More than 67,000 people are affected by heavy rains and flooding, according to officials in Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul.
Overpowering floods and mudslides caused by torrential rains are continuing to sweep southern Brazil, killing at least 57 people and forcing tens of thousands out of their homes, the government said.
As well as raising the death toll on Saturday, the country’s civil defence agency said rising water levels in the state of Rio Grande do Sul were straining dams and threatening the metropolis of Porto Alegre.
Triggered by storms that began on Monday, the flooding is only expected to get worse, local authorities said, as rescuers scoured the ruins of washed-out homes, bridges, and roads for missing people.
Rio Grande do Sul's civil defense authority said 74 people were still missing and more than 69,000 had been displaced as storms in the last few days have affected nearly two thirds of the 497 cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina.
In Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, a volunteer team of off-road drivers assists in rescue efforts amid the floods on Saturday. With neighbourhoods submerged, authorities coordinate evacuations while rescue teams utilise four-wheel-drive vehicles and jet skis to navigate the waist-high waters, searching for those stranded.(AFP)
The local authority said it is now investigating whether another seven deaths were related to the storms, after earlier in the day it had reported a total of more than 67 deaths.
Floods destroyed roads and bridges in several regions of the state. The storm also triggered landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant. A second dam in the city of Bento Goncalves is also at risk of collapsing, authorities said.
In Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the Guaiba lake broke its banks, flooding streets.
A firefighter rescues a young girl from a submerged area affected by the relentless rains in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The rapidly rising water levels in Rio Grande do Sul state are putting pressure on dams and posing a significant threat to Porto Alegre, a city with a population of 1.4 million.(AP)
Porto Alegre's international airport has suspended all flights for an indefinite period.
State Governor Eduardo Leite told reporters on Saturday evening that Rio Grande do Sul would need a "Marshall Plan" to recover from the storms and its consequences, referring to a plan for Europe's economic recovery after World War Two.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who had visited Rio Grande do Sul on Thursday, will travel back to the state on Sunday to follow the rescue efforts, his chief of communication Paulo Pimenta said on Saturday.
Lula said on X that his government is in constant contact with state and cities' authorities to support the region with whatever they need.
People evacuate a flooded area after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)
Rains are expected in the northern and northeastern regions of the state until Sunday, but the volume of precipitation has been declining, and should be well below the peak seen earlier in the week, according to the state meteorology authority.
Still, "rivers water levels should stay high for some days", Leite said earlier on Saturday.
Rio Grande do Sul is at a geographical meeting point between tropical and polar atmospheres, which has created a weather pattern with periods of intense rains and others of drought.
Local scientists believe the pattern has been intensifying due to climate change.
Pada Hari Sabtu, 04 Mei 2024, Pemuda Pemudi Indonesia yang berjuang merebut partai Final Bulutangkis Thomas dan Uber Cup 2024, telah mengukir torehan perulangan sejarah 26 tahun lalu, sukses dengan gemilang lolos ke Final.
Raihan tim Uber Cup Indonesia, Gregoria Mariska cs, mengulang apa yang pernah dicapai Susi Susanti cs 26 tahun lalu. Gregoria Mariska cs menghempaskan Korea Selatan 3-2.
Dan disempurnakan oleh tim Thomas Cup Indonesia, mengulang sukses yang pernah diraih Harijanto Arbi cs. Anthony Sinisuka Ginting cs mempupus ada Taiwan dengan menundukkan secara perkasa 3 - nol.
Partai Final nanti, Thomas dan Ubar Cup Indonesia akan menghadapi lawan dari negara yang sama, Tim Tirai Bambu. Thomas Cup China menang atas Malaysia dan Uber Cup - nya menundukkan Jepang.
Tentunya tantangan besar yang dihadapi Tim Thomas dan Uber Cup Indonesia adalah bertanding di kandang lawan sebagai tuan rumah penyelenggaraan Thomas-Uber Cup 2024
Partai Final Uber Cup bakal berlangsung di Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium, Chengdu, China, pada hari Minggu , 05/05/20224 mulai pukul 08.30 WIB.
Sedangkan Partai Final Thomas Cup akan berlangsung di Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre, Chengdu, China, pada hari Minggu, 05/05/2024, mulai pukul 16.00 WIB. Jangan lewatkan.
Berikut hasil partai semifinal Thomas dan Uber Cup :
Russia’s Defense Ministry has published a video clip from the front line with Ukraine showing the destruction of an Abrams M1 tank and a Bradley fighting vehicle, armaments supplied to Kiev by Washington.
