Brazil
New corruption scandal roils Temer Cabinet in Brazil
BRASILIA Brazilian President Michel Temer sought on Monday to contain a new corruption scandal involving allegations a minister pressured another Cabinet member to allow construction of a luxury high-rise in a historic preservation area of his hometown.
Brazil cuts 2017 growth forecast as recession lingers
BRASILIA Brazil's government lowered its forecast for economic growth in 2017 to 1.0 percent from 1.6 percent, echoing recent market pessimism as the country struggles to exit its worst recession in at least eight decades.
Swiss open investigation of Trafigura employee in Petrobras case
ZURICH/LONDON Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an employee of commodities group Trafigura as part of a wider investigation into suspected corruption at Brazil's state oil company Petrobras, the Office of the Attorney General said on Monday.
Brazil's Temer warns debt could equal GDP without spending curbs
BRASILIA Brazilian President Michel Temer warned on Monday that the national debt could swell to the size of the country's gross domestic product within eight years should public spending not be brought under control and fiscal reforms not enacted.
Brazil to focus on reducing debt burden, boost productivity
BRASILIA Brazilian Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles on Monday said that the government will focus on reducing its surging public debt burden and later push ahead with reforms to increase productivity.
Police helicopter crashes, kills 4, after Rio shootout
RIO DE JANEIRO A police helicopter in Rio de Janeiro crashed Saturday evening, killing four officers after a day of intense firefights between law enforcement and suspected criminals in the slum known as City of God.
Ex-Rio governor to leave prison for hospital treatment
SAO PAULO A judge on Friday granted former Rio de Janeiro governor Anthony Garotinho's request to leave prison so that he could be taken to hospital to treat a heart condition.
Brazil judge to hear criminal charges for Samarco dam disaster
BRASILIA A federal judge in Brazil has agreed to hear a criminal case against four companies and 22 employees for a burst tailings dam at the Samarco mine that killed 19 people last November, according to a court document seen by Reuters on Friday.
Brazil firms lean on FX, debt dynamics as slump lingers
SAO PAULO Falling debt costs and a steadier Brazilian currency bolstered some companies' third-quarter earnings but the results disappointed hopes for signs of a recovery in the country's recession-bound economy.
Brazil arrests former Rio governor in corruption probe
RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA The former governor of Rio de Janeiro state was arrested on Thursday as part of a corruption investigation linked to a World Cup project and other works worth billions of dollars, in a blow to Brazil's ruling party that may fuel political instability.
Iran's Guards using Trump victory to claw back power
ANKARA Donald Trump's victory and the war on Islamic State have given Iran's hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps what it sees as a unique opportunity to claw back economic and political power it had lost.
