Brazil

• 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.

• Monday, December 28th 2009 - 12:27 UTC

  Calls on Brazil’s highest court to review censorship on investigative reports

  

  The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has urged Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court to review its decision that resulted in the ongoing censorship of investigative reports that might expose wrongdoing in the Federal Senate.

• Monday, December 28th 2009 - 09:09 UTC

  Lula da Silva unhappy with the media sponsors “social control” of content

  

  Brazil’s most popular president in recent history, Lula da Silva, seems to be in a collision course with some of the big media corporations. His administration is sponsoring a National Conference on Communications allegedly to draft a regulatory framework which media corporations claim has an only purpose, government control of the press and its content.

• Friday, December 25th 2009 - 16:40 UTC

  US Senate confirms ambassadors: Shannon to Brazil and Nelson to Uruguay

  

  United States Senate confirmed Thomas Shannon as the newly appointed US Ambassador to Brazil, after a long delay due to the veto of Republican national deputies, who have showed discontent towards US President Barack Obama's policies as regards Latin America.

• Friday, December 25th 2009 - 15:43 UTC

  Le Monde names Brazil’s Lula da Silva as “Man of the Year”

  

  French daily Le Monde named Brazilian President Lula da Silva “Man of the Year” for “personifying a giant”. It is the first time in its history the French publication has made this designation.