Brazil

• Thursday, March 7th 2013 - 06:39 UTC

  Brazil basic rate unchanged at record low 7.25%, but inflation could reverse policy

  

  Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday kept its benchmark rate at a record low 7.25% for the third straight meeting as policy makers seek to prop the anaemic economy which last year only advanced 0.9%.

• Thursday, March 7th 2013 - 06:33 UTC

  US soy exports with a price edge over Brazil plagued with logistical shipment problems

  

  US farm officials forecast a tough autumn battle between Brazilian and US soybean exports, as Brazil attempts to make up for a poor start to 2012-13, with shipments hurt by logistical hiccups. US Department of Agriculture staff in Brasilia, while cutting their forecast of the Brazilian soybean crop to 82.5m tons, stood by a forecast of soybean exports of 39m tons for 2012-13, report agrimoney.

• Thursday, March 7th 2013 - 06:27 UTC

  Nine Brazilians join the Forbes list of new billionaires

  

  On the 2013 Forbes World’s Billionaires List, of 1.426 billionaires, there are 210 newcomers from 42 countries. Nine of those newcomers are from Brazil, bringing the total count in that country to 46 billionaires. Three of the newcomers in Brazil are women. According to Forbes the Brazilian newcomers who have joined the Forbes Billionaires ranks in 2013 are:

• Tuesday, March 5th 2013 - 05:18 UTC

  Brazil’s “competitiveness cliff” and commodities dependency exposed in World Bank report

  

  Brazil is not only the biggest country in Latinamerica but also has the largest economy and expects to play a leading role in the global economy in the near future, however a report from the World Bank is not so enthusiastic and points out to a series of challenges the country must address if it wishes to effectively become a super star.

• Monday, March 4th 2013 - 10:18 UTC

  Young dancers perform Afro-Brazilian music to the London Royal Opera House

  

  Young dancers performing to Afro-Brazilian music put on an energetic show Saturday to close out an educational visit by representatives from London's Royal Opera House and its Royal Ballet Company.

• Monday, March 4th 2013 - 06:48 UTC

  Brazil opens naval shipyard to build conventional submarines and eventually a nuclear powered one

  

  Brazil advanced toward its target of joining the small club of nations that have nuclear-powered submarines with the opening of a naval shipyard installation that will build French-designed submarines.

• Monday, March 4th 2013 - 05:55 UTC

  Brazilian special forces take control of Rio ‘favelas’ close to the airport and seaport

  

  Brazilian security forces seized control of two crime-ridden ‘favelas’ slums near Rio do Janeiro’s international airport and seaport Sunday in a new bid to drive out drug traffickers ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics.

• Saturday, March 2nd 2013 - 08:36 UTC

  Mujica says Mercosur is a stalled pachyderm and needs trade accords with third parties

  

  Mercosur more than a common market is a “poor customs union” said Uruguayan president Jose Mujica adding that new discussions on the future of the group’s future should be considered but which imply the possibility of establishing new free trade agreements with third parties.

• Saturday, March 2nd 2013 - 08:12 UTC

  Brazilian economy worst performance in three years; in 2012 growth was 0.9%

  

  The Brazilian economy grew a mere 0.9% in 2012 despite government stimulus measures, its worst performance in three years, official statistics showed Friday. But prospects for the coming years are considered encouraging given the international events to be hosted by Brazil and the electoral calendar.

• Friday, March 1st 2013 - 00:07 UTC

  Dengue: 200.000 cases confirmed in triple frontier: Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil

  

  Paraguay, north Argentina and Brazil are in dengue alert following the confirmation of over 200.000 cases of the mosquito transmitted viral disease so far this year. The situation is considered worst that in previous years because besides a deep rise in the confirmed cases, the circulation of the four sero-types (strains) of dengue (1, 2, 3 and 4) has been detected, which means the disease keeps expanding.