Brazil
BrazilRight to sunbathe topless triggers spontaneous protest in Rio beaches
A scantily clad group of female protesters drew a heavily breathing gaggle of journalists and cell-phone wielding onlookers to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. The protest was not meant to draw attention to another corruption scandal, police killing, or unwanted hike in transit fares, rather demand women’s right to sunbathe topless, a cause that most of the onlookers appeared to support.
Party is over in Brazil: increase in fuel, tax on consumer loans and imports
Brazil on Monday announced tax increases on fuel, imports and consumer loans aimed at raising 20.6 billion Reais (7.7bn dollars) in additional revenues this year. The plan is part of an effort to help balance budget accounts and revive investor confidence, Finance Minister Joaquim Levy said at a news conference.
Heat wave in Brazil forces power cuts; to recover fragile system rates could increase by 60%
Rolling blackouts swept across parts of Brazil as the grid operator ordered select power cuts to avoid a larger crisis, drawing attention to a fragile electric system that is buckling under the strains of record-breaking heat and dryness.
Brazil central bank expected to raise interest rates this week for third time running
Brazil's central bank is expected to raise interest rates for a third straight meeting this week to quell any doubts about its commitment to ending years of high inflation.
Rousseff 'dismayed' with Indonesia for execution of Brazilian; ambassador recalled
President Dilma Rousseff expressed Saturday her “dismay” and “indignation” after learning of the execution of Brazilian Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira in Indonesia and recalled her country's ambassador to Jakarta for consultations.
Petrobras CEO confirmed in the job by the Energy minister
Brazil’s energy minister this week threw his support behind the CEO of Petrobras, the embattled state-run oil company embroiled in a vast corruption scandal that has dominated national headlines. Maria das Graças Silva Foster will keep her job as CEO, the minister said, despite growing demands for her resignation.
Petrobras corruption scheme could reach 28bn dollars according to police
The corruption scheme in Brazil's leading corporation Petrobras could exceed 28 billion dollars, making it the largest corruption scandal that the country has ever seen. The development was reported through an interview by Reuters of Brazilian police officer, Erika Marena, investigating the corruption probe.
Booming California overtakes Brazil as the world's seventh largest economy
California is overtaking Brazil as the world’s seventh-largest economy, bolstered by rising employment, home values and personal and corporate income, a year after the US most-populous state surpassed Russia and Italy.
Bilateral trade between Mercosur main partners dropped 21.2% in 2014
Bilateral trade between Mercosur two main partners, Brazil and Argentina (first and third largest economies in Latin America) dropped 21.2% last year and with a 139 million dollars deficit for Argentina, according to the Argentine Commerce Chamber, CAC.
Chinese jet fighters, an option to re-equip the Argentine Air Force
China has emerged as a possible supplier of jet fighters to help modernize the Argentine Air Force, depleted since the 1982 Falklands' war, according to reports from Defense News. In effect the FC-1/JF-17’s, 'Thunder' operational with the Pakistani air force and proven in combat could be a suitable, accessible option for the Argentines after the Spanish, French, Israeli offers seem to have fallen through.
