Politics
Brazil court takes ex-president Bolsonaro into custody over flight risk
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro was taken from house arrest into police custody on Saturday to prevent him from escaping as he appeals a conviction for a failed coup attempt, the Supreme Court said.
The far-right firebrand was sentenced to 27 years in prison over a plot to stop leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after 2022 elections.
Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, who is leading the trial against Bolsonaro, said his arrest was a preventative measure as he is a “high flight risk”, and not the execution of his sentence.
Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, was placed under house arrest in August and has been confined to an upscale condominium in the capital Brasilia, and monitored electronically.
In his ruling, Moraes said that a planned vigil outside the condominium called by the former leader’s son Flavio Bolsonaro on Saturday could cause turmoil that would “create an environment conducive to his escape.”
The judge said there had been an “attempt to break” Bolsonaro’s ankle bracelet just after midnight on Saturday, confirming his plan to “ensure the success of his escape, facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.”
Moraes also highlighted the proximity of Bolsonaro’s home to the US embassy, adding the far-right leader had previously planned to flee to the Argentine embassy to request political asylum.
Bolsonaro is an ally of US President Donald Trump, who said his trial was a “witch hunt” and imposed punitive tariffs and sanctions against Brazil in retaliation.
Time running out
Bolsonaro has been taken to a federal police complex in Brasilia, where prisoners undergo medical examinations before being sent to jail, according to a source close to the case.
Bolsonaro was convicted in September of leading a criminal organisation that conspired to ensure his “authoritarian hold on power.”
The plot involved a plan to assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and the Supreme Court judge de Moraes.
His detention comes as time is running out for him to be ordered to serve his 27-year jail term.
An appeal of his sentence was rejected last week.
On Friday, Bolsonaro’s lawyers have said they would file further appeals before a Monday deadline.
However, they sought to get ahead of plans to put Bolsonaro in jail by requesting he be allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest.
Sending Bolsonaro to prison “will have serious consequences and represents a risk to his life,” his lawyers said in a petition to the Supreme Court.
They added Bolsonaro’s “health condition is already deeply debilitated.”
Bolsonaro, 70, suffers ongoing consequences of a stab wound to the abdomen received during a knife attack on the campaign trail in 2018 and has required several follow up surgeries.
His lawyers said that since he was placed under house arrest, Bolsonaro “has already been hospitalised three times — twice for tests and once due to a medical emergency.”
They listed a variety of medical woes, from gastritis to his need to sleep with a CPAP machine due to severe apnea.
He also suffered from persistent “uncontrollable hiccups” which require daily medication and have caused shortness of breath and fainting, according to the petition.
His lawyers highlighted the fact that in May, another former president, Fernando Collor de Mello, was allowed to serve his nearly nine-year sentence for corruption at home, on health grounds.
‘A way out’
As prison looms, Bolsonaro’s family has raised the alarm over his health on social media, and his son Flavio urged supporters to “fight for your country” in a video calling for the vigil.
His wife Michelle wrote on Instagram: “I trust in God’s justice. Human justice, as we have seen, no longer holds. But I know that the Lord will provide the way out.”
The court scheduled a “custody hearing” via video conference for Sunday and Moraes ordered that a doctor accompany Bolsonaro at all times.
DUBAI: Investigators are examining whether the pilot who died in India’s Tejas fighter jet crash at the Dubai Airshow descended below the mandatory 300-foot minimum altitude for aerobatic manoeuvres or breached any approved flying protocols, aviation officials said on Saturday.
The inquiry is being led jointly by the UAE’s civil aviation authority, the country’s armed forces aviation division, and the Dubai Airshow’s Flying Control Committee (FCC), which is reviewing all available technical data and display-routine documents.
Officials said investigators are analysing radar tracks, flight-path recordings, and high-resolution video footage to determine the jet’s altitude profile and maneuver sequence in the moments before impact.
The FCC is also assessing whether the pilot performed any aerobatic manoeuvres that had not been formally cleared for the show.
A parallel technical investigation is examining whether the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of power, a control-system malfunction, or another mechanical failure that may have prevented recovery.
The Dubai Airshow, held every two years since 1989, had not recorded a fatal flying-display accident until Friday’s crash, which killed the pilot and brought the day’s demonstrations to a halt.
Authorities say no determination will be made until all evidence — including cockpit-related data, maintenance logs, and approved display documentation — has been fully examined.
Daily Mail owner DMGT on Saturday said it has struck a 500 million pound ($650 million) deal to buy the rival newspaper The Telegraph in a tie-up that would create one of the most powerful right-leaning media groups in Britain.
The deal comes a week after US-based private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners withdrew its bid for the Telegraph, one of Britain’s biggest newspapers.
A source close to RedBird told Reuters that sustained internal opposition from senior figures within the Telegraph newsroom had prompted it to walk away.
People close to the talks said the transaction was worth about 500 million pounds. The Financial Times said the price had been set to repay the money spent by the RedBird-fronted consortium.
The parties have entered a period of exclusivity to finalise the terms of the transaction and to prepare the necessary regulatory submissions, which they expect to happen quickly.
The Telegraph did not immediately respond to Reuters‘ request for comment.
A spokesman for RedBird IMI said: “DMGT and RedBird IMI have worked swiftly to reach the agreement announced today, which will shortly be submitted to the Secretary of State.”
Following months of exchanging barbs, US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani shared smiles and exchanged compliments during an unexpectedly cordial meeting at the White House on Friday.
Trump and Mamdani vowed to work together on addressing crime and affordability issues in the largest city in the US.
Photos from the meeting showed Mamdani, a 34-year-old state legislator, positioned by Trump’s desk while the 79-year-old president looked up at him with a smile.
Mamdani reiterates Trump is fascist?
During their media interaction after the meeting, Trump stopped Mamdani from replying to a query pertaining to his earlier remarks calling the US president a fascist.
“Are you affirming you think President Trump is a fascist?” a reporter asked. Just when Mamdani was about to respond, he was interrupted by Trump.
“That’s okay. You can just say yes It’s easier than explaining it, I don’t mind,” the US president said as he pats Mamdani on the arm.
Netizens flooded social media with mixed reactions after photos of the meeting went viral. Many expressed surprise at the cordial tone between the two leaders, with some praising the rare display of political civility and cooperation.
Several users also joked about the contrasting body language between Mamdani and Trump.
Here are few reactions
‘JD seeing Trump like Zohram more than him’
‘Find you somebody who looks at you like Donald Trump looks at Zohran Mamdani’
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