Brazil

• Thursday, December 15th 2011 - 18:03 UTC

  After dismal year Brazilian industry expects modest recovery in 2012

  

  Brazilian industry saw 1.8% growth this year, well below expectations, and expansion will be limited to 2.3% in 2012 due to a global economic slowdown, a business group said this week.

• Thursday, December 15th 2011 - 17:58 UTC

  Brazilian prosecutors suing Transocean and Chevron 10bn dollars for oil spill

  

  Brazilian federal prosecutors are suing Transocean Ltd and Chevron Corp for 20 billion Reais (10.6 billion dollars) in environmental and social damages and asked a court to suspend their operations, according to a statement yesterday.

• Thursday, December 15th 2011 - 15:42 UTC

  Brazil ‘disappointed’ with Paraguay Senate attitude towards Venezuela and Mercosur

  

  Brazil’s International Affairs presidential advisor Marco Aurelio García admitted there is “disappointment” in Mercosur with the delay from the Paraguayan congress in approving the incorporation of Venezuela.

• Thursday, December 15th 2011 - 15:37 UTC

  Brazil decides full support for the (development) Bank of the South

  

  The administration of President Dilma Rousseff will be sending the bill creating the Bank of the South to congress next month, since this financial institution “will help the region address the global crisis”.

• Thursday, December 15th 2011 - 15:32 UTC

  Lan-Tam clears Brazil antitrust regulator, becomes world’ second largest carrier

  

  Chile Lan Airlines planned 3.2 billion dollars acquisition of Tam SA was approved by Brazil’s antitrust regulator, clearing the final regulatory hurdle for the formation of the world’s second-largest carrier.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2011 - 18:05 UTC

  China questions safety of Brazil’s dry bulk carriers, the world’s largest

  

  China should be in no rush to allow Brazil’s new Valemax ships, the world's largest dry bulk carriers, into its ports, as they have not been thoroughly tested and any oil leak from one could be catastrophic, an influential Chinese industry group warned on Tuesday.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2011 - 05:02 UTC

  Brazilian bus manufacturer expands into the Australian market

  

  Brazil’s Marco Polo one of the world’s largest manufacturers announced on Tuesday it had purchased a 75% stake in the Volgren Australia bus building industry an operation involving 53 million dollars.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2011 - 03:50 UTC

  Brazil sending overseas 100.000 graduates on scholarships to the best universities

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced the country would invest 2 billion dollars in a scholarship program to send overseas to the best world universities, 100.000 graduates.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2011 - 03:45 UTC

  Brazil’s development bank helping finance wind energy farms

  

  Brazil’s development bank, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social, BNDES, will provide 1.8 billion Reais (966 million dollars) to finance wind farms as the renewable energy source dominates government auctions for new power capacity.

• Tuesday, December 13th 2011 - 06:47 UTC

  Doctors impressed with Lula da Silva’s response to chemotherapy

  

  Doctors in charge of throat cancer treatment for former Brazilian President Lula da Silva called his response to chemotherapy “impressive” and said the tumour in his larynx had shrunk by 75% in size.