Brazil

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 09:20 UTC

  Bolsonaro's chief of staff investigated over allegations of illegal campaign funding

  

  Brazil's Supreme Court said on Tuesday it had authorized a federal investigation into allegations that the incoming chief of staff for far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro had taken illegal campaign donations.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 09:17 UTC

  Norway pays Brazil US$ 70m for deforestation reduction in the Amazon in 2017

  

  Norway will pay Brazil US$ 70 million for reducing deforestation in the Amazon in 2017 but is concerned over a more recent surge in the destruction of the world's largest tropical rainforest, according to a Norwegian government statement.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 09:12 UTC

  Bolsonaro begins political contacts to address pensions scheme with piecemeal reforms

  

  Right-wing President-elect Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he plans to tackle the overhaul of Brazil's fiscally burdensome pension system with piecemeal reforms that can pass Congress, starting with an increase in the minimum age of retirement. He said reforms should start with the public social security system and advance gradually to make sure they pass Congress.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 08:49 UTC

  Brazilian Supreme Court freezes Lula's latest appeal to be freed from prison

  

  Brazil’s Supreme Court delayed indefinitely a decision on whether former president Lula da Silva should be freed from prison, where he is serving a 12-term for corruption. One of the five justices called for the postponement to give more time to study the case after two of his colleagues decided against a release.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 08:39 UTC

  Brazil's oil and gas output rose strongly in October after five flat months

  

  Brazil's domestic crude oil output rose for the first time in five months in October as production from the subsalt region continued to grow and fewer floating production units were idled by maintenance shutdowns during the month.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 08:33 UTC

  German auto maker rehiring confident of Brazil's recovery

  

  Mercedes Benz's Brazil operation will hire some 600 contractors in 2019 on year-long contracts to work on commercial vehicles, adding to a workforce of 10,000, the company said on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, December 4th 2018 - 09:04 UTC

  Brazil increasing ethanol capacity because of depressed global sugar prices

  

  Brazilian sugar companies are increasing their capacity to produce ethanol in the face of depressed global sugar prices and government policies expected to boost demand for the biofuel. A shift to ethanol in the 2018-19 season slashed Brazil’s sugar output by 9 million tons to a 12-year low and more switching to the biofuel next season could help to wipe out a global surplus weighing on sugar prices.

• Tuesday, December 4th 2018 - 08:58 UTC

  Benchmark emerging-market stocks index waiting for Brazil's Bolsonaro

  

  Brazil’s presence in the benchmark emerging-market stock index could rise again should incoming President Jair Bolsonaro deliver on his promises to shore up the finances of Latin America’s largest economy, according to MSCI Inc chief executive Henry Fernandez.

• Tuesday, December 4th 2018 - 06:03 UTC

  Transition official confirms Brazil will split Labour Ministry in three

  

  The current competences of Brazil's Labour Ministry will be spread into three other ministries when President-elect Jair Bolsonaro takes office next year, Onyx Lorenzoni announced Monday in a radio interview. Lorenzoni is the current minister of transition and will head the Civil House under Bolsonaro.

• Monday, December 3rd 2018 - 08:10 UTC

  Bolsonaro warns environmental monitoring agencies: “the party is over”

  

  Brazil's incoming far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, took a swipe at the government's environmental monitoring agencies, warning he would not allow them to impose “fines all over the place.”