Brazil

• Friday, December 22nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil's Varig dismissed from Star Alliance

  Varig, Brazil's former flagship carrier, has been forced to leave the Star Alliance, in a move that could leave the world's largest airline grouping without a Latin American partner for 18 months or more.

• Friday, December 22nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Brasil's air system in chaos

  

  Chaos returned to Brazil's airports Thursday, with passengers occupying runways and aircraft to protest delayed and cancelled flights, local media reported. The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) said 44 per cent of Thursday's 1,227 scheduled flights were delayed by more than an hour and more than 40 flights were cancelled.

• Wednesday, December 20th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian Congress' pay increase shock the country

  Brazil's Supreme Court (Supreme Federal Tribunal) ruled Tuesday that a decision by congressional leaders to almost double the salaries of senators and representatives must be put to a vote in Congress.

• Wednesday, December 20th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Lack of reforms agenda frustrates Brazilian industry

  Brazilian manufacturers expressed Tuesday their “frustration” given the absence of an official reforms agenda to help thrust economic growth next year which is forecasted to be in the range of 3.5%.

• Tuesday, December 19th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  New Petrobras rig with 135.000 bpd potential

  Petrobras began operating this week a new oil rig with an estimated initial daily production of 15.000 barrels of heavy oil, 17 degrees API in the Jubarte field off Espirito Santo state, according to a release from the corporation.