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RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro moved to replace the head of state-run oil company Petrobras, naming a retired army general with no oil and gas experience as CEO after weeks of clashes with the current chief executive over fuel price hikes. In a late Friday (Feb 19) statement from the Mines and Energy Ministry, first shared on Bolsonaro's Facebook page, the government said it had decided to appoint former Defence Minister Joaquim Silva e Luna to run Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the firm is known formally. Current CEO Roberto Castello Branco, backed by investors for his efforts to sell underperforming assets and cut debt, would be the second Petrobras leader in three years to fall over the political fallout from fuel pricing. In 2018, then-CEO Pedro Parente resigned when the government forced fuel prices lower in a concession to striking truckers. Parente vowed to set domestic prices in line with global markets, breaking with a policy that made Petrobras sell … [Read more...] about Brazil’s Bolsonaro to oust Petrobras CEO after fuel pricing spat

BRASILIA (REUTERS) - Brazil’s health regulator is seeking further data on Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine before considering its approval for emergency use. Documents supporting drugmaker Uniao Quimica’s application for emergency use of the vaccine have been returned to the company because they did not meet its minimum criteria, the watchdog said on Saturday (Jan 16). In a statement on the Health Ministry’s website, regulator Anvisa said the request failed to provide adequate assurances on phase three clinical trials and issues related to the manufacture of the vaccine. Uniao Quimica is seeking approval for the use of 10 million doses of Sputnik V in Brazil in the first quarter of this year. Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, which is promoting Sputnik globally, on Sunday said that Anvisa had requested additional information that would be provided shortly. Its statement said that such requests from regulators were standard procedure and do not mean the registration … [Read more...] about Brazil’s approval of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine delayed by missing data

BRAZILIAN chef Alex Atala, widely seen as one of South America's culinary wizards, is making his name by highlighting the little-known cuisine of the Amazon region. From an almost accidental start in the business - he took a cooking class in Belgium in order to get his visa extended - Atala is using his star status to promote Brazilian food and defend sustainable production. "Cooking is a mix of magic, alchemy and exact sciences," Atala said in an interview at his award-winning D.O.M. restaurant in his native Sao Paulo. Atala grew up in suburban Sao Paulo. As a punk youngster, he experimented with drugs and embraced tattoo art. At age 45, he still cuts a rebellious figure, with his numerous tattoos and greying red beard. When asked what remains of his edgy youth, he says enthusiastically, "Everything!" But with success - D.O.M. ranked sixth this year on the British magazine Restaurant's list of the top 50 eateries - has come some mellowing. "Life forced me to mature. … [Read more...] about Alex Atala: Brazil’s taste envoy

CHICAGO: Pfizer and BioNTech have started an international study with 4,000 volunteers to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of their COVID-19 vaccine in healthy pregnant women, the companies said on Thursday (Feb 18). Pregnant women are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, and many public health officials have recommended some women in high-risk professions take coronavirus vaccines even without proof they are safe for them. Last week, the US National Institutes of Health called for greater inclusion of pregnant and lactating women in COVID-19 vaccine research. Bioethicists, vaccine and maternal health experts have argued for years that pregnant women should be included early in trials of pandemic vaccines so they would not need to wait until long after a successful one emerges. Nevertheless, pregnant women were excluded from the large US trials used to obtain emergency use authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines. READ: BioNTech says it is 'committed' to supplying … [Read more...] about Pfizer, BioNTech start testing COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant women

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's nominee to lead state-run oil company Petrobras said on Saturday (Feb 20) the company needs to find "balance" in fuel pricing, considering the impact on shareholders, investors, sellers and consumers. Joaquim Silva e Luna, a retired army general and former defense minister overseeing the state-run Itaipu hydroelectric dam on the border with Paraguay and Argentina since 2019, was tapped on Friday to be the next chief executive of Petroleo Brasileiro SA. Bolsonaro has criticised Roberto Castello Branco, current CEO of the state firm known formally as Petroleo Brasileiro SA, for ignoring the complaints of truckers as he hiked diesel prices 15 per cent this week, tracking global markets higher. Petrobras shares plunged on Friday due to growing investor fears of political interference in fuel pricing, which has triggered billions of dollars in losses over the past decade. Luna was cautious in some of his first public comments … [Read more...] about Bolsonaro’s nominee to run Petrobras stresses need for ‘balance’ in fuel pricing