As the intense summer heat continues to scorch Brazil, people in the country's cities, including those in Rio de Janeiro, are grappling with another oppressive heat wave, with little relief in sight.
This year's heat is even worse than last year, and for many residents, nighttime beach visits have become essential to cope with the sweltering temperatures.
In Rio where the sun beats down relentlessly, some beachgoers are finding solace under the moonlight.
These "moon bathers," as they are now called, gather at the beach after dark when the temperatures are slightly more bearable.
Among them is Joelma Souza, a mother of five from one of Rio's favela slums, who travels a long distance to find some respite from the heat.
"This year is worse than other years. It's terrible. People can't stay at home. The air conditioner and the fan don't bring any relief. So, the only solution is the beach," she said.
Rising temperatures are taking a toll on residents, particularly in the western parts of Rio. This suffocating heat is a major concern for the elderly, especially in neighborhoods like Bangu, one of Rio's hottest.
Zenite Barreto, a 77-year-old retired teacher living in Bangu, describes the oppressive heat as overwhelming. She said that even a short walk to the market is exhausting. But, she said, for her and others, it beats being locked up inside.
"It is very dangerous. I was born and raised in Bangu, and I always worked in Bangu. I am 77 years old and we never seen a strong heat like this. And people can easily be dehydrated and they must need to know that," she said.
With the world just registering the hottest January on record, Zenite puts the blame on humans for the climate crisis. She says neither air pollution nor deforestation were issue when she was a child and staying cool was never a problem.
Heat waves in Rio drive residents to seek cool in streets, beaches
Heat waves in Rio drive residents to seek cool in streets, beaches
A former Israeli government negotiator said Israel is likely to continue obstructing U.S.-Iran negotiations, while a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could keep global commodity prices elevated.
Briefing reporters at the White House on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are involved in the talks with Iran, adding that Tehran would like "to make a deal."
On Monday, Trump said Washington had "major points of agreement" with Iran during talks over the weekend, but refused to name the Iranian negotiator the United States talked with, saying Washington had spoken to a "top person" in Iran.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday denied having negotiations with the United States, the country's official IRNA news agency reported.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Daniel Levy, a former Israeli government negotiator and advisor, expressed skepticism over potential U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks, saying Israel is likely to obstruct the negotiation process and that a lack of professional expertise in the U.S. negotiating team could further complicate efforts.
Levy said Israel has been a key factor in the failure of U.S.-Iran negotiations.
"One of the things Israel has effectively done for its own purposes thus far is to try to create a bar for necessary conditions and outcomes in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which is intentionally set at a place that cannot be achieved. In other words, Israel, to put it in blunt, simple terms, Israel has been one of the key contributors to ensuring negotiations fail," he said.
He cited the failure of the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to support his view.
The JCPOA was once an important multilateral diplomatic achievement endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2231. However, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, and pursued a policy of "maximum pressure."
"When negotiations did succeed with the JCPOA agreement under the Obama administration, Israel worked very hard to get that agreement nullified. It succeeded during the first Trump administration. Whenever negotiations have been entered back into Israel, not just Israel, by the way, there is a cohort -- of course, we must not deny American agency -- there's a cohort, neoconservatives, hawks inside the U.S. administration who have also pushed a maximalist position. You have to also factor in that the American team is deeply unqualified to conduct these negotiations. They haven't brought expertise into the room. The team of Witkoff and Kushner fail, fail, fail in terms of their negotiations," he said.
The former Israeli advisor also rejected claims that U.S. mediation efforts in Gaza could be considered a success, saying that Israeli military operations are ongoing in the region and continue to cause casualties.
"Some people point to Gaza as being a success. Gaza are is still sixty percent occupied by Israel. Gaza is still a place where Israel conducts military actions and kills Palestinians every day," said the analyst.
Turning to the broader economic implications, Levy warned that sustained tensions in the region could drive up global commodity prices for an extended period.
"Iran has demonstrated a capacity to do exactly what it says it will do. And in this instance it is said that if its energy infrastructure is impacted, then the energy infrastructure that maintains the American presence in the region, it's quite clear that that would involve GCC states in particular, that would be impacted. And that's the moment at which some of the expectations and predictions on the market, some of the things that we've heard from the head of the International Energy Agency in terms of where energy prices might go, how devastating the knock on effect to the global economy, costs of fuel but also food, fertilizer that would be taken to the next stage. And it may be taken to the stage where it is irreversible for an awfully long period of time," he said.
Israel likely to hinder US-Iran talks: analyst
