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Brazil

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Brazil. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Brasília

Head of State

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Head of Government

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

A sea lion sits on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Photo: Reuters

New Zealand

Suspected sea lion bite halts New Zealand surfing event

A photographer shooting the World Surf League was bitten on the foot while in the water.

25 May 2026 - 11:48AM

Science

China’s desire for endless youth is wiping out donkeys – can scientists help?

24 May 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Aviation accidents

Air France 2009 crash verdict sparks mixed emotions among families

22 May 2026 - 4:35PM

France

Paris court finds Airbus, Air France guilty in 2009 crash

Flight AF447 ‌vanished from ‌radar screens on June 1, 2009, with people from 33 nationalities on board.

21 May 2026 - 8:56PM

Brazilian Navy sailors pick a piece of debris from Air France flight AF447 out of the Atlantic Ocean in 2009. Photo: Reuters

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Jailed banker ties roil Flavio Bolsonaro’s Brazil presidential hopes

Bolsonaro’s poll numbers take a hit from scandal over disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro’s US$24 million film funding pledge.

21 May 2026 - 2:34PM

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Bought the farm? Details still fuzzy on scope of US-China agriculture deal

China granted five-year export licenses to 77 US beef facilities, while renewing expired licenses of 425 other plants for another five years.

16 May 2026 - 10:06PM

China-Latin America relations

China restores US beef trade amid Trump-Xi summit, alarming Brazilian exporters

Beijing’s renewal of import licences for US beef plants comes as Brazil nears its annual quota cap and scrambles for alternative markets.

15 May 2026 - 4:46AMvideocam

People shop for beef at a supermarket in Fuzhou, Fujian province. China has renewed import licences for hundreds of US beef plants. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

Shanghai

Brazil visa-free entry for Chinese visitors sparks South America travel demand

Search volume for Brazil-related keywords has increased by more than 15 times, providing a boost to China’s long-haul travel products.

12 May 2026 - 7:00PM

Diplomacy

Opinion | Just because Brics isn’t a coherent bloc doesn’t mean it’s impotent

The grouping has a future, not as a binding structure demanding policy alignment but as a tool for members to enhance leverage and maximise options.

12 May 2026 - 7:43AMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Spanish, Brazilian flotilla activists released after detention in Israel

Israel deported two activists it detained near Greece for leading an aid flotilla attempting to break the naval blockade on Gaza.

10 May 2026 - 6:06PM

Palestinians take part in a protest in solidarity with activists Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Brazilian Thiago Avila, who were arrested aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, in Gaza City on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

India

Vietnam joins rush for India’s battle-tested ‘strong, non-Western’ BrahMos

As a joint Indo-Russian venture, BrahMos offers a supersonic, non-Western alternative to US hardware with no Nato-linked conditions.

10 May 2026 - 1:35PMvideocam

A man waves India’s national flag in front of a replica of the BrahMos missile system in Ahmedabad last year. Photo: AFP

China economy

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

Imagine China applying the same industry policy playbook for electric cars, solar panels and AI to agriculture and food self-sufficiency.

8 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Lula won’t sideline China on rare earths, tells Trump refining stays in Brazil

In a three-hour White House meeting on Thursday, Brazil’s president pitched his country’s minerals to all comers.

8 May 2026 - 7:05AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top global investment

Chinese miners, carmakers and tech firms are fanned out across 20 states, putting a dent in Washington’s own push throughout the region.

8 May 2026 - 12:06AMvideocam

A BYD vehicle is seen on the production line at the Chinese company’s new electric-vehicle factory in Brazil in October 2025. Photo: Reuters

Science

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

7 May 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Blockades in the Strait of Hormuz have sent the price of urea – a widely used nitrogen-based fertiliser – soaring in the US and Brazil, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Photo: Handout via Reuters

War and conflict

Letters | History shows the high cost and low yield of war as conflict resolution

Readers discuss the imperative of dialogue to end the Iran war, the growth and diversity of Chinese products and Hong Kong’s efforts to deter smoking.

7 May 2026 - 11:30AM

China airliners

Expat pilots hoping to fly in China warned their credentials no longer coveted

China’s aviation market still attracts foreign pilots but they face high competition, rigid standards as overseas experience loses its shine.

6 May 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Boy, 13, shoots 2 dead at Brazil school

Students tried to escape over a wall, but it was too tall and many were trapped on the school roof.

6 May 2026 - 7:50AM

Students at Sao Jose Institute in Rio Branco take cover on the roof while during a shooting incident on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

China food security

How the Middle East crisis is expanding China’s agrochemical influence

China accounts for about a third of global fertiliser production, and 70 per cent of the raw materials for chemical pesticides.

5 May 2026 - 8:29AM

Israel-Gaza war

Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel face ‘extreme brutality’

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted near Greece were brought to Israel for interrogation, and appeared in court on Sunday.

3 May 2026 - 4:34PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

1 May 2026 - 11:00PM

People walk past a mural with the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, on April 15. Photo: EPA

Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil’s Congress forces early release for jailed Bolsonaro in blow to Lula

Lawmakers override presidential veto to reduce 27-year sentence, signalling a shift in power five months before elections.

1 May 2026 - 1:24PM

Brazil’s Congress ⁠has overturned President ⁠Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s veto on a bill sharply reducing former president Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence. Photo: AFP

Brics

Iran war tests India’s Brics leadership as ‘political relevance’ questions mount

With Brics members Iran and the UAE as belligerents, the bloc has failed to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict.

30 Apr 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

Brics

Brics to push for intra-currency payments as ‘immunity’ against Western clout

New Delhi has to be wary of any move to challenge the US dollar as it seeks to sign an interim trade deal with Washington, analysts say.

