ruling raised concerns about its future use and surrounding land.
In a sweeping new proclamation issued late Wednesday night, President Donald Trump has announced an immediate ban on the enrollment of new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard University.
In a rare direct call, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed escalating trade tensions and a critical minerals dispute that threatens global supply chains. The hour-long conversation, which touched on tariffs, rare earth exports.
In a grey government building near Tiananmen Square, a small team within China’s Ministry of Commerce is quietly shaping the future of the global auto, aerospace, and tech industries—one export permit at a time. With rare earth magnets now under strict export control.
Armenia's unchecked mining pollution poses a severe environmental crisis, imperilling water resources and health across the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan. Heavy metal contamination in shared rivers threatens ecosystems and human well-being, demanding urgent international action.
China approved 11.29 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power capacity in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing the 10.34 GW approved in the entire first half of 2024, according to a new report released by Greenpeace on Thursday.
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