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Central banks pour funds into Europe
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
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ISSUE NO. : 040 | WWW.BRAZILIANPOST.CO.UK
HIGHLIGHTS: BRAZIL WCUP-14:
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Strike delays WC stadium work
Brazil:
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Survey: Income rose, inequality fell
Made in UK:
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KGB tried to recruit me :British PM
SHOWBIZ:
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Diaz, A-rod break up again!
WHAT'S UP:
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Save a Gorilla
WORLD:
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Obama to visit Australia in November
ECONOMY:
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UBS: $2 billion lost on rogue 'trades'
SPORT: The dominance of the beach is over
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Brazil proposes European Union Aid Package The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, Indian, China and S Africa) led by Brazil bailing out the Old World would have been an unimaginable scenario before the financial crisis and recession, when Europe and the USA were on top. But those economies are stagnant now, as countries such as Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Italy struggle with huge debts, government austerity drives and high unemployment. Brazil's proposal for members of the BRICS group of emerging markets to make coordinated purchases of bonds of euro zone countries, which will be discussed in Washington, allows it to portray itself as a diplomatic bridge between the West and the rising economies of Asia -- a role it has long sought.
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Brazil
The Brazilian Post
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
BRICS - potential saviours of the First World
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which make up the so-called BRICS group, will meet in Washington to discuss how to help the European Union avert a full-blown financial crisis as Greece veers toward default on its debt, Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said. BRICS nations would likely increase their holdings of Eurodenominated bonds as a way to provide support for the region's spreading financial problems. Brazil's proposal for members of the BRICS group of emerging markets to make coordinated purchases of bonds of euro zone countries, which will be discussed in Washington, allows it to portray itself as a diplomatic bridge between the West and the rising economies of Asia -- a role it has long sought. It also reinforces Brazil's role as a mature voice of reason, and a net foreign creditor, in the crisis -- a sharp contrast to just a decade ago, when Brazil had to negotiate its own bailout with the International Monetary Fund to avoid default. On last Tuesday, the Italian Treasury was forced to pay a record-high yield to sell five-year bonds, reflecting growing concerns about the country's debt burden. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel pleaded for the Euro zone's survival, attempting to defuse growing expectations that Greece is on the brink of defaulting on its debt obligations as the country's cash reserves rapidly deplete and its bond yields skyrocket to unsustainable levels. Buoyed by strong exports, high growth rates and generally sound fiscal positions, countries in the BRICS group are increasingly taking the role of creditor nations, ready to provide a financial backstop to the so-called PIIGS – Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain.
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Those countries are suffering through a debt hangover after years of credit-fuelled expansion came to an abrupt halt during the global financial crisis, while recent moves to slash government spending weigh on a fragile rebound. Mantega's comments came after Valor Economico, Brazil's top business newspaper, said any European bond purchases would send a powerful political message to wealthy, though struggling, economies. “The political interest is clear – to appear publicly as contributors to market stability and thereby demonstrate to what extent the
balance of the global economy is changing” the paper said. In other words, bond purchases of euro zone countries would highlight the BRICS' growing economic power and stature. These countries were once disparagingly knows as members of the Third World. Today, they are potential saviours of the First World. Among the BRICS, it is China that pioneered the purchase of sovereign junk debt. Since the euro zone crisis started, it has bought Portuguese and Greek bonds, though the value of its purchases is not known. The idea first appeared in media reports attributed to unnamed Brazilian officials. An Indian official confirmed on last Wednesday that the proposal was the brainchild of Finance Minister Guido Mantega. Mantega has become a prominent voice in the global crisis. He was the first senior official to use the term "currency war" to describe countries' efforts to keep their currencies weak to favour exports. He has also repeatedly criticized expansive monetary policy in the United States, saying it has a negative effect on emerging markets. Brazil has long sought other ways to substantiate its higher profile, including a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council -- a proposal which has met resistance from the United States and others.
