Brazil Elections

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Teams of rescuers were preparing to dig through thick mud on Saturday in a search for survivors of a dam burst at a Brazilian iron ore mine owned by Vale SA (VALE3.SA) that left hundreds missing and halted operations.

January 26, 2019 - Brazil halts work at Vale mine with hundreds missing after dam burst
Brazil halts work at Vale mine with hundreds missing after dam burst | Reuters

More than a dozen helicopters flew over the area on Saturday to survey the disaster and aid the rescue teams.

The state fire department said in a statement that only 10 bodies had been found so far. In a separate statement, the department reduced the number of missing to roughly 300 people, after 46 were found alive.

“Unfortunately, at this point, the chances of finding survivors are minimal. We’re likely to just be recovering bodies,” Romeu Zema, governor of Minas Gerais, told local media.

During a press conference, Zema said the mining complex had all its permits in order and it was unclear what caused the collapse of the dam, which had been inactive for years.

The National Mining Agency ordered Vale, the largest producer of iron ore in the world, to halt operations at the Corrego do Feijao mine, located near the town of Brumadinho in mining-focused Minas Gerais, according to a document seen by Reuters.

Slideshow (16 Images)
Brazil halts work at Vale mine with hundreds missing after dam burst | Reuters

Brazil fines Vale $66 million over mine dam burst
Brazilian environmental agency Ibama has fined miner Vale SA 250 million reais ($66.32 million) for various violations related to a tailings dam that burst at its Corrego do Feijao iron ore mine on Friday.

Brazilian rescuers find 10 bodies after mine dam burst: firefighters
Brazilian firefighters on Saturday confirmed that 10 bodies have been recovered after a tailings dam at a Brazilian iron ore mine owned by Vale SA burst, leaving hundreds missing and halting operations.

 

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Brazil’s newly inaugurated right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro checked into a hospital in Sao Paulo on Sunday ahead of a surgery to remove his colostomy bag, scheduled for the next day.

Jan. 27, 2019 - Brazil President Bolsonaro checks into hospital ahead of surgery
Brazil President Bolsonaro checks into hospital ahead of surgery | Reuters

Bolsonaro had a colostomy bag inserted after surviving a near-fatal stabbing to the intestine on the campaign trail in September.

The surgery is scheduled for 6 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Monday at the Albert Einstein hospital.

After the surgery, doctors recommend Bolsonaro rest for 48 hours. During this period, Vice President Hamilton Mourao will take over the presidency, according to a statement from spokesman Otávio Santana do Rêgo Barros’ office.

Bolsonaro is expected to stay in the hospital for 10 days and will establish contact with his advisers after the initial two-day recovery period, the statement said.

The surgery was initially scheduled for December but was postponed after tests showed Bolsonaro’s intestines were still inflamed.


Death toll rises to 58 as hope dims after Brazil dam collapse
Brazilian rescuers searched into the night on Sunday for hundreds of people missing after a burst mining dam triggered a deadly mudslide, as the death toll rose to 58 people and was expected to keep climbing more than two days after the disaster.

Second dam at Vale complex no longer at risk; Brazil officials end evacuation
A remaining dam at a Vale SA iron ore mining complex in Brazil is no longer at risk of bursting, a spokesman for the Minas Gerais civil defense agency said on Sunday, following the rupture of an adjacent dam that killed at least 37 and left hundreds missing.

Inspection found no flaws in burst Brazilian mine dam: German firm
A Vale SA <VALE3.SA> dam in Brazil that burst, killing at least 10 people and leaving hundreds missing, showed no structural flaws when it was inspected last September, the German firm that carried out the inspection said on Saturday.

 

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Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao, who is the country’s acting president while Jair Bolsonaro undergoes planned surgery, said on Monday that the government would need to investigate but also punish anyone found responsible for a deadly mining disaster.

Jan. 28, 2019 - Brazil VP says Government needs to punish those responsible for dam disaster
Brazil VP says government needs to punish those responsible for dam disaster | Reuters

Mourao also said the question of the management of Vale (VALE3.SA), which owns the mine, would be analyzed by a crisis working group formed by the government.

