Brazil

• Saturday, October 9th 2010 - 00:38 UTC

  Abortion becomes an issue in the Brazilian presidential run-off

  

  Brazil’s ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff is playing up her Roman Catholic background in efforts to win back religious voters, whose doubts about her faith and position on abortion rights may have cost her an outright victory in Sunday’s presidential election.

• Friday, October 8th 2010 - 00:12 UTC

  Brazil forecasts crop will reach a record 148.9 million tons in 2010 farm year

  

  Brazil forecasts a record crop of cereals and oilseeds totalling 148.9 million tons, the largest ever, according to the latest release from the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 22:47 UTC

  GM cultivation totalled 134 million hectares in 2009; 77% soybeans, 49% cotton

  

  The cultivation of genetically modified plants increased globally in 2009 with the field area rising by nine million hectares over 2008 to a total of 134 million.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 05:26 UTC

  Woman power in Brazil: Dilma could still win and Marina holds key of run-off

  

  Brazilian political analysts are trying to explain way Sunday’s electoral party went sour for Dilma Rousseff and her mentor Lula da Silva, the most popular president of the country in the last six decades.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 02:20 UTC

  Brazil’s most voted federal Deputy could be barred from Congress for illiteracy

  

  The candidate who won the most votes in Brazil’s Sunday general elections, Tiririca the clown, will have to show electoral authorities that he can read and write to avoid his electoral victory being annulled, an elections official said.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2010 - 23:20 UTC

  Brazil doubles tax on foreign investors buying local bonds and fixed return assets

  

  Brazil doubled this week the tax on foreign investors buying local bonds or making deposits in fixed returns in an attempt to curb a currency rally that has turned into an issue in the country's presidential race.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2010 - 03:06 UTC

  Brazil’s Greens confident they hold the key to Lula da Silva’s successor

  

  Brazil’s Green party considers that their presidential candidate Marina Silva and her demands in support of an environmental policy will be decisive in the run off between the ruling Workers Party Dilma Rousseff and runner up Jose Serra from the Social Democracy of Brazil (PSDB).

• Tuesday, October 5th 2010 - 01:34 UTC

  Professional clown “Tiririca” the most voted member of the Brazilian congress

  

  Brazil's incoming Congress will have to make room for a colourful new member: a professional clown who won the most number of votes: over 6% of all ballots in the state of Sao Paulo.

• Monday, October 4th 2010 - 03:44 UTC

  Lula da Silva’s candidate short of the 50%; Green party the king maker

  

  Brazilian President Lula da Silva's chosen candidate to succeed him next year came out on top in Sunday’s vote but fell short of an outright win needed to avoid a runoff at the end of October. The big surprise was the Green Party’s Marina Silva and her 19%, which turns her into king-maker.

• Sunday, October 3rd 2010 - 13:29 UTC

  Brazil Foundation New York Joins the “New Brazil”

  

  Spearheaded by Brazil Foundation President Leona Forman, and the event’s Chair, advertising executive Nizan Guanaes, a stellar gathering of over 500 Brazilian leaders in banking, fashion and infrastructure industries reached into their purses and donated over US$2.4 million dollars for Brazil Foundation’s efforts to support nonprofit organizations that provide opportunities for poor and marginalized communities across Brazil.