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).
Brazil’s JBS SA, the world’s largest beef producer, agreed to buy assets from Marfrig Alimentos SA in Brazil and Uruguay, which will make it the world’s largest chicken producer. JBS will take on 5.85 billion Reais (2.74bn dollars) in debt for the Seara poultry and pork unit in Brazil and the Zenda tannery unit in Uruguay, the Sao Paulo-based company said in a regulatory filing today.
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.
Brazil’s credit rating outlook was cut to negative by Standard & Poor’s saying sluggish economic growth and an expansionary fiscal policy could lead to higher government debt levels. Reacting to the announcement a spokesperson from the Finance ministry said “there is no change in economic policy and the environment is conducive to investment”.
Argentina’s energy imports during April soared 47.6% over a year ago reported the government mainly because of massive natural gas purchases for the coming winter. The bill in April climbed to 733 million dollars from 384 million a year ago, while Enarsa the government corporation that has the monopoly of LNG imports spent 438 million this year and 259 million in April 2012.