Lula tells Chomsky he wants to bring together world democratic leaders. The meeting, which lasted around 40 minutes, was marked by demonstrations of respect and admiration.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) met linguist Noam Chomsky on Monday (24) in São Paulo, in a meeting that lasted around 40 minutes. During the visit, the two held hands and treated each other with admiration. Lula even joked about rubbing 95-year-old Chomsky's forehead and head. "You're older than me, but you have a lot more hair," said the president, who is 78.

"I came here to see my friend and to repay the visit you and Valeria paid me when I was in prison," said the president. "I'm glad you're doing so well, because you have a lot to give to improve humanity. Not a week goes by that Celso Amorim and I don't talk about you."

Chomsky suffered a stroke in June 2023, in the United States, and was brought to São Paulo, where he was admitted to the Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital. He was discharged last Tuesday (18).

During the meeting, Lula told Chomsky that he is organizing an international meeting of democratic leaders to discuss ways of confronting the advance of the global far right.

Lula also said he was confident that, when he leaves office, the country will be closer to the ideal of justice for which Chomsky works. "I always say to [Fernando] Haddad [Finance Minister], who is also a friend of yours, that we need to be patient, but without moving away from our purpose.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party) visited former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Social Democrat Party of Brazil - PSDB) this Monday (24) at the latter's residence in São Paulo. The meeting lasted approximately half an hour.

In the early afternoon, Lula arrived at FHC's building by car and left without talking to the press. Before the President's visit, the PSDBist (Neoliberal/Liberal) also received former Finance Minister Pedro Malan and economists Gustavo Franco and Pérsio Arida - all involved in the creation of the Real Plan (Brazil's current currency), which turns 30 in 2024.

FHC, who was Lula's opponent in the 1994 and 1998 elections, declared his support for the PT candidate in the 2022 presidential election. At the time, FHC said he would vote for Lula because of "a history of fighting for democracy and social inclusion".

In São Paulo, the Chief Executive also met the American philosopher Noam Chomsky, 95, and the Brazilian writer Raduan Nassar, 88. Last Tuesday (18), Chomsky was discharged after a period of hospitalization at the Beneficência Portuguesa hospital.

As the meetings are of a personal nature, they are not on the president's official agenda. Lula is due to return to Brasília on Monday afternoon.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has accepted a plea deal with the US government that will allow him to avoid jail time in the states over his leaking of top secret military information.

Assange is expected to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act and receive credit for time served for the five years he spent behind bars in the UK while fighting extradition to the US, according to court documents and reports.

Assange, of Australia, was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information for releasing classified reports of the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on his WikiLeaks site, according to the documents.

He’s expected to be released from UK custody after he pleads guilty during a federal US court hearing in the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the US this week.

The Philippine military carried out a mission to reinforce the grounded warship at Ren’ai Jiao to extend its service life.

On Friday, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian urged the Philippines to immediately stop infringement and provocations on the Ren’ai Jiao issue, and return to the right track of properly managing differences through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible.

He made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the recent moves by the Philippine military at Ren’ai Jiao, China’s Nansha Qundao. The Financial Times said the Philippine military carried out the mission to reinforce the grounded warship at Ren’ai Jiao to extend its service life.

“Reports once again confirm that the Philippine side’s claim of sending only living necessities for its grounded warship on Ren’ai Jiao is a complete lie,” Lin stressed.

In fact, as pointed out by the Chinese side on multiple occasions, the Philippine side has been trying to send construction materials and even weapons and ammunition to its illegally grounded warship in an attempt to carry out large-scale repair and reinforcement in order to achieve long-term occupation of Ren’ai Jiao, he added.

Such actions by the Philippine side seriously infringe upon China’s sovereignty, which China will never accept. China will respond resolutely in accordance with the law and regulations, Lin said, noting that the cause of the current situation on Ren’ai Jiao is very clear.

The root cause is that the Philippine side violated its promise, refused to tow away the warship that had been illegally grounded on Ren’ai Jiao for 25 years, and insisted on sending construction materials in an attempt to reinforce it, the Chinese diplomat pointed out.

This warship is irrefutable evidence of the Philippines’ long-standing infringement and provocation against China in the South China Sea, its treachery and violation of the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and its destruction of the ecological environment in the South China Sea, Lin noted.

“We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringement and provocative actions and return to the right track of properly managing differences through dialogue and consultation. China’s determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests remains unwavering,” Lin said.