The American-made hardware was struck by Russian FPV-drones and artillery, the ministry said on Saturday. The Abrams tank was rendered inoperable by a Krasnopol guided artillery shell, it added.
The footage, uploaded on the ministry’s Telegram channel, appears to show the moment the American-made tank was struck, Ukrainian troops fleeing the damaged armor and the Abrams being finished off by explosive-laden UAVs.
It also included images of a huge cloud of smoke coming out of the Bradley after being hit by Russian forces. The vehicle then tries to flee the scene, but the driver apparently loses control, crashing into trees.
”We were striking, we’re striking and we’ll keep striking,” the ministry vowed in a caption attached to the video, apparently referring to military equipment that Ukraine has received from the US and other Western backers.
The ministry has provided no details on where or when the video was recorded. However, several Telegram channels had earlier claimed that the US hardware had been blown up near Avdeevka, in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic. Moscow’s forces captured the strategic town back in February after a lengthy battle.
According to reports, the Bradley was hit during a failed attempt to assist the burning Abrams.
An Abrams tank and a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle are among dozens of exhibits at the display of Western-supplied hardware captured in Ukraine, which opened in Moscow on Wednesday.
”No Western military equipment will change the situation on the battlefield. The enemy will be defeated. Our victory is inevitable,” the Russian Defense Ministry said as it promoted the exhibition.
Russia has repeatedly warned that the supply of arms, the sharing of intelligence, and the training of Ukrainian troops has made the US and its allies de-facto parties to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
Russia shoots down four US-made long-range missiles – MOD
Russian air defenses have shot down four US-manufactured long-range missiles over Crimea, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow.
On Saturday night, Kiev’s forces attempted “to carry out a terrorist attack” against the Russian peninsula using surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) supplied by Washington, the ministry said in a post on Telegram. The strike was intercepted, it added.
On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry claimed that six ATACMS projectiles had been downed in a single day, without specifying the location of the strikes. In total, 15 such missiles have been intercepted in the past seven days, Moscow reported on Saturday.
In late April, US officials confirmed earlier media reports that the Pentagon had secretly shipped an unspecified number of long-range missiles to Ukraine as part of an arms package announced by President Joe Biden in mid-March.
The “goal” of supplying Kiev with ATACMS was to put more pressure on Crimea and allow Ukrainian forces to target the peninsula “more effectively,” the New York Times reported at a time, citing an unnamed Pentagon official.
Moscow said the provision of long-range missiles would only spell “more problems” for Kiev. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that the use of ATACMS would not impact the outcome of the conflict, or prevent Russia from achieving its security goals.
On Friday, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that any Western-backed Ukrainian attack against the Russian peninsula, or the Crimean Bridge which connects it to the Krasnodar Region, would spark a forceful response.
I would like to again warn Washington, London, Brussels, that any aggressive actions against Crimea are not only doomed to failure, but will also be met with a retaliatory blow,” she said during a media briefing.
We Hear You: Russia Deploys 'Sound-Spotter' Drone Detectors in Special Op Zone
Detection of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles remains an important mission for Russian forces, who have started to use devices capable of tracking down enemy drones not only by radio frequencies, but by sound as well.
A first batch of sophisticated multi-purpose devices for detecting drones has been delivered to the Russian special military operation, the press service of the Chechen Republic-based Tallamho Design Bureau told reporters.
The Malik acoustic drone detector, which was earlier tested in a simulated combat mission, can use sounds emanating from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to spot them at a range of up to 330 meters.
Thanks to the unique technology developed by Tallamho engineers, Malik can detect even the quietest sounds from any type of drone.
"No matter what frequencies a drone operates at, it still makes sounds when running. The sounds differ in various types of UAVs so we collect 'a library' of drone sound features and upload them on the server. Those who use the Malik detectors can connect them to the internet and automatically replenish the list of [sound] signatures," Tallamho developers earlier said.
They added that Malik has two modifications, including a device designed to protect dugouts, trenches, and vehicles. Another version is a more compact personal drone detector attached to a soldier’s bulletproof vest.
Apart from detecting drones, Malik is also capable of tracking down rangefinders, anti-tank guided missile lasers and sniper scopes. For example, the device can detect the infrared rangefinder beam aimed at a Russian soldier at night at a distance of 630 meters.
