Brazil

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 09:42 UTC

  Count down for Lula da Silva’s key congressional ally

  

  Brazilian Senate President Jose Sarney, a key ally of President Lula da Silva, may be forced to resign amid allegations he used his position to win government jobs and contracts for relatives. Senators from parties backing President Lula da Silva joined by members from the opposition are increasing pressure on Sarney to step down.

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 09:22 UTC

  Brazil purchases 250 German Leopard tanks to guard its borders

  

  The Brazilian army purchased 250 German leopard 1 A5 tanks which will be displayed mainly along the country’s 16.000 kilometres of land and fluvial borders thus reinforcing its dissuasive capacity in the event of foreign attacks. The program is also part of the National Defence Strategy, NDS, approved last December by President Lula da Silva.

• Sunday, August 2nd 2009 - 12:06 UTC

  Lula da Silva rejects any idea or proposal for a third mandate

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva reiterated Saturday he has no plans for a third mandate and anticipated he would reject a proposal from members of his won Workers Party for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run again for president in 2010

• Sunday, August 2nd 2009 - 11:57 UTC

  Lula da Silva wants control over world largest iron-ore producer

  

  Brazilian President Lula da Silva wants the government to take control of Vale SA, according to the weekly magazine Veja. However the origin of the information was not revealed.

• Saturday, August 1st 2009 - 17:07 UTC

  Britons to stay in Brazil prison

  

  The British law graduates accused of holiday insurance fraud are being held in a Brazilian prison with murderers and drug-traffickers after a judge refused to grant them bail.

• Friday, July 31st 2009 - 06:58 UTC

  Brazilian interest rates forecasted to remain unchanged until end of 2009

  

  Brazil’s monetary policy makers said the benchmark interest rate (8.75%) is at a level that will spur economic growth without sparking inflation, signalling that they are prepared to keep borrowing costs unchanged through the end of the year.

• Thursday, July 30th 2009 - 06:27 UTC

  Brazil’s budget deficit widens but should begin to recover by end of 2009

  

  Brazil’s nominal budget deficit for the first half of 2009 widened to 43.7 billion Reais (23 billion US dollars), the largest since 2001, according to the latest release from the Central Bank.

• Thursday, July 30th 2009 - 06:19 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil agree to continue disagreeing (less intensely) in trade issues

  

  Brazil and Argentina reached “relatively productive” results following the Sao Paulo meeting of the bilateral trade monitoring committee to address the ongoing restrictions imposed by Argentina to Brazilian exports, according to diplomatic sources from both sides.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2009 - 12:18 UTC

  Dry wells controversy erupts in Brazil’s sub-salt basins drilling

  

  Brazilian government managed oil corporation Petrobras said late Tuesday in an official release that it has drilled eleven wells in the promising Santos Basin region, with all of the wells testing positive for oil or natural gas.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 07:12 UTC

  Less Bolivian gas production as Brazilian demand falls

  

  Brazil has reduced its demand for Bolivian natural gas to 24 million cubic meters per day, prompting a drop in production, according to reports in the La Paz press.