Stories for 2020

Thursday, September 3rd 2020 - 08:49 UTC
Brazil with record trade surplus in August, despite an overall fall in global transactions

Brazil obtained a record trade surplus of US$ 6,6 billion during the month of August, the highest for the month since 1989. However overall dropped with exports sliding 5.5% to US$ 17,741bn and imports, 25,1%, to US$ 11,133bn. In eight months the trade surplus reached US$ 36,594bn, the third-best historically in the last forty years.
Thursday, September 3rd 2020 - 08:44 UTC
Snowden' vindication: NSA mass surveillance program of US phones unlawful, and US intelligence leaders lied

Seven years after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the mass surveillance of US’ telephone records, an appeals court has found the program was unlawful - and that the U.S. intelligence leaders who publicly defended it were not telling the truth.
Thursday, September 3rd 2020 - 08:00 UTC
Brazilian Football Confederation approves equal pay for women and men's national teams

The Brazilian Football Confederation says it agreed in March to pay women’s national team players the same as their peers on the men’s side, it was reported Wednesday. Brazil thus becomes one of the few countries to adopt an equal pay policy for both women’s and men’s football.
Thursday, September 3rd 2020 - 07:12 UTC
Biden remains ahead in polls: Trump unable to refocus campaign from the pandemic to civil unrest

President Donald Trump’s attempt to make civil unrest a central theme of his re-election campaign has yet to boost his political standing, as most Americans do not see crime as a major problem confronting the nation and a majority remain sympathetic to anti-racism protests, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.
Thursday, September 3rd 2020 - 07:06 UTC
Scotland’s new independence referendum draft “surprises” Johnson administration

A British minister said she was surprised by plans for another Scottish independence referendum given the budget deficit in the country and the economic challenges facing the whole of the United Kingdom after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thursday, September 3rd 2020 - 06:56 UTC
Skip kissing and wear a mask when having sex, Canada's chief medical officer

Skip kissing and consider wearing a mask when having sex to protect yourself from catching the coronavirus, Canada’s chief medical officer said on Wednesday, adding that going solo remains the lowest risk sexual option in a pandemic.
Wednesday, September 2nd 2020 - 09:50 UTC
Brazil/Argentina spat over non automatic import licenses delaying Mercosur bilateral trade

Brazil expressed its disenchantment with the Argentine policy of delaying the approval of the so-called nonautomatic import licenses which has seen millions of dollars in sales held at the border. This situation has been increasing in recent months, in what is considered a breach of bilateral accords in the framework of Mercosur agreements, and the World Trade Organization, WTO, rules.
Wednesday, September 2nd 2020 - 09:46 UTC
Roundup weedkiller and cancer decision, appealed by Bayer at California Supreme Court

Bayer AG has asked California’s Supreme Court to review a decision awarding US$ 20.5 million to a groundskeeper who claimed the company’s Roundup weedkiller caused his cancer, arguing the ruling was at odds with federal law and settled legal principles.
Wednesday, September 2nd 2020 - 09:45 UTC
Brazilian economy is back to 2009 size, following a 11,4% contraction in the second quarter

Brazil’s economy shrank in the second quarter by the most on record as anti-coronavirus lockdown measures slammed activity in almost every sector, dragging Latin America’s largest economy back to the size it was in 2009.
Wednesday, September 2nd 2020 - 09:44 UTC
Colombia reopens and tries to reignite the economy after months of restrictions

Airports, bus terminals, restaurants, and gyms reopened in most of Colombia on Tuesday as the nation attempts to reignite its economy following months of restrictions for the coronavirus pandemic. The step expanded previous moves that allowed shops, construction sites, shopping malls, and factories to resume operations in June in most of the country's cities.