New Formula 1 track plan for Rio abandoned over environmental concerns
By Andrew BensonChief F1 writer
Last updated on
The Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo will continue to host F1 races
Plans to build a new Formula 1 circuit in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro have been abandoned.
The project, to be built on a former army base, had been criticised by environmentalists as it required the felling of a patch of native forest.
Rio s environment secretary Eduardo Cavaliere said: We are officially giving up on the construction of Rio International Circuit.
The circuit was to have been built in the Camboata Forest in the Deodoro area of the city. It had been backed by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and had secured a contract with F1.
Brazilian Congress elects Bolsonaro allies as leaders
AFP, BRASILIA
Congress on Monday elected two allies of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to head the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, an important victory as he seeks to galvanize his re-election efforts for next year.
Arthur Lira of the Progressives won in the first round of votes for speaker of the Chamber of Deputies by 302 votes out of 513.
Earlier, the Democrats’ Rodrigo Pacheco was elected Senate speaker with 57 out of 81 votes.
Brazilian Deputy Arthur Lira, centre top, is lifted as he celebrates being elected speaker of the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia on Monday.
Brazilian Catholics pray for light of hope amidst pandemic
Catholics in Brazil hold a day of prayer on Tuesday to implore a light of hope , as a new variant of the coronavirus drives a surge in infections in the northern city of Manaus.
By Lisa Zengarini
The Brazilian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (CNBB) has invited the faithful to join a National Day of Prayer on February 2, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas Day), asking the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Joseph to intercede in the ongoing fight against Covid-19.
“The aim is to ask God to nurture our hope and give us courage in facing the pandemic,” said the Secretary General of the CNBB, Bishop Portella Amado.
Brazil: Conservative Bolsonaro Allies Retake Congress
2 Feb 2021
Allies of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took the top leadership positions in the Brazilian Congress on Monday, cementing his influence on the legislative branch and boxing out left-wing factions that attempted to generate interest in impeaching him.
As of Tuesday, the new President of the Chamber of Deputies the equivalent of the U.S. Speaker of the House position, is conservative lawmaker Arthur Lira; Sen. Rodrigo Pacheco is now president of the Senate, the analog in the upper chamber of Congress. Bolsonaro endorsed both to take those positions and consolidated enough support among the many political parties active in Congress to prevent their main rivals from seizing them.