DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Brazil lifts 2023 growth outlook thanks to booming farm sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, June 1 (Reuters) - Brazil's economy rebounded more than expected in the first quarter, powered by a booming farm sector and paving the way for a rosier annual outlook despite a drag from high interest rates. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 1.9% in the three months through March after a revised 0.1% drop in the prior quarter, data from government statistics agency IBGE showed on Thursday. The Brazilian real strengthened 0.5% against the U.S. dollar and the benchmark Bovespa stock index (.BVSP) rose 0.6%. Goldman Sachs adjusted its 2023 GDP growth forecast to 2.6% from 1.75% after the first-quarter data, citing the additional help of net exports and inventory accumulation. XP economists indicated an upward revision of their current 1.4% growth outlook, forecasting market expectations to keep rising to the range of 2.0% to 2.5%.

Persons: Simone Tebet, Goldman Sachs, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lucas Toro, Toro Investimentos, Roberto Campos Neto, Marcela Ayres, Bernardo Caram, Brad Haynes, Steven Grattan, Sriraj Organizations: Gross, IBGE, U.S ., Finance Ministry, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brazilian

☆ Brazil's Lula cuts losses after setbacks on environment and Indigenous front
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Maria Carolina Marcello | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Wednesday, the minority Lula government faces another key vote in the chamber that will reduce the powers of the ministries of the environment and of Indigenous affairs. Lula called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the dilemma, and called the speaker of the lower house, Arthur Lira, whom he plans to meet as well, to ensure the measure passes. INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL SETBACKThe law passed on Tuesday would set a cut-off date for recognizing Indigenous land claims, establishing that they had to be occupied before Brazil's current Constitution was enacted in 1988. Brazil's 1 million Indigenous peoples are guaranteed by the Constitution the right to live on ancestral lands. After the bill passed, the minister of Indigenous peoples, Sonia Guajajara, said that the deputies who backed it would be "responsible for approving a bill that explicitly attacks the lives of Indigenous peoples in Brazil."

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Arthur Lira, Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Sonia Guajajara, Lisandra Paraguassu, Ricardo Brito, Maria Carolina Marcello, Anthony Boadle, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Lawmakers, Liberal Party, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Congress, Sao Paulo, Brazil's, Brazil, Brasilia

☆ Brazil's Lula proposes common South American currency at UNASUR meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva proposed creating a common currency in the region during a meeting with South American heads of state in Brasilia on Tuesday. Talk of creating a common currency there has periodically cropped up since its founding in 1991. Lula also argued that regional development banks like the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), the Bank of the South and Brazil’s development bank BNDES should do more to finance social and economic development in the region. It’s not the first time that regional leaders have floated the idea of creating a common currency in South America. “If we compare the Eurozone, discussions over the common currency started back in the 1950s.

The approval, by 283 votes to 155, comes after Indigenous groups blocked a highway and burned tires to protest the measures earlier on Tuesday. Outside Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, demonstrators blocked a major motorway with flaming tires and used bows and arrows to confront police, who dispersed them with tear gas. Indigenous groups from across the country planned a week of protests outside Congress in the capital Brasilia. Lula legally recognized six Indigenous territories last month. Reporting by Anthony Boadle in Brasilia and Leonardo Benassatto in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Haynes, Cynthia Osterman and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bill, Marco, Amanda Perobelli, Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro, Lula, Anthony Boadle, Leonardo Benassatto, Brad Haynes, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: SAO PAULO, REUTERS, Supreme, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, SAO, Sao Paulo, Brazil's, Brasilia, Guarani, Brazil, Sao, Lincoln

[1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meets with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (not pictured) before a summit with presidents of South America to discuss the re-launching of the regional cooperation bloc UNASUR, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 29, 2023. "We won't decide anything at tomorrow's meeting, it is just about discussing possibilities," Lula told a news conference on Monday with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, on his first visit to Brazil in eight years. Lula said the leaders did not have to recreate a new Unasur but could come up with a different sort of organization. Maduro is hoping the South American countries will unite in calling on the United States to lift its sanctions against Venezuela, which he and Lula assailed at their news conference. "The aim of this initiative is to unite all the countries of the region once again," she told reporters on Friday.

