
Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero presided over the ceremony in Buenos Aires Monday marking the launching of a postage stamp commemorating two centuries of diplomatic ties between Argentina and Brazil.

President Lula da Silva welcomed on Monday, in Brasilia, Vietnam prime minister Pham Minh Chinh and said the Asian country was interested in a trade deal with the Mercosur bloc. Lula, who currently chairs the group, said he wants to bring Mercosur members closer to Asian countries and highlighted there is room for trade with Vietnam to grow..

Brazilian Army Lieutenant-Colonel Mauro Cid, a former aide-de-camps to then-President Jair Bolsonaro, has told the Federal Police as part of a plea bargain that, shortly after his defeat in the runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the head of state was handed by his advisor Filipe Martins a draft decree to call new elections.

Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) decided in a virtual gathering Friday to pass judgment on the decriminalization of abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy during an on-site plenary session at a date yet to be determined, Agência Brasil reported.

Brazil’s central bank this week lowered its interest rate by 50 basis points to 12.75% -- its second consecutive rate cut. Banco Central do Brasil last made a rate hike of 50 basis points in August 2022, carrying the rate to 13.75%, the highest since early 2017, and significantly up from a record low of 2% in March 2021.

According to a study released Friday by MapBiomas, a website that gathers data and information on Brazilian biomes, from the soil to the Amazon, including mining, fire, and water, illegal mining in Brazil grew by 35,000 hectares in 2022 compared to the previous year, Agencia Brasil reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday met separately with his Brazilian and Chilean colleagues on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Wednesday warned his US colleague Joseph Biden in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations 78th General Assembly that democracy in Argentina was in danger as extremist sectors were gaining ground.

Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said in New York that he believed the future of Mercosur hinged on the outcome of this year's presidential elections in Argentina, Agencia Brasil reported. He also denounced France's attempt to delay the Mercosur-EU trade agreement from becoming effective.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday that global multilateralism is being eroded, Agencia Brasil reported. In his eighth speech to the forum and the first of his third presidency, Lula also spoke about protectionism and the difficulty of resolving conflicts.