BRAVE MAG

By Lucinda Elliott and Lisandra Paraguassu

MONTEVIDEO/BRASILIA, March 27 (Reuters) - Canada and South America's Mercosur bloc are advancing toward a free‑trade agreement that could be signed by the end of the year, with another round of negotiations ‌scheduled for next month in Brasilia, according to three sources familiar with the talks.

The government officials, from Canada, ‌Argentina and Brazil, told Reuters they expect the deal to be concluded in 2026, with one noting that talks were progressing well and could be wrapped ​up before September.

The Argentine government official said that the agreement is expected to be signed in September or October, marking roughly a year since negotiations formally restarted.

Another diplomat, based in Brazil, also told Reuters negotiations are going at a record speed and extremely well, confirming the countries will probably reach a deal this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit Brazil in the next quarter, said this ‌source. Although neither government plans to announce an ⁠agreement during the visit, it may serve as a push to finalize one as soon as possible, the source said.

Mercosur's office in Montevideo and the Canadian trade ministry did not immediately respond to ⁠requests for comment.

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The renewed momentum follows months of technical exchanges after Canada and Mercosur agreed last year to relaunch the talks that had been stalled since 2021. Mercosur is composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Bolivia expected to become a full member in 2028.

Canada ​has intensified ​efforts to diversify trade amid uncertainty linked to tariffs imposed by ​U.S. President Donald Trump and South America, especially Brazil, ‌said this source, is a trade partner Canada cannot do without. For Mercosur, a major exporter of beef, soy and minerals, an agreement with Canada would expand access to developed markets and help attract investment in key industries such as mining.

Earlier in March, trade officials from Ontario, a province central to Canada's economy, visited Argentina and Uruguay as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for a future deal and showcase support for increased bilateral trade. Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, ‌Victor Fedeli, met with technology and mining industry representatives as part of ​the trip, building on a visit to Brazil late last year.

Fedeli said Ontario ​was stepping up outreach to South America partly due ​to what he called the "Trump acceleration" effect, noting that roughly 80% of the province's trade is with ‌the United States.

"We're building on that momentum," Fedeli said ​in an interview with Reuters ​in Montevideo. "The Canadian government is serious about diversifying away from the U.S., working to unlock new opportunities for trade, partnership, and investment," he added.

The talks with Canada come after Mercosur signed a trade agreement with the European Union in January, following ​25 years of negotiations. Earlier this month ‌the European Commission said key trade elements of the accord, which has proven contentious in Europe, will apply on a provisional ​basis from May 1.

(Reporting by Lucinda Elliott in Montevideo, Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia. Additional reporting by Lucila ​Sigal in Buenos Aires; Editing by Cassandra Garrison and Lisa Shumaker)

By Bhargav Acharya and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was ‌pausing attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 ‌days at what he cast as the Iranian government's request, and said talks ​with Tehran were going "very well."

"As per Iranian Government request... I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time," ‌Trump said in a ⁠post on Truth Social.

"Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake ⁠News Media, and others, they are going very well," he said.

"I gave them a 10-day period. They asked for seven," ​Trump later ​told Fox News' "The Five" show.

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Trump, ​who has offered shifting goals ‌and timeline for the Iran war, ranging from overthrowing Iran's government to destroying its military and missile capabilities, told Fox News he thinks the U.S. has won the war.

"In a certain sense, we have already won," Trump said.

Trump has said ‌Iran must make a deal or ​face a continued onslaught.

The war began ​on February 28 when ​the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran subsequently ‌responded by launching its own ​attacks on Israel ​and Gulf states with U.S. bases.

Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands. ​The war has ‌also raised oil prices and shaken global markets.

(Reporting by ​Bhargav Acharya, Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward; Editing by ​David Ljunggren and Bill Berkrot)

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday to renameCésar Chavez Dayas Farmworkers Day in an effort to reconcile the Latino labor icon's legacy with explosive sexual abuse allegations before the state holiday on March 31.

The state Senate approved the legislation earlier in the day with bipartisan support.

The change comes after allegations became public last week that Chavez hadsexually abused girls and womenduring his days building a major farmworker labor rights movement in the 1960s in California's agricultural heartland. Among those who accused him wasDolores Huerta, who co-led the movement that eventually became the United Farm Workers.

The state's effort to rename the holiday is part of a wave of other moves to alter memorials honoring the man who, in the 1960s and 1970s,helped secure better wagesand working conditions for farmworkers and had beenadmired by many Democratic leaders. The swift and sweeping effort to erase Chavez's name from public life was previously unthinkable, as his status had only grown more iconic since his death in 1993.

Republican Sen. Suzette Valladares said Thursday that her family built a life in California by working the fields and that the movement brought together workers from different backgrounds.

"This is not about one person. This is not about one narrative," she said. "It's about honoring generations of sacrifice, of resilience and hope."

Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limon said honoring farmworkers is especially important in the face of a series of federal raids across the state last year. A worker in her districtdied after being chasedby a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last summer, Limon said.

"His death is a reminder of how much farmworkers risk every day to put food on our table," she said before the vote. "Our farmworkers remind us that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect."

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California was the first state to designate Chavez's birthday, March 31, as a holiday to honor the civil rights leader nearly 30 years ago. The Legislature then, in 2000, passed a bill to make it an official paid day off for state employees and require that students learn about his legacy and his role in the labor movement in California. The legislation passed Thursday didn't address the curriculum requirement. State leaders said they're in conversation with school officials to adjust lesson plans.

The California bill also passed in the Assembly with bipartisan support on Monday.

"We cannot ignore wrongdoing and we should not continue to celebrate a single person when the movement itself is so much bigger," Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry said before the vote Monday.

Since the allegations came to light, California State University, Fresno, has covered up Chavez's statue on campus, while cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento have taken steps to erase his name from public landmarks. Some advocated for Huerta's name to replace Chavez's, and several states already said they won't observe the day.

As his birthday approaches, cities across the country have remade or canceled annual celebrations to honor him. In Tucson last weekend, the annual César Chavez and Dolores Huerta March and Rally were scaled back and rebranded. There was no march or car show, and it was billed instead as the Comunidad y Labor Unity Fair to focus more broadly on labor rights without mentioning Chavez.

In Grand Junction, Colorado, the organizers of the annual event in Mesa County had already printed flyers and T-shirts, all bearing Chavez's name. There has been a flurry of social media posts in recent days to let people know the event will go on Saturday as the Sí, Se Puede Celebration instead.

In El Paso, Texas, March 31 will be celebrated as the Community and Labor Heritage Day.

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