Latest news with #PilarOlivares
Globe and Mail
11 hours ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
When the water breaks in the Amazon, call the midwife
In photos Midwives in rural Brazil are more vital than ever in places where depleted rivers – a hazard of climate change – put hospitals out of reach Photography by Pilar Olivares Reporting by Pilar Olivares and Manuela Andreoni Reuters Tabita dos Santos Moraes, with Priscilla the dog, rests on a journey down Brazil's Tefé River in a boat steered by her husband, Nonato Lima de Moraes. Tabita, 51, has been practising midwifery since her teens. to view this content.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Brazil's Pix set for next leap with launch of recurring payments
A person pays using their cell phone with the instant electronic payment mode known as PIX, at a store in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 1, 2024. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares/File Photo (Reuters) - Brazil's wildly popular instant payment system Pix is poised for another leap with the launch of a new recurring payments feature this month, central bank officials said on Wednesday. Since its launch in late 2020, Pix has rapidly become the leading payment method in Latin America's largest economy, surpassing cash as well as debit and credit cards. Last year it handled more than 26 trillion reais ($4.61 trillion) in transactions. Initially slated for launch last October, the new feature will go live on June 16, allowing users to authorize recurring charges with a single consent, according to the central bank, which developed and operates Pix. That will allow for automatic payments of utilities, phone bills, school tuition, gym memberships, and digital or streaming services via the new "Pix Automatico" tool. "'Boleto' will be overtaken by Pix Automatico when it comes to automatic payments," said Renato Gomes, the central bank's financial system organization director. Boleto is the traditional slip method, which moved 6.2 trillion reais last year, according to banking federation Febraban. Speaking at a central bank event in Sao Paulo to present the feature, Gomes added that existing automatic debit services via banks are also likely to be disrupted by the new tool. Companies must sign bank agreements to offer automatic debit, a process central bank regulation director Gilneu Vivan described as burdensome for small businesses. Pix Automatico will simplify the process, allowing small merchants to receive recurring payments with ease. Vivan also noted that nearly 60 million Brazilians do not own a credit card, a group that will now be able to access subscription-based services previously limited to cardholders. A study by payments platform EBANX estimates that Pix Automatico could handle at least $30 billion in e-commerce transactions within its first two years of operation. ($1 = 5.6418 reais) (Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Richard Chang)
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Brazil declared free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination
FILE PHOTO: Employees work at the assembly line of jerked beef at a plant of JBS S.A, the world's largest beef producer, in Santana de Parnaiba, Brazil December 19, 2017. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker/File Photo FILE PHOTO: A herd of cattle is seen in the city of Tailandia in the state of Para, Brazil March 17, 2020. Reuters/Pilar Olivares/File Photo REUTERS SAO PAULO/PARIS - The World Organization for Animal Health has recognized Brazil, the world's leading beef exporter, as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, a Brazilian official and a spokesperson for the intergovernmental body said. Brazilian lobbies representing some of the largest Brazilian meatpackers, including JBS, Minerva and Marfrig, said the development was historic, as it can help Brazil to win new markets. "The new status will be announced on June 6 at a formal ceremony after a meeting between President Lula and WOAH Director General Emmanuelle Soubeyran," Brazil's Chief Veterinary Officer Marcelo Mota told Reuters on the last day of a WOAH conference in Paris. Last year, Brazilian companies exported beef worth nearly $13 billion to countries including China, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, which has increased imports from Brazil because of a scarcity of cattle for slaughter. The change in status can be used as a "strategic asset" in talks to open markets with strict standards, such as Japan, Brazilian beef lobby Abiec said in a statement. It added the Philippines and Indonesia have expressed interest in importing beef offal based on the health status. "The new status also brings new challenges and responsibilities for all actors involved," Abiec said, alluding to maintaining the herd in adequate sanitary conditions. The long-sought change had been anticipated by Brazilian authorities, including Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro. In May 2024, when Brazil announced the end of the vaccination cycle against foot-and-mouth disease, Favaro said it moved Brazil "to the next level of the world's health elite". At the time, Brazil's goal of being free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination by 2026 was brought forward to 2025, the ministry said. The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Brazil declared free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, says Abrafrigo
FILE PHOTO: A herd of cattle is seen in the city of Tailandia in the state of Para, Brazil March 17, 2020. Reuters/Pilar Olivares/File Photo REUTERS SAO PAULO - The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has recognized Brazil as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, Brazilian beef lobby Abrafrigo said in a statement on Thursday. Brazil is the world's top beef exporter and the certificate could contribute to opening new markets. This is the first time that the country has achieved this level of excellence in its sanitary controls, according to Abrafrigo. The lobby, which represents some of the largest Brazilian meatpackers such as Marfrig, said the recognition was a "historic moment for the beef agro-industrial chain." "The new status also brings new challenges and responsibilities for all actors involved, with the aim of maintaining the herd in adequate sanitary conditions and increasingly strengthening the country's role as a major producer and supplier of animal-origin food for Brazil and the world," it added. The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Brazil declared free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, says Abrafrigo
FILE PHOTO: A herd of cattle is seen in the city of Tailandia in the state of Para, Brazil March 17, 2020. Reuters/Pilar Olivares/File Photo SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has recognized Brazil as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, Brazilian beef lobby Abrafrigo said in a statement on Thursday. Brazil is the world's top beef exporter and the certificate could contribute to opening new markets. This is the first time that the country has achieved this level of excellence in its sanitary controls, according to Abrafrigo. The lobby, which represents some of the largest Brazilian meatpackers such as Marfrig, said the recognition was a "historic moment for the beef agro-industrial chain." "The new status also brings new challenges and responsibilities for all actors involved, with the aim of maintaining the herd in adequate sanitary conditions and increasingly strengthening the country's role as a major producer and supplier of animal-origin food for Brazil and the world," it added. The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Ana Mano; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Tomasz Janowski)
