Brazil

• Monday, August 26th 2013 - 02:22 UTC

  Brazil's current account deficit doubles in July from a year ago

  

  Brazil's current account deficit more than doubled in July from a year ago, according to the latest Central bank data. The gap reached 9.08 billion dollars in July, while a year ago the deficit was 3.75bn dollars.

• Friday, August 23rd 2013 - 23:18 UTC

  Falklands’ lawmaker begins round of contacts in Brazil’s main cities

  

  Falkland Islands lawmaker Dick Sawle is expected next week in Brazil where he will be meeting representatives from the business community, students’ organizations and share lunch with a group of members of Congress, announced British ambassador in Brasilia Alex Ellis.

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 23:40 UTC

  Brazil fuel prices remain unchanged for now…despite growing losses of Petrobras

  

  Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has not yet discussed raising gasoline and diesel prices to support state-run oil producer Petrobras, said her spokesperson in response to local media reports on Thursday.

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 23:37 UTC

  A ‘sustainable’ exchange rate for Brazil is 2.2 to 2.35 Reais to the US dollar

  

  Brazil's development bank BNDES chief Luciano Coutinho said on Thursday that a “sustainable” exchange rate for the country would be between 2.2 and 2.35 Reais to the US dollar, which is currently trading at around 2.44.

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 23:24 UTC

  Brazil launches 60bn dollars currency-intervention program to boost the sliding Real

  

  Brazil's central bank announced a currency-intervention program on Thursday that will provide 60 billion dollars worth of cash and insurance to the foreign-exchange market by year-end, a move aimed at bolstering the country's currency, the Real which has slipped to near five-year lows against the dollar.

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 23:18 UTC

  Brazil confirms contract of 4.000 Cuban doctors to work where local professionals don’t want to go

  

  Brazil's foreign minister on Thursday denied that the government's plan to hire 4,000 Cuban doctors to work in isolated areas has any “ideological aspect.” The decision “was taken to improve public services and has no ideological motivation of any kind,” Antonio Patriota told a congressional committee.

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:39 UTC

  Argentina’s trade surplus down 40% in July; unemployment fell to 7.2%

  

  Argentina's trade surplus shrank by 40% in July from a year earlier as surging fuel and auto imports increased pressure on President Cristina Fernandez government's system of currency controls. However the unemployment rate in the second quarter fell to 7.2% according to official data.

• 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.