Slideshow (28 Images)
Death toll rises to 58 as hope dims after Brazil dam collapse | Reuters


Allianz provided some reinsurance for burst Vale dam: sources
German insurer Allianz may have to cover some of the costs of the dam collapse at Vale's Corrego do Feijao mine in Brazil, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Vale stock plunges after Brazil disaster; $19 billion in market cap erased
Brazilian miner Vale SA's shares plunged on Monday, wiping out 71.34 billion reais ($18.96 billion) in market value, after a tailing dam collapse on Friday killed scores of people less than four years after a similar disaster.

Vale to maintain royalties payment to Brumadinho after disaster: CFO
Brazilian miner Vale SA <VALE3.SA> will maintain royalty payments to the municipality of Brumadinho despite stalled operations at the site after the disaster that killed dozens last week, chief financial officer Luciano Siani said on Monday.

Vale suspends dividends, buybacks and bonuses after Brazil dam disaster
Vale SA, the world's largest iron ore miner, suspended its planned shareholder dividends, share buybacks and executive bonuses in light of a deadly tailings dam disaster in Brazil, according to a securities filing late on Sunday.

Brazil's top prosecutor says Vale executives may be punished for dam burst
Brazil's top prosecutor said on Monday she will pursue criminal prosecutions after the collapse of a tailings dam operated by mining giant Vale SA <VALE3.SA> killed at least 58 people and left hundreds missing, and that executives may be punished.

 

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BRUMADINHO, Brazil - The death toll from a dam burst in the Brazilian town of Brumadinho rose to 110 people, with 238 still unaccounted for, according to rescuers working at the site on Thursday.

January 31, 2019 - Brazil Dam burst death toll rises to 110; search goes on for 238
Brazil dam burst death toll rises to 110; search goes on for 238

They said that 71 bodies had been identified so far, recovered after mud flowed from the ruptured tailings dam, which belongs to iron ore miner Vale SA.


Vale hires law firm Skadden to run dam burst investigation
Brazilian miner Vale SA <VALE3.SA> hired law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP to organize an investigation into a deadly dam burst last week that likely killed hundreds of people in Brazil, the company said in a securities filing on Thursday.

 

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At least 115 people dead and around 250 missing in what could be the country's deadliest mine disaster.

New video captures moment of deadly dam collapse in Brazil

Published on Feb 2, 2019 (1:00 min.)


New video captures moment of deadly dam collapse in Brazil

02/02/2019 - The moment a powerful wave of toxic waste began sweeping over everything in its path has been captured on video. The collapse of a dam at an iron ore mine in southern Brazil a week ago has left at least 115 people dead and around 250 missing.

The cause of what could be Brazil's deadliest mine disaster was likely to have been parts of the sand and dried-mud structure dissolving into liquid, said the state regulator in an interview. This is similar to what caused another deadly mining disaster less than four years ago.

An investigation is underway, he added.

The burst tailings dam at the Corrego do Feijao mine last Friday has ignited intense public anger against mine owners, Vale SA, which was co-owner of Samarco, the previous dam that collapsed.

A ceremony was held at the site of the disaster around 1 pm local time, the hour at which the dam breached.

Excavators stopped digging in the mud, and rescuers looking for survivors in the thick mine tailings all looked to the sky as ten fire department and police helicopters released flower petals onto the iron ore mining complex.

An official said that authorities were not calling off the search for bodies although no one had been found alive since Saturday.

 

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is still in the hospital after surgery. It's now reported that he has bacterial pneumonia and will stay in the hospital until at least February 11th.

February 5, 2019 - Brazil's President still in semi-intensive care, no date to leave hospital
Brazil's president still in semi-intensive care, no date to leave...


Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's medical condition has improved, with no fever, but he remains in semi-intensive care with visits restricted and there is no date set for him to leave hospital, his spokesman said on Tuesday.


February 7, 2019 - Brazilian President Bolsonaro has pneumonia, says he is well
Brazilian president Bolsonaro has pneumonia, says he is well

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has pneumonia after registering a fever during a hospital stay, but a tweet on the far-right leader’s Twitter profile on Thursday said he was “well.”

