Concerns over Brazil's World Cup preparations took a deadly turn on Thursday after a partially finished highway overpass collapsed on a road below, killing at least two people and wounding at least 23 others in Belo Horizonte, according to state health officials.
Brazilian industrial output fell for the third straight month in May despite efforts from government to prop manufacturing through stimulus measures. Industrial production in Brazil fell 0.6% in May from April, and 3.2% from the same month a year ago, and 1.6% in the five months of 2014, government statistics agency IBGE said on Wednesday.
Twenty years ago, first July 1994, after decades of financial turmoil, Brazil introduced its current currency, the Real, marking a turning point in the country's fight against hyperinflation.
Brazil will extend a tax break for the car and furniture industries until the end of the year to help boost sales depressed by a slowing economy, the government said on Monday. This measure should also help boost President Dilma Rousseff's bid for re-election next October.
As part of a broader South American tour, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting Buenos Aires in July to lay the groundwork for joint projects between Russia and Argentina in the energy sector, including civilian nuclear technologies, military-technological cooperation and machine building.
Chilean president Michelle Bachelet welcomed the national football team at Government House on Sunday afternoon thus delaying for a few hours her trip to the United States where on Monday she is scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House.
Uruguay's president Jose Mujica blasted FIFA's Thursday decision to fine and suspend the country's main scorer Luis Suarez from any football activity for four months arguing the association that rules world football measures things with different rods, and since Uruguay “is a small country, it's cheap for them”.
Brazil had a current account deficit of 6.635 billion in May, above the previous record high of 6.356 billion for this month posted last year, central bank data showed this week. It was the widest on record for the month of May as Brazilians spent more on international travel and foreign companies sent profits and dividends abroad. Brazil's current account deficit in April was 8.291 billion.
Brazil's economy added a net 58,836 payroll jobs in May, the Labor Ministry said, which is the worst figure for May since 1992. Brazil added 105,000 jobs in April.
Brazil's supermodel Gisele Bündchen who was to deliver the World Cup to the winning team next 13 July has declined the invitation from FIFA. Allegedly Gisele does not want to link her image to an event which has been highly criticized by Brazilian public opinion, according to the Brazilian media.