
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Thursday decorated former Uruguayan President José Pepe Mujica (2010-2015) with the National Order of the Southern Cross on the sidelines of the two-day Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, Agencia Brasil reported. Mujica, 89, had been granted a similar accolade earlier Thursday by Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

The implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation bill has been postponed until the end of 2025, following a provisional political agreement this week, between the European Parliament and the European Council.

Brazil's economy grew 0.9% in the third quarter of 2024, according to data released this week, Agencia Brazil reported Wednesday citing figures from Brazil's Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which represented a 4% yoy increase in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—the total of all goods and services produced nationwide.

Uruguayan retailers in cities bordering Brazil have expressed concern after residents increased their tendency to shop abroad in the face of the recent rise in the US dollar. Meanwhile, duty-free shops are looking for strategies to cushion the drop in sales to the Brazilian public, amid fears of a surge in smuggling.

Why is France so committed to avoid making viable the European Union/Mercosur trade and cooperation agreement? Interest group in France argue that domestic agribusiness has been undergoing profound structural changes over the past few decades, among which declining productivity, rising costs, and a waning interest among younger generations in pursuing agricultural work.

Montevideo will host the XLV Mercosur Summit on 5-6 December, bringing together South American leaders to discuss pressing regional issues. Outgoing Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou will chair the meeting, along with Argentina's Javier Milei, Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Paraguay's Santiago Peña. Uruguay's President-elect Yamandú Orsi will also attend.

Rio de Janeiro authorities confirmed that the cruise ship industry is expected to bring some 74,000 tourists this month, Agencia Brasil reported Monday after the season kicked off Sunday with the arrival of the first five of nine vessels. During the holiday season alone, between December 25 and 31, over 22,000 tourists will pass through the Mauá Pier terminal.

Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) and the Band Management Entity (EAF) announced that the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band, intended for 5G, had been cleared as of Monday, after the total removal of interference that prevented the activation of the signal in the 5,570 municipalities nationwide, Agencia Brasil reported.

According to a yearbook released last week by Kaya Mind, a company that promotes the benefits and business opportunities related to cannabis, over 672,000 patients had been given these treatments, which represented a 56% increase from last year, Agencia Brasil reported.

According to the latest issue of Brazil's Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) Household Sample Survey, unemployment stood at 6.2% in the quarter ending last month, Agencia Brasil reported. It was the lowest mark since the measurement began being tracked in 2012. The previous quarter, ending in July, had a rate of 6.8%, while in the same quarter last year, ending in October, the rate stood at 7.6%.