Brazil

• Tuesday, March 21st 2017 - 09:51 UTC

  Another RAF Falklands/Sao Paulo flight “surprises” Argentine and Brazilian diplomacy

  

  An RAF transport aircraft last week allegedly made a two-day return trip to Sao Paulo from MPA in the Falkland Islands, according to a report from columnist Martin Dinatale, based on sources from the Argentine Defense ministry. The aircraft was an Airbus 330 which left MPA on Sunday 12 March at 22:44, and landed in Sao Paulo at 2:47 early Monday March 13. On 14 March at 23:47 the Airbus returned to the Falklands.

• Monday, March 20th 2017 - 08:12 UTC

  Brazil desperate to minimize extent of “Weak Flesh”, exposing bribes and poor controls in meat industry

  

  Brazil's President Michel Temer has sought to reassure foreign trade partners that the corruption scandal engulfing the country's meat industry does not mean its products are unsafe. Meeting ambassadors from Europe, the United States and China to share a barbeque, Temer said his government remained confident about the quality of Brazilian meat.

• Friday, March 17th 2017 - 22:02 UTC

  Trade and protectionism in the G20 Brazil/US ministerial agenda

  

  Brazil's finance minister has said that he is ready to listen to the U.S. policies on trade at this weekend's G-20 meeting but speaks from experience when he says he believes a free economy is better for everyone. “Brazil actually has experience of closing down its economy,” Henrique Meirelles said on Thursday.

• Friday, March 17th 2017 - 07:26 UTC

  Brazil awards European groups 30 year concession of four airports

  

  Brazil awarded three European groups on Thursday the rights to operate four airports, drawing nearly double the minimum bids at an auction that underscored investors' appetite for a new wave of privatizations under President Michel Temer. German airport operator Fraport AG, French group Vinci SA and Zurich Airport bid a combined 1.46 billion reais (US$470 million) for the rights to run airports in Porto Alegre, Salvador, Fortaleza and Florianopolis.

• Friday, March 17th 2017 - 06:51 UTC

  Brazil reports 424 cases of yellow fever, 127 dead and 900 under investigation

  

  Brazil’s Health Ministry says 424 people have been infected with yellow fever in the largest outbreak the country has seen in years. Of those, 137 have died. An update published Thursday said that more than 900 other cases are under investigation.

• Thursday, March 16th 2017 - 12:12 UTC

  Temer coalition determined to pass major pension reform despite street protests

  

  Brazil's president Michel Temer and senior lawmakers were unwavering in their support for a major pension reform on Wednesday despite nationwide protests against the proposal and the dramatic expansion of a graft probe threatening the ruling coalition.

• Thursday, March 16th 2017 - 04:56 UTC

  Political seism in Brazil: prosecutor asks Supreme Court to open 83 new graft investigations

  

  Brazil's top public prosecutor seismically expanded a corruption probe of the country's political establishment on Tuesday, asking the Supreme Court to open 83 new investigations of politicians named in explosive plea bargain testimony. Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot also requested that the Court send 211 other requests to lower courts based on much-anticipated testimony by executives of engineering group Odebrecht implicated in Brazil's biggest-ever graft scandal.

• Wednesday, March 15th 2017 - 08:04 UTC

  Lula da Silva denies all charges in court; “I have been a victim for three years”

  

  Brazil's former president has appeared in court to deny allegations he was part of a plot to obstruct a massive corruption probe by keeping a former Petrobras executive from revealing what he knew. News media websites in Brazil published Tuesday's testimony by Lula da Silva, who told a federal court in Brasilia that he didn't even know Nestor Cervero, a former director of the State oil company.

• Wednesday, March 15th 2017 - 06:52 UTC

  Temer moved out of the presidential palace because of “bad energy and ghosts”

  

  Brazilian president Michel Temer confessed in an interview with the leading news magazine Veja that he and his family moved out of the nation’s Alvorada Palace, the official presidential residence, over bad energy and “ghosts” that kept him and First Lady Marcela Temer from sleeping well at night.

• Tuesday, March 14th 2017 - 06:49 UTC

  Argentina protests with Brasilia over Falklands RAF flights calling in Brazil

  

  The Argentine government reiterated on Monday its disappointment with the UK military flights linking with the Falkland Islands and calling in Brazil. “We made a complaint to Brazil regarding flights and we have also instructed our embassy in the UK”, said Malcorra speaking to the media.