Brazil

• Monday, February 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Cheap US dollar, strong imports erode Brazil's trade surplus

  Brazil's trade surplus narrowed to a 5 and a half year low in January as a cheaper dollar and rising consumer demand pushed imports to a record high. Imports increased to 12.3 billion US dollars in January from 10.6 billion in December.

• Monday, February 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil launch the biggest part of Rio's five-day dances

  

  Brazilian beauties wearing only sequins led carnival parades lasting until dawn Sunday as second-division samba groups used a kaleidoscope of colorful dancers and floats to launch the biggest part of Rio's five-day bash.

• Sunday, February 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Crocodiles' possible “missing link” presented in Rio

  

  The fossil of a land-bound reptile that could be a link between prehistoric and modern-day crocodiles was put on public display for the first time at the Federal University of Rio do Janeiro, reports National Geographic.

• Sunday, February 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Credit happy Brazilian minister admits mistake and resigns

  

  Brazil's Cabinet official for racial equality resigned Friday amid charges she had abused her government-issued corporate credit card. Matilde Ribeiro told a news conference that she had “committed a mistake” in using the card to pay for a chauffeured car, restaurant meals, hotels and purchases in a duty free shop in 2007.

• Friday, February 1st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil “optimistic” about its 5% growth estimate for 2008

  Brazil's Finance Minister Guido Mantega said that “for the moment” there's no reason to change the country's growth estimate of 5% for 2008, in spite of global recession fears, which he believes will impact most on developed countries.

• Thursday, January 31st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Petrobras after Exxon's downstream assets in S. America

  Brazil's government managed Petrobras will bid strongly for Exxon's downstream assets in South America, O Globo newspaper reported this week from Rio do Janeiro.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  EU freezes beef imports from Brazil for sanitary reasons

  The European Union will freeze all imports of Brazilian beef as from Thursday after Brazil failed to provide sufficient sanitary safety guarantees announced in Brussels EU Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.

• Tuesday, January 29th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian corporation targeting major global acquisition

  

  Xstrata Plc, the world's fourth- largest copper producer, rose to a three-week high in London trading after newspaper reports that Brazil's Cia. Vale do Rio Doce may agree to buy the company within the next few days.

• Tuesday, January 29th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Petrobras ranked sixth among leading oil corporations

  

  Brazil's government oil managed corporation Petrobras finished 2007 in sixth place of PFC Energy 50's ranking, which lists the world's largest oil companies based on their market values.

• Monday, January 28th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Record inflow of foreign investment to Brazil in 2007

  

  Foreign direct investment in Brazil reached a record 34.6 billion US dollars (almost double the 18.7 billion of 2006) reported the Brazilian Central Bank. FDI this year is expected to topple 28 billion US dollars with an estimated record 4.5 billion in January.