MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Thursday became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organizations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan’s newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster “productive bilateral cooperation between our countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as “a good example for other countries.”

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. Since then, they have sought international recognition while also enforcing their strict interpretation of Islamic law.

While no country had formally recognized the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.

Still, the Taliban government has been relatively isolated on the world stage, largely over its restrictions on women.

Although the Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, it started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade.

Russian officials have recently been emphasizing the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilize Afghanistan, and lifted a ban on the Taliban group in April.

Rio de Janeiro, Jul 6 (Prensa Latina) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received here the heads of state and government of the Brics member countries for the summit that begins today and ends tomorrow.

The first to arrive was Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Under the theme Strengthening Global South cooperation for a more inclusive and sustainable governance, the 17th summit will address issues such as climate, artificial intelligence (AI), multilateralism, conflicts, among others.

The forum is the main political meeting of the bloc formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, currently expanded with the accession of new countries.

Its objective is to strengthen economic, political and social cooperation among its members and to promote greater influence of the countries of the Global South in international governance.

In the last two years, the Brics has grown from five to 11 permanent members, in addition to including 10 new members.

Managing this expansion is one of the challenges facing Brazil's presidency to consolidate the multilateral cooperation mechanism that seeks to transform the current global power architecture.

The authorities present are also expected to express concerns about the escalation of protectionism and unilateral trade measures, in reference to the tariff war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Brazil chose six strategic priorities for the forum: global cooperation in health, trade, investment and finance, climate change, AI governance, peace and security, and institutional development.

The meeting is also an opportunity to advance climate negotiations and commitments on environmental protection ahead of talks at the UN Climate Conference (COP30), scheduled to be held in November in Belém, capital of the northern Amazonian state of Pará.

Brasilia, Jul 2 (Prensa Latina) President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will announce today a decree making July 2 official as the second commemoration of Brazilian Independence, celebrated in the state of Bahia (northeast), highlighting its historical and popular character.

For the fourth consecutive year, Lula will travel to Salvador, Bahia's capital, to participate in the celebrations for the date commemorating the final expulsion of the Portuguese troops in 1823, which will now be officially recognized as the second date of Independence.

The decree, which will be signed and formally announced during the popular celebration, will consolidate this day in the national calendar as an official commemoration, although without the character of a national holiday.

The proposal had been considered by Lula in 2023, when he expressed his desire to transform July 2 into a date of historical relevance.

At that time, the president pointed out that the true independence was sealed with the victory of the Bahian people and not with the symbolic and so-called Grito do Ipiranga (Cry of Ipiranga) of Pedro I in 1822.

"There is an independence that was the emperor's cry, which we don't even know if he really gave it. But the real independence of Brazil was the result of the expulsion of the last Portuguese, on July 2 in Salvador. There was a struggle there and there were heroic women," Lula declared last year.

The history celebrated on each date in Bahia dates back to a 17-month war that began in 1822, when the local population demanded a definitive break with the Portuguese crown, which still maintained troops in several regions of the country.

The process culminated on July 2, 1823, when the Lusitanians withdrew definitively from Brazilian territory after intense battles, many of them fought by local militias and women fighters, such as Maria Quitéria and Joana Angélica, considered emblematic figures of the emancipation process.

Although independence was proclaimed in September 1822, the Portuguese resistance in Bahia prolonged the conflict. For this reason, many historians consider July 2 as the true closing of the cycle of national independence.

The decree to be announced by Lula gives a new symbolic and political status to the Bahian episode, integrating it into the national narrative on the country's autonomy.

With this initiative, the government seeks to recognize Bahia's protagonism and decentralize the official narrative of history, traditionally focused on the southeast. It also strengthens the president's link with the northeast region, a key bastion of his electoral base.

The first official date of Brazil's Independence is commemorated every September 7, in allusion to the Ipiranga Cry, pronounced in 1822 by the then Prince Regent Dom Pedro, on the banks of the Ipiranga River in Sao Paulo, with the phrase “Independence or death”.

Former US President Joe Biden denounces Donald Trump’s newly approved tax bill, criticizing its massive giveaways to the wealthy and devastating cuts to essential social programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance.

Former President Joe Biden sharply criticized the recent approval of Donald Trump’s flagship tax legislation, calling it “reckless and cruel” for delivering enormous tax breaks to billionaires while slashing vital programs that support working-class and vulnerable Americans. Biden’s condemnation echoes widespread left-wing outrage across the Americas, where progressive voices warn that the bill deepens inequality and threatens the social safety net.

At the heart of the controversy is the bill’s massive tax giveaway to the richest Americans. Analyses from left-leaning policy groups show that while all income brackets receive some tax relief, approximately 60% of the benefits flow to the top 20% of earners, with the wealthiest gaining tens of thousands of dollars annually. Meanwhile, low-income households see only minimal tax cuts, and many will actually lose ground once cuts to social programs are factored in.

The bill enacts deep cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs like SNAP, which millions of low-income families, seniors, and veterans depend on. According to the Congressional Budget Office, these reductions could result in millions fewer Americans having health insurance and receiving food aid. The legislation also threatens Medicare by proposing spending caps that could lead to significant cuts in the near future.

Furthermore, the bill includes increased spending on defense and border enforcement, including billions for expanding the border wall and hiring additional immigration agents, reflecting a hardline immigration stance that many progressives vehemently oppose.

Economic and Social Consequences: Rising Debt and Costs for the Majority

The Congressional Budget Office warns that the bill will add over $3 trillion to the national debt in the coming decade, exacerbating an already precarious fiscal situation. This growing debt burden is expected to drive up interest rates, making everyday expenses like mortgages, car loans, and credit card payments more expensive for average Americans.

Critics also highlight that the bill’s tax policies disproportionately favor states with low or no state income tax, such as Texas and Wyoming, while imposing caps on state and local tax deductions (SALT) that hurt residents of higher-tax states. This uneven treatment further entrenches regional and economic inequalities.

Prominent left-wing figures and organizations across Latin America and the US have denounced the bill. Democratic leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries staged historic, marathon speeches to oppose the legislation, framing it as an attack on “children, seniors, veterans, unions, farmers, Dreamers, the working class, and the poor.”

Elon Musk, once a Trump ally, has also criticized the bill for its regressive tax cuts and for eliminating incentives for clean energy, calling it “political suicide” for Republicans.

The “Big and Beautiful” tax bill represents a stark choice between the interests of the ultra-wealthy and the needs of working people. As Biden and progressive voices warn, the legislation’s combination of massive tax breaks for billionaires, cuts to essential social programs, and increased militarization of the border threatens to deepen social inequality and undermine the fragile economic security of millions of Americans. The fight against this bill is part of a broader struggle for social justice and economic democracy in the Americas.

Brasilia, Jul 6 (Prensa Latina) Brazil's ruling Workers' Party (PT) and the largest left-wing party in Latin America is holding internal elections today to decide who will be the new president of the political organization.

The first round will be held from 09:00 to 17:00, local time, and if a second round is necessary, the date set is July 20.

Four candidates are vying for the post: Edinho Silva, Romênio Pereira, Rui Falcão and Valter Pomar.

In a debate last month, the candidates warned about the need for changes in the government leadership to avoid a defeat in the 2026 suffrage, as the new helmsman will lead the PT in next year's presidential elections.

Falcão declared that the party is “on the eve of a decisive battle: the elections of 2026″ and pointed out that ”one of us will collectively lead our preparation for the battle for the reelection of President (Luiz Inácio) Lula (da Silva)".

He specified that it will be up to the new leadership “to adjust our political line, our organizational strengthening and the articulation with allies of the popular camp, in a polarized campaign”.

During the debate, Pereira, current secretary of International Relations of the PT, demanded changes in the federal administration in view of the high disapproval currently registered by Lula, according to polls. “Either the government changes or the people change,” he said.

Pomar also agreed with this assessment and called for a change in the political line of the government and the party. He acknowledged the loss of support in the social and electoral base, as confirmed by all polls.

For his part, Silva downplayed the importance of the criticisms and defended the PT's management. “This is being used against us”, he reflected.

He was of the opinion that the Government is hijacked by the National Congress, driven by the amendments.

"We no longer live in a presidential regime. Even in coalition, we see the difficulty of President Lula to govern," he alleged.

Senator Humberto Costa assumed in March the temporary command of the party in place of Gleisi Hoffmann, who was appointed Minister of the Secretariat of Institutional Relations, the portfolio that heads the political articulation of the Government with the Parliament.

Formed by militants in opposition to the military dictatorship (1964-1985), the PT was founded on February 10, 1980 by trade unionists, intellectuals, artists and Catholics linked to Liberation Theology, at the Sion College, in Sao Paulo.

Since its creation, the party has been committed to the defense of democratic socialism. The growing polarization in Brazil now demands an effort to recover spaces for dialogue and consensus.