
Brazil’s Senate on Tuesday overturned a decree signed last month by right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro that drastically expanded the number of people allowed to carry weapons in public.

Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro replaced his minister in charge of political relations with Congress, the presidential spokesman said. Government Secretary Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz was fired during a meeting with Bolsonaro, according to reports in the Brazilian media last week.

Effective June 17, tourists from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia will no longer need a visa to visit Brazil. Travellers with a valid passport will be able to explore Brazil for up to 90 days, with the possibility of extending their stay to up to 180 days (though expect a visit to the Federal Police to get the extension approved).

Protests have been held across Brazil as thousands of public workers take part in a general strike against a government proposal to reform pensions. The strike, the first since far-right President Jair Bolsonaro took office in January, has affected public transport, schools and banks.

Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro on Friday criticized the Supreme Court's decision to criminalize homophobia, saying it could hurt gays by deterring companies from hiring them.

A Brazilian judge on Friday acquitted a mentally ill man of attacking president Jair Bolsonaro on last year's campaign trail, but jailed him for an indefinite period. Adelio Bispo de Oliveira stabbed Bolsonaro in the stomach on Sep 6 during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.

Following on a court order, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro issued a retraction note to opposition Congresswoman Maria do Rosário (PT-RS) because of his statements about rape. During a discussion in 2003, when Bolsonaro was still congressman, he said that Mary of the Rosary did not deserve to be raped because she was too ugly.

Brazil’s Justice Minister Sergio Moro faced intense pressure on Tuesday after leaked personal messages raised doubts about his impartiality as the judge overseeing landmark corruption cases, with an influential newspaper calling on him to resign.

Three more foreign airlines are in talks with the Brazilian government to start domestic flight operations in the country, Brazil’s infrastructure minister Tarcisio Gomes de Freitas told reporters.

Brazilian Justice Minister Sergio Moro and federal prosecutors scrambled to respond on Monday to reports published by news website The Intercept based on what it said were leaked messages from a corruption probe.