
With the Rio Olympics over, Brazil’s attention returns to its long-running political drama as the country’s Senate starts the final phase of suspended President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment trial, a proceeding widely expected to permanently remove her from power.

Police in Brazil investigating illegal Olympic ticket sales have arrested the head of the European Olympic Committees, Irishman Patrick Hickey, 71, who is suspected of being involved in a scheme to sell tickets for higher than their face value. He was taken to hospital as a precaution, and will probably stay the night there, police said.

The two U.S. swimmers who were abruptly taken off a plane and detained in Rio on Wednesday night have been allowed to leave the country and are headed for the United States.

Uruguay back stepped on its statements referred to Brazil's “bullying with the Mercosur presidency” and admits there was a misunderstanding regarding Brazil's invitation for a joint trade promotion in third countries, according to an official clarification Wednesday release from the Uruguayan foreign ministry.

The Brazilian government said it was deeply disappointed and surprised at statements from Uruguay's foreign minister, which are not compatible with the excelence of relations between Brazil and Uruguay, according to an official release from Itamaraty, Brazil's foreign ministry, regarding the controversy over the Mercosur presidency.
![Serra came with the intention of blocking the handover [of the presidency] and if that happened they would take us along in trade negotiations revealed Nin Novoa](/data/cache/noticias/56233/260x165/nin-brazsil.jpg)
Brazil summoned Uruguay's ambassador on Tuesday after the neighboring country's foreign minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa accused Brazil of trying to buy its vote to block Venezuela from taking the rotating presidency of the Mercosur trade bloc.

Brazil's suspended president Dilma Rousseff, on Tuesday pledged to open the door to an early general election if she survives an upcoming vote in the Brazilian Senate on ousting her less than half-way through her second term.

Brazilian Federal Supreme Court justice has authorized the opening of an investigation into President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor Lula da Silva for allegedly working to obstruct the course of a sweeping corruption probe, GloboNews news channel said on Tuesday.

Members of the Australian Olympic team were robbed during a fire evacuation at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Village, in the latest of a series of complaints about the athletes’ housing complex. The Australian building was evacuated Friday after a fire in the basement, which was likely started by a cigarette.

A regional electoral court in Sao Paulo issued a guilty verdict against interim Brazilian President Michel Temer on election law violation charges, and declared the politician ineligible to run for political office for eight years as a result of having a dirty record.