More than a hundred people were arrested and dozens wounded as police in Sao Paulo clashed with activists on Thursday night in the latest and most rowdy in a rising tide of protests against bus, metro and train fare increases in Brazil.
After violent protests in three cities heading into the warm-up event for the 2014 World Cup, FIFA expressed ''full confidence'' on Friday that Brazilian authorities have shown they can manage disorder in the streets.
The administration of President Dilma Rousseff will hand out 17 billion Reais (8 bn dollars) in cheap loans for home appliance purchases it was announced this week, a further attempt bolster Brazilians' buying power as an anemic economy and high inflation erode its approval rating.
Brazilian police accused eight firefighters of dereliction of duty for their alleged failure to enforce fire codes at a nightclub where a January 27 blaze resulted in the deaths of 242 people, the Record TV network reported this week.
The countdown to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil officially began this Wednesday 12 June. Simultaneous events in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia celebrated the unveiling of a clock marking the time remaining to the opening game of Brazil 2014.
Sao Paulo authorities were on Wednesday assessing the damage from a violent protest over higher public transportation prices that left three people hurt and 20 detained overnight. Demonstrators torched buses, hurled petrol bombs and smashed windows during clashes with police who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Car sales in Brazil are setting new levels almost every month and May has been no exception, with 300,940 units sold beating the previous May record of 300,514 cars (registered in 2011).
High production costs have orange growers in Brazil, the world's top orange juice exporter, bracing for a tough citrus season, despite last season's record harvest and high juice prices.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating fell for the first time since her term began in January 2011 as concern about inflation and sluggish economic growth grew. Rousseff's presidency was rated as good or excellent fell to 57% from 65% in the previous poll.
Consumer prices edged up 0.3% in Brazil last month, fuelled by higher medicine, clothing and housing prices, with 12-month inflation at 6.5%, the state statistics agency said on Friday. The May increase, in line with market analysts' forecasts, was lower than the 0.5% recorded in April and the lowest since June 2012.