In Europe, stocks surged in response to the news, with major indexes in France and Germany rising more than 2%. However, Asian markets, which closed before the announcement, ended the day lower.

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A ceasefire in Lebanon has brought a pause in fighting after weeks of war. Residents are returning to damaged homes as questions remain over how long the truce will hold.

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Brazil’s population is aging and growing at an increasingly slower rate. This is reflected in the 2025 Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), released this Friday (Apr. 17) by the Brazilian government’s statistics agency IBGE.

Last year, the country's resident population reached 212.7 million, an increase of 0.39 percent compared to 2024. The growth rate has remained below 0.60 percent since 2021. Of the total, 51.2 percent were women and 48.8 percent were men.

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The distribution of the population shows a decline in the proportion of people under 40 years of age, a group that was 6.1 percent smaller in 2025 than in 2012. By contrast, the share of older age groups has increased: those aged 40 to 49 rose from 13 percent to 15 percent, those aged 50 to 59 from 10 percent to 11.8 percent, and those aged 60 or older from 11.3 percent to 16.6 percent.

This shift is also evident in the age pyramid: between 2012 and 2025, the base narrowed and the top widened, with a decline in the population aged 39 and under.

Regional differences remain striking. The North and Northeast regions have the highest shares of young people, accounting for 22.6 percent and 19.1 percent of the population aged 13 and under, respectively, while the Southeast and South have higher proportions of older adults, with both regions reporting 18.1 percent of the population aged 60 or older.

There have also been changes in how the population identifies its skin color or race. The number of people identifying as white has declined in all regions of the country. In 2012, whites accounted for 46.4 percent of the population; by 2025, this share had fallen to 42.6 percent. The percentage of people identifying as black rose from 7.4 percent to 10.4 percent.

The North recorded the largest increase in the black population, rising from 8.7 percent to 12.9 percent. The South saw the strongest growth among people of mixed race, from 16.7 percent to 22 percent, and the sharpest decline in the share of those identifying as white, from 78.8 percent to 72.3 percent.

Rise in single-person households

The percentage of people living alone also increased. In 2025, single-person households accounted for 19.7 percent, up from 12.2 percent in 2012. The nuclear family arrangement - defined as a couple, a mother with children, or a father with children - remains the most common, representing 65.6 percent of households. However, this share has declined from 68.4 percent in 2012.

The survey shows age and gender differences among people living alone. Among men, 56.6 percent are between 30 and 59 years old, while among women, the largest share (56.5 percent) is aged 60 or older.

Regarding housing tenure, the proportion of rented properties rose to 23.8 percent, an increase of 5.4 percentage points since 2016. Meanwhile, the share of fully paid-off, owner-occupied homes fell to 60.2 percent, a decline of 6.6 percentage points over the same period.

There was also a shift in housing types: single-family homes still predominate, but their share fell to 82.7 percent, while apartments increased to 17.1 percent.

After being deported from the U.S., around 15 people touched down in Kinshasa early Friday, under agreement between the Congolese government and the Trump administration.

US President Donald Trump thanked Tehran but said the naval blockade on Iran would stay in place until a peace deal is signed.

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US President Donald Trump also confirmed that the US plans to work with Lebanon separately.

The announcement was aspirational in that Hamas has not yet done so, and no one can really know whether the Gazan terror group will follow through.

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Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 29, admitted in a Johannesburg court to illegally being in the country and pointing a firearm—but denied shooting and seriously injuring his gardener during an altercation in the upscale Hyde Park suburb.

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Sylvan Adams leads the fight against rising antisemitism at the March of Living “If we fail, we risk creating the next generation of survivors.”

This Friday (Apr. 17), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will participate in the 1st Brazil–Spain Summit, where he will be welcomed by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez. The Brazilian government expects that, during the summit, the two countries will expand their common ground on issues such as multilateralism, international law, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Agreements and treaties in areas such as gender equality, the social solidarity economy, health, culture, entrepreneurship, air services, telecommunications, science, and technology are expected to be signed.

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The president arrived on Thursday (Apr. 16) in the Spanish city of Barcelona, the first stop on his trip to three European countries - Spain, Germany, and Portugal. He is accompanied by a delegation of 15 ministers.

“The goal is to consolidate partnerships, attract investment, and discuss urgent global issues such as defending democracy, multilateralism, and the fight against inequality,” Lula posted on social media.

The trip also seeks to build support for Michelle Bachelet’s candidacy for United Nations (UN) Secretary-General and comes at a critical moment in relations with the European Union, ahead of the provisional entry into force of the Mercosur–European Union agreement, scheduled for May 1.

On Saturday (18), the fourth high-level meeting of the Forum for the Defense of Democracy, launched in 2024, will take place. The meeting will focus on issues related to multilateralism, including the process of selecting the next UN Secretary-General, as well as inequalities, with Brazil advocating the inclusion in the final declaration of provisions on political and digital gender-based violence, and the fight against disinformation.

On Sunday (19), Lula will depart for Germany, where he will participate in Hannover Messe - the world’s largest trade fair for industrial innovation and technology - which is honoring Brazil this year.

While in Germany, he will also hold a meeting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Brazilian diplomats expect 10 agreements to be signed between the two countries, covering areas such as defense, climate change, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, energy innovation, the bioeconomy, sustainable development, app development, and research on the oceans and the Brazilian Cerrado biome.

On Monday (Apr. 20), the delegation’s schedule includes the opening of the Brazilian booth at the Hannover Messe trade fair and a guided tour of the pavilions. In Germany, Lula will also take part in a business forum.

The trip will conclude on Tuesday (21) with a brief state visit to Portugal. In Lisbon, Lula will meet with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and President António José Seguro. The meetings will address items on the bilateral agenda, such as cooperation in aviation, science, technology and innovation, as well as issues related to immigration, the fight against xenophobia, the Brazilian community in Portugal, peace, and international security.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that ships wanting to cross the Strait will need to do so on the coordinated route announced by the Islamic regime.

Two dozen jets, along with Pakistan's Airborne Warning and Control System for aerial surveillance, were deployed to escort the Iranian delegation back from Islamabad.

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