Brazil

• Tuesday, November 1st 2011 - 21:52 UTC

  Amnesty helps anti-mafia lawmaker leave Brazil following death threats

  

  A high-profile state congressman in Rio de Janeiro who investigated criminal militia groups is leaving Brazil after he said police found at least seven death threats against him this month.

• Tuesday, November 1st 2011 - 05:45 UTC

  Development bank activity shows Brazilian economy slowing down

  

  Loan disbursements at Brazil's state development bank BNDES will miss their initial target for the year, reflecting a rapid economic slowdown in Latin America's largest economy, the lender's top executive said on Monday.

• Tuesday, November 1st 2011 - 05:36 UTC

  Brazil’s net debt falls in September to 37.2% of GDP, lowest since 1997

  

  Brazil’s net debt fell in September to its lowest level since 1997, as a 15% decline in the real last month boosted the value of the country’s near-record 353 billion dollars in foreign currency reserves.

• Monday, October 31st 2011 - 19:33 UTC

  Brazil is again a country of immigrants: two million expats returned in five years

  

  Millions of foreigners have moved into Brazil attracted by the economic expansion of recent years, while the number of Brazilians leaving the country has dropped dramatically, according to official data released last week.

• Monday, October 31st 2011 - 19:10 UTC

  Brazil awaking to the possible prospect of political life without Lula da Silva

  

  Brazil's popular former President Lula da Silva started chemotherapy treatment for throat cancer Monday with his doctors voicing confidence in his chances of being cured within four months.

• Monday, October 31st 2011 - 03:11 UTC

  Brazil becomes sixth world economy, overtaking UK by the end of 2011

  

  At the end of the current year Brazil’s GDP will rank sixth in the world and for the first time ahead of Britain’s GDP, according to the Sao Paulo media based on reports from IMF and private consultants.

• Saturday, October 29th 2011 - 19:20 UTC

  Lula da Silva diagnosed with throat cancer and must undergo chemotherapy

  

  Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was diagnosed with throat cancer, casting doubt on his political future in Latin America's largest economy.

• Saturday, October 29th 2011 - 05:24 UTC

  Brazil will look into its harsh political past but the military are safe

  

  The Brazilian congress approved this week the creation of a Truth Committee that will look into human rights abuses from 1946 to 1988, which includes the military period from 1964 to 1985, but leaves untouched the controversial 1979 Amnesty Law that benefits military and police personnel.

• Friday, October 28th 2011 - 17:24 UTC

  Pele says Brazil “is not ready” to host the 2014 World Cup

  

  Brazil is not yet ready to host the 2014 World Cup, football great Pele told the ESPN Soccernet website in an interview posted on Friday. According to Pele, chaotic organization and communication difficulties are the biggest problems facing Brazil as it prepares for the World Cup.

• Friday, October 28th 2011 - 04:45 UTC

  Dilma respects cabinet sharing: names another Communist new Sports minister

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff appointed a Communist Party congressman as the country's new Sports minister Thursday, replacing Orlando Silva, an official from the same party who resigned as he fights corruption allegations.