Lula: “I left Washington with the idea that we took an important step in consolidating the historic democratic relationship that Brazil has with the United States. “It was a very important meeting with President Donald Trump. Brazil is prepared to discuss any matter with any country in the world: tariffs, foreign trade, critical minerals, combating organized crime and drug and arms trafficking. “We have no veto or prohibited topic. The only thing we will not give up is our democracy and our sovereignty. “In the coming days, our ministers will continue negotiations to advance the issues we addressed today.”

Spanish authorities on Friday were preparing to receive more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands, where health officials have said they will perform careful evacuations. The vessel is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, on Saturday or Sunday. “They will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” said Virginia Barcones, Spain’s head of emergency services, on Thursday. The MV Hondius is a Dutch-flagged vessel and Dutch officials said Friday they were also in close contact with the ship’s owner and authorities...

Salvadoran investigative outlet El Faro announced Thursday that two of its members’ assets, including a bank account and property, were frozen, in what it denounced as an escalation of political persecution for its work exposing corruption in the government of President Nayib Bukele. “It’s another level of attack against us with a clear purpose,” El Faro Director Carlos Dada said in a news conference Thursday. “These are not fiscal measures. They are political measures trying to silence us.” El Faro has publicly sparred with Bukele over its investigations into corruption during his administration, including revelations that his administration negotiated with...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio opened his second day of fence-mending meetings Friday with talks scheduled with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in a bid to ease tensions over the war with Iran. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, his complaints about Europe’s unwillingness to help the U.S. with the war and his attacks against Pope Leo XIV have fueled weeks of sharp disagreements over trade and defense cooperation between the two traditionally strong allies. Rubio also met Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani for talks on the war in Iran and the wider Middle East, Ukraine, the transition in Venezuela and Cuba and...

Partial results Friday from local elections in England showed big losses for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s governing Labour Party and gains for the hard-right party Reform U.K. The votes are being widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he was elected less than two years ago as voters grew impatient for economic growth and dramatic change after 14 years of Conservative government. Starmer said he took responsibility for the “very tough” results but would not resign. “The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved,” he...

Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña said Friday that his country deeply values its ties with Taiwan, in a show of solidarity with the island democracy a day after Beijing asked the South American nation to sever diplomatic relations with Taipei. Paraguay is the only country in South America to recognize Taiwan and one of just 12 worldwide. Beijing considers Taiwan its own territory and has ramped up a campaign over the past few years to lure Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, in addition to increasing military pressure around the island. At a military honors event, Peña said the ceremony symbolizes the unwavering determination...

Nigerian troops rescued seven children and two women abducted by gunmen at an orphanage last month in a north-central region, the army said in a statement released Thursday. Authorities in Nigeria’s Kogi state said that gunmen attacked an Islamic orphanage that was operating illegally and abducted 23 pupils in an “isolated area” of Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, on April 26. Fifteen of those abducted were immediately rescued. The troops intercepted and recovered nine of those abducted within a forest area in the state, army spokesman Hassan Abdullahi said in the statement, which was dated Wednesday but released on Thursday....

A man has been charged with harassing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after reports the former Prince Andrew was threatened by a masked man while walking dogs near his home. Alex Jenkinson, 39, is due at Norwich Magistrates Court on Friday to face two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior to harass someone or cause alarm or distress. Norfolk Constabulary announced the charges on Thursday night. Police said the suspect was arrested Wednesday evening after a man was reported “behaving in an intimidating manner” near Andrew’s home in eastern England. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that a man wearing...

An Islamic State-affiliated group has attacked villages in Congo near the border with Uganda, killing at least 40 people, a local civil society group said on Friday. The attacks were carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces overnight from Wednesday through Thursday afternoon, according to Charité Banza, the leader of the Ituri civil society group and Kinos Katua, a member of the group who lives in the area. The Allied Democratic Forces, with roots in Uganda, has long-operated in the border region. Banza told The Associated Press that 25 people were killed in border villages in the Beni territory of...