Bolsonaro had an operation on Jan. 28 to remove a colostomy bag that was put in place after he was stabbed while campaigning ahead of Brazil’s election last year.

He had originally been expected to stay in hospital for 10 days but this week his spokesman said he would remain hospitalized at least until Feb. 11 because of a fever and other complications.

The Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo said in a statement on Thursday that doctors had adjusted his antibiotics dose after a fever late on Wednesday.

Presidential spokesman Otavio Rego Barros said at a news conference that the president was in semi-intensive care. He said Bolsonaro had a 38 degree Celsius (100.4°F) fever on Wednesday and bacterial pneumonia.

If the president is unable to carry out his duties, then Vice President Hamilton Mourao, a retired general who has already clashed with Bolsonaro over a number of issues, would take charge.

 

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro left the hospital in Sao Paulo on Wednesday early afternoon and is returning to Brasilia to resume his duties, his spokesman said.

February 13, 2019 - Brazil's Bolsonaro leaves hospital and heads to Brasilia
Brazil's Bolsonaro leaves hospital and heads to Brasilia

The presidential airplane transporting Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is seen before taking off at the Congonhas airport after leaving the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil February 13, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

Bolsonaro had an operation on Jan. 28 to remove a colostomy bag that was attached to his intestine after he was stabbed in the abdomen while campaigning for the elections in September.

“In the last five months, there have been three surgeries and one month in hospital,” Bolsonaro tweeted. “I just have to thank God and everyone for finally being able to return to work.”

 

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is confronting the most serious cabinet controversy of his young government as he met with ministers on Thursday to make final changes to a proposed social security overhaul seen as essential to shoring up the economy.

February 14, 2019 - Brazil's Bolsonaro confronts cabinet scandal as Pension debate nears
Brazil's Bolsonaro confronts cabinet scandal as pension debate nears

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann -/File Photo

Gustavo Bebianno, secretary general for Bolsonaro and one of his closest aides, has come under fire amid reports of the misuse of campaign funds by the political party he led in last year’s elections. Bolsonaro joined the right-wing Social Liberal Party (PSL) last March as he was preparing his presidential run.

Bolsonaro is expected to meet with Bebianno later on Thursday. The president said in a late Wednesday TV interview that he had ordered a police investigation into whether the party misused campaign funds.

Separately, Bolsonaro was scheduled to meet with Economy Minister Paulo Guedes and other aides to discuss a pension reform proposal aimed at saving some 1 trillion reais ($265 billion) over the next decade.

PHANTOM CANDIDATE
The Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported earlier this week on an alleged “phantom” PSL candidate for federal Congress who was given 400,000 reais in party campaign funds just days before the election in which she won 274 votes.

Bebianno, then serving as the PSL party president, approved the funding for her campaign. He insists he has broken no laws and has said he will not resign.

Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that if Bebianno was found to have committed any wrongdoing, he would need to leave his post.

The Bebianno controversy is the latest scandal tarnishing the anti-corruption credentials of Bolsonaro, who rode into office pledging zero tolerance for graft after years of political bribery investigations rocking Brasilia.

The president’s son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is also facing accusations from prosecutors of money laundering and tough questions about irregular payments made to his driver in recent years when he was a member of the Rio de Janeiro state assembly. Flavio Bolsonaro says he has done nothing wrong.

 

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Brazilian police arrested eight employees of mining firm Vale SA on Friday, accused by state prosecutors of covering up weaknesses at a dam that collapsed and likely killed more than 300 people.

February 15, 2019 - Brazil arrests eight Vale employees in alleged cover-up in dam disaster
Brazil arrests eight Vale employees in alleged cover-up in dam...

FILE PHOTO: A helmet with a logo of Vale SA is seen in a collapsed tailings dam owned by the company, in Brumadinho, Brazil February 13, 2019. REUTERS/Washington Alves

Police also executed 14 search warrants as part of the probe of the country’s deadliest mining disaster, prosecutors in the mining state of Minas Gerais said.

The arrests and search warrants targeted employees of Vale as well as German auditing firm TÜV SÜD, which had certified the dam as stable.

