Brazilian police say they negotiated an end Tuesday to a hostage situation with armed men onboard a bus in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Authorities say at least three hostages received gunshot wounds. There were no reported fatalities. Rio police could not confirm the number of gunmen involved in the standoff. A police officer said the […]
Chinese Automaker to Build Plant in Brazil
Posted August 1st, 2011 at 8:30 pm (UTC-5)
Chinese automaker Jianghuai Automobile Company plans to build a factory in Brazil. JAC announced Monday that the factory, with an annual capacity of 100,000 cars, will begin operations by 2014. The plant will be built by JAC together with Brazil’s SHC Group, which represents the JAC brand in Brazil.
Pilot Errors Outlined in 2009 Air France Crash
Posted July 29th, 2011 at 4:05 pm (UTC-5)
French investigators probing the 2009 crash of an Air France jet over the Atlantic have released a report linking pilot errors to the deadly accident and calling for better pilot training to cope with an emergency. The report from the French air accident investigation agency says the pilots of Air France 447 did not realize […]
Brazil Raises Benchmark Interest Rate
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 8:25 pm (UTC-5)
Brazil’s central bank has raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point, in an effort to curb inflation in the booming South American economy. The bank’s monetary policy committee Wednesday increased the Selic rate to 12.5 percent, marking the fifth time this year that the rate has been boosted. The government of President Dilma […]
Brazilian Plane Crashes, Kills 16
Posted July 13th, 2011 at 10:15 am (UTC-5)
Brazilian authorities say a small plane has crashed in northeastern Brazil, killing all 16 people on board. The regional Noar airlines plane went down early Wednesday, shortly after takeoff from the city of Recife. It was heading to the city of Natal. Brazil’s Air Force says the pilot reported problems almost immediately and tried to […]
Brazilian Plane Crashes, Kills 16
Posted July 13th, 2011 at 9:10 am (UTC-5)
Brazilian authorities say a small plane has crashed in northeastern Brazil, killing all 16 people on board. Brazil’s air force says it is investigating. The regional airliner went down early Wednesday, shortly after takeoff from the city of Recife. It was heading to the city of Natal. The air force did not say what caused […]
Brazil’s Transportation Minister Resigns in Kickback Scandal
Posted July 6th, 2011 at 7:50 pm (UTC-5)
Brazil’s transportation minister has resigned in connection with a scandal over an alleged kickback scheme in his office. Alfredo Nascimento stepped down Wednesday, days after the allegations involving several members of his ministerial team surfaced in a magazine report. The magazine, Veja, reported recently that officials in Nascimento’s office were demanding kickbacks from builders to […]
World’s Oldest Person Dies
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
A Brazilian woman who in May was declared the world’s oldest person by Guinness World Records has died. Maria Gomes Valentim died Tuesday. Guiness World Records says she was 114 years, 347 days old. With her death, the titles now belongs to American Besse Cooper who is 114 years 299 days old, younger by 48 […]
Bodies From Atlantic Plane Crash Brought to France
Posted June 16th, 2011 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
The remains of 104 people recovered from the wreckage of an Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic two years ago have been brought to France for identification. The bodies and wreckage from the Airbus 330 plane arrived by ship on Thursday at the port of Bayonne in southwestern France. Police officials say the […]
Italy Recalls Its Ambassador to Brazil After Release of Fugitive
Posted June 10th, 2011 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
Italy has recalled its ambassador to Brazil in an escalating dispute over the South American country’s decision not to extradite Italian fugitive Cesare Battisti. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini recalled Ambassador Gherardo La Francesca to Rome on Friday to discuss Italy’s options, saying the court’s decision was a political decision, not a legal one. Brazilian authorities […]