Identifying airborne objects by sound – also known as sound-spotting – dates back to the First World War, when the world's first sound reconnaissance unit was created in the Russian Army.
Ukraine's Total Military Casualties in Donetsk Reach 5,100 in Past Week
The Ukrainian armed forces have suffered over 5,100 military casualties in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the past week as a result of operations by the southern, central and eastern groupings of the Russian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
"During the week, in this direction [as a result of actions by the central grouping of Russian forces] Kiev lost more than 2,405 servicepeople, three tanks, including US-made Abrams, 20 armored combat vehicles, including four US-made Bradley, 27 vehicles, 33 field artillery guns, including 14 of Western manufacture," the ministry said.
As a result of successful operations, the units of the central grouping of Russian forces improved the front line and liberated the towns of Novobakhmutovka, Semenovka and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic. They also defeated formations of 14 Ukrainian brigades and repulsed 66 enemy counterattacks in the areas of Leninskoe, Umanskoe, New-York, Novokalinovo, Ocheretyno and Netailovo, the Defense Ministry said.
In addition, units of Russia's eastern grouping improved their tactical position during the week, with Kiev losing up to 745 troops, the ministry said.
Russian troops of the southern grouping continued to advance deep into Ukraine's defenses over the past week, defeating 14 brigades and repelling four counterattacks, with Kiev losing more than 2,000 soldiers, it added.
The western grouping of Russian forces destroyed one tank, three armored fighting vehicles, two Grad MLRS combat vehicles, and 27 field artillery pieces, including 13 Western-made, while Ukraine lost up to 975 soldiers, the ministry said.
'Victory Will Be Ours': Attendees on Moscow NATO Trophy Weapons Exhibition
An exhibition of Western and Ukrainian arms captured by Russian forces during the special military operation opened in Moscow's Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill on May 1, 2024.
In interviews with Sputnik, ordinary Russians have not minced their words about their visit to the NATO trophy weapons exhibition currently being held in a Moscow park.
"As my mother said, emotions are boiling over, we'd like to spit with rage [at these pieces of military hardware]," one visitor said, while another warned that "those who come to us with the sword will perish by the sword. Another visitor expressed confidence that "victory will be ours.
The exhibition features 31 pieces of captured military equipment from 12 countries, including the German Leopard 2A6 tank and Marder infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), as well as the US M113 personnel carrier and M1 Abrams tank.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned the latest remarks from French President Emmanuel Macron about the option of sending troops to Ukraine, and has warned such a move could ultimately spark an all-out nuclear war.
Speaking to French broadcaster LCI on Thursday, Szijjarto was asked for his take on Macron’s renewed threat to deploy his country’s troops to back up Kiev. The diplomat strongly condemned the idea, saying that the French leader’s comments themselves have contributed to escalating the situation.
“If a NATO member commits ground troops, it will be a direct NATO-Russia confrontation and it will then be World War Three,” Szijjarto told the broadcaster.
Macron made fresh belligerent remarks in an interview with The Economist published Thursday, doubling down on previous statements about the prospect of deploying French troops to Ukraine. The president said his original remarks, made earlier this year, were a “strategic wake-up call for my counterparts.” He suggested that Paris could deploy troops “if the Russians were to break through the front lines” and a request for help came from Kiev.
Hungary’s top diplomat also criticized Macron’s idea that France’s nuclear weapons could become a part of a “credible European defense.”
“In peacetime it would be different, but in wartime such statements can be misinterpreted and have serious consequences,” Szijjarto stated, warning that, should the situation escalate into a global nuclear war, “it will be over for everyone.”
Speaking to Hungarian broadcaster M1 earlier in the day, the minister also rejected NATO’s proposed €100 billion ($107 billion) five-year plan for a war chest to prop up Ukraine, floated by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, describing it as “madness.”
“In the coming weeks during negotiations we will fight for Hungary’s right to stay away from this madness, from collecting these 100 billion and siphoning them out of Europe,” Szijjarto stated.
Hungary has been consistently opposed to the growing involvement of both the US-led NATO and the EU in the Ukrainian conflict, refusing to support Kiev militarily, including through sending weaponry or training Ukrainian troops.
Kremlin accuses Macron and Cameron of dangerous talk
Recent statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron are part of an ongoing “verbal escalation” by Western officials, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.
