Brazil

• Monday, December 17th 2018 - 09:02 UTC

  Brazilian faith healer accused of raping 300 women has turned himself in

  

  A Brazilian faith healer who was accused of sexual abuse by more than 300 women has turned himself in a day after being officially ruled a fugitive, local news media reported on Sunday.

• Monday, December 17th 2018 - 08:49 UTC

  Oil trader Trafigura ex officials face corruption charges in Brazil involving Petrobras

  

  Brazilian prosecutors on Friday charged two former executives of oil trader Trafigura over allegations of paying at least US$ 1.5 million in bribes to employees of Petrobras. Prosecutors said in a statement that the charges against Mariano Marcondes Ferraz, a former Trafigura top executive, and Marcio Pinto Magalhaes, a country representative, were the first of many to come against the world’s largest oil traders.

• Monday, December 17th 2018 - 08:43 UTC

  Gay couples marry before Bolsonaro takes office on January first

  

  About forty gay couples got married in downtown Sao Paulo on Saturday, tying the knot partly out of fear that the new administration of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro could restrict same-sex marriage. Although his campaign did not express views against gay marriage, Bolsonaro's record of homophobic comments has caused alarm.

• Monday, December 17th 2018 - 07:59 UTC

  Brazil launches first of four submarines constructed with French technology

  

  The Brazilian Navy launched on Friday its first Brazilian-built Scorpène submarine, the Riachuelo. The ceremony took place at the Itaguaí Navy base in presence of current president Michel Temer and elected president Jair Bolsonaro.

• 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.