Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 3 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Rio de Janeiro local authorities are considering the possibility of scrapping the mandatory use of facemasks given the decreasing number of COVID-19 infections reported over the past few weeks.

The City’s Special Committee to Combat COVID-19, known as the City Hall Scientific Committee, is to ponder the issue during its next meeting March 7, City Hall Health Secretary Daniel Soranz told reporters.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Scientists have long been warning that extreme weather would cause calamity in the future. But in South America — which in just the last month has had deadly landslides in Brazil, wildfire in Argentine wetlands and flooding in the Amazon so severe it ruined harvests — that future is already here.

PETROPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — The death toll from floods and landslides that swept down on the mountain city of Petropolis rose to at least 117 on Thursday and local officials said it could still rise sharply, with 116 more still unaccounted for.

The Rio de Janeiro state government confirmed the rising loss of life, with many feared buried in mud beneath the German-influenced city nestled in the mountains above the city of Rio de Janeiro.

PETROPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — Rio de Janeiro state’s government has confirmed 94 deaths from floods and mudslides that swept away homes and cars in the city of Petropolis. But even as families prepared to bury their dead, it was unclear Thursday how many bodies remained trapped in the mud.

Rubens Bomtempo, mayor of the German-influenced city nestled in the mountains, didn’t even offer an estimate for the number of people missing, with recovery efforts still ongoing.

PETROPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — The death toll from devastating mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 38, local authorities said Wednesday.

The city of Petropolis was slammed by a deluge on Tuesday, and Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as searchers picked through the wreckage.

Rosilene Virgilio, 49, was in tears as she recalled the pleas for help from a woman she couldn’t save.

RIO DE JANEIRO, February 13. /TASS/: President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro highlighted the priority areas of cooperation with Russia planned to be discussed during the forthcoming visit to Moscow next week.

"Brazil depends to a significant extent on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus. We will travel with a group of ministers to discuss other matters as well. Our country is interested [in cooperation] in energy, defense and agriculture," Bolsonaro said during the stream in social networks. The head of state also expressed hope that "peace for all will be established in the world."

BRASILIA, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s federal police said President Jair Bolsonaro committed a crime by publicly revealing details about a sealed criminal probe, but would not recommend charging him given his immunity while in office.

The federal police’s conclusion that the president committed a crime is unlikely to trouble Bolsonaro due to his immunity from prosecution. But it adds to growing institutional tensions in Brazil ahead of this year’s presidential vote in which the far-right populist faces an uphill battle to be re-elected.

BRASILIA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Brazilian former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist polling ahead of incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro prior to this year's general election, said on Thursday he does not expect to keep local fuel prices linked to global oil prices if he wins.

State-run oil company Petrobras (PETR4.SA) currently sells its fuel based on the import parity prices, taking into account international prices for products such as gasoline and diesel and the foreign exchange rate. Lula implied that would change if he is elected.

BRASILIA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's federal police on Wednesday said President Jair Bolsonaro committed a crime by publicly revealing details about a sealed criminal probe, but would not recommend charging him given his immunity while in office.

The federal police's conclusion that the president committed a crime is unlikely to trouble Bolsonaro due to his immunity from prosecution. But it adds to growing institutional tensions in Brazil ahead of this year's presidential vote in which the far-right populist faces an uphill battle to be re-elected.

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains killed at least 19 people in Brazil’s most populous state Sunday while high waters forced some 500,000 families from their homes over the weekend, authorities said.

Three people from the same family died when a landslide destroyed their house in the city of Embu das Artes, according to the municipal government, while four other people were rescued by firemen.