Brazil’s navy has announced that it will build 600 boats that will be used to transport students to public schools in areas where the main communication routes are via rivers or across other water bodies.
The so-called ‘school-launches’ will be build at three navy bases with shipyard capability, according to an agreement between the Naval Engineering Directorate and the education ministry.
The accord forecasts the production of up to 3,000 boats for student transport, but the initial contract includes just 600 boats.
The navy’s decision to build the boats is aimed at spurring naval construction in Brazil and taking advantage of the available industrial capacity on naval bases, according to the communique Thursday. (more…)
One of the largest open-air landfills in Latin America is set to close. But while environmentalists are applauding the decision, not everyone is happy.
Activists say the landfill in Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s largest cities, exceeded its capacity a long time ago and that keeping it going would spell disaster for the environment.
But some of the city’s poorest residents depend on it for work. Al Jazeera’s Lucrecia Franco spoke to them and sent this report.