30 Apr 2026 - 4:41PMvideocam

Climate change

Tropical forest loss still 11 football fields a minute – or Denmark per year

Researchers warn that fires fuelled by climate change are a dangerous new normal and could reverse gains made in tackling deforestation.

29 Apr 2026 - 9:35PMvideocam

An aerial picture shows iron ore mines at the foot of Mount Leuser National Park - a cornerstone of rainforest - in Aceh, Indonesia on April 9. Photo: EPA

Science

Gene study reveals unknown human migration into South America as late as 720AD

Scientists have discovered traces of a genetic signature associated with Indigenous Australasians dating from China’s Tang dynasty.

29 Apr 2026 - 3:56PMvideocam

A team of international researchers has identified a previously unknown ancient genetic link between indigenous peoples in the Americas and Australasia. Photo: Shutterstock

US, Israel war on Iran

China is poised to reap rewards as energy shock heats up the race for renewables

The US war on Iran may have inadvertently triggered a global transition that will favour Beijing’s green leadership, analysts predict.

26 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Stock Connect

Brazil beckoned: China now has stock and bond ‘connect’ schemes in 5 regions

Strategic financial corridors now bridge mainland bourses with global hubs, enabling more seamless investment through specialised fund vehicles and receipts.

24 Apr 2026 - 7:00AM

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Brazil

Suspected sea lion bite halts New Zealand surfing event

A photographer shooting the World Surf League was bitten on the foot while in the water.

China’s desire for endless youth is wiping out donkeys – can scientists help?

Air France 2009 crash verdict sparks mixed emotions among families

Paris court finds Airbus, Air France guilty in 2009 crash

Flight AF447 ‌vanished from ‌radar screens on June 1, 2009, with people from 33 nationalities on board.

Jailed banker ties roil Flavio Bolsonaro’s Brazil presidential hopes

Bolsonaro’s poll numbers take a hit from scandal over disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro’s US$24 million film funding pledge.

Bought the farm? Details still fuzzy on scope of US-China agriculture deal

China granted five-year export licenses to 77 US beef facilities, while renewing expired licenses of 425 other plants for another five years.

China restores US beef trade amid Trump-Xi summit, alarming Brazilian exporters

Beijing’s renewal of import licences for US beef plants comes as Brazil nears its annual quota cap and scrambles for alternative markets.

Brazil visa-free entry for Chinese visitors sparks South America travel demand

Search volume for Brazil-related keywords has increased by more than 15 times, providing a boost to China’s long-haul travel products.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Just because Brics isn’t a coherent bloc doesn’t mean it’s impotent

The grouping has a future, not as a binding structure demanding policy alignment but as a tool for members to enhance leverage and maximise options.

Spanish, Brazilian flotilla activists released after detention in Israel

Israel deported two activists it detained near Greece for leading an aid flotilla attempting to break the naval blockade on Gaza.

Vietnam joins rush for India’s battle-tested ‘strong, non-Western’ BrahMos

As a joint Indo-Russian venture, BrahMos offers a supersonic, non-Western alternative to US hardware with no Nato-linked conditions.

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

Imagine China applying the same industry policy playbook for electric cars, solar panels and AI to agriculture and food self-sufficiency.

Lula won’t sideline China on rare earths, tells Trump refining stays in Brazil

In a three-hour White House meeting on Thursday, Brazil’s president pitched his country’s minerals to all comers.

China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top global investment

Chinese miners, carmakers and tech firms are fanned out across 20 states, putting a dent in Washington’s own push throughout the region.

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | History shows the high cost and low yield of war as conflict resolution

Readers discuss the imperative of dialogue to end the Iran war, the growth and diversity of Chinese products and Hong Kong’s efforts to deter smoking.

Expat pilots hoping to fly in China warned their credentials no longer coveted

China’s aviation market still attracts foreign pilots but they face high competition, rigid standards as overseas experience loses its shine.

Boy, 13, shoots 2 dead at Brazil school

Students tried to escape over a wall, but it was too tall and many were trapped on the school roof.

How the Middle East crisis is expanding China’s agrochemical influence

China accounts for about a third of global fertiliser production, and 70 per cent of the raw materials for chemical pesticides.

Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel face ‘extreme brutality’

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted near Greece were brought to Israel for interrogation, and appeared in court on Sunday.

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

Brazil’s Congress forces early release for jailed Bolsonaro in blow to Lula

Lawmakers override presidential veto to reduce 27-year sentence, signalling a shift in power five months before elections.

Iran war tests India’s Brics leadership as ‘political relevance’ questions mount

With Brics members Iran and the UAE as belligerents, the bloc has failed to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict.

Brics to push for intra-currency payments as ‘immunity’ against Western clout

New Delhi has to be wary of any move to challenge the US dollar as it seeks to sign an interim trade deal with Washington, analysts say.

Tropical forest loss still 11 football fields a minute – or Denmark per year

Researchers warn that fires fuelled by climate change are a dangerous new normal and could reverse gains made in tackling deforestation.

Gene study reveals unknown human migration into South America as late as 720AD

Scientists have discovered traces of a genetic signature associated with Indigenous Australasians dating from China’s Tang dynasty.

China is poised to reap rewards as energy shock heats up the race for renewables

The US war on Iran may have inadvertently triggered a global transition that will favour Beijing’s green leadership, analysts predict.

Brazil beckoned: China now has stock and bond ‘connect’ schemes in 5 regions

Strategic financial corridors now bridge mainland bourses with global hubs, enabling more seamless investment through specialised fund vehicles and receipts.

Opinion | Just because Brics isn’t a coherent bloc doesn’t mean it’s impotent

Letters | History shows the high cost and low yield of war as conflict resolution