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SEP 19th - 25th 2011
The Brazilian Post
Brazil
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Strike delays WCTourism Minister 14 stadium work Pedro Novais resigns
Workers at the grand Maracana football stadium in Rio -- Brazil's largest and the centerpiece of the 2014 World Cup -- said last Tuesday that they would continue indefinitely a strike that has already halted work for 13 days. The stoppage, the second in just over a month, was backed by the 2,300 workers on the $660 million-revamp for the stadium, who are demanding a health plan, improvement to their food service, and boosted safety controls. The action compounds concerns voiced by world soccer body FIFA over what it says is a slow pace of building ahead of the World Cup. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said late last month that preparations for the competition, along with construction around the 2016 Olympic Games, are going ahead at an "adequate pace," promising that nine of 10 stadiums would be likely finished next year. But the labor action in Rio has been echoed by workers in cities around the country, including Belo Horizonte in the southeast and Salvador de Bahia in the northeast. Union leader Nilson Duarte said that "the strike is indefinite," and urged the consortium formed by construction giants Odebrecht, Delta Construcciones and Andrade Gutierrez to return to talks. "If they want to end this situation as quickly as possible, they have to sit down and negotiate," said Duarte. "Our aim is to work, but we cannot continue like his," he added. The consortium said in a statement it saw "no reason for the current stalemate," but union officials said a health plan that the companies said would be provided for each worker had not been made available. The companies said the paperwork for the health plan, due on September 1, had been delayed because the workers were on strike.
Rousseff: Brazil will have 4G phones by 2014 President Dilma Rousseff says Brazil will have access to high-speed internet via the latest generation of cell phones before the country hosts the 2014 World Cup. Brazil's president says 4G cell phones will be available in time to watch the matches. Rousseff authorized the national telecommunications company, Telebras, to invest $119 million to bring high-speed internet to underserved parts of the country. The government plan aims to make high-speed connections available for $21 a month, less than the average current cost of $42. Rousseff also says she wants more than 70 percent of homes to have internet connections by 2014. About 27 percent of homes are currently wired for high-speed internet. Rousseff spoke last Monday during her weekly radio program.
Survey: Income rose and inequality fell in Brazil An economic research institute in Brazil found that income rose by nearly a third between 2004 and 2009 and that the inequality that has long plagued the country fell. The study by the Institute of Applied and Economic Research says economic growth, job gains and an increase in the minimum wage helped raise the average income by 28 percent in the five-year period. Released last Thursday, the survey also says government conditional cash transfer programs helped alleviate extreme poverty. According to the study, Brazil reduced by 5.6 percent its rating on the Gini index. The index measures the degree of inequality in a country's income distribution.
Brazilian Tourism Minister Pedro Novais has resigned over allegations that he misused public funds. Mr Novais quit after newspaper reports accused him of using public money to employ a maid and a driver for his wife while he was a congressman. He denies wrongdoing, and says he stepped down to prepare his defence. He is the fourth minister to leave over corruption allegations since President Dilma Rousseff took office in January. Five have departed in total. Opposition groups say the resignations show that Ms Rousseff's government is tainted by corruption.But the government insists corruption has always existed in Brazil - the difference now is that cases are being made public and action is being taken. The resignations have strained Ms Rousseff's governing coalition, which is made up of more than a dozen parties. Mr Novais, 81, is a member of her largest coalition partner, the Democratic Movement Party of Brazil (PMDB). The latest accusations against him follow other allegations of corruption at Brazil's ministry of tourism. Last month more than 30 ministry officials were arrested on charges of misusing public money. President Rousseff's chief minister, Antonio Palocci, resigned in June after media reports questioned his rapid accumulation of wealth. Since then, the ministers of agriculture and transport have resigned over corruption allegations. They deny wrongdoing, as does Mr Palocci. Another minister, Nelson Jobim at defence, also left, after allegedly making disparaging remarks to the media about colleagues.
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Brazil
The Brazilian Post
Dilma underlines role of infrastructure investment in employment Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on last Tuesday praised the government's investment in infrastructure projects to create jobs and wealth. During the inauguration of a shipyard in Sao Paulo state, the president said investing in infrastructure is important for overcoming the impact of the international crisis over the country. "We know the best way to resist the crisis is to keep on consuming, producing, investing in infrastructure, planting and harvesting," Rousseff said. Rousseff also stressed the importance of uniting the local and federal governments. During the inauguration ceremony, she signed an agreement worth 1.5 billion reals with Sao Paulo's governor Geraldo Alckmin, from opposition PSDB party, to enlarge and modernize a waterway in the state. “Such a big project could only be made through a partnership. Here we are showing the advantage of adopting a republican principle between the federal government and Sao Paulo state," she said.
