Michael Pooler

Brics nations hit back at ‘emperor’ Donald Trump over tariff threats [FREE TO READ] Host Brazil criticises US president as being ‘very irresponsible’ for vowing extra levies on states aligned to group

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 seek deeper trade ties to expand beyond US and China [FREE TO READ] Latin America’s top economies in talks to build on existing agreement

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

The controversial return of Brazil’s billionaire beef barons [FREE TO READ] The world’s largest meatpacker, JBS, listed in New York on Friday, marking a dramatic turnaround for the Batista brothers

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

Hello Fiona. My email address can be found here:
www.ft.com/michael-pooler
Thanks

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

‘Goldman of the Tropics’ wants to help Brazil feed the world [FREE TO READ] BTG Pactual aims to be one of main commodities players as it boosts its presence in Asia

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

Trump’s auto tariffs build on a long destructive history [FREE TO READ] It is US protectionism rather than trade barriers abroad that has undermined American carmakers

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 risky trial of Jair Bolsonaro [FREE TO READ] Brazilian authorities want justice over an alleged coup plot, but the case against the former president risks boosting his popularity — and dividing the country

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 Jair Bolsonaro calls for foreign help in overture to Donald Trump [FREE TO READ] Hard-right former president faces charges of plotting coup against Lula and could spend rest of life in jail

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

Decaffeinated Brazilians blame Lula for surging cost of morning brew [FREE TO READ] Food inflation weighs on the ratings of leftwing leader of Latin America’s largest nation

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

Brazilian president Lula in intensive care after emergency brain surgery [FREE TO READ] Government says country’s leader is recovering well in São Paulo hospital

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

can't believe that @msavarese.bsky.social even interviewed a young Palmeiras fan to sing his praises! 😅

Depay changes fortunes for Corinthians and becomes the most popular player in Brazil Memphis Depay has quickly become the most beloved soccer player in Brazil despite not speaking the local language or playing with the kind of swagger as kids from Rio de Janeiro's beaches.

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...

I was told it was the infamous pair themselves

Well that feels like a long time ago

I do speak French but I regret to inform that was not me

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...

thanks for flagging. I was made aware of this yesterday and reported to BlueSky (so too have other people), but nothing has yet been done about it

The scam account has blocked me, so I’ve reported it. Thanks for flagging it

Huh? That wasn’t from this account

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

Chinese satellite company to challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink in Brazil [FREE TO READ] Billionaire Trump ally had clashed with Brasília this year over alleged misinformation on X

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

Brazil police call for Jair Bolsonaro to be charged for alleged coup plot [FREE TO READ] Former rightwing president among dozens accused of involvement in scheme to prevent Lula taking office

Then on Thursday police recommended that former president Bolsonaro be charged of planning a coup, along with dozens of allies

Investigators say the scheme aimed to prevent an orderly transfer of power to Lula, following his electoral victory over Bolsonaro in October 2022

on.ft.com/3AUNfT2

Brazil arrests five military and police officers over alleged plot to kill Lula [FREE TO READ] Federal police say group had eyed killings of then president-elect along with his deputy and a supreme court judge

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.

EU backs ‘loophole’ for member states facing deforestation law [FREE TO READ] Proposed change set to inflame tensions with Brazil and other big agricultural producers over controversial rule

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

Brazil’s global balancing act is trickier than ever [FREE TO READ] President Lula has sought to maintain ties with the US, China and Russia. But even before the re-election of Donald Trump, that diplomatic space was shrinking

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