☆ Venezuela's Maduro meets Lula on first visit to Brazil since 2015
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Brazil's former hard-right President Jair Bolsonaro had banned Maduro from entering Brazil when he took office in 2019, a measure that Lula lifted when he returned to power this year. Lula and Maduro met at the presidential palace and were scheduled to sign agreements in the early afternoon. Among the issues on their agenda was a large debt Venezuela has run up with Brazil's National Development Bank, Brazilian officials said. Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad was due to meet with Maduro and Lula, they added, and the president of state-run oil company Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates. The organization floundered when several South American countries elected right-wing governments, creating diplomatic fissures on the continent.

☆ Brazil's Haddad argues country is ready for interest rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, May 26 (Reuters) - Brazil Finance Minister Fernando Haddad on Friday said the country is about to enter a downward cycle of interest rates, pointing out that inflation is "more behaved." "We are about to.. have a downward cycle of interest rates. "Long-term interest rates are falling. The monetary authority has held Brazil's benchmark interest rate at 13.75% since September. Central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto has ruled out imminent cuts.

☆ Vinícius Jr.: Spanish soccer's inaction over racist abuse of Real Madrid star could prove costly for LaLiga
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Except, this week, nobody is talking about the ‘beautiful game’ after the shameful racist abuse of Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. sent LaLiga into crisis management mode. Instead, it must pass investigations into incidents of racist abuse onto local prosecutors, who deal with them as legal cases. 10 when nine previous incidents of racist abuse seemingly were not enough to spark meaningful action? Vinícius Jr. points to a fan in the stand who allegedly racially abused him during Real Madrid's match at Valencia. Fort says CEOs called Sepp Blatter to ask him to step down as FIFA president.

☆ Spanish football admits it has racism problem after Vinicius incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MADRID, May 22 (Reuters) - Spanish soccer has a racism problem, football federation chief Luis Rubiales said on Monday, after Real Madrid lodged a complaint following alleged insults hurled at their Brazilian star Vinicius Jr. It is "a serious problem that also stains an entire team, an entire fan base, an entire club, an entire country." "Probably Vinicius is more right than we think and we all need to do more about racism," Rubiales said. Real Madrid said on Monday they have lodged a hate crime complaint following the incident in Valencia. It is the 10th episode of alleged racism against Vinicius that has been reported to prosecutors this season, according to LaLiga.

"Inflation expectations are still very high," Campos Neto told a seminar hosted by newspaper Folha de S.Paulo on Monday, highlighting elevated long-term forecasts as particularly problematic. "Long-term forecasts remained little changed," the central bank chief said. "And we have a problem that are long-term inflation expectations persistently stuck around 4%". In the minutes of its May meeting, the central bank expressed concerns about inflation expectations, saying it continued "to assess that de-anchored expectations raise the cost of bringing inflation back to the target". Campos Neto acknowledged that headline inflation has been slowing down in Brazil, but noted that the core index remains "high" and "well above target".

☆ Brazil's Lula says meeting fell through because Ukraine's Zelenskiy was late
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, western Japan, Sunday, May 21, 2023. Louise Delmotte/Pool via REUTERSHIROSHIMA, Japan, May 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Japan fell through because Zelenskiy was late. "I had an interview, a bilateral one with Ukraine here in this room at 3:15 p.m. We waited and received the information that he was late," Lula said. Zelenskiy "did not show up ... Clearly he had appointments and he couldn't come," Lula said. Zelenskiy had earlier played down the fact he did not meet with Lula.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine says closer to encircling Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FIGHTING* Ukrainian forces have partly encircled Bakhmut along the flanks and still control a part of the city, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said. * Russia claimed on Saturday to have fully captured Bakhmut, which would mark an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war and Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated troops and Wagner. * A Russian-installed official in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region said Kyiv had struck the Russian-held port city of Berdyansk with British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles. * Leaders of the world's richest democracies at the summit said they would not back down from supporting Ukraine. * INSIGHT-How Russians end up in a far-right militia fighting in Ukraine.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine says still controls part of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 21 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine gave conflicting accounts of the situation in Bakhmut with Kyiv saying its forces still controlled part of the besieged eastern city, while Moscow congratulated the Wagner mercenary force and Russian troops for "liberating" it. FIGHTING* Ukrainian forces have partly encircled Bakhmut along the flanks and still control a part of the city, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Sunday. * Russia claimed on Saturday to have fully captured the destroyed city, which would mark an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of the 15-month war and Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated troops. * U.S. President Joe Biden said the Russians had suffered over 100,000 casualties in Bakhmut. * INSIGHT-How Russians end up in a far-right militia fighting in Ukraine.

