Brazil

• Thursday, June 6th 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  Two continents’ police bust ring that shipped cocaine hidden in frozen fish to Spain

  

  Brazilian authorities said they had smashed a ring of narco-traffickers said to have shipped drugs hidden in frozen fish to Europe. Eleven members of the drug and money laundering network, based in Brazil and with connections in Colombia, Portugal and Spain were arrested between last Friday and Tuesday and 5 million dollars worth of goods seized, prosecutors said.

• Thursday, June 6th 2013 - 06:06 UTC

  Brazil signs bill expanding private sector participation in the clogged ports

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed into law on Wednesday new regulations to make its ports more efficient and attract up to 12 billion dollars in investments as the country finally begins to tackle logistics bottlenecks hampering vast farm exports.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 22:11 UTC

  Argentina seizes Brazilian cargo railway concession arguing non compliance with contract conditions

  

  Argentina expropriated a cargo railway concession from Brazil’s All America Latina Logistica, ALL, and a tourist train concession, citing non-compliance with contractual agreements. ALL operated the railways between Mendoza province and the Rosario port as well as the railway between Misiones province and the Buenos Aires port since 1999.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 22:06 UTC

  Brazil boosts agriculture budget by 18% to speed expansion of storage capacity

  

  The Brazilian government announced that it is increasing the farm budget, including funds for subsidized loans by 18% to 136 billion Reais (approx 68 billion-dollars) mainly for improving the country’s insufficient storage capacity and new silos.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 21:08 UTC

  Russia temporary bans beef and poultry imports from three Brazil Marfrig plants

  

  The Russian veterinary and phytosanitary service, Rosselkhoznadzor, temporarily suspended imports from two Brazilian beef slaughterhouses and one poultry processing facility on May 17, citing detection of listeria in shipments, according to processors involved.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 08:16 UTC

  Fearing lesser global liquidity, Brazil eliminates tax on foreign capital inflows

  

  Brazil will scrap a tax on foreign investments in local debt, a surprise move that could help stop a sharp depreciation of the country's currency which lost 7.6% in the past three months and that threatens to stoke already high inflation in Latin America's largest economy.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 07:46 UTC

  Brazil indigenous peoples clash with farmers and dams builders: demand respect for ancestral lands

  

  Lawmakers from the Brazilian farm state of Mato Grosso do Sul asked President Dilma Rousseff's government to send troops to end land invasions by Indigenous people claiming their ancestral territory.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 05:05 UTC

  Brazil provides billions to fund renewable-power and bio-fuel technology

  

  Brazil will pour 6.1 billion Reais (2.85 billion dollar) to fund renewable-power and bio-fuel technology research, accelerating its efforts to modernize its energy industry and shift away from a commodity-export based economy.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 04:56 UTC

  Brazil shields borders with state of the art scanners and drones, ahead of major global events

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced this week plans to strengthen the fight against cross-border organized crime by equipping state and local governments with high-tech scanners and surveillance equipment.

• Monday, June 3rd 2013 - 17:43 UTC

  Millions turn out in Sao Paulo in support of Gay Pride Parade

  

  Millions gathered on Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil to take part in one of the largest parades in the world. According to the organizers, 3.5 million people attended the parade and the festivities that followed.