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
Brazil starts 1,000-day countdown to World Cup Brazil on last Friday launched its countdown to the 2014 World Cup, ticking off the 1,000 days before it hosts the top international football tournament. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff kicked off the event in the city of Belo Horizonte by announcing new infrastructure investments and renewing her pledge that her country would be ready, despite facing a formidable list of problems and being behind schedule. "Investing in infrastructure is a way of saying no to the international crisis affecting countries in the eurozone and the United States," said Rousseff, who was accompanied by retired football great Pele, named as Brazil's World Cup ambassador. Brazil's O Globo newspaper noted that, within the next 1,000 days, the country has to complete 52 major works, 12 stadiums, change several laws and decide its team's selection.
Emergency declared in 96 flood-hit cities A state of emergency has been declared in 96 flood-hit cities in Brazil's southern Santa Catarina state, Brazil's Civil Defense Ministry said on last Tuesday. Triggered by days of torrential rains in the state, the local Itajai-Acu river has swollen to record levels and has affected almost 1 million people. As a result, 162,200 people were evacuated, more than 15,000 people displaced and three people killed, the ministry said. In ten of the affected cities, a state of disaster has been declared and at least 28 others remain completely isolated by the floods, according to the ministry. The Brazilian government announced last Monday that it will provide an $8 million aid to the flood-hit areas.
Brazil unveils new air traffic control software
Brazil's air force says it will install new software to improve air traffic control across the nation. The air force says the locally developed software will help avoid a repeat of the chaotic situation in 2007 when radar failures and other problems prompted mass cancellations and delays. The air force said in a statement that the Sagitario system will give controllers many improved tools, including better access to weather and flight data. Air travel demand will increase significantly in Brazil when it hosts the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The government is already working to improve the country's outdated airport infrastructure.
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
The Brazilian Post
Brazil
Brazilian officials sit out Dalai Lama visit
The Dalai Lama brought his message of global tolerance to Sao Paulo Friday, but no Brazilian officials attended the meetings by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, whose trips are closely watched by China, Brazil's top trading partner. The Dalai Lama's threeday visit to Sao Paulo was notable for the conspicuous absence of any Brazilian officials. That was different from the Dalai Lama's previous stop, in Mexico City, where he last week met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, to Beijing's outrage. China has consistently sought to sideline the Dalai Lama to contain discussion of its control over Tibet. The Nobel Peace Prize winner fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He later founded Tibet's government in exile in Dharamshala, northern India, but gave up his political leadership role in May. Brazil, which counts China as its top trading partner, can ill-afford to irritate the Asian giant. Exchanges between the two countries have soared more than 2,300 percent in the past decade, and last year topped 56.4 billion dollars. China is an avid customer of Brazil's iron ore and soya products, and is injecting billions of dollars in credit into Brazil's petroleum sector to get preferential access to its oil. In return, China is flooding Brazil's market with cheap shoes, clothes, electronics, cars and motorbikes. Brazil however recently expressed annoyance at China policies keeping its currency low, while Brazil's currency is being pushed higher by investors, making Brazilian manufactured exports ever more expensive compared to Chinese exports.
Brazil plans to expand nuclear energy output Brazil is planning to expand its nuclear energy output by building five more reactors to augment the two currently in operation, Energy Minister Edison Lobao said last Thursday. "Despite the recent incidents in Japan, Brazil is sticking to its policy of expanding its nuclear program," Lobao said in Rio, according to a report carried by Brazil's state news agency. Lobao did not provide any timeline for the construction of the new reactors. Brazil currently operates two reactors in its sole nuclear power plant located in Angra dos Reis, a coastal town south of Rio. The facility generates around three percent of Brazil's energy production, which relies overwhelmingly on hydroelectric installations. Economic expansion, however, is outstripping supply, resulting in occasional blackouts across regions. Lobao noted that construction of a third reactor is underway at Angra, due for completion in 2015, "and we have plans to build four more." He added that the others could be built in new plants elsewhere in Brazil. Greenpeace and other environmental lobby groups, however, oppose broadening Brazil's nuclear program, arguing that there is potential for widespread ecological damage in case of an accident. The energy minister said Brazil's reactors have a different and "trustworthy" safety system than the one used in Japan's ill-fated Fukushima plant, which was breached in its quaketsunami disaster in March. Brazil and Argentina are the only two South American nations possessing nuclear power plants.