“The eight Vale employees .. had full knowledge of the situation of instability in the dam and each one of them, as part of their job, also had the power and ability to adopt measures for either stabilizing the structure or evacuating areas at risk,” a judge in Minas Gerais wrote in an arrest warrant, issued in response to a petition from the state prosecutor’s office.

Brazilian miner Vale's safety procedures have not worked, the company's chief executive said on Thursday, responding to questions from lawmakers after one of the company's dams collapsed last month with the loss of hundreds of lives.

February 14, 2019 - Vale's safety measures have not worked, CEO says as woes grow
Vale's safety measures have not worked, CEO says as woes grow

FILE PHOTO: Members of a rescue team search for victims of a collapsed tailings dam owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA, in Brumadinho, Brazil February 13, 2019. REUTERS/Washington Alves

The company, which is still dealing with the consequences of the 2015 collapse of a nearby dam it co-owned, is facing several investigations over the Jan. 25 disaster in the town of Brumadinho in Minas Gerais state.

“Vale humbly acknowledges that, whatever we have been doing, it has not worked, as a dam has collapsed,” CEO Fabio Schvartsman told lawmakers in Brazil’s lower house, who are investigating the tragedy.

The break of Vale’s dam polluted the Paraopeba river and killed at least 166 people, with nearly 200 still missing, according to the latest information from rescue workers.

 

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Brazil's authorities will investigate miner Vale SA over possible corruption in misleading officials about the safety of its dam that burst and killed hundreds, a spokeswoman for the Mines and Energy Ministry said on Friday.

March 1, 2019 - Brazil to launch corruption probe into Vale Dam disaster
Brazil to launch corruption probe into Vale dam disaster

FILE PHOTO: A view of a collapsed tailings dam owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA, in Brumadinho, Brazil February 10, 2019. REUTERS/Washington Alves/File Photo

If found to have violated Brazil’s 2013 anti-corruption law, Vale could face a fine of up to 20 percent of its 2018 gross revenue. In 2017, the company reported 109 billion reais ($28.79 billion) in revenue and net income of 17.6 billion reais.

Vale is due to report fourth-quarter 2018 earnings on March 27.

Bloomberg first reported that the ministry’s mining secretary Alexandre Vidigal de Oliveira said in an interview that he had requested an investigation be opened into whether Vale had colluded with auditors to misrepresent the safety of the dam.

Vale shares fell as much as 5.4 percent after that report was published, before partly recovering to be down 0.4 percent in early afternoon trading.

Vale said in a securities filing on Friday that it had not been informed of the investigation and denied that any of its actions could fall under the scope of the anti-corruption law. The company said it has always acted within the law and denied any interference in the government’s oversight of dams.


Brazil gold mine blast kills two: Canada's Leagold
An underground blast in a gold mine in the Brazilian state of Bahia on Friday killed two workers, Canadian company Leagold Mining Corp said.

Lula's attorneys to seek temporary release after death of grandson
Lawyers for Brazil's former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said on Friday they will ask courts to release him temporarily from jail so he can attend the funeral of his 7-year-old grandson who died hours earlier.

 

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has sparked shock and outrage by tweeting a video showing one man urinating on another during his country's massive annual street carnival.

President Bolsonaro shocks with Brazil 'golden shower' tweet March 6, 2019

“What is a golden shower?” Bolsonaro tweeted on Wednesday, a day after posting the video in which a barely dressed party-goer writhes atop a bus shelter, plays with his behind, and then bends over before another man urinates on his head.

“I do not feel comfortable showing this, but ... this is what many of the street parties in Brazil’s carnival have turned into,” Bolsonaro tweeted about the video, which local media said was filmed at a Sao Paulo street party, or bloco.

It remains to be seen whether he will face consequences over the posts. Leftist lawmaker Paulo Teixeira said on Twitter he would ask prosecutors to investigate whether Bolsonaro had broken privacy laws.

Twitter said in a statement that any violations of its content rules were “subject to appropriate measures,” but declined to say whether the post constituted a violation.

In a statement, Brazil’s presidency defended Bolsonaro for posting a video that it said scandalized the whole country. “There was no intention to criticize the carnival in a generic way, but rather to characterize a clear distortion of its spirit,” it said.

