Google expects revenue from its Brazilian operations to surge 80 per cent this year as the government pours huge amounts of investment into the sector, making the country one of the company’s most promising growth markets.
Giving Brazil’s poor more access to the internet and improving connection speeds is a priority of the country’s new president, Dilma Rousseff, who sees the web as the best way to accelerate social and economic development.
“Brazil is a beautiful opportunity for the digital world,” said the head of Google’s Brazilian subsidiary, Fábio Coelho, in an interview with the Financial Times. “Last year we grew 80 per cent in Brazil in terms of revenue and we expect to grow at the same pace this year.”
Latin America accounted for 2-3 per cent of Google’s $29.3bn revenue last year, with analysts estimating that Brazil brought in as much as $500m.
By Samantha Pearson in São Paulo (read more)
By Andre Soliani
April 4 (Bloomberg) — Brazil’s central bank will take the necessary steps to ensure inflation will slow to its 4.5 percent central target over the course of 2012, a government official familiar with monetary policy strategy said.
Policy makers in Latin America’s biggest economy will also attempt to bring 2011 inflation as close as possible to the midpoint of its target, said the official, who asked not to be named because he isn’t authorized to discuss the issues publicly. (Read more)
Barack Obama opened his first tour of Latin America by acknowledging Brazil’s aspirations to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council as he arrived in the Brazilian capital on Saturday.
The US president also sought to build a personal connection with his host, Brazil’s new president Dilma Rousseff, while stressing the economic benefits for the US of the tour, which has been criticised as ill-timed with crises breaking out in Libya and Japan.
“The United States will continue our efforts to make sure that the new realities of the 21st century are reflected in international institutions … including the United Nations, where Brazil aspires to a seat on the Security Council,” Mr Obama said during a joint appearance before the media with Ms Rousseff.
The comments fell short of hopes in some quarters in Brazil that Mr Obama might express support for the country’s UN aspirations, as he did for India during a visit to New Delhi last year. Read more
By Joe Leahy in Brasília
The March get-together is next weekend in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba on Sunday the 20th March. Starting at 1pm until 7pm.
It is being held at Marinas Bar and Restaurant, 2270 Av Cabo Branco, Cabo Branco, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, telephone number 326-5734.
There will be the usual BOOK and DVD exchange and again we are asking people to bring 1 KILO of non-perishable food or a child’s toy that we will donate to CEDIN a local ONG working in Sao José, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba (also CEDIN would be very happy to accept any old clothes, shoes or other donation).
A map of the location and other news can be found on http://paraibaparadise.com/.
We would like to thank Colin Roxburgh who has done all the work to set up this get-together.
Brazil’s Carnival kicked off Thursday with millions of people taking to the streets of the northeastern city of Salvador de Bahia to dance and party, effectively putting the nation on a week-long hiatus.
Over the coming days, the festivities will consume the entire country of 193 million people.
The climax arrives Sunday and Monday with Rio de Janeiro‘s extravagant and sexy parades, replete with near-naked dancing queens and over-the-top fantasy floats.
Even the capital Brasilia was suspending political and legislative work, with many lawmakers leaving town to enjoy the celebrations.
“Brazil’s Carnival is a tradition. Nobody can resist the need to be part of it,” the head of the senate, Jose Sarney, said.
Salvador de Bahia, with its heady melange of African rhythms and Portuguese colonial architecture, as usual was quickest to get the party started, playing host to dozens of street dance-and-drinking celebrations Thursday.
Google was inciting envy worldwide by broadcasting the fun there through its YouTube site.
The annual pre-Easter frenzy of non-stop partying, drinking, flirting and concerts in Brazil is a big tourist draw, especially for Rio, where authorities have cracked down in recent weeks and months on criminal gangs to improve the city’s violent image.
Rio will join the festivities on Friday night, like most of the country.
Then, Sunday and Monday, the top Carnival parade groups — Rio’s samba schools — will crown the rejoicing by filing through the 70,000-seat Sambadrome stadium for a global broadcast audience. (more…)
