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Friday, October 2, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
RIGHTS-BRAZIL: Murders of Rural Activists on the Rise
The level of violence marking conflicts over land in Brazil, as measured by the number of murders of campesinos and land activists, has increased this year.BRAZIL: Zero Hunger Plan Attacks Poverty on Many Fronts
Although the Zero Hunger programme launched by the Brazilian government this year has added little to the incomes of poor families, authorities underline that it is an initiative that goes beyond mere welfare.BRAZIL: Dual Fuel Cars Give Consumers Flexibility
Brazil's automotive industry, which had made major strides in fuel alcohol use as a means to confront the oil crisis of the 1970s, is taking yet another big step, manufacturing cars that run on gasoline, alcohol or a mix of the two - and maintaining the same level of vehicle performance.ECONOMY-BRAZIL: Gradual Growth, but at What Price?
The Brazilian economy could begin to see growth by the end of the year, with a gradual acceleration that might achieve a good pace in 2005, or perhaps be interrupted early on by the imbalance in foreign accounts, depending on which of the divergent forecasts one chooses to believe.
Dual Fuel Cars Revive Brazil's Alcohol Industry
The new "bi-fuel" vehicles could expand the use of renewable energy, which had been on the decline in the late 1990s.Special Series/BRAZIL: Foreign Direct Investment in Downward Spiral
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil plunged this year, accentuating a trend that has already led many foreign-owned firms to return to the hands of national capital, and which may even reverse several privatisations of public enterprises.ENVIRONMENT-BRAZIL: Activists Oppose Plans to Complete Nuclear Plants
A decade-long controversy over the building of a third nuclear power plant in Brazil has heated up again, with environmentalists launching a campaign to block the government's stated intention of completing the unfinished plant.HEALTH-BRAZIL: Gov’t Distributes Condoms in Schools
Brazil's ministries of health and education have begun to distribute condoms in schools as part of a stepped-up campaign to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the spread of HIV/AIDS among teenagers.IRAQ: U.N. Envoy Vieira de Mello a Brazilian Hero
He was a man accustomed difficult and dangerous situations, and that is part of why United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan laments his death as a personal loss and one that will be felt deeply throughout the U.N. system..HEALTH-BRAZIL: Sisal, an Alternative to Asbestos
Sisal, a vegetable fibre, could serve as an alternative to asbestos in Brazil, the world's fourth- largest producer of the hazardous mineral.ENVIRONMENT-BRAZIL: Transgenic Soya Advances in Legal Battle
A judge has annulled the ban on producing and selling genetically modified soya in Brazil without prior studies of its environmental and health impacts, imposed by another court in 1998. But environmental and consumer activists pledge that the legal battle will continue.BRAZIL: Pensions Reform Surmounts First Barrier, Despite Protests
Although the Brazilian government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva scored a triumph with the approval of its pensions reforms bill by the lower house of parliament, the economy continued to feel the effects of the uncertainty surrounding the future of the crucial constitutional amendment.AGRICULTURE-BRAZIL: Paradox of Abundance, Need for Reform
Brazilian agriculture today finds itself in an apparently contradictory position: production is among the most competitive in the world but the agrarian reform movement continues to gather strength amidst violent land disputes.AGRICULTURE-BRAZIL: Paradox of Abundance, Need for Reform
Brazilian agriculture today finds itself in an apparently contradictory position: production is among the most competitive in the world but the agrarian reform movement continues to gather strength amidst violent land disputes./ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-BRAZIL: Fragments Create a Unique Whole
A slow, monotonous beginning gives way to surprising plot turns in "O homem que copiava" (The Man Who Copied), the latest film by Brazilian director Jorge Furtado.TRADE: Agriculture a Persistent Thorn in Global Talks
Agriculture has been playing second fiddle to industry for decades and represents a tiny portion of the global economy, but is solidly at the centre of dispute in international trade negotiations, usually pitting the developing world against industrialised countries.TRANSPORT-BRAZIL: Living Dangerously on Two Wheels
Brazil's motorcycle manufacturing industry has grown at a dizzying pace in recent years, analogous to the speed of these two-wheeled vehicles on the country's roads, and serving as an indicator of just how many people are willing to put their lives at risk.HEALTH-BRAZIL: Ozone Pollution Linked to Lung Cancer
Ozone gas, which in the stratosphere forms a protective layer against the sun's harmful rays, at the earth's surface becomes a pollutant that is a threat to human health. In addition to damage it causes the respiratory system, there is strong evidence that ozone is linked to lung cancer.DEVELOPMENT-BRAZIL: Credits for Poor a Bid to Stimulate Economy
Credits for millions of poor and incentives for hiring young adults could lead the way to "less unequal" development in Brazil, though some experts say the economic benefits of these policies, announced recently by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, would not be manifest in the short term./ARTS WEEKLY/MUSIC-BRAZIL: Precocious Rural Guitarist Finds Fame Late in Life
Musician Helena Meirelles is one of those incredible cases that can only be explained in Brazil by the enormous size of the country, its prejudices, social disorganisation and the lack of opportunities for the common folk.ECONOMY-BRAZIL: Pension Debate Puts Lula at Another Crossroads
The government of Brazil lost control of negotiations on social security reforms, leaving it at a decisive moment for the nation's economic future and reviving fears of new financial turbulence for this South American giant.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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