In an interview with The Economist this week, Macron set out two key conditions for sending French troops to Ukraine: “If the Russians were to break through the front lines” and if there was a “Ukrainian request.” The French president also outlined his “strategic objective” of making sure Russia does not win in Ukraine, arguing that such a development would threaten European security.
Meanwhile, former UK Prime Minister and current Foreign Secretary David Cameron told Reuters on Thursday that London will continue to send Kiev some $3 billion annually “for as long as it takes” and suggested that Ukraine has every right to use British weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
Responding to these comments, Peskov said that the statements made by Macron and Cameron represent a “very dangerous trend” that could threaten security on the continent.
“France, represented by the head of state, continues to constantly talk about the possibility of its direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine. This is a very dangerous trend, we are watching it closely,” the Kremlin spokesman stated.
As for Cameron’s assertion that Kiev can use British weapons to attack Russia, Peskov warned that such “verbal escalation” around the Ukrainian conflict could “potentially pose a danger to European security and the entire European security architecture.”
Despite these “concerning” trends, the Kremlin spokesman insisted that Moscow will continue to carry out its special military operation in Ukraine until all of its goals are achieved.
Earlier this week, Peskov had also addressed the concerns being raised by a number of European leaders about a supposed attack from Russia once the Ukraine conflict is over. The spokesman reiterated that Moscow has no plans or interest in targeting any European nations and dismissed the accusations as “horror stories” made up to distract people from domestic problems in their own countries.
“European capitals are escalating tension in every possible way… trying to fool their population with these horror stories about terrible Russians who will never stop and continue moving forward. That’s absolutely groundless,” Peskov said, adding that the officials pushing such claims may be trying to “compensate for the loss of their image, their rating.”
Similar statements were also made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, when he dismissed talk of a potential Russian attack on Europe as an attempt to scare local citizens in order to “extract additional money from people.”
A massive 800-page report was just released by the Weaponization Subcommittee detailing the Biden administration’s extensive campaign to censor Americans.
Titled “The Censorship-industrial Complex: How Top Biden White House Officials Coerced Big Tech to Censor Americans, True Information, and Critics of the Biden Administration,” the document features internal emails and texts from Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon, and YouTube employees.
Analysts are reporting it confirms the current regime’s censorship of books, vaccine warnings, and much more. The House Judiciary Committee is already calling the discoveries “damning.”
“This congressional report is beyond damming,” said Jones on X Friday. “It documents, the systematic Deep State war against the American people and our cherished way of life.”
“The Obama/Biden regime working with big Tech and Legacy media has been caught red-handed engaging in active treason against our Republic.”
The conference on the Ukraine conflict in Switzerland will expose Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's failed peace agenda, while Russia will continue to work on the return of its ancestral territories without paying any attention to this initiative, Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.
"What are the advantages of the Swiss 'peace conference' for Russia?… Primarily, it will be another proof of the collapse of the so-called peace plan from that dimwit Zelensky," the senator wrote on his Telegram channel.
"It will allow our armed forces to continue cleaning the territory of Novorossiya from neo-Nazis without interference and without looking back at someone's moronic 'peace initiatives,' and all of us - to carry out meticulous work on... the speedy return of our ancestral territories to Russia," Medvedev pointed out.
Earlier, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said that Bern had invited more than 160 delegations, including those from the G7, the G20 and the BRICS countries, to the conference on Ukraine, which will be held on June 15-16 in the Burgenstock resort. According to the country's authorities, Russia is not among the invitees "at this stage."
Cameron’s claims about Ukrainian strikes on Russia 'a direct escalation' — Kremlin
The Kremlin views British Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s claims that Kiev is entitled to use British-made weapons for strikes on Russia as a direct escalation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"We see this kind of verbal escalation from officials. We see it both at the level of heads of state, when it comes to France, and at a rather expert level, when it comes to the UK," the spokesman said.
"This is a direct escalation of tensions around the Ukrainian conflict, which could potentially pose a threat to European security, for the entire European security architecture," Peskov added.
He characterized Cameron’s remarks as "yet another very dangerous claim."
"We register this kind of dangerous trend towards escalation of tensions in official statements. This is concerning," the spokesman said.
On May 2, Reuters published an interview with Cameron, in which he claimed that Ukraine has a right to carry out strikes on targets in Russia using British-made weapons. Later, the interview was withdrawn - according to the news agency, "pending review of certain details in the story."
The new version was published at midnight, and did not differ from the initial material. It also contained London’s promise to continue providing $3.74 billion of aid to Ukraine annually for as long as it would take.
