News stories by Fabiana Frayssinet, page 10

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sep 17 (IPS) - Crop yields in Brazil, an agricultural powerhouse, are set to decline as a result of climate change, according to the most complete diagnosis yet of climate trends in this country.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sep 16 (IPS) - Reported U.S. spying on Brazil's Petrobras oil firm revived the controversy over opening up the company, a symbol of Brazilian sovereignty since the 1950s, to foreign investment.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sep 10 (IPS) - The Brazilian government projects the cancellation of nearly 900 million dollars in debt owed by a dozen African countries as a gesture of solidarity. But others simply see an aim to expand the economic and political influence of South America's powerhouse.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 02 (IPS) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed a law guaranteeing treatment - including emergency contraception - for rape victims in public hospitals, in spite of strong opposition from religious conservatives who believe it will lead to the decriminalisation of abortion.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 01 (IPS) - "The rivalry between our countries is over: if the pope is Argentine then God is Brazilian," Francis joked when journalists asked him why he was so beloved in this country, where millions came out to see him, despite the historic football rivalry between South America's two giants.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jul 30 (IPS) - At odds since colonial times, Catholicism and Afro-Brazilian religions have embarked on a process of mutual acceptance. Pope Francis added words and gestures to this reconciliation of two groups that share a common interest: confronting the growth of evangelical and neo-Pentecostal churches.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jul 17 (IPS) - Nearly 20 years after the landmark U.N. conference on population and development, the countries of Latin America have an opportunity to make headway with a new agenda on these issues, thanks to the favourable economic context that has made it possible to reduce social inequalities.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jul 16 (IPS) - Brazil, reportedly one of the main targets of U.S. signals spying, is attempting to untangle a web of hi-tech espionage with low-tech equipment reminiscent of a novel by British author John le Carré.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jul 13 (IPS) - The young people who have been protesting in Brazil over the last few weeks, who say they are apolitical and who have organised over the social networking sites, were not entirely pleased with Thursday's demonstrations by the country's trade unions and social and popular movements.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jul 10 (IPS) - In response to the mass street protests in Brazil, President Dilma Rousseff proposed a raft of reforms of the political system which appear to be bogged down by red tape and interminable party negotiations - precisely the kind of thing the demonstrators are complaining about.