Brazil

• Tuesday, January 5th 2021 - 09:10 UTC

  UK/Brazil sign agreement to accelerate digital transformation in public services

  

  An agreement has been signed between Brazil and the UK to accelerate digital transformation and innovation in public services delivery in the Latin American country.

• Tuesday, January 5th 2021 - 09:07 UTC

  Brazil posted a trade surplus of US$ 51 billion in 2020. Overall trade down 7,7%

  

  Brazil posted a US$ 51 billion trade surplus last year, official figures showed on Monday, a 6% increase from the year before as the COVID-19 pandemic hit imports harder than exports.

• Monday, January 4th 2021 - 05:36 UTC

  Brazil health regulator approves import of 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine

  

  Brazil's health regulator Anvisa said over the weekend it had approved the import of 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, although the jab is not yet approved for use in the country.

• Thursday, December 31st 2020 - 08:40 UTC

  Bolsonaro criticizes Argentina for legalizing abortion and erects as a leader of the pro-life movement

  

  Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro criticized a decision by Argentina’s Senate on Wednesday that gave women the right to decide on abortion. In a post on Twitter, the evangelical head of government said he “deeply regrets the lives of Argentine children,” saying they are now ”exposed to being cut from their mothers’ wombs with the consent of the State.”

• Thursday, December 31st 2020 - 08:35 UTC

  Brazil dispute with Pfizer vaccine; pledges emergency use for AstraZeneca's shots probably by mid January

  

  Brazil will soon weigh emergency-use approval for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after Britain gave the green light on Wednesday, as Latin America's largest country rushes to catch up with immunization programs under way around the hard-hit region.

• Thursday, December 31st 2020 - 08:23 UTC

  Brazilian medical suppliers in conflict with government over syringe and needle prices

  

  Brazilian syringe and needle makers warned on Wednesday the country's coronavirus vaccination program was at risk after the government set auction prices too low and failed to draw bids for enough syringes to meet its requirements.

• Wednesday, December 30th 2020 - 08:50 UTC

  Brazil's industry confidence index in December reaches the highest level in ten years

  

  Brazil's industry confidence rose 1.8 points in December to 114.9 points, reaching the highest level in more than 10 years, an economic research center said on Monday.

• Wednesday, December 30th 2020 - 08:49 UTC

  Employment situation in Brazil improving: two million find jobs

  

  Brazil’s unemployment rate fell unexpectedly to 14.3% in the three months through October, official figures showed on Tuesday, the first decline this year as the number of people with jobs rose by almost 2 million from the prior three months.

• Tuesday, December 29th 2020 - 09:35 UTC

  Oxford/Astra Zeneca will apply for full approval of its vaccine from Brazil's regulator on 15 January

  

  Brazil's Fiocruz biomedical institute will seek approval for the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 with federal health regulator Anvisa on Jan. 15, one of the center's senior officials said on Monday.

• Tuesday, December 29th 2020 - 09:30 UTC

  “Nobody pressures me for anything”, blasts Bolsonaro when asked about Covid-19 vaccines

  

  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, one of the world's most prominent coronavirus skeptics, said over the weekend he was not worried about criticism over the speed of Brazil's vaccine rollout, saying he felt no pressure.