Trump accused the Brics of "anti-American" policies and threatened extra trade tariffs on its members Brazil's president Lula stood defiant, calling the remarks "very mistaken and irresponsible" “The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor. We are sovereign countries” Story: on.ft.com/45Y9ZP9

Mexico and Brazil have held preliminary talks about deepening their existing trade agreement. An expanded deal between Latin America's two largest economies would help them diversify commercial links beyond the US and China, their main trading partners. Full story in the FT: on.ft.com/3Tn5o1n

Brazil's billionaire beef barons are back A US share listing for JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, signalled the return of the Batista brothers following disgrace over a corruption scandal But they face sharp scrutiny - over its environmental impact & their political dealings on.ft.com/4jUKZLW

it’s amazing watching the gulf states have a competition to see who can come up with the highest made-up number. Saudis said $600B, Qataris $1.2T, now the Emiratis say $1.4T. All numbers that are way bigger than the countries’ entire economy or sovereign wealth funds

The Goldman of the Tropics wants Brazil to help feed the world Latin America's top investment banker Andre Esteves told us about his plan for BTG Pactual to take on the globe's biggest commodity trading houses Another bold move by the billionaire former bond trader Full article on.ft.com/4iTokiD

My Trade Secrets today. It's a longstanding American grievance that predates Trump: US companies can't sell cars in Europe & elsewhere because of evil trade barriers. It's actually because US protectionism has encouraged its carmakers to make clunky great gas-guzzlers no one else wants to buy.

The upcoming trial of rightwing populist Jair Bolsonaro for an alleged coup plot has divided Brazil. What is the prosecution's case - and what does it mean for Latin America's largest democracy? These questions we examine in today's big read in the Financial Times (free link): on.ft.com/42ew9ZZ

Brazil's ex president Jair #Bolsonaro, accused of plotting a coup, told us the country needs "support from abroad" to prevent a slide into dictatorship "American help is welcome," said the rightwinger, in an appeal to the Trump administration. If guilty he faces years in prison on.ft.com/420XPRR

Citizens of the world's largest coffee producer are unhappy about the rising price of the drink. And many are blaming their president The cost of a morning brew in Brazil has become symbolic of complaints about grocery bills that are hitting the popularity of leftist leader Lula on.ft.com/4hOMJpO

No, I don't need a bloody copilot for this document, thank you. Writing is, in no small part, a tool for thinking. If you outsource that element to a machine that cannot think, you shouldn't be surprised if, at the end of the process, neither you nor your reader are any the wiser.

Yikes…first time I’ve ever received one of these weather alerts. Seems like São Paulo is in for a heavy storm this afternoon

Brazil's president Lula was rushed by plane for emergency brain surgery last night It was linked to a fall at home in October. The 79 year-old's doctors say he's recovering well in intensive care But it raises doubts about whether the leftwinger will stand for re-election in 2026 on.ft.com/4f6yVEY

great story by @msavarese.bsky.social on Memphis Depay, who helped turn around Corinthians' season The Dutchman was to key 9 consecutive league wins that transformed relegation fears into Libertadores qualification As a Man Utd fan I was v sceptical at first. No longer! apnews.com/article/depa...

Well that feels like a long time ago

I have an impersonator on Bluesky. The fraudster has stolen my pic, replicated my posts and is spamming people with crypto scams I've already reported it to the platform but the account still exists @bsky.app @safety.bsky.app Please can you take action? Here it is: bsky.app/profile/mich...

Good question…just last week I spoke to someone close to the Brics bank leadership and they said the currency idea is just that, a long way from becoming reality

Elon Musk fought with Brazil's Supreme Court - and lost Now a Chinese state-backed company plans to challenge the billionaire's Starlink by launching its own satellite internet service in the Latin nation Deal was announced on the eve of president Xi's state visit to Brasília on.ft.com/3CD639M

crazy revelations from Brazilian police this week First they detail an alleged assassination plot targeting Lula, weeks before he took office Suspects also planned to kill his deputy and a top judge, say police 5 were arrested over the aborted scheme, incl. military personnel on.ft.com/493GiM7

como dão a notícia da morte de um terrorista versus a notícia da morte de artista consagrado

This is perfect. Ht @fiveminutemacro.bsky.social who you should definitely follow.

The EU parliament just voted to in effect exempt countries in the bloc from a ban on agricultural commodities linked to deforestation Farmers in countries like Brazil that are targeted by the law aren’t happy They say it proves the legislation is discriminatory. Our article: on.ft.com/4fLZOyJ

Lula wants Brazil to have a bigger role in world affairs, with attempts to play peacemaker and climate champion. But his comments on Ukraine & Israel have dismayed the West. What is the Latin democracy's place in a fracturing world? Can it be a bridge between opposing camps? on.ft.com/4fN8gxw

Now that I've gained more than a thousand followers on BlueSky practically overnight, thanks to @bondhack.bsky.social, figure I had better start posting!

Fiz um starter pack com o que eu acho que vale mais a pena ler no Brasil. Ainda não está tudo lá, estou incluindo mais coisas. Siga todos os que ainda não segue. Colabore com os que puder.

I couldn't see an overall starter pack for FT journalists active on Bluesky. So given the recent influx of new people on here, I thought it'd be useful to make one. Do shout out all the people I've inevitably missed and I'll update go.bsky.app/FuqnwdD

Brazil has a gambling habit. And it threatens to hurt the economy. Online betting has exploded since it was legalised in the Latin American nation. But there are warnings of an addiction epidemic, with impacts for consumer spending and debt, especially among the poor. Our story: on.ft.com/3UKktLx

Lillian Schwartz, pioneer of computer-generated art, 1927–2024 (video clip from "Enigma," 1972, via Robert Beatty)

São Paulo had the worst air quality in the world this week, caused by wildfires raging across Brazil You could really feel it, even with windows shut &avoiding time outside As the Amazon rainforest burns, the smoke drifting across the country is a wake-up call to climate change on.ft.com/3XtOKPi

Have you noticed an increase in the price of orange juice lately? An historic drought and plant disease in Brazil, the world's largest OJ supplier, has led futures markets to an all-time high The smaller crop is causing pain for citrus growers and soft-drinks companies alike on.ft.com/3XibOjL

Who’s afraid of Elon Musk? Not Alexandre de Moraes, the Brazilian Supreme Court justice who banned the billionaire’s social media site X last week. The controversial judge is on a crusade against disinformation, but critics accuse him of censorship & political bias. My profile: on.ft.com/3Xxb77E

X is now banned in Brazil, so here I am