Folha de S.Paulo - Internacional - En - Principal

Inflation Leaves 22.3 Million Below the Poverty Line

21 May 2013 09:01:00 -0300

The number of poor recognized in records by the government would rise from zero to at least 22.3 million if the income officially used to define poverty were corrected for inflation. This is what data produced by the Ministry of Social Development reveals, at the request of Folha, based on the Unified Registry, which gathers information from over 71 million beneficiaries of social programs. Since at least June of 2011, the government has been using the value of R$70 (US$ 34.4) as the "poverty line" - per capita monthly income below which a person is considered extremely poor. Leia mais (21/05/2013 - 09h01)

A Year Before the World Cup, Street Event in S�o Paulo Has Looting, People Injured and One Death

21 May 2013 08:34:00 -0300

More concentrated in downtown S�o Paulo than in previous years, the Virada Cultural, an event that features musical attractions and artistic interventions in S�o Paulo during 24 hours, ended on Sunday - however, it was one of the most violent editions in the nine years the event has been held. A year before the 2014 World Cup fan fests, which will also occur in downtown S�o Paulo, a wave of looting, collective plundering, and robberies upstaged the shows, which again included rap, and also funk and forr� concerts, along with major artistic interventions - this year's edition saw the solution of some infrastructure problems. Despite this year's record-breaking budget of R$ 10 million (US$ 4.92 million) to reinforce infrastructure and safety and the 4,800 security agents, the highest number in the past five years, a 19-year-old was shot after reacting to a robbery on Rio Branco avenue and died in the hospital. Leia mais (21/05/2013 - 08h34)

Even the Pope is Considered 'Guilty' in Rumors about the End of Bolsa Fam�lia

20 May 2013 09:16:00 -0300

Some believed it was due to Pope Francis's visit to Rio in July. Others thought it was because of the Confederations Cup to be held next month. Rumors that the Bolsa Fam�lia program would be suspended made thousands of people who benefit from the federal government's social program form long lines at Caixa Econ�mica Federal bank branches in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and in the Baixada Fluminense on Saturday afternoon - they wanted to withdraw the funds given by the federal government. The rumor was denied by the federal government and by Caixa, but the denial didn't reach most beneficiaries, who rushed to Caixa banks. "They are saying that the government will pay the next three months by Sunday, May 19, and then cancel the program. My neighbor already withdrew her money and said the government wants to save up to pay for the celebrations for the Pope," said Jan�bia Silva Alves, 29, a resident of Baixa do Sapateiro, one of the slums that comprises the Complexo da Mar�, in Bonsucesso (North zone of Rio).

Clemilson Campos/JC Imagem/Folhapress

Rumors that the Bolsa Fam�lia Program would be canceled made many beneficiaries go to Caixa branches on Sunday (19)

Brazil's Largest Opposition Party Leader Supports Privatization

20 May 2013 09:11:00 -0300

Elected on Saturday as the new president from the largest opposition party in Brazil, the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Senator A�cio Neves (PSDB-MG) assumed the position defending the government of former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), and that included supporting the privatization adopted during his term as well as attacking the Worker's Party (PT) administration. Privatization has been a sensitive topic in the last PSDB campaigns as it was used by opponents to attack the PSDB administration. Choosing A�cio as the party leader ignites his candidacy for 2014 presidential elections. The PSDB leader and the national party administration were elected with 521 votes in favor from the 535 delegates attending this Saturday party's convention, in Brasilia. Leia mais (20/05/2013 - 09h11)

Web Creator Praises Brazil for Project That Will Regulate the Internet

17 May 2013 08:35:00 -0300

"Brazil is leading the world with its Internet Civil Mark, so for me it is an honor to be here at this historic moment, supporting those who are doing it." That was how the Englishman Tim Berners-Lee, 57, the creator of the World Wide Web, expressed his support for the Brazilian law that aims to be the "Constitution of the internet." The project provides for net neutrality (equal service packs for all customers, and the same speed of access to all sites), the privacy to its users and freedom of expression online. Leia mais (17/05/2013 - 08h35)

Rule Changes Ease Work Visa Application in Brazil

17 May 2013 08:25:00 -0300

The Brazilian government will add two news rules in order to attract skilled foreign workers making it easier for companies looking for professionals: it will reduce the amount of visa required documents and allow "internships" for graduate students. The measures were being discussed since last year, as announced to Folha in December. The approved rules, however, did not meet the expectations proposed by the Secretary of Strategic Affairs of the Presidency. The original proposal would allow highly skilled professionals to obtain visa even without a work contract and would not force a foreigner to leave the country to get a new visa every time there would be a company or job change. Leia mais (17/05/2013 - 08h25)

Fifa and Corinthians Agree to Deliver S�o Paulo Stadium for World Cup in December

16 May 2013 08:49:00 -0300

A day after threatening Itaquer�o, Corinthians's future stadium, J�r�me Valcke, the general secretary of Fifa, the world's governing body of soccer, said yesterday that S�o Paulo will host the 2014 World Cup. After a meeting of directors of Fifa, Corinthians and the LOC (Local Organizing Committee), it was decided that the deadline to deliver the stadium is December 31, 2013. "I'll be very clear: The World Cup will be held in 12 Brazilian cities and one of them is S�o Paulo," Valcke said in a press conference yesterday. Leia mais (16/05/2013 - 08h49)

