Brazil

• Tuesday, March 17th 2020 - 07:58 UTC

  Hundreds flee in a major break out of four Sao Paulo jails

  

  Hundreds of prisoners broke out of four Brazilian jails on Monday, the day before their day-release privileges were due to be suspended over the coronavirus outbreak, Sao Paulo state prison authorities and local media reported.

• Tuesday, March 17th 2020 - 07:30 UTC

  Brazilian football suspended; Flamengo's coach tested positive for coronavirus

  

  Flamengo coach Jorge Jesus has tested positive for coronavirus and is under quarantine in Rio de Janeiro while doctors perform a second confirmatory test, he and his club said on Monday.

• Friday, March 13th 2020 - 08:25 UTC

  Brazilian congress and Bolsonaro clash slumps the Real to below 5 to the dollar

  

  As if things were not difficult enough for markets in Brazil, whose stocks and currency are among the world's worst-performing this year, an unexpected twist in the country's fragile politics threatens to make the situation even tougher.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:52 UTC

  Brazilian stocks plunged on Wednesday; second day in the week trading had to be suspended

  

  Brazilian stocks plunged on Wednesday on fears about the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, leading the Sao Paulo stock exchange to suspend trading for the second time this week.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:48 UTC

  With local elections looming, Brazilian congress overturns Bolsonaro veto on social spending

  

  Brazil's Congress overturned a presidential veto on Wednesday in an ongoing battle over appropriations with President Jair Bolsonaro, doubling social assistance for elderly and disabled people that will cost an extra 20 billion reais (US$ 4.2 billion) this year.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:40 UTC

  Brazil February inflation, 0,25%, the lowest since the same month in 2000

  

  Brazilian inflation rose more than expected in February, official figures showed on Wednesday, although the monthly increase was still the lowest for any February in 20 years.

• Wednesday, March 11th 2020 - 08:55 UTC

  Brazil downplays the threat of coronavirus: “it is overstated”

  

  Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro minimized the threat of the new coronavirus - which has killed nearly 4,000 people in more than 60 countries and tanked global financial markets, saying its destructive power has been “overstated”.

• Wednesday, March 11th 2020 - 08:46 UTC

  Bolsonaro promotes a demonstration criticized by the Legislative and Judiciary

  

  Brazil's far-right president Jair Bolsonaro called on his backers to take to the streets next weekend to show their support for him, even as critics said such a demonstration would be anti-democratic.

• Wednesday, March 11th 2020 - 06:55 UTC

  Ronaldinho remains in jail in Paraguay on possession of fake passports

  

  Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will remain in pre-trial detention in Paraguay after a judge on Tuesday rejected his lawyer's request that he be released on bail or to house arrest.

• Tuesday, March 10th 2020 - 08:15 UTC

  Black Monday cocktail: oil price war and coronavirus trigger market panic

  

  World oil prices crashed on Monday, fuelling a vicious selloff on stock markets that were already buckling from the spreading coronavirus outbreak. Stocks tanked as the global oil market nosedived 30% at one stage after top exporter Saudi Arabia slashed the prices it charges customers following a bust-up with Russia over crude production cuts.