Brazil

• Wednesday, May 4th 2016 - 08:46 UTC

  Attorney General accuses Lula da Silva of a key role in Petrobras huge corruption scandal

  

  Brazil's Attorney General Rodrigo Janot has asked the Supreme Court to authorize an investigation against former President Lula da Silva for alleged corruption. Janot accused Lula of playing a key role in the huge corruption scandal at the state oil company, Petrobras.

• Wednesday, May 4th 2016 - 08:18 UTC

  Brazilian prosecution asks for investigation of opposition leader Senator Neves

  

  Brazil’s top prosecutor asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into opposition Senator Aécio Neves, the country’s leading opposition figure, as the vast Petrobras corruption probe engulfed more politicians. Neves, who narrowly lost the 2014 presidential election to Dilma Rousseff, was previously included in a list of some 50 politicians thought to have taken bribes originating from state-run companies.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2016 - 06:54 UTC

  Brazil recession deepens, but prospects for 2017 seem much brighter

  

  Brazil’s recession is expected to deepen this year as economists brace for an even steeper contraction than in 2015. Economists have downgraded their 2016 outlook for Latin America’s largest economy for the 15th week in a row, according to the weekly Focus survey of about 100 economists by the Brazilian central bank.

• Monday, May 2nd 2016 - 11:54 UTC

  Temer anticipates support of constitutional reform, and would step down in 2018

  

  Vice-president Michel Temer patiently preparing a coalition and a basic program if Dilma Rousseff is finally impeached said he will not be standing as a candidate for Presidency in 2018. Furthermore, he said he will support the proposal to end presidential re-election in Brazil.

• Monday, May 2nd 2016 - 08:33 UTC

  Temer promises to combat corruption by strengthening anti-graft institutions

  

  A government led by Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer would press ahead with the country's corruption fight by strengthening anti-graft institutions and enacting tougher controls over state-run companies, and will also implement an education reform, according to a six chapter document leaked to the Sao Paulo media.

• Monday, May 2nd 2016 - 05:42 UTC

  Rousseff pledges “to fight to the end” and some groups anticipate “civil disobedience”

  

  Brazil's populist president Dilma Rousseff vowed at a protest on Sunday, International Labour Day, that she would go down fighting ahead of what could be her final full week in power before impeachment.

• Friday, April 29th 2016 - 06:50 UTC

  Brazil's central bank leaves benchmark rate at 14.25% forced by stubborn inflation

  

  Brazil's central bank left its benchmark interest rate on hold at 14.25% for a sixth consecutive time, amid stubbornly high inflation and political uncertainty. The bank which makes rate decisions eight times a year has held its key Selic rate steady since the last of seven consecutive hikes in July 2015.

• Friday, April 29th 2016 - 05:44 UTC

  Mercosur unmoved by Rousseff''s invocation of the “democratic clause”

  

  “We respect the Brazilian constitutional process” and thus Argentina does not have plans to follow on president Dilma Rousseff announcement that she will appeal to Mercosur to implement the “democratic clause” if the impeachment process to remove the head of state from office advances in the country's Senate.

• Thursday, April 28th 2016 - 07:59 UTC

  Lula's party would call for fresh elections if Dilma is removed from office

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff concedes that even if the full Senate finally votes against her impeachment, she may be obliged to support the call for new presidential elections this year, according to Folha, one of Sao Paulo's most influential dailies.

• Thursday, April 28th 2016 - 07:27 UTC

  Amnesty said killings in Rio's favelas have increased alarmingly ahead of Olympics

  

  Amnesty International said on Wednesday that residents of Olympic host Rio de Janeiro's slum favelas are “living in terror” after 11 people were killed in police shootings in the past month. The rights group said at least 307 people were killed by police in the city last year and called on Brazilian authorities to take action in the 100 days ahead of the start of the Rio Games on August 5.