Brazil

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 03:51 UTC

  First major legislative victory for Rousseff: keeps minimum wage on target

  

  Brazil's Lower House approved Wednesday a government proposal to limit a minimum wage increase to 545 Real a month, handing President Dilma Rousseff her first major legislative victory.The proposal will be voted on in the Senate next week, where it is expected to be approved.

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 03:46 UTC

  First woman cop-chief for Rio do Janeiro 12.000 strong police force

  

  A woman has been named to head Brazil’s Rio do Janeiro police department for the first time following a corruption scandal that led to the arrest of more than 30 police and military officials, officials said Wednesday.

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 03:25 UTC

  Brazil as concerned with the US dollar as with China’s Yuan

  

  Brazil is as concerned about the decline of the U.S. dollar as it is about the Chinese currency and has no plans for a joint initiative with Washington to press China to let its currency appreciate faster, said Finance Minister Guido Mantega

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 03:11 UTC

  TAM Airlines maintained its market leadership in Brazil

  

  The Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has published its operational data for the month of January 2011.

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 01:58 UTC

  Brazil injects 27 billion USD to subsidized-loans development bank

  

  Brazilian state-run development bank BNDES will receive at least 45 billion Real or 27 billion US dollars from the government to extend its program of low-cost loans for supporting company investments in capital goods, local media reported this week.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 22:53 UTC

  Mantega reiterates opposition to French plan for commodity prices regulation

  

  Brazil reiterated opposition to a French plan to impose regulation on commodity prices, saying it could have “negative effects” on major suppliers such as itself. “Brazil is totally opposed to a mechanism of control or regulation of commodity prices,” Finance Minister Guido Mantega told reporters, reiterating a position he gave last week.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 13:31 UTC

  Brazil cuts defence budget but purchase of 36 new jets remains on the agenda

  

  Brazil's government will cut 4,2 billion Brazilian Real (approximately 2.4 billion USD) from its 15.17 billion defense budget this year under proposed fiscal tightening, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim announced this week.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 06:14 UTC

  US President Obama visits Brazil March 19 and 20

  

  The Brazilian government confirmed on Tuesday that US President Barak Obama will make an official visit to Brazil on March 19 and 20.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 01:09 UTC

  Rio de Janeriro’s top cop forced to step down in midst of corruption scandal

  

  The head of Río de Janeiro's state's civil police quit, becoming the latest victim of a drugs and corruption scandal that has shocked the police in Brazil's second city.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 05:25 UTC

  Brazil ratifies no-support policy for UK military or government vessels linked to Malvinas

  

  Defence minister Arturo Puricelli said Monday that Argentina “has no conflict hypothesis with countries from the region” and thanked the “strong support” from his visiting Brazilian peer Nelson Jobim regarding Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.