Brazil

• Tuesday, September 11th 2012 - 03:57 UTC

  Brazilian population increases “one Uruguay” in two years, and totals 194 million

  

  The Brazilian population amounts to 193,946,886 people, according to estimates from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), based on the 2010 Census, as released in Brasilia last week.

• Monday, September 10th 2012 - 01:39 UTC

  Rio police begins to use drones to control drugs and crime in the city’s shanty towns

  

  A battalion of Special Forces (BOPE) from the Brazilian city of Rio do Janeiro started using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones to air monitor the drugs trade and gangs in shanty towns surrounding the “marvellous city”.

• Saturday, September 8th 2012 - 07:06 UTC

  Brazilians take to the streets on Independence Day to protest against corruption

  

  Thousands took to the streets of the Brazilian capital to march against corruption on the country’s Independence Day, along the same avenue where the main military parade took place on Friday.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 06:33 UTC

  Rousseff announces major shake-up of Brazilian costs beginning with lower power rates

  

  Brazil will cut energy costs for companies and consumers while pressuring banks to lower lending rates to accelerate growth, said President Dilma Rousseff in a speech on national television to commemorate the country’s independence.

• Thursday, September 6th 2012 - 06:35 UTC

  Patriota defends Mercosur decisions on Paraguay before the Brazilian congress

  

  Brazilian Foreign minister Antonio Patriota strongly defended the decision to suspend Paraguay from Mercosur following the removal of Fernando Lugo from the presidency, as well as the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of the trade group.

• Thursday, September 6th 2012 - 04:04 UTC

  Brazil August inflation relatively stable, but food prices could change the picture

  

  Brazil's annual inflation remained relatively stable in August, and was broadly in line with economists' forecast, data released by statistical office IBGE. The consumer price index increased 5.24% on an annual basis in August, just ahead of the 5.2% recorded in July.

• Thursday, September 6th 2012 - 03:51 UTC

  Brazil excels in many fields but also in crack and cocaine consumption

  

  Brazil is the world's largest market for crack and the second for overall cocaine use, researchers from the Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP) said on Wednesday.

• Thursday, September 6th 2012 - 03:34 UTC

  Brazil among the 50 most competitive nations according to WEF report

  

  For the first time, Brazil is among the group of the 50 most competitive nations in the world, says the Global Competitiveness Report, released by the World Economic Forum.

• Thursday, September 6th 2012 - 03:30 UTC

  Brazil sold 1.25bn dollar global bonds due in 2013 at lowest borrowing cost ever

  

  Brazil on Wednesday sold 1.25 billion in dollar-denominated global bonds due in 2023, at the cheapest borrowing costs ever from foreign investors. High demand allowed the government to improve financing conditions by lowering the bond's yield spread over comparable US Treasury debt to 110 basis points from an initial 115 basis points.

• Wednesday, September 5th 2012 - 05:40 UTC

  Brazil applies 25% tariff increase on 100 imported goods; another 100 list in the making

  

  The Brazilian government approved a 25% tariff increase on an additional list of 100 goods from outside Mercosur and at the same time announced the implementation of a monitoring scheme for those items’ prices in the domestic market to avoid unduly increases.