Brazil’s most famous carnival celebrations take place in Rio de Janeiro, where Bolsonaro was a federal congressman for nearly three decades.

 

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Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted an invitation to visit China and is evaluating the best date for the trip, Chinese Ambassador in Brasilia Yang Wanming said on Friday.

Brazil President Bolsonaro accepts invitation to visit China: ambassador

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attends a ceremony in celebration of 211th anniversary of Brazilian Marine Corps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

On the campaign trail, Bolsonaro repeatedly criticized China buying up Brazilian assets as being a strategic threat to the country, but has struck a more conciliatory tone since being elected. Bolsonaro assumed office on Jan. 1 this year.

Indigenous rights ignored as Brazil jump-starts power line: prosecutor
Brazil's move to accelerate construction of an electric line to the northern state of Roraima, which now relies on crisis-ridden Venezuela for power, could violate the rights of indigenous peoples whose land it must cross, a federal prosecutor told Reuters.

Brazil's far-right president on Thursday described the country's armed forces, which led the country under a military dictatorship for over two decades, as the ultimate arbiters of democracy.

Brazil's Bolsonaro says democracy, liberty depend on military

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attends a ceremony in celebration of 211th anniversary of Brazilian Marine Corps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Speaking at a naval event in Rio de Janeiro alongside some of the former generals who sit in his cabinet, Jair Bolsonaro praised Brazil’s military.

“Democracy and liberty only exist when your armed forces want them to,” said Bolsonaro, himself a former army captain.

Critics of Bolsonaro, a longtime advocate of Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship, have expressed concern over the growing role of high-ranking former soldiers in his government.

Speaking with reporters in Brasilia, Vice President Hamilton Mourao defended Bolsonaro’s comments, which he said were not meant as a threat.

“The president said that if the armed forces are not committed to democracy and freedom, those values die. That is what has happened in Venezuela, where the Venezuelan armed forces tore those values up,” Mourao said.

Bolsonaro was joined at the event by his national security adviser, former General Augusto Heleno, and his Defense Minister, former General Fernando Azevedo e Silva. Other former generals in his cabinet include Infrastructure Minister Tarcisio Freitas and Government Minister Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, a retired general. Vice President Mourao is also a former general.

Critics of Bolsonaro, a longtime advocate of Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship, have expressed concern over the growing role of high-ranking former soldiers in his government.

Speaking with reporters in Brasilia, Vice President Hamilton Mourao defended Bolsonaro’s comments, which he said were not meant as a threat.

“The president said that if the armed forces are not committed to democracy and freedom, those values die. That is what has happened in Venezuela, where the Venezuelan armed forces tore those values up,” Mourao said.

Bolsonaro was joined at the event by his national security adviser, former General Augusto Heleno, and his Defense Minister, former General Fernando Azevedo e Silva. Other former generals in his cabinet include Infrastructure Minister Tarcisio Freitas and Government Minister Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, a retired general. Vice President Mourao is also a former general.

Bolsonaro’s proposal to address a widening pension deficit by raising taxes, delaying retirements and creating individual savings accounts is the cornerstone of his economic agenda.

 

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I don't know, if Bolsonaro is "playing along - to get along" with the US, in opposing Venezuela, due to the assassination attempt when he was running for the Presidency and a possible fear that the US would turn on him, with the same scenario Venezuela is experiencing, including Sanctions, which would interfere with reforms Bolsonaro is trying to establish?

Brazil's Bolsonaro will visit on March 19: White House

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro gestures during a ceremony to mark the International Women's Day at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil March 8, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will visit the White House on March 19 and is expected to discuss subjects including the situation in Venezuela with U.S. President Donald Trump, the White House said in a statement.

Bolsonaro is a far-right former army captain who openly admires Trump. In a phone call after Bolsonaro’s election victory in October, they spoke of “a strong commitment to work side by side” on issues affecting their countries.

Even before taking office in January, Bolsonaro pledged to oppose the government of Venezuela, where an economic crisis has caused millions of people to flee, many to neighboring Brazil.

Since taking power, Bolsonaro has stepped up criticism of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government and recognized Juan Guaido, the opposition leader and self-declared president, as the leader of the OPEC member nation.