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Made in UK
KGB tried to recruit me : British PM Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has revealed that Russian spy agency KGB tried to hire him when he was a student, but he failed to pass the test. The British PM, who was in the Russian capital recently, said that though the KGB tried to recruit him, he apparently failed to pass the "interview" during the bizarre incident on a gap-year trip to the Black Sea coast in 1985. "I first came to Russia as a student on my gap year between school and university in 1985. I took the Trans- Siberian railway from Nakhodka to Moscow and went on to the Black Sea coast. "There, two Russians, speaking perfect English, turned up on a beach mostly used by foreigners," Cameron was quoted as telling the students at the Moscow State University. The British PM continued: "They took me out to lunch and dinner and asked me about life in England and what I thought about England." A naive Cameron apparently did not immediately realise what had happened at the resort of Yalta until returning to Britain. He is understood to have been travelling with a friend, Anthony Griffith. He added: "When I got back I told my tutor at university and he asked me whether it was an interview. If it was, it seems I didn't get the job." When told of the incident, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Cameron would have made a "very good KGB agent". “David would have been a very good KGB agent, but in this case he would never have become a Prime Minister of the UK," the Russian President said.
The Brazilian Post
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
UK to debate ‘violation of rights' in J&K In what could embarrass advocates of closer ties between India and Britain, the House of Commons looks set to debate alleged human rights violation in India administered Kashmir. According to Steve Baker, a Conservative MP who along with four other MPs secured the debate, this will be the first "general debate" on human rights in Kashmir since Partition. India has conveyed to Britain that the debate "will not be helpful". It has also been stressed that "India is the world's largest functioning democracy". There was no comment from the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office other than, "Parliament is entitled to debate." Baker possibly faces pressure from roughly 6,000 Pakistanis in his constituency to take up Kashmir's cause in the House. Other MPs who helped Baker secure the debate , too, are from constituencies with numerically strong Pakistani voters:
Jason McCartney (Conservative), Andrew Griffiths (Conservative ), Denis MacShane ( Labour party) and Nic Dakin (Labour). Pressure from such voters influence British lawmakers and Baker told media, "I don't wish to be excessively partisan but it is time to genuinely give a voice to Kashmiris in the British Parliament." The purpose of the debate, Baker said, is to force Whitehall to take up the matter of human rights violation with South Block. Baker also requested a vote on the debate but the House of Commons Backbench Business Committee rejected it. The information office at the Commons felt that while the deliberations will be "an expression of the House" , these would be "non-binding " on the British government. Alistair Burt, minister of state at FCO, will participate in the debate and outline the government's view on the matter.
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
Made in UK
The Brazilian Post
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James Murdoch Fire union to join strike ballots to reappear in hacking probe British politicians, struggling in their bid to find out who knew what about phone hacking at a Rupert Murdoch tabloid, have recalled son James for further questioning after employees contradicted his repeated claims of innocence. James Murdoch, chairman of News Corp's British newspaper arm, spent almost three, uncomfortable hours in front of a parliamentary committee with his father in July, answering questions over what they had done to unravel the scandal at the News of the World. But James's testimony, and his insistence that he did not know the problem stretched beyond 'one rogue reporter' until earlier this year, has since been undermined by two senior employees who say they made him aware of a wider problem in 2008. John Whittingdale, the head of the Culture, Media and Sport committee, told media that it would recall James Murdoch to appear for further questioning. He said it expected him to appear. He also said he would have further questions for Les Hinton, the most senior News Corp executive to stand down over the scandal.
