Brazil

Tuesday, March 16th 2010 - 05:06 UTC
Mercosur/Israel free trade agreement becomes effective April

Brazil expects a new free trade agreement with Israel to swell bilateral trade to more than 3 billion US dollars within five years, officials said on Monday. Trade between Israel and Brazil slipped below 1 billion USD in 2009 from a peak of 1.6 billion USD in 2008 -- 1.2 billion USD of which were Israeli exports -- due to the global economic crisis.
Monday, March 15th 2010 - 21:58 UTC
Lula da Silva refers to Ahmadinejad and Chavez as two “nutties”, says O’Globo

Brazilian president Lula da Silva allegedly referred to Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez as “nutty” leaders which must be kept under control through close links, reports the Brazilian newspaper O’Globo.
Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 02:55 UTC
Cuban political prisoners’ controversy backfires on Lula da Silva

One of the most influential Senators from Brazil’s ruling Workers Party remembered President Lula da Silva that world figures such as India’s Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King appealed to hunger strikes as part of their peaceful struggle for the rights of their peoples.
Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 00:41 UTC
Norovirus again attacks “Vision of the Seas” cruise in Brazil

Royal Caribbean’s cruise vessel “Vision of the Seas” which last week was struck with an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness has again suffered a similar bout while sailing along the Atlantic coast of South America, according to a Brazilian health officials.
Friday, March 12th 2010 - 21:12 UTC
Lula da Silva criticizes the press, attacks “false democrats’” editorials

Brazilian president Lula da Silva blasted the “false democrats” who write “fancy editorials” in newspapers, suggesting the media corporations are attempting to embarrass his government in an election year.
Friday, March 12th 2010 - 01:14 UTC
Brazilian economy contracted 0.2% last year but is poised to expand 5.7% in 2010

The Brazilian economy contracted for the first time in 17 years in 2009, falling by 0.2% the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said Thursday. It was the first annual contraction of GDP since 1992. IBGE said the industrial and agricultural sectors were hit hardest but the services sector gained in 2009
Friday, March 12th 2010 - 00:59 UTC
BP gets a hold of Brazil’s oil potential buying out US Devon Energy

British Petroleum has agreed to buy Brazilian, Azeri and Gulf of Mexico assets from Devon Energy for 7 billion US dollars, as the US producer refocuses on onshore US fields.
Thursday, March 11th 2010 - 04:42 UTC
Lula da Silva entangled in controversy over Cuban political prisoners

Brazilian president Lula da Silva has become entangled in a controversy for having compared Cuban political prisoners with jailed criminals and was even severely criticized by members of his own party.
Thursday, March 11th 2010 - 00:43 UTC
More oil in Brazil’s Santos Basin; Petrobras investment plan: 45 billion USD

Brazilian government managed corporation Petrobras, Repsol-YPF and BG Group found more evidence of oil in the same offshore Brazilian sub-salt block where the companies’ Guara field holds as much as 2 billion barrels of crude.
Wednesday, March 10th 2010 - 06:38 UTC
US and Brazil not interested in trade war and “ready to negotiate”

Visiting US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Tuesday that Washington was seeking talks with Brazil before it imposes retaliatory trade tariffs for US cotton subsidies the WTO ruled as discriminatory.