Brazil

• Friday, January 8th 2010 - 06:12 UTC

  President Lula da Silva “will decide” on contract for huge fighter jet order

  

  Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said Thursday that the government -- not the Air Force -- will determine which contractor to pick for a 4.4 billion US dollars fighter jet order, and that President Lula da Silva has not yet made his decision.

• Wednesday, January 6th 2010 - 13:08 UTC

  Brazil consolidates position a world leader in meat markets

  

  Even when Brazilian meat and chicken exports are recovering at a slower pace than anticipated, representatives from the industry and market analysts anticipate that overseas sales should retake pre-crisis levels by the end of 2010, if not in price, in volume.

• Wednesday, January 6th 2010 - 11:20 UTC

  Brazil car sales grew 11% in 2009 and another 10% increase is forecasted for 2010

  

  Brazil’s new car sales could rise 10% this year as Latinamerica’s largest economy expands the most since 2007, the country’s dealership federation said on Tuesday. Sales in 2009 increased 11% to 3.14 million units.

• Wednesday, January 6th 2010 - 11:11 UTC

  Brazil has record increase of international reserves in 2009

  

  Brazil’s Central Bank reserves soared 23.4% in the last twelve months having reached 239 billion US dollars by December 31st, according to the latest data available. Nevertheless the Central Bank points out that this was below the December 2nd record of 239.4 billion USD.

• Tuesday, January 5th 2010 - 12:52 UTC

  Brazil’s main financial group has set eyes on UK’s rescued banks

  

  Brazil’s leading private banking institution Itaú-Unibanco denied London press reports it was interested in block-buying into UK banks that were saved from collapse in 2008 by the British government, as well as banks in other countries including United States, but admitted an interest in shares

• Tuesday, January 5th 2010 - 12:45 UTC

  Brazilian exports in 2009 suffer worst performance in six decades

  

  Brazil trade surplus in 2009 was 24.615 billion US dollars the lowest since 2002 (13.13 billion USD) and the worst since President Lula da Silva has been in office, according to the latest release from the Development, Trade and Industry ministry.

• Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 12:08 UTC

  Lula da Silva ends 2009 with a military crisis over reviewing the past

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva praised as one of the most influential leaders of the world ends 2009 with a serious political crisis: the Minister of Defence and the commanders on the three services have threatened to resign over the creation of a “truth commission” to investigate human rights abuses during the military dictatorship that extended from 1964 to 1985.

• Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 09:15 UTC

  Brazil’s market soars 83% in 2009 and Real appreciates 34% against US dollar

  

  The performance of Brazilian stocks in 2009 has been one of the highest in the world while the local currency, the Real reflected the recovery of Latinamerica’s largest economy by appreciating 34% against the US dollar this year.

• Wednesday, December 30th 2009 - 15:31 UTC

  Cannabis by product helps reduce effects of Parkinson disease medication

  

  Researchers from Brazil’s prestigious University of Sao Paulo have discovered that marihuana contains substances which can help ease the collateral effects of medicines prescribed to patients suffering from Parkinson disease.

• Monday, December 28th 2009 - 12:44 UTC

  Polls have Governor Serra leading comfortably in Brazilian presidential race

  

  The opposition Social democrat governor of Sao Paulo, Jose Serra, remains as the clear leader to win next year’s Brazilian presidential election, according to the latest public poll released by the top selling magazine Istoé.