4 held in carjack killing probe Four young men have been arrested over the carjack killing of Harjinder Singh Bhurji. Three suspects - a 20-yearold, a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old - are being held at an east London police station after being arrested on suspicion of murder, Scotland Yard said. The fourth man is being held for handling stolen goods. Relatives spoke on last Wednesday of their heartache at the death of the 32year-old, who was apparently stabbed in the chest after refusing to hand over the keys to his black Mercedes CLK coupe. Mr Bhurji - an unmarried garage owner - was sitting in his sports car talking to a female friend when the robber opened the passenger door and dragged the woman from the car. The victim, who lived in Ilford, east London, initially tried to hide the car keys under his seat but the robber threatened to harm his friend if he did not hand them over. He was stabbed as he attempted to retrieve the keys before the thief drove off with his vehicle. Mr Bhurji's uncle, Narinder Shargill, who has flown from San Francisco to be with his relatives, expressed his shock over the "senseless" crime. The victim's best friend Gurmit Birdi, 32, said Mr Bhurji's family was "distraught". "He was a very nice person, he never did anything wrong. He lived his life and enjoyed his life, he was a happy person. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr Birdi said. "For his family and friends, this is just unbelievable. I can't even think straight, God knows what his family are going through." Mr Bhurji was pronounced dead at the scene in Stoneleigh Road, Ilford, after police were called at 1.10am on last Tuesday. The car, registration number R4 JXW, was found abandoned in Forest Glade, Chingford, east London, at 2.45am. Murder squad detectives are still keen to hear from anyone who saw the car, possibly driving at high speed, anywhere between Stoneleigh Road and Forest Glade, a journey of about three miles. A post-mortem examination is being carried out at East Ham mortuary.
The Government faces the threat of the biggest outbreak of industrial action since the 1926 General Strike after unions representing millions of public sector workers served notice of ballots over pensions. Unions made a series of announcements about strike ballots, raising the threat of a series of walkouts from late November. Unison, Unite and the Fire Brigades Union all gave notice of ballots in the worsening row over pensions and launched angry attacks against the Government. Unison's general secretary, Dave Prentis, said 9,000 separate employers' groups will be involved in the action, describing the ballot as "unprecedented" in scale. He told the TUC Congress in London that unions were involved in the "fight of our lives" and was given a standing ovation by the 300 delegates after his ballot announcement. The FBU announced the first step towards balloting the union's 43,000 members, raising the threat of industrial action with no Green Goddess fire-truck cover from the military. Firefighters last took national strike action in 2003, when Green Goddesses were used as emergency cover, but the ageing military vehicles have
since been taken out of service. Mr Prentis accused the Government of an "unprecedented" attack on workers with its "audacious and devious" pension reforms. Talks have been held for several months, but Mr Prentis said: "We've been patient, we've cooperated, but there comes a time when we say enough is enough because, if we don't, they'll be back for more." Mr Prentis said Unison will work with other unions, including Unite and the GMB, to co-ordinate action. The FBU said unions were being left with "little alternative" but to take industrial action, adding that firefighters faced contributions increasing by between 3.2% and 6%, a move which will cost them between £2,000 and £7,500 by 2014. Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, who is leading negotiations for the Government, said: "I think the public will be really fed up if they see industrial action damaging the economy, damaging their ability to get to work and earn their own living when (they) may be paying more towards public sector pensions than they are towards their own."
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Made in UK
The Brazilian Post
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
Unhappy Brit Coalition bids to woo children trapped by consumerism women voters
Shortening school summer holidays is among ideas being considered in Downing Street to woo women amid fears the Government is alienating female voters. A leaked document, written for the Downing Street policy unit and seen by media agencies, expresses serious concerns about negative polling. It concedes that the coalition has fallen short on Prime Minister David Cameron's pledge to lead the "most family friendly" administration ever seen in the UK. And the detailed four-page memo, marked "Restricted - Policy", also calls for a switch away from complaining about Labour's economic "mess" towards a more positive message. There was no official comment from Downing Street but a source said the proposals were only at an early discussion stage and had not yet reached the desks of ministers. Among the ideas were "front loading" child benefit to help with early years, moves to implement a "proper" ban on advertising to youngsters and a pay transparency website. A "largely symbolic" move to pay Universal Credit to women by default and efforts to "force the pace" on choice in maternity services and criminalising forced marriage were also included. The document accepted that it would be "brave" to try to change the long summer school holiday despite evidence it was hard for working families and adversely affected academic results. The level of concern about unpopularity among women voters was underlined by plans to convene a "first rate team" of officials for intensive discussions on the issue. Polls showed women were "significantly more negative about the Government" than men and felt "targeted" by policies, especially the public sector pay and pension squeeze. University tuition fees, the abolition of Child Trust Funds and changes to child tax credit also received more public attention than women-friendly policies such as free schools, it suggested.