The United States has also recognized Guaido as president and called on others to do the same. Washington has increased sanctions against Venezuela in a bid to oust Maduro.

 

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Two former police officers were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly killing a local councilwoman and her driver, Rio de Janeiro prosecutors said, describing a breakthrough in a crime that had sent shock waves through a country numbed by rising violence.

Two ex-cops charged with killing activist Brazilian politician

Rio de Janeiro governor Wilson Witzel attends a news conference after two former police officers were arrested and charged in connection with the murder of activist and councilwoman Marielle Franco, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

The arrests came just days before the first anniversary of the deaths of Marielle Franco, a black, openly gay and progressive councilwoman born in a poor Rio neighborhood and her driver, Anderson Gomes.

Franco was a vocal critic of Rio police for their often-deadly gang-busting operations in the city’s slums, and took stands against paramilitary militias, comprised of current and former police, who are de-facto bosses across wide swaths of the city.

“Two police officers were arrested with a direct and effective participation in the crime,” said Marcus Vinícius Braga, Rio de Janeiro state police secretary. “With these arrests, we are getting close to solving the crime.”

Despite the claims of a breakthrough, some were skeptical. “The case is not yet over,” said one local prosecutor, who asked for anonymity to comment about a case in which he was not involved. “They still need to know the motive of the crime and who ordered it.” “I don’t like how politicized the case has become ... we need to be very cautious,” the prosecutor added.

The suspects were identified as Ronnie Lessa, a retired military police officer, and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz, a policeman who was expelled from the force.

Flavio Bolsonaro, a son of the Brazilian president, has been accused of having ties to Rio’s militias while he was a Rio state lawmaker.

Lessa lives in the same wealthy, beachside community where President Jair Bolsonaro has a home, according to authorities,
who did not say if they knew each other, of if Bolsonaro was linked in any way. Authorities have not tied him to the crime.

Investigators said Lessa fired the shots that killed Franco and Gomes on March 14, 2018, while Queiroz drove the car that ambushed them.

Franco, a human rights and women’s rights activist, was a rising star in the Socialism and Liberty Party. Her press secretary, Fernanda Chaves, who was traveling in the same vehicle, suffered minor injuries.

According to the document detailing the charges, “it is undisputed that Marielle Francisco da Silva was summarily executed because of the political causes that she defended.”

Intense floods in Latin America's business hub Sao Paulo killed at least 11 people, turned roads into rivers and tossed cars atop buildings and into trees, with authorities bracing for more rain Monday evening.

Eleven dead as Brazil's largest city flooded

Men wait for the water level to drop in a flooded street after heavy rains in Vila Prudente neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Five people drowned. The others, including at least one infant, were buried alive in mudslides, according to the Sao Paulo state security secretariat.

Nearly 110 millimeters - over 4 inches - of rain fell from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon, 70 percent of the amount expected for the entire month of March, authorities said. Rain is forecast for at least another two days.

The Mercedes Benz truck and bus factory in Sao Bernardo do Campo was flooded and activity partially suspended, according to the local metalworkers’ union. The German automaker is the largest manufacturer of trucks and buses in Brazil, having sold 21,153 vehicles last year.

 

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Inspired by Columbine, Brazil pair kill eight and themselves in school shooting


Two former students opened fire at a Brazilian school on Wednesday and killed at least five teenagers as well as two school officials before committing suicide in an attack that police said was inspired by the 1999 Columbine massacre in the United States.

Brazil's Bolsonaro, Trump to meet privately in Oval Office next week


Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will meet privately with U.S. leader Donald Trump in the Oval Office during his visit to the White House next Tuesday, Brazil's presidential spokesman said on Wednesday, adding an interpreter will be present.

Brazil's Bolsonaro to visit Israel with embassy move still undecided


Brazilian right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro will visit Israel at the end of the month but he may not be able to deliver on a promise to move Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem, a move opposed by military officers in his cabinet.

Brazil court orders Vale employees, contractors arrested again


A Brazilian court in the state of Minas Gerais on Wednesday ordered the arrest of Vale SA employees and contractors who worked for auditor Tuv Sud and were charged in a January dam burst that killed hundreds of people, according to a court statement.