BRAZIL: The verdict and sentencing phase of former president Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, in which he is accused of leading a conspiracy to retain power following his 2022 election defeat, began today.

A Supreme Court panel scheduled sessions on five days until September 12 to decide whether the far-right politician is guilty of seeking to overturn his defeat by leftwinger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

GERMANY: The Federal Criminal Police Office claimed today that it was increasingly seeing Russian intelligence services apparently using social media to recruit people for espionage or sabotage.

It said the so-called “low-level” or “disposable” agents carry out crimes without receiving intelligence training and often without knowing who is ordering the activities or for what purpose.

BURKINA FASO: The parliament has passed a law banning homosexuality, with offenders facing two to five years in prison, the local broadcaster has reported.

The amendment to the family code was unanimously approved by MPs on Monday, bringing the ban into force.

UNITED STATES: More than 1.2 million immigrants disappeared from the labour force between January and the end of July, according to preliminary Census Bureau data analysed by the Pew Research Centre and released today. 

Immigrants make up almost 20 per cent of the US workforce and the data shows that 45 per cent of workers in farming, fishing and forestry are immigrants, as are 30 per cent of all construction workers and 24 per cent of service workers.