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British children are trapped in a cycle of compulsive consumption as parents shower them with gifts to make up for their long working hours, a UNICEF report concluded last Wednesday. The study, commissioned after British children were ranked by the United Nations as the unhappiest in the industrialised world, blamed the results on a culture of "brand bullying" and a lack of family interaction. "Parents in the UK almost seemed to be locked into a system of consumption which they knew was pointless but they found hard to resist," said Agnes Nairn, the report's author. "While children would prefer time with their parents to heaps of consumer goods, parents seem to find themselves under tremendous pressure to purchase a surfeit of material goods for their children," she added. The report's researchers quizzed hundreds of children in Britain, Spain and Sweden to dis-
cover what made them happy. "This compulsive consumption was almost completely absent in both Spain and Sweden," Nairn noted. Children told researchers that their happiness relied upon spending time with family and friends and having "plenty to do outdoors". The report blamed British parents for using television "as a babysitter" and for allowing children to play computer games for long periods, depriving them of fresh air. Children's Minister Sarah Teather said: "We share UNICEF's concerns about the rise of consumerism among children, and it's worrying to see that in some cases parents are under the same pressures. “We are clear this needs to be tackled and are currently working with businesses and regulators to implement the recommendations from (Chief Executive of the Mothers' Union) Reg Bailey's review on commercialisation and sexualisation of children," she added.
Cost of dying still rising As the cost of living continues to surge, so does the cost of dying, an annual survey revealed. End-of-life costs, including funerals, probate, headstones and flowers, increased to an average of ÂŁ7,248, up 20% since 2007 and over ÂŁ400 since last year, according to the Annual Cost of Dying Report. Funeral costs have increased by 61% over the past seven years and will continue to increase, according to the survey. The report was published as official figures revealed the consumer prices index (CPI) rate of inflation - a broad measure for the cost of living increased to 4.5% in August, moving closer to a three-year high. Elsewhere, more people are being caught off guard by funeral costs as 53% of respondents said funeral costs were more than expected, up from 36% in 2009 while only 7% said the cost was lower than anticipated. The report found 26% of respondents have made no plans for later life, while 87% of respondents have made no arrangements as to where they will live and how they will be cared for if they are unable to care for themselves in old age. Dr Kate Woodthorpe, lecturer in Sociology at University of Bath, said: "As a society, we have to ask ourselves whether the current infrastructure for end of life support is fit for purpose. Dr Woodthorpe said the number of deaths each year is expected to accelerate and by 2030 there will be an additional 80,000 people dying a year. This equates to a rise of 17% in the death rate in less than 20 years. The report, commissioned by Axa-owned insurance firm Sun Life Direct, has been conducted annually since 2004.
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HIGHLIGHTS: SEP 19th - 25th 2011
GUIDE
Showbiz: Gwyneth is obsessive about germs. Page 10
What's up: London Design Festival. Page 15
Sacred Chat: Surround yourself with humour. Page 16
David Beckham puts cat ban on Victoria!
LET THE
SHOPPING BEGIN! Hi folks, last tuesday, thousands attended the inauguration of the largest retail space in Europe - The Westfield Stratford City mall. Built next to Stratford's main bus, train and subway station and the Olympic Park in east London, it will be the nexus of all things Olympic. This glitzy, brassy new super structure houses some 300 shops, 70 bars and restaurants. So shoppers, grab your shopping bags and experience shopping like never before at the newest and biggest urban mall!
Thank you London! We are overwhelmed by your response to the English edition of The Brazilian Post. So from now every 2nd issue released will be in English. Do not forget to grab your copy!
