Brazil

• Tuesday, November 17th 2009 - 12:42 UTC

  Brazil begins “spy” aircraft surveillance against organized crime in favelas

  

  The Brazilian Federal Police announced that beginning December an unmanned “spy” aircraft will over-fly the shanty towns of Rio do Janeiro at a height of 7.000 metres, well out of range from the drug gangs and trades that last week shot down a police helicopter killing three men on board.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 16:32 UTC

  Brazil warns of “deterioration” of US relations with South America

  

  Brazilian Foreign Affairs minister Celos Amorim warned that relations between United States and Latinamerica are deteriorating and called on President Barak Obama to begin a dialogue with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 16:17 UTC

  Brazilian military launch Operation Lasso with the Itaipú dam in mind

  

  Brazil launched Sunday military exercises involving the three services and located in three states next to landlocked Paraguay with the “main target” being the recovery of a bi-national hydroelectric dam that has fallen into the hands of an enemy country.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 14:19 UTC

  Afro-Brazilians victims of discrimination, injustice and violence says UN

  

  While Brazil has an “impressive” set of laws and policies to promote human rights and improve socio-economic well-being, indigenous groups and Afro-Brazilians face serious discrimination, injustice and violence, warned the United Nations human rights chief.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 13:54 UTC

  Lula da Silva orders in-depth investigation into the massive blackout

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva revealed Friday he had ordered all government offices linked to the power industry, an in depth investigation into the Tuesday blackout which he described as a “national disaster”.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 13:27 UTC

  Shimon Peres ends visit to Brazil, Sunday flies to Argentina

  

  Israeli President Shimon Peres visited the headquarters of Brazilian oil company Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro Friday, on the last day of a historic official visit to Brazil.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 05:41 UTC

  “Spiderman” caught red-handed in Rio do Janeiro airport

  

  Spiderman exists and he was caught at the Brazilian city of Rio do Janeiro. A British tourist was detained in the city’s international airport when he was discovered trying to carry overseas a thousand live spiders in his luggage, according to the local police.

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 15:16 UTC

  Lula da Silva, next to Shimon Peres, justifies Iran’s leader visit to Brazil

  

  Brazil's President justified the scheduled visit of Iran's president in two weeks time and offered to mediate in the Middle East conflict between Israel and Palestine. Lula da Silva rejected criticism over the upcoming visit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, slated for November 23, standing next to visiting Israeli president Shimon Peres.

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 15:12 UTC

  Brazil purchases Israeli drones to clean Rio of crime and drug gangs

  

  Israel Aerospace Industries signed a 350 million US dollars contract this week to supply drones to the Brazilian police - the largest such deal ever between Israel and Brazil. The contract was signed during President Shimon Peres' state visit to Brazil, but negotiations began months ago

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 01:04 UTC

  Brazil says massive blackout was caused by a lightning storm

  

  Brazilian officials stated the blackout that left at least 60 million of people in the dark in Brazil and neighbouring Paraguay Tuesday was caused by a lightning storm.