Fortaleza Prepares Junina Festival for Fans During the Confederations Cup

16 May 2013 08:34:00 -0300

Fortaleza will mix soccer with forr� (a Brazilian dance) during the Confederations Cup, which will be held between June 15 and 30. Off the pitches, the city will have a big S�o Jo�o Festival in the second half of June with dances and food typical of the Northeast. The Junina Festival will be concentrated on the shore of Iracema Beach, a tourist area on the coast. There will be nationally known bands and also regional attractions. The shows will take place on the dates of St. John (June 23 and 24) and St. Peter (June 29) and whenever there are games both in Fortaleza and in other host cities. Leia mais (16/05/2013 - 08h34)

Obama Acts Against Free Press, President of the Associated Press Says

16 May 2013 08:13:00 -0300

The world president of the Associated Press, Gary Pruitt, was visiting Latin America when he became involved in one of the biggest scandals of the Obama administration: the monitoring of phone calls of some 100 AP journalists, a major news agency with offices in 110 countries. The Justice Department doesn't comment on the case, but extra officially the goal was to identify the source of an AP news report of May 2012 on a Yemen-based Al Qaeda plan to explode an airplane to the U.S. During his stay in S�o Paulo, Pruitt told Folha that national security reasons don't justify an "illegal" action. He believes Obama is more aggressive with the press than his predecessor, George Bush (2001-2009). Leia mais (16/05/2013 - 08h13)

Second Term Curse

16 May 2013 03:30:00 -0300

Less than four months after taking the oath of office for his second term as President of the United States, Barack Obama is facing two embarrassing and damaging scandals The first, and more serious in terms of its domestic impact, involves the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The second involves his administration's reaction to the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, where the American Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens and three other American officials were killed. The IRS is the least popular agency of the US government. It has the power to order audits and it collects taxes. It is held to be independent and is not subject to political pressure. But it now appears that the IRS was targeting conservative and "tea party" groups for review of their tax exempt status, and it has already been revealed that the top officials at the IRS knew this two years ago. Leia mais (16/05/2013 - 03h30)

FIFA Threats Corinthians Over Construction of Stadium

15 May 2013 08:38:00 -0300

FIFA's general secretary, J�r�me Valcke, asked again in a hard tone, though he emphasized it was not a threat, that deadlines for the 2014 World Cup stadium work should be met. He also said the organization can make schedule changes before the beginning of August, and that includes excluding certain arenas. The comment was directed to Itaquer�o, the future Corinthians stadium expected to host the World Cup opening in Brazil. Former Corinthians president and the person in charge of the stadium construction, Andres Sanchez, said he did not care if the new stadium will not be part of the opening. "The club does not work under any type of pressure," said Andres, in a statement.
The promise is to finish the work by December, the deadline given by FIFA. Leia mais (15/05/2013 - 08h38)

Soccer 'Sells Brazil' to Over 70 Countries

15 May 2013 08:18:00 -0300

It will take place on June 30: side by side, in the same area of Maracan�, executives from Cameroon, Austria, Iraq, Benin and Serbia will watch the final match of the Confederations Cup. They will be part of a group of 240 foreigners at the stadium. They, in turn, will be part of a much larger group: the more than 1,000 guests of Apex-Brasil, who will watch 7 of the competition's 16 matches there. "We will bring retail customers and opinion makers from over 70 countries. It's a huge relationship and commercial promotion," says Ricardo Santana, coordinator of the Projeto Copa da Ag�ncia Brasileira de Promo��o de Exporta��es e Investimentos [Cup Project of the Brazilian Export Promotion and Investment Agency]. In November 2012, Apex bought a sponsorship quota from FIFA, the world's governing body of soccer, for the Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup in the "national supporter" category. Leia mais (15/05/2013 - 08h18)

Haitian Immigrants Struggle To Find Their Way In Brazil

14 May 2013 08:29:00 -0300

Elysee Augustin is a 37-year-old from Haiti with an undergraduate degree in sociology, who was studying for his Master's in anthropology in the neighboring Dominican Republic before he headed south to find his fortune in Brazil. Jean Denis Alaime, 29, also Haitian, studied industrial engineering. Both speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Creole. But now the two are among a growing number of undocumented Haitian immigrants who have wound up homeless on the streets of S�o Paulo. The group of around 100 was recently evicted from a building they were renting, without knowing that they were actually residing there illegally. The rent was 350 reais per room (US$ 175), with some rooms hardly bigger than the size of a double bed. Leia mais (14/05/2013 - 08h29)

Brazil 'Cheats the Scale' With Local Content Rules, Says U.S. Secretary

14 May 2013 08:16:00 -0300

The Brazilian government's local content rules are "very dodgy, they are not free trade and are the same as putting your fingers on the scale." That was the harsh criticism of the Acting Secretary of Commerce of the U.S., Rebecca Blank, to describe the main complaint of U.S. businessmen who want to invest in Brazil. Blank is in Brazil with representatives of 16 U.S. companies interested in exporting products and infrastructure services or investing in major projects. Leia mais (14/05/2013 - 08h16)

Health Minister Wants to Attract Doctors from Spain and Portugal

14 May 2013 08:08:00 -0300

The Health Minister, Alexandre Padilha, said yesterday that importing foreign doctors cannot be a "taboo" and that the government's priority will be to attract professionals from Spain and Portugal to fill the gap in the interior of the country and on the periphery of large cities. The Minister's statement comes after the controversy with medical organizations protesting against a possible agreement between the governments of Brazil and Cuba, headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to bring 6,000 doctors to the country. Padilla said his "big focus" will be to make exchanges with the two European countries, which have a large number of skilled and unemployed professionals due to the economic crisis. Leia mais (14/05/2013 - 08h08)