Brazil

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 21:21 UTC

  Brazil's vulnerable transport system again exposed as Rio commuter train accident sowed chaos

  

  A commuter train in Rio de Janeiro left the tracks and hit a pole supporting power lines early Wednesday, causing no injuries but sowing widespread chaos across the overburdened public transportation system of Brazil's Olympic city which next June/July will host several World Cup matches.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 10:38 UTC

  Brazil 2013-job-creation was the poorest in a decade; unemployment at record low

  

  Brazil's economy added the fewest net payroll jobs in a decade in 2013, a sign that three consecutive years of weak economic growth is weighing down the economy, according to the latest government data. However unemployment remains at record lows.

• Wednesday, January 22nd 2014 - 16:59 UTC

  “Without a stadium, we can't organize a match”, FIFA warns city of Curitiba

  

  Curitiba risks being dropped as a venue for this year's World Cup finals if work on the Arena da Baixada stadium there fails to make significant progress, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said on Tuesday. Curitiba is set to host four group matches, including the meeting of holders Spain and Australia.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 14:55 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil with the largest and fastest growing fiscal pressure in Latam

  

  Argentina’s tax revenue was at last count the largest and fastest growing in the region, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) revealed on Monday. At 37.3%, the latest tax revenue-to-GDP data put Argentina ahead of Brazil, with tax revenue worth 36.3% of its GDP in 2012 — and a few percentage points above the average for OECD countries at 34.6%.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 13:37 UTC

  Brazilian shopping malls requesting help from government to contain 'weekend flash mobs'

  

  Brazilian retailers said they were seeking support from President Dilma Rousseff after several shopping malls were closed to stop weekend flash mobs. Scores of youths, brought together via social media, gathered at upscale malls in several major cities, including Rio and business hub Sao Paulo.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 13:14 UTC

  Lightning chips a finger from Christ the Redeemer right hand

  

  Christ the Redeemer, the iconic statue with its arms extended overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was struck by lightning damaging the statue's right hand thumb, making it lose one finger, according to officials from the Archdiocese of Rio, which manages the statue.

• Thursday, January 16th 2014 - 09:17 UTC

  Brazil raised the benchmark rate to 10.5%: combating inflation the target

  

  Brazil's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday to 10.50% from 10%, a larger-than-expected hike aimed at curbing inflation in spite of a weak economy. The decision by the bank's monetary policy committee, Copom, was unanimous.

• Wednesday, January 15th 2014 - 19:33 UTC

  Second Brazilian airline promises to cap fares for the coming World Cup

  

  Avianca Brasil has joined Azul in becoming the second Brazilian airline to promise to cap prices for the upcoming football World Cup, which opens June 12 in Sao Paulo. Avianca said it would match Azul and limit one-way fares to a maximum of 999 Reais (425 dollars).

• Wednesday, January 15th 2014 - 00:09 UTC

  Fears in Brazil: police group apparently involve on vengeance killing rampage

  

  Twelve people were killed in the Brazilian city of Campinas, the second biggest in São Paulo state, on Sunday night with police investigating if the murders were linked. All of the murders occurred during a three-hour period in the Ouro Verde area, in the city’s periphery, and were followed by the torching of three buses and a car by hooded men.

• Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 06:49 UTC

  Brazil's inflation off target in 2013 and prospects in election year not encouraging

  

  Brazilian consumer prices ended 2013 higher than expected at 5.91%, above the upper limit of the government target, after inflation surged in December, official statistics released Friday showed. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said last month's inflation figure of 0.92% was the highest for December since 2002, and compared with 0.54% a month earlier.