
An institutional and political earthquake is shaking Brazil: the Supreme Court has opened corruption investigations into nine ministers, three governors, 24 senators, 39 members of the Lower House and other elected officials totaling at least 108 politicians, according to a report published on Tuesday by O Estado de Sao Paulo.

The RAF Hercules flight which last Saturday landed in the international Brazilian airport of Porto Alegre was flying from the Falkland Islands on a search and rescue mission, as part of a humanitarian effort, according to the Brazilian reply delivered to the Argentine foreign ministry, and reported by political analyst Martin Dinatale.

Brazil's beef exports should return to normal levels between April and May as the country's efforts to reverse import bans have started to bear fruit in the wake of a food safety scandal that surfaced last month, industry group Abrafrigo said.

Brazilian Minister of Planning, Development and Management, Dyogo Oliveira said the government is considering awarding concession contracts with the private sector for at least another ten airports. Potential terminals include Goiânia, Vitória and Recife, according to the minister.

The Royal Air Force continues to call at Brazilian airports for refueling in their trip to the Falkland Islands, according to Zero Hora, the main daily from the city of Porto Alegre in Rio Grande Do Sul state.

Brazil's annual inflation eased to the lowest rate since 2010 and came very close to the government's long-missed target, leaving the door open for the central bank to accelerate the pace of interest rate cuts next week.

Brazilian exports outweighed imports by more than US$7 billion in March despite fears that the economy could be hard hit by the country's on-going meat scandal. The country recorded a US$7.14 billion trade surplus last month, the highest level on record for the country and a whopping 61.2% increase on the previous year.

Brazilian President Michel Temer plans to water down its landmark pension reform proposal to ease lawmakers' resistance to the controversial bill key to rebalance the government's depleted finances. Temer said in a radio interview on Thursday he has authorized the lawmaker sponsoring the plan to alter its terms as long as he maintains the bill's minimum retirement age. He did not specify what changes could take place.

The approval rating for the government of Brazil's President Michel Temer has fallen to just 10%, with 55% actively disapproving of its management of the country, a new poll by the Ibope polling company showed on Friday.

Industrial output in Brazil barely grew in February, government data showed on Tuesday, throwing cold water on hopes of a quicker recovery from a two-year recession. Industrial production rose 0.1% in February from January, government statistics agency IBGE said, short of expectations for a larger increase.