Heavy Rains Leave 36 Dead in Brazil, Cities Cancel Carnival

A view shows the damage caused by severe rainfall in Ilhabela, Brazil, February 19, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. (Tribuna do Povo/Caio Gomes/via Reuters)
A view shows the damage caused by severe rainfall in Ilhabela, Brazil, February 19, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. (Tribuna do Povo/Caio Gomes/via Reuters)
TT
20

Heavy Rains Leave 36 Dead in Brazil, Cities Cancel Carnival

A view shows the damage caused by severe rainfall in Ilhabela, Brazil, February 19, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. (Tribuna do Povo/Caio Gomes/via Reuters)
A view shows the damage caused by severe rainfall in Ilhabela, Brazil, February 19, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. (Tribuna do Povo/Caio Gomes/via Reuters)

Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides that have killed 36 people in Brazil’s north Sao Paulo state, officials said Sunday, and the fatalities could rise.

Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that 35 died in the city of Sao Sebastiao and a 7-year-old girl was killed in neighboring Ubatuba.

The cities of Sao Sebastiao, Ubatuba, Ilhabela and Bertioga, some of the hardest hit and now under state of calamity, canceled their Carnival festivities as rescue teams struggle to find missing, injured and feared dead in the rubble.

“Our rescue teams are not managing to get to several locations; it is a chaotic situation,” said Felipe Augusto, the mayor of Sao Sebastiao. Later, he added there are dozens of people missing and that 50 houses collapsed in the city due to the landslides.

Augusto posted on social media several videos of widespread destruction in his city, including one of baby being rescued by locals lined up on a flooded street.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Twitter he will visit the region Monday.

Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that precipitation in the region has surpassed 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) in one day, one of the highest amounts ever in Brazil in such a short period.

Bertioga alone had 687 millimeters during that period, the state government said.

Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas said in a statement he requested support from the army, which sent two airplanes and rescue teams to the region.

TV footage showed houses flooded with only the roof visible. Residents are using small boats to carry items and people to higher positions. A road that connects Rio de Janeiro to the port city of Santos was blocked by landslides and floodwaters.

The northern coast of Sao Paulo state is a frequent Carnival destination for wealthy tourists who prefer to stay away from massive street parties in big cities.



France Braces for Political Showdown as New PM Seeks to Force Budget Through

France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou speaks to the press after the funeral ceremony of former Bordeaux mayor Nicolas Florian in Bordeaux, south-western France, on January 31, 2025. (AFP)
France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou speaks to the press after the funeral ceremony of former Bordeaux mayor Nicolas Florian in Bordeaux, south-western France, on January 31, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20

France Braces for Political Showdown as New PM Seeks to Force Budget Through

France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou speaks to the press after the funeral ceremony of former Bordeaux mayor Nicolas Florian in Bordeaux, south-western France, on January 31, 2025. (AFP)
France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou speaks to the press after the funeral ceremony of former Bordeaux mayor Nicolas Florian in Bordeaux, south-western France, on January 31, 2025. (AFP)

Political uncertainty is again looming in France after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou warned that he would use special executive powers this week to get his budget approved without a vote by lawmakers.

The move is expected to trigger a motion of no confidence. Depending on whether political forces across the political board join forces, this could lead to Bayrou’s downfall.

That’s what happened in December, when a confidence motion triggered by budget disputes forced Prime Minister Michel Barnier to resign.

Speaking to La Tribune Dimanche media, Bayrou said he will use a constitutional tool known as Article 49.3, which allows the government to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote but leaves it exposed to confidence motions.

On Monday, French lawmakers are set to debate the conclusions of a joint Parliamentary committee on the state budget and will turn their attention to the social security budget later in the week.

“Now we have to go straight to adoption,” Bayrou said. “A country like ours cannot be without a budget. The only way to do that is to make the government responsible.”

The looming showdown unfolds against the backdrop of a fractured National Assembly, left in disarray after June’s snap elections delivered no clear majority.

President Emmanuel Macron turned to Barnier in September in a bid to navigate the impasse. But Barnier’s proposed austerity budget — slashing 40 billion euros ($42 billion) in spending and raising taxes by 20 billion euros — only deepened divisions, inflaming tensions in the lower house and triggering a dramatic political confrontation.

To seek more stability for his minority government, Bayrou announced in January that he was open to renegotiating a contested plan raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. The government's revised plans for the budget that aim at limiting France's deficit to 5.4% of gross domestic product this year have also addressed concerns from opposition lawmakers.

The joint committee has maintained an extra tax on large companies while increasing a tax on financial transactions. Also, Bayrou kept his commitment not to cut 4,000 jobs in national education, a move that had previously been envisaged.

The far-left party France Unbowed has already announced it will put forward a motion of no confidence that is expected to get the support of Communist and Green lawmakers. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen was instrumental in ousting the previous government — her National Rally party has the largest single group in France’s lower house of parliament — but her party has not given any voting instructions yet.

The vote of the Socialists, who have adopted a constructive approach in recent weeks in negotiating the budget, could be decisive for Bayrou's future. They have said they remain opposed to the government but have pledged to work in the country's interest on budget issues.

“We have obtained a number of reversals from the government and note that the commitments made by the prime minister ... have been honored,” they said in a statement. “However, they remain largely inadequate.”