The singer turned designer Victoria is a feline fan but David Beckham isn't keen on cats and doesn't want one in his Los Angeles home in case it brings in a mouse. Page 10
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Showbiz
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
The Brazilian Post
Hi folks, I am back with more stories about your favourite stars and their lives. This week The Beckhams are back in the news, apparently Vics wants a cat now and David disapproves. Lady gaga caused a furore by going pantyless in NY and Scarlett Johansson's leaked nude pics are doing the rounds of gossip websites! Woah! Join me for more and send me your love and feedback at: carla@brazilianpost.co.uk
Diaz, A-Rod David Beckham puts break up again cat ban on Victoria
Actress Cameron Diaz and New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez have broken up again so that they can both focus on their careers, media sources reported last Wednesday. “They broke up recently," a source close to A-Rod said. The source said that the 39-year-old star of films such as "There's Something About Mary" and " Bad Teacher", is "very busy with her career", while Rodriguez, 36, has "had injuries and wants to focus on his game". "They're dedicated professionals," said the same person, adding that the actress and ballplayer are "still very friendly and like each other". The couple have already gone through several breakups during their relationship, the last one in June, after which they reconciled. Rodriguez, who divorced his wife Cynthia in 2008 and then began a relationship with singer Madonna, began going out with Diaz a year ago, when he decided to celebrate his feat of becoming the youngest ballplayer in history to hit 600 homers by taking a helicopter ride over New York accompanied by her and her friend Gwyneth Paltrow. They kept their relationship secret for months, but they were seen together at the NFL Super Bowl in Dallas and then on vacation in Mexico, as well as on several other occasions in New York.
David Beckham has banned wife Victoria from getting a cat. The singer-turned-designer is a feline fan and would love to add a moggy to the family's brood of pets which already includes dogs Coco and Scarlett - but the soccer star has put his foot down. The handsome athlete isn't keen on pussies and doesn't want one in their Los Angeles home in case it brings in a mouse. Victoria - who has four children, Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, nine, Cruz, six, and nine-week-old Harper, with David, said: "I want a cat but David won't let me have one - he doesn't want them bringing mice in the house. He's a dog person." While she isn't allowed a cat, Victoria couldn't be happier following the arrival of much longed-for daughter Harper in July and says she's so besotted, she can't bear to be apart from the adorable tot. Speaking at the launch of her new clothing line Victoria by Victoria Beckham at NYFW, she said: "I can't leave her alone for a minute, I haven't been out without her since she was born nine weeks ago, she's too wonderful to leave."
No kids anytime soon: Christina Hendricks
Actress Christina Hendricks says she is too "busy" to have children. The 36-year-old, who has been married to actor Geoffrey Arend for two years, could not extend her family because of her work commitments. Asked if she is ready for a baby, Hendricks said: "Not any time soon. I feel busy enough right now."
GWYNETH PALTROW is obsessive about germs
Gwyneth Paltrow admits she is "a little bit borderline" obsessive about germs. The 38-year-old actress stars in new epidemic thriller 'Contagion' as a woman who contracts a deadly disease, and she admits the storyline had a worsening effect on her fear of nasty microbes. When asked if starring in the film gave her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) on UK TV show 'Lorraine', Gwyneth replied: "There was actually a New York Observer article they sent a microbiologist out in New York City to swab surfaces, like a clean glass in a five star restaurant, the subway, handles, and it was so disturbing what they found, and since that article I've been a hand washer. "So this movie didn't make me any worse, but it was already a little bit borderline." The health conscious star - who runs the website Goop about healthy and ethical eating - has previously revealed she uses a handset which she plugs into her cell phone in order to minimise "radiation". Gwyneth - who raises two children, Apple, seven, and five-year-old Moses, with her husband, Coldplay singer Chris Martin - said: "A handset cuts down on cell phone radiation. I use the YUBZ Retro Handset for my BlackBerry calls."
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SEP 19th - 25th 2011
The Brazilian Post
London by Night
LONDON BY NIGHT London by night is full of surprises, joy and beautiful people. The Brazilian parties are always special. Take a look at some of them and know why.
Photos by Fernando Tresseno and Eliezer Costa Rafael and Leandro commemorating their birthday with friends at Santa Fé party
Flavio and friends making the party at Santa Fé
If you want to try the Latin rhythms try the Salsa Bar
Ro, Tiago Priscila and Delma enjoying the party at Santa Fé
Eoin, Victoria, Jana, Slavka, Renata, Lorena, Erika, Marcelle and Katia at Made in Brasil
Alessandra celebrating her birthday with Dayne, Reinaldo and Luciana
Jason, Daniela, Alessandra and Chamois enjoying the night at Barraco
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Anthony Armstrong, CEO of ECOHOUSE DEVELOPMENTS inaugurating the seminar.
BRAZILIAN PROPERTY INVESTMENTS SEMINAR
On Tuesday, 14th , ECOHOUSE DEVELOPMENTS organized another seminar to promote investing in Brazil at the Marriot Hotel in Park Lane. The seminar, