Brazil

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:35 UTC

  Rio do Janeiro mayor questions Brasilia’s 2016 Olympic Games policy

  

  The mayor of Rio de Janeiro has said it is a shame his city will be hosting the Olympic Games in 2016 because Brazil lacks a sports policy. Eduardo Paes said that his city should not pay for high performance athletes.

• Wednesday, August 21st 2013 - 18:36 UTC

  Controversy with FIFA over hotel prices for the 2014 World Cup

  

  The Brazilian government has expressed concern that some hotels listed on FIFA website for the 2014 World Cup plan significant price increases during the tournament. Brazil’s tourism board, Embratur, is said to have notified the justice ministry after its research showed that rates will be up to 500% more expensive during the World Cup in some hotels offered by the MATCH Services agency on FIFA website.

• Tuesday, August 20th 2013 - 23:56 UTC

  Over a million World Cup ticket requests on opening day: most from Brazil and Argentina

  

  Over one million World Cup finals ticket requests were made within the first seven hours of public sale, soccer's world governing body FIFA said on Tuesday. Most demand for tickets came from Brazil, Argentina, United States, Chile and England.

• Tuesday, August 20th 2013 - 23:35 UTC

  The sliding Brazilian currency has depreciated 18% in the last twelve months

  

  The Brazilian currency Real, which is the region’s reference, is undergoing one of its major depreciations against the US dollar in the last four years because of the poor performance of its economy and the tendency is to continue, at least in the short term, given the uncertainty about US monetary policy.

• Friday, August 16th 2013 - 17:42 UTC

  World Cup 2014 exposes Brazil’s lack of non-commercial aircraft infrastructure

  

  Non-commercial aircraft are expected to carry as many as one in nine international visitors to the World Cup in Brazil next year by some estimates, but industry leaders say the country is unprepared for the oncoming swarm.

• Friday, August 16th 2013 - 03:22 UTC

  Brazilean congress clears the way for sale of giant Libra offshore oil prospect

  

  The Brazilian congress rejected an amendment to an oil-royalty bill that threatened to derail the world's largest-ever sale of rights to develop offshore oil resources scheduled for October 21. The amendment had sought to set the Brazilian government's minimum share of “profit oil” from the sale of the giant Libra offshore prospect and other fields in Brazil's most productive oil area at 60%.

• Friday, August 16th 2013 - 03:15 UTC

  Chief coordinator of Rio’s 2016 Olympics resigns triggering fears about Brazil’s ability to stage the games

  

  The head of the public body coordinating planning for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro has resigned, raising concerns about the city's ability to stage the first games in South America. Resignation of Marcio Fortes, who headed the Olympic Public Authority, was confirmed Wednesday by the organization.

• Friday, August 16th 2013 - 03:04 UTC

  Brazil's June economic activity picked up, but recovery remains fragile

  

  Brazil's economic activity grew at a slightly slower pace than expected in June despite strong industrial output, data showed on Thursday. The central bank's IBC-Br index climbed 1.13% in June from May in seasonally adjusted terms, up from a decline of 1.50% in the previous month.

• Friday, August 16th 2013 - 02:57 UTC

  Paraguay new president pledges ‘war on poverty’ and improved relations with neighbours

  

  Conservative businessman Horacio Cartes was sworn in as president of Paraguay on Thursday, amid slowly improving relations with South American neighbors, and Mercosur members, damaged by the 2012 removal of populist President Fernando Lugo, who was impeached on incompetence.

• Thursday, August 15th 2013 - 03:51 UTC

  Mercosur controversy, Cartes main challenge when he takes office on Thursday

  

  Most presidents and top authorities that will attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Horacio Cartes on Thursday morning arrived in Asunción on Wednesday and most of them have already held private meetings with the future leader of the country.