Brazil

• Wednesday, August 15th 2012 - 09:43 UTC

  Unasur ratifies sanctions; Paraguay president more concerned with OAS position

  

  Unasur ratified on Tuesday Paraguay’s suspension from the block at a meeting of the so called High Level Group in Lima, Peru which assessed the situation of the landlocked country.

• Wednesday, August 15th 2012 - 08:54 UTC

  Brazilian court listens to natives claims and suspends work on Belo Monte dam

  

  A Brazilian federal court has ordered the immediate suspension of work on the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric plant, ruling that indigenous communities were not consulted. It was set to be the world's third-largest dam.

• Wednesday, August 15th 2012 - 08:46 UTC

  Brazilian state plans cattle traceability system with ear-tags and chips

  

  The Government of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul is planning to invest about 25 million dollars in restructuring animal health protection in the state and electronically identifying every beast in its 13 million cattle herd, in a project designed to provide a full traceability system.

• Tuesday, August 14th 2012 - 23:38 UTC

  Mercosur farmers plan to sow record soybean area; stocks drop to half from a year ago

  

  Mercosur farmers in Brazil and Argentina are forecast to plant more soybeans for harvesting this season in response to higher prices, at the expense of wheat and corn sowing, according to Oil World. Paraguay and Uruguay Agriculture ministries have also anticipated an increase in the soybeans planted areas.

• Tuesday, August 14th 2012 - 23:23 UTC

  Petrobras says it struck light oil in deep waters offshore Sao Paulo state

  

  Brazil's state-managed energy giant Petrobras confirmed the presence of significant quantities of light oil in deep waters off the country's south-eastern coast. Petrobras said in a statement released late Monday that the high-grade oil was in the Carcara well, located 230 kilometres off the coast of the Sao Paulo state, in the BM-S-8 block.

• Tuesday, August 14th 2012 - 21:28 UTC

  Olympic flag flies in Rio do Janeiro; IOC concern about the 2016 timetable

  

  The official flag of the Olympics arrived in Rio de Janeiro, the host city of the next Games. Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes waved the flag after stepping off the plane with other officials and Brazilian athletes who competed in London.

• Tuesday, August 14th 2012 - 08:22 UTC

  Brazil investing to be in the top ten medals table for the Rio Games of 2016

  

  The host nation of the next Olympics had a mixed outing in London and is hoping that a surge in spending (700 million dollars) on athletes and facilities will ensure it makes the top 10 medals table in 2016 on home soil in Rio de Janeiro.

• Tuesday, August 14th 2012 - 07:47 UTC

  Defendant says Lula da Silva was the ring leader of the Brazilian congress bribes scandal

  

  The defence of one of the main accused at Brazil’s “trial of the century” claimed at a hearing before the Supreme Tribunal (Supreme court) that former president Lula da Silva (2003/2010) was who ordered the bribes scheme to buy votes in Congress.

• Monday, August 13th 2012 - 16:11 UTC

  Brazilian federal staff strike extends affecting airports, ports and foreign trade

  

  The Brazilian economy is slowing down and civil servants are threatening to intensify the several weeks strike to protest government policy that they allege is appealing to savings in salaries and working conditions to address the situation.

• Saturday, August 11th 2012 - 11:26 UTC

  “Two tough years” ahead for Uruguayan construction and real estate

  

  The Uruguayan construction industry faces tough years ahead because of the international crisis and its effects on neighbouring Argentina, forecasted economist Jorge Caumont who is also an advisor of several real estate agents.