Brazil

• Monday, December 17th 2018 - 07:40 UTC

  Brazil refutes Merkel's comments on Mercosur and Bolsonaro

  

  Brazil’s outgoing Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said that Mercosur is ready to close a trade agreement with the European Union but it is being held up because the Europeans do not want to close a deal.

• Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 08:36 UTC

  Brazil prepared if global soy market normalizes, following the US/China spat

  

  Brazil is prepared in the event China removes tariffs on U.S. soy, which had driven down prices for the oilseed in Chicago and driven up the premiums over U.S. prices paid for Brazilian beans, outgoing Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Friday.

• Friday, December 14th 2018 - 09:40 UTC

  Bolsonaro prepares to take office with 75% support: “he's on the right track”

  

  A vast majority of Brazilians, 75%, are convinced that president-elect Jair Bolsonaro is “on the right track”, and over 50% are confident of his economic plan or promises. Likewise 64% believe that 2019 is going to be a “very good year”, while “average” for 18% and “terribly bad” for 14%.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 09:24 UTC

  Arizona processor recalls beef infected with salmonella; company is subsidiary of Brazil's JBS

  

  An Arizona meat processor in the United States is recalling 12 million pounds of raw beef that health officials say already has sickened 246 people in 25 states with salmonella. JBS Tolleson Inc. said it was voluntarily expanding an October recall by about 5 million pounds, making it one of the largest recalls of ground beef in history.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 09:10 UTC

  Corruption investigation into Brazil's major meatpacker JBS SA

  

  Brazilian police made public an investigation into corruption involving three senators and three lawmakers that stemmed from a related probe into major meatpacker JBS SA. The police carried out 24 search-and-seizure warrants in the early morning hours, they said in a written statement, as part of an investigation into money laundering and corruption, among other crimes.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 08:20 UTC

  Brazilian faith healer of international reputation accused of iterated sexual abuse

  

  More than 200 people have come forward with complaints of sexual abuse by a Brazilian faith healer, authorities said on Wednesday. The accusations against Joao Teixeira de Faria, who uses the name Joao de Deus in his practice, began last week after several alleged victims spoke on a Globo News television program of sexual violence going back years.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 06:57 UTC

  Brazilian central bank keeps interest rates at an all time low

  

  The Brazilian central bank on Wednesday held interest rates at an all-time low, as widely expected, and hinted that it will hold off from raising them for longer than expected. The bank’s nine-member monetary policy committee, Copom, kept the benchmark Selic rate at 6.50 percent for a sixth straight meeting.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 06:22 UTC

  Falklands goes ahead with negotiations and contract for second commercial flight

  

  The Executive Council has today Wednesday authorised the Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands Government to complete the necessary negotiations with LATAM Airlines Brazil and to finalise a contract, subject to agreement with MLAs, to establish and operate a new weekly route between Sao Paulo and the Falkland Islands.

• Wednesday, December 12th 2018 - 10:12 UTC

  Gunman kills at least six at Brazilian church, then commits suicide

  

  A gunman later identified as 49-year-old Euler Fernando Grandolpho opened fire Tuesday against parishioners during midday mass at the Campinas Cathedral (95 km northwest of Sao Paulo), killing at least six of them and wounding several others, it was reported. The assailant eventually took his own life.

• Wednesday, December 12th 2018 - 08:29 UTC

  Brazil's future environment minister favors remaining in Paris Agreement but with country autonomy

  

  Brazil’s future environment minister under President-elect Jair Bolsonaro said that the country should stay in the Paris Agreement on climate change, but the world must also respect its autonomy to set its environmental policies.