And the champions of Grupo Especial – the Premier League of samba - for 2026 are Unidos do Viradouro, scoring the maximum of 270 points out of 270. Second were last year’s champion, G.R.E.S Beija-Flor de Nilópolis with 269.9. Both schools paraded on Monday.

Five stars from the Financial Times no less for Kleber Mendonça Filho 's "The Secret Agent".

Waitlist only for a place at a screening of Kleber Mendonça Filho 's "The Secret Agent" at Soho House in London.

Congratulations to União de Maricá, that has won Série Ouro and in 2027 will parade amongst Rio’s top 12 samba school in the Grupo Especial. União de Maricá, that was only founded in 2015, will become the 33rd school to have paraded in the Grupo Especial since 1985.

Top six went again in the Champions' Parade in Rio de Janeiro Saturday, and morning had well and truly broken by the time the champion school, Viradouro, went out. The other five were Beija-Flor, Vila Isabel, Salgueiro, Imperatirz and Mangueira.

More from the Champions' Parade in Rio de Janeiro Saturday.

Ambassador of Brazil to UK, Antonio Patriota (R), met in London with Brazil’s BAFTA nominees (L-R), Petra Costa (Apocalypse in the Tropics), Adolpho Veloso (Train Dreams), and from "The Secret Agent", Wagner Moura, Emilie Lesclaux and Kleber Mendonça Filho. #bafta

GRU Airport - Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo has reclaimed its position as busiest airport in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Brazilian airport recorded 47.2 million passengers in 2025, a record in 41 years of operation. International pax rose 14 % to 16.8m in 2025

Happy birthday Rio that today celebrates its 461st birthday. Date relates to 1565 when the Portuguese returned to Rio under command of Estácio de Sá and landed on 1 March of that year to drive the French out of the area. Date of 1 March stuck for “founding” or birth of the city

On World Book Day a reminder of some of the early special covers for my "The Insider's Guide to Rio de Janeiro" from the 1980s, still alive today as riotheguide.com and used by over 5,000 people in the last 30 days in the run up and over carnival.

Just in time for Academy Award countdown, Kleber Mendonca Filho’s Oscar nominated “The Secret Agent” is now available on Netflix in Brazil having opened theatrically in its own territory in October after its Cannes competition premiere in May 2025 Kleber Mendonça Filho Netflix Brasil

Best known as a domestic Brazilian carrier, GOL has annouced the expansion of three new international routes from RIO by adding 5 new Airbus A330-900neo wide-body jets to its fleet. From July GOL will launch direct flights from Rio to New York, followed later by Paris & Lisbon

The great and the good of U.K. travel and tourism industry with links to Latin America will be heading to the Palace of Westminster tonight for annual All Party Parliamentary Group for Latin America and the Latin American Travel Association reception. Always a good evening.

Congratulations on 35th anniversary of the founding of Americas, the organisation set up by Merina Begg that brings together leading DMCs from across Latin America. Occasion marked at end of another Americas Conect in Oxo Tower. Congratulations to Merina & the Beggs family

After being sworn as new Mayor of Rio, Eduardo Cavallieri says that in 2027 he would like to see the Grupo Especial of top Rio samba schools increase from 12 to 15, increasing the number of schools to five per night, just when four a night had seemed perfect number.

Big thank you to Wanderlust Travel Magazine for featuring Brazil's important new marine protection area in Rio Grande do Sul and the World Cetacean Alliance. wanderlustmagazine.com/news/massive-m…

Counting down. 7 April 2027 will see start of important UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference in Rio. Ocean Decade provides framework for scientists and stakeholders to develop the scientific knowledge and partnerships to accelerate and harness advances in ocean science #OceanDecade27

Embraer has been chosen by the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in GB to be the Brazilian recipient of its Personality of the Year Award, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026. The recipient of the award on the British side will be announced shortly.

Probably not making headlines in Brazil, but the country’s Laura Cardoso has become the first player ever to take nine wickets in a T20 international, with figures of 9-4 against Lesotho. She achieved the feat in 3 overs as Lesotho were bowled out for 13 chasing Brazil’s 203.

It was exactly a year ago 10 April 2025 - that we discovered that Kleber Mendonça Filho's "The Secret Agent" had been picked to screen in competition at Festival de Cannes 2025. It hasn't done badly since that time! Kleber Mendonça Filho #Cannes