Brazil

• Friday, October 21st 2011 - 05:13 UTC

  Brazil reaffirms its political and trade influence in Angola and Mozambique

  

  Brazil reaffirmed its influence in Africa with the visit by President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday of the oil rich ‘brother’ nation Angola. Rousseff had previously visited South Africa and Mozambique.

• Friday, October 21st 2011 - 05:03 UTC

  Brazil Supreme Court suspends 90 days higher tax on imported cars

  

  Brazil’s Supreme Court suspended until mid-December a higher tax on imported cars imposed in September to protect local manufacturers from cheap import from China, Korea and elsewhere.

• Friday, October 21st 2011 - 02:00 UTC

  Truth committee in Brazil but with no review of past human rights’ crimes

  

  Brazilian Senate Constitution and Justice Committee approved this week the bill for the creation of a National Truth Commission to research unsolved serious crimes committed between 1946 and 1988, which includes the controversial military dictatorship period from 1964 to 1985.

• Thursday, October 20th 2011 - 21:41 UTC

  Argentina/Brazil clash over restrictions to footwear imports

  

  Argentine and Brazilian footwear manufacturers clashed this week over restrictions to trade, mainly through the delay in approving import licences but agreed to keep talking next month in Rio do Janeiro.

• Thursday, October 20th 2011 - 21:36 UTC

  Brazil lowers basic rate half a point for a second time running to 11.5%

  

  Brazil’s central bank cut borrowing costs by half a point for a second straight meeting. The bank’s board, led by President Alexandre Tombini, voted unanimously to reduce the benchmark Selic rate to 11.5% from 12% percent.

• Thursday, October 20th 2011 - 07:00 UTC

  Lula da Silva: only way out for the crisis is growth and jobs, not balanced budgets

  

  Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva recommended European Union leaders to stop discussing balancing budgets and recapitalization of banks and find a solution to the current crisis through more economic growth, more trade and more jobs.

• Thursday, October 20th 2011 - 06:44 UTC

  Brazil’s ‘beautiful game’ fans want big boss ‘cartola’ out

  

  Ricardo Teixeira has dominated Brazilian football for so long that, like many of the best players, he is known by just one name. They call him the “cartola,” literally the “top hat,” a title given to football bosses that instil respect and fear in equal measure and can carry more than a hint of shadiness.

• Thursday, October 20th 2011 - 04:07 UTC

  UK Parliament praises Brazil, but regrets its ‘hardening’ policy towards Falklands

  

  Britain’s House of Commons strongly supports a closer bilateral relationship with Brazil, which it describes as a democratic, well governed, responsible state but regrets the hardening position of Brazil towards the Falklands and the HMS Clyde incident.

• Thursday, October 20th 2011 - 00:10 UTC

  Argentina, Brazil and Mexico attempt to harmonize positions ahead of G20

  

  Argentina, Brazil and Mexico meeting in Uruguay ahead of the G-20 summit in France next November, agreed to demand a greater role for the region in global affairs and in helping to resolve the global economic crisis.

• Wednesday, October 19th 2011 - 21:06 UTC

  Who’s the best player ever: Pelé, Maradona, Romario or Messi?

  

  Former Barcelona (1993/95) striker Romario and 1994 World Cup champion came on stage to say that Argentine star Lionel Messi still has some way to go before he can call himself the best player ever.