Brazil

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 07:05 UTC

  Brazil's central bank expected to keep current pace of interest rate increases

  

  Brazil's central bank said its current pace of interest rate increases remains appropriate to rein in consumer prices, repeating language it used to justify previous half-percentage-point increases, according to the November 26/27 minutes released on Thursday.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:57 UTC

  FIFA announces 358m dollars of prize money for the 2014 Cup

  

  The 32 teams at next year's World Cup finals will share a total fund of 576 million dollars, including a prize-money pot of 358m with the winners taking home 35m, FIFA said on Thursday. The amount of money made available to the countries taking part has increased 37% from the 420m on offer at the 2010 finals in South Africa.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:45 UTC

  Brazilian authorities admit to have learnt from Confederations Cup protests

  

  Brazilian authorities say they've learned from demonstrations during the Confederations Cup not to let protesters get too close to stadiums at the upcoming World Cup. Andrei Augusto Rodrigues, security head for major events at Brazil's justice ministry, acknowledged that police misjudged the threat to public safety at Rio de Janeiro in June at the final of the Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:38 UTC

  Maracana, July1950, when Uruguay silenced 200.000 Brazilian fans at the Cup's final

  

  Pele, the only person to win three World Cups as a player, said Brazil will enter next year’s tournament with more humility than when the country last hosted soccer’s greatest event in 1950. On 16 July that year Brazil was shocked 2-1 by Uruguay in the final game at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in what is considered as a national tragedy by some Brazilians.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  FIFA nervous about Cup stadiums; Brazil argues brides are never on time for marriage

  

  Brazilian government has brushed aside the importance of more delays in completing 2014 World Cup stadiums, saying that missing FIFA's deadline will not affect the country's ability to successfully host next year's tournament.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 20:03 UTC

  Foreign Office warn football fans to be on the ball when planning trips to Brazil

  

  Ahead of the World Cup draw on Friday the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF) are teaming up to urge England fans to do their homework before booking travel to Brazil.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 05:56 UTC

  Taking a positive Falklands message to Brazil

  

  “Unthinkable, unacceptable and unsupportable” was how Joanisval Brito Goncalves, Senior Legilslative Counselor for International Affairs and Defence Issues at the Brazilian Senate, described the Argentine government’s attitude to the Falkland/ Malvinas Islands in a press conference held in Stanley on Wednesday afternoon.

• Wednesday, December 4th 2013 - 06:18 UTC

  New effort by Brazil to have Mercosur comply with the EU agreed timetable

  

  Brazil trusts Mercosur and the European Union can exchange the proposed tariff lists for a free trade agreement keeping to the original schedule, before the end of the year, according to the country's foreign ministry.

• Wednesday, December 4th 2013 - 06:04 UTC

  Spectacular launching of the 'brazuca', the official match ball for the 2014 Cup

  

  The adidas brazuca, the Official Match Ball for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil was given a fittingly spectacular launch on Tuesday 3 December. The iconic Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro provided a picturesque venue, while a breathtaking 3D light projection show wowed attendees including former Netherlands international Clarence Seedorf and Brazil Cafu.

• Wednesday, December 4th 2013 - 03:11 UTC

  Brazilian economy contracts 0.5% in third quarter, but still 2.2% annually

  

  The Brazilian economy slipped into contraction in the third quarter after recording strong growth in the June quarter. Data released by statistical office IBGE on Tuesday revealed that GDP decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.5% sequentially in the September quarter, more than offsetting the upwardly revised 1.8% growth recorded in the second quarter.