Its oil deals with Russia are seen as undermining Western sanctions by allowing Russia to continue benefiting from energy revenues. A French presidential source told reporters that Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva would also meet Zelenskiy while in Hiroshima. [1/9] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Hiroshima airport for attending the G7 leaders' summit in Mihara, Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan May 20, 2023., in this photo released by Kyodo. A Chinese foreign ministry statement accused the G7 of attacking China and interfering in its internal affairs, including Taiwan. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ White House: Biden to discuss Ukraine with Brazil's Lula, India's Modi
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Asked if Biden would pressure or urge the two leaders to toughen their approach on China and Russia, Sullivan said, "I think pressure is just the wrong word. I mean, that's not how President Biden operates with these key leaders with whom he has deep relationships, like President Lula and President Modi." A White House spokesperson responded by accusing him of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda". Biden is slated to see Modi as part of a third Quad summit, along with the leaders of Australia and Japan on the sidelines of the G7 summit. Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jeff Mason; Writing by Andrea Shalal and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Outreach to the so-called "Global South", shorthand for some low- and middle-income countries including India, has been a focus at this year's Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima. Some of China's lending has left developing countries "trapped in debt", U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said. China, which has lent hundreds of billions of dollars to build infrastructure in developing countries, has called those remarks "irresponsible" and said the United States should take practical action to help developing countries. Japan and Germany have for years been pushing for a reform of the Security Council. The initiative comes as Japan and other G7 members try to engage the Global South, as the G7 nations struggle to stay relevant amid growing Chinese influence in developing countries.

☆ Hiroshima G7 marks costs of war and welcomes Ukraine's Zelenskiy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands during the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan May 20, 2023. Zelenskiy will receive a hero's welcome during the closing day of the G7 summit hosted in Hiroshima, Japan, where leaders debated how to respond to a conflict that many expect only to escalate after nearly 15 months of fighting. On Sunday, Japan and South Korea, two of China's wealthiest neighbours, will highlight their improved ties with a joint meeting. But Zelenskiy has pushed the countries to go further on both economic and military measures. "Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on Twitter as he arrived in Hiroshima.

☆ Brazil's finance minister signals potential change to inflation target timeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, May 18 (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad on Thursday suggested that the country's new government is looking at adjusting the timeline for achieving its inflation target. Haddad reiterated he favors "a continuous inflation target" rather than a calendar year-based target, saying Brazil and Turkey were the only two countries to use the latter. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has advocated for higher inflation targets and a less stringent monetary policy. The central bank has cautioned that discussions about higher targets might have contributed to an increase in inflation expectations, helping keep interest rates high. The National Monetary Council, which comprises the finance minister, the planning minister and the central bank governor, is scheduled to convene in June to discuss inflation targets.

☆ Deep in the Amazon, scientists race to find unknown bat viruses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Some scientific studies have found that deforestation causes stress in bats, and stressed bats carry more viruses and shed more germs in their saliva, urine and feces. It spiked following the highway’s construction, making the Amazon in the early 1980s a rallying cry for the global environmental movement. When examining spillover risk, scientists use the number of bat species in a given area as a key variable. When humans encroach on their habitat, and bat species commingle, the viral cocktail intensifies. “Odds of it being documented are very slim,” said Caio Graco Zeppelini, an ecologist and bat researcher at the Federal University of Bahia.

[1/2] A logo of Brazil's state-run Petrobras oil company is seen at its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil October 16, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio MoraesSAO PAULO, May 18 (Reuters) - A decision by Brazil's environmental regulator to block state-owned oil company Petrobras' Amazon oil project has exposed tensions in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's coalition between green advocates and those prioritizing economic development. Ibama, late on Wednesday, said it would block a request by state-run oil giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA) to drill at the Amazon mouth near Amapá, in a much-awaited decision that followed a technical recommendation by Ibama experts to reject the project. The decision by Ibama, which is overseen by Lula's environment minister, the globally recognized environmentalist Marina Silva, has riled some within the governing coalition. "We'll fight against this decision," Rodrigues wrote on Twitter, adding that "the people of Amapa want to have the right to be heard".

☆ Analysis: Jet-setting Lula risks losing focus on Brazil issues, allies say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BRASILIA, May 17 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's focus on foreign policy and a relentless schedule of trips abroad risks distracting him from tackling thorny domestic issues, two senior allies of the leftist president told Reuters. But so far, less than six months into his third term, he has made twice as many foreign trips as he did at the start of his first presidency in 2003. By comparison, fellow leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico, who skipped the coronation, has made five foreign trips since taking office in 2018. "You have to focus on decisive issues," the aide said, citing a need for higher economic growth and job creation. Marco Feliciano, a pro-Bolsonaro lawmaker in the lower house, said "international trips are part of the presidential agenda, but not at the beginning of the government ...

BRASILIA, May 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Ministry is preparing a new set of initiatives to increase tax revenue, including a review of deductions and exemptions for income tax on individuals, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Previous administrations have tried - and failed - to restrict income tax deductions, which allow taxpayers to use proof of certain expenses, such as medical and educational costs, to reduce their tax bills. The government estimates it is set to lose 51.1 billion reais ($10.2 billion) from exemptions, along with 31.3 billion reais from deductions in its 2024 budget bill. The finance ministry's revenue chief Robinson Barreirinhas said last month that the government was working on additional revenue measures to be announced in the second half of this year. He mentioned "very solid and consistent" studies regarding the potential to boost annual revenue by 155 billion reais as a result of combined efforts.

☆ Brazil's Petrobras scraps fuel import parity policy, shares rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras FollowRIO DE JANEIRO, May 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's state-run oil giant, Petrobras (PETR4.SA), has approved a new commercial strategy to set diesel and gasoline prices, it said on Tuesday, ditching its previous import parity policy without revealing a specific fresh pricing formula. "The end of pricing parity is not good, but this was already expected." "The new policy scraps the 'import parity' terminology, but in our view it has not changed materially," Credit Suisse analyst Regis Cardoso said. The import parity policy was adopted in 2016 by former President Michel Temer. People close to Lula celebrated the announcement, with his Mines and Energy minister, Alexandre Silveira, telling reporters the policy would not impose as much volatility as the import parity used to.

May 16 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said it "strongly supports" Brazil's efforts to improve the country's fiscal position, while also commending the country's "ambitious agenda" to have a sustainable, inclusive, and green economy. "Enhancing Brazil's fiscal framework, broadening the tax base, and tackling spending rigidities would support sustainability and credibility," the leader of an annual mission to the country, Ana Corbacho, said in a statement after the Fund's visit. Brazil's finance ministry in late March unveiled new fiscal rules to balance limits on spending growth under the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has vowed to boost social programs and public investment. The new rules limit spending growth to 70% of Brazil's revenue growth in the prior 12 months. Corbacho also noted Brazil's efforts to "steer a sustainable, inclusive, and green economy" by cracking down on illegal deforestation, for example, and "leveraging competitive advantage in renewable energies."

The new pricing system scraps a so-called fuel import parity policy that more closely aligned prices at the pump with the oil market and exchange rates. In a research note, JPMorgan (JPM.N) described the reworked pricing policy as "more friendly than investors expected." The policy shift will be tested when oil prices rise, and apply upward pressure on what consumers can expect to pay for motor fuels or LPG. Petrobras' new pricing policy also came under criticism from some as too opaque. The previous pricing policy was adopted seven years ago by conservative former President Michel Temer.

Search resuls for: "Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva"

25 mentions found