Brazil

• Wednesday, December 16th 2020 - 08:20 UTC

  Rio do Janeiro cancels its annual New Year's Eve beach bash

  

  Rio de Janeiro's annual New Year's Eve beach bash, already reduced in scope and format, has been canceled due to the raging coronavirus pandemic, the mayor's office said Tuesday.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2020 - 21:57 UTC

  US latest attack submarine visits Brazil for the incorporation of three Scorpone class submersibles

  

  The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) is operating in the US 4th Fleet area of operations and conducted a brief stop for logistics in Rio de Janeiro December 10-15.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2020 - 18:10 UTC

  Mass inoculation against Covid-19 in Brazil “only possible” in March with the AstraZenca vaccine

  

  In Brazil, a mass inoculation campaign against Covid 19 will only be possible from March and will rely on the Astra Zeneca vaccine, a senior health official at the country’s leading public biomedical institute told Reuters.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2020 - 18:04 UTC

  Brazil risks losing its vote in UN if it doesn't pay US$ 113 million of its debt

  

  Brazil once again risks losing its vote at the United Nations if it doesn’t pay a portion of what it owes to the global organization, which is facing a growing cash crunch as the Covid-19 crisis puts pressure on budgets worldwide.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2020 - 09:55 UTC

  Distrust of Bolsonaro is holding up the EU/Mercosur trade deal, says EU ambassador in Brasilia

  

  Distrust in Europe of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's government is holding up ratification of a trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, the EU ambassador to Brasilia said.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2020 - 09:50 UTC

  Sao Paulo delays release of efficacy data for the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine

  

  Brazil's Sao Paulo state delayed on Monday the release of efficacy data for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac, tightening the timeframe for the regulator approval before a planned roll out on Jan. 25.

• Monday, December 14th 2020 - 09:39 UTC

  Tax reform in Brazil stalled in the midst of political dispute and “fiscal abyss”

  

  Brazil is heading into a “fiscal abyss” and a serious crisis next year, following the decision to postpone parliamentary debate on a bill extending emergency aid spending, lower house speaker Rodrigo Maia said on Friday

• Monday, December 14th 2020 - 09:37 UTC

  Bolsonaro remains with a 37% approval, shows Datafolha public opinion poll

  

  Brazilian right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro’s approval rating remains at its highest level since he took office in 2019, despite the country experiencing the world’s second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak, a poll showed on Sunday.

• Monday, December 14th 2020 - 09:30 UTC

  Bolsonaro's vaccination plan “a murderous stupidity” and a display of “lethal incompetence”

  

  President Jair Bolsonaro faced scathing criticism on Sunday over his government's plan – or lack thereof, opponents said – to vaccinate the population against Covid-19 in Brazil, the country with the second-highest death toll worldwide.

• Monday, December 14th 2020 - 09:14 UTC

  Brazilian church plays a nativity scene in a burnt deforested Amazon and with a black baby Jesus

  

  Instead of a manger in Bethlehem, Jesus will arrive this Christmas in a badly burned clearing in the Amazon rainforest as a black baby born to a black virgin with indigenous cherubs looking on.