Brazil

• Tuesday, March 2nd 2021 - 09:54 UTC

  Bolsonaro promises to sign on Tuesday a decree suspending a tax on diesel to prevent a truckers strike

  

  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he would suspend a tax on diesel fuel, to try and placate truckers, but the government would instead hike taxes on banks to offset lost revenue.

• Monday, March 1st 2021 - 08:55 UTC

  Coronavirus “Manaus” variant detected in UK: three in England, three in Scotland

  

  A coronavirus “variant of concern” first detected in Brazil has now been found in the UK. Three cases have been detected in England and separately three in Scotland. In England, officials are still trying to track down one of those who tested positive for the new variant.

• Monday, March 1st 2021 - 08:34 UTC

  Brazilian ranchers strongly oppose the import of live cattle from neighboring Paraguay

  

  Brazilian meat-packers has asked the agriculture ministry for authorization to import live cattle from Paraguay, bur farmers organizations have strongly criticized the initiative. The request to import live cattle from Paraguay, made by a trade group based in Mato Grosso do Sul, which borders Paraguay, comes as Brazil's cattle availability has fallen in recent months due to strong demand from meat processors.

• Monday, March 1st 2021 - 08:34 UTC

  First totally designed and manufactured Brazilian satellite Amazon-1, successfully launched from India

  

  A Brazilian Earth observation satellite soared to space aboard an Indian rocket late Saturday along with 18 passenger satellites from the United States and India. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launch, which carried Brazil's Amazonia-1 satellite into orbit, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

• Sunday, February 28th 2021 - 10:35 UTC

  Bolsonaro argues state controlled companies should fulfill a social function

  

  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that the country’s state-controlled companies should fulfill a social function and any different understanding by their chief executives was unacceptable.

• Friday, February 26th 2021 - 13:19 UTC

  Brazil purchases 20 million doses of India's Bharat Biotech vaccine

  

  Brazil's health ministry on Thursday signed a deal with India's Bharat Biotech to purchase 20 million doses of Covaxin, a Covid 19 vaccine. The news came a day before Brazil marks one year since the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the country after a Sao Paulo businessman returning from a trip to Italy tested positive.

• Friday, February 26th 2021 - 09:40 UTC

  Brazil's share of Electrobras will fall to 45% from 61% under the privatization deal

  

  Brazil’s government will cut its stake in power company Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA , or Eletrobras, to 45% from its current 61% in a planned privatization process, a senior official in the Energy Ministry announced on Wednesday.

• Friday, February 26th 2021 - 09:17 UTC

  Brazil's death toll in twelve months of coronavirus, 250,000

  

  One year ago on Thursday, Brazil confirmed its first case of coronavirus. The same day it recorded a quarter of a million deaths from the disease the virus causes and more than 10 million cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

• Thursday, February 25th 2021 - 10:37 UTC

  Bolsonaro praises Economy minister Guedes trying to overcome the Petrobras controversy

  

  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro praised his Economy Minister Paulo Guedes as the “anchor” of his government, in an attempt to quash speculation of a deepening division between the two after Bolsonaro last week ousted Petrobras CEO triggering a plunge in markets.

• Thursday, February 25th 2021 - 08:44 UTC

  Brazilian border state of Acre chastised by the spell of several plagues

  

  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday visited the state of Acre, in the Amazon rainforest, where several cities have been submerged in floodwaters, adding yet another challenge for the beleaguered state.