Rio de Janeiro to host 19th G20 Summit with unique glamors, artistic vibes

Glamorous Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro is set to host the 19th G20 Summit from Monday to Tuesday, which will welcome the global leaders and politicians with its unique natural splendors, enthusiasm and hospitality, in addition to the iconic football culture, beautiful beaches and artistic vibes.

Football has become a cultural symbol of the city where numerous enthusiasts gather to discuss and participate in the sport.

"We love football. We always have a friendly space to talk about the football in Brazil. I work all week, and I go to football, and I feel very well," said a local resident.

"The meaning of the football is to struggle against the problems. This is a way to connect ourselves with everybody," said another one.

Brazil is known as the Kingdom of Football and the winner of five World Cups. Rio de Janeiro has witnessed the growth of many world-class football stars like Zico and Ronaldo over the past decades.

The city boasts one of the largest football fields – Maracana Stadium, which was an important facility for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Many football enthusiasts come to the stadium every weekend to release their passion for the sport.

The Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, which boasts a beautiful coastal line, is a landmark of the city, where tourists can enjoy themselves in cozy sunshine and sea wind.

As a pillar industry in Brazil, tourism represents 7.7 percent of Brazil's economy, bringing the country a revenue of 165.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

Strolling in the city, people can appreciate distinctive paintings and graffiti on the street, including a colossal mural near the Museum of Tomorrow drawn for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which has been recognized as the largest one in the Guinness World Records.

Meanwhile, the artistic atmosphere is permeating in various museums of the city, including the Museum of Modern Art, which will serve as the main venue for the G20 Summit.

Rio de Janeiro to host 19th G20 Summit with unique glamors, artistic vibes

Major U.S. stock indexes ended mixed on Thursday, with weakness in mega-cap technology names offsetting gains in semiconductor stocks fueled by strong corporate earnings.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 71.72 points, or 0.14 percent, to 51,920.62. The Standard and Poor's 500 dipped 0.73 points, or 0.01 percent, to 7,357.49. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 118.03 points, or 0.46 percent, to 25,358.60.

Six of the 11 primary Standard and Poor's 500 sectors ended in the green, with industrials and health leading the gainers by rising 2.19 percent and 1.49 percent, respectively. Consumer discretionary and consumer staples led the laggards by going down 1.78 percent and 1.08 percent, respectively.

Micron Technology delivered record-setting quarterly results, beating expectations and providing upbeat guidance, which helped ease concerns over lofty AI valuations and spending. The company's shares surged more than 15 percent.

Qualcomm rose about 3.7 percent after announcing an expansion beyond smartphones into data center products, including chips and servers, with a target of 15 billion U.S. dollars in new revenues from the AI boom.

Meanwhile, Apple dropped 6.15 percent after the company announced price increases on MacBook and iPad products, citing higher component costs. Microsoft also lost 3.46 percent following news of price hikes on Xbox consoles.

On the inflation front, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, rose 0.4 percent month over month in May, slightly below expectations, and 4.1 percent year over year. The core PCE index, excluding food and energy, increased 0.3 percent month over month and 3.4 percent year over year, both in line with forecasts.

U.S. stocks close mixed as mega-cap tech weakness offsets chip rally