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Brazil ex-President Bolsonaro’s kidney function improves but he remains in intensive care

SAO PAULO (AP) — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ’s kidney function has improved but he will remain in an intensive care unit because of pneumonia, a hospital in the capital, Brasilia, said on Sunday.

The 70-year-old former leader has also been given more antibiotics since Saturday, according to a statement by his doctors.

Bolsonaro, who governed between 2019 and 2022, was taken to DF Star Hospital on Friday from the prison where he is serving a 27-year sentence for leading a coup attempt in 2023.

The embattled ex-leader was transferred from the local federal police headquarters to a larger cell in January. His family and allies have repeatedly asked Brazil’s Supreme Court to allow him to carry out his sentence under house arrest.

The right-wing leader has been hospitalized multiple times since being stabbed at a campaign event before the 2018 presidential election.

The hospital, which admitted Bolsonaro with high fever, sweating and chills, has also said that his inflammatory markers are increased.

His son Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator, is expected to run for president later this year against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Jair Bolsonaro was also convicted on charges that include leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. He has denied any wrongdoing.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog has filed legal action against messaging app Telegram, saying the platform failed to remove extremist content including videos of white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and the New Zealand city of Christchurch as well as Islamic State group beheadings. The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday. The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks. Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.
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