Brazil

• Monday, March 29th 2010 - 00:29 UTC

  Brazilian opposition presidential hopeful leads in polls by nine points

  

  Sao Paulo state governor Jose Serra, the main opposition candidate in Brazil’s presidential election next October widened his lead over the ruling party contender as his popularity grew among poor voters and women, pollster Datafolha said Saturday.

• Saturday, March 27th 2010 - 06:42 UTC

  Lula da Silva again fined for breach of electoral legislation

  

  Brazil’s Superior Electoral tribunal, TSE, again fined President Lula da Silva for having campaigned in support of cabinet chief and the Workers’ Party candidate for October’s presidential election, Dilma Rousseff.

• Saturday, March 27th 2010 - 02:51 UTC

  Lula da Silva celebrates 130 anniversary of Arab immigration to Brazil

  

  Just a week after his latest trip to the Middle East, Brazilian president Lula da Silva was honoured March 25th by the Arab community at the Mount Lebanon Club, in the city of São Paulo. The event, which marks the 130th anniversary of Arab immigration in Brazil, was organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.

• Friday, March 26th 2010 - 04:27 UTC

  Brazil ready to raise rates next April following strong rebound

  

  Brazil's central bank policy-makers said on Thursday they are ready to raise rates next month to curb inflation pressure as jobs data highlighted the strength of the country's economic rebound.

• Friday, March 26th 2010 - 04:18 UTC

  Brazil/Argentina hold new round of talks to facilitate bilateral trade

  

  Mercosur main country members, Argentina and Brazil begun on Thursday a two-day round of bilateral trade talks in Brazil to discuss basically whether to continue or not with the non-automatic licenses both countries hold.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 05:24 UTC

  Crisis lesson: better to rely on international reserves than IMF credit says Brazil

  

  Brazil’s Central Bank believes it is better for the country to hold its own foreign exchange reserves than to rely on credit lines from international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund.

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 - 22:50 UTC

  Lula da Silva wants Hamas and Hezbollah in Mid East negotiations table

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva said he is willing and available to begin talks with the Palestine Hamas organization, as well as Lebanon’s Hezbollah and even Iran, to reach peace in the Middle East.

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 - 03:30 UTC

  Bloated budget with limited margin, for Lula da Silva’s successor

  

  Whoever succeeds Brazilian President Lula da Silva next January will receive a budget highly committed to infrastructure and with limited margin for economic decision-making according to Sunday reports in the Rio do Janeiro press.

• Monday, March 22nd 2010 - 20:50 UTC

  Petrobrás second most profitable corporation in US and Latam

  

  Brazilian Government managed energy corporation Petrobras was the second most-profitable company in the US and Latin America in 2009, even ahead of corporations such as Microsoft according to a study released Monday.

• Sunday, March 21st 2010 - 19:47 UTC

  The Dark side of Brazil’s Olympic Dreams: 2016 Olympic Host Battles Poverty, Violent Crime, and Police Brutality

  With colorful and scandalous flourishes, in a nation where the bizarre is often normal, Brazil’s Carnaval kicked off throughout the country on February 12th. The celebration is especially exotic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s second largest city, where the samba dancers’ elaborate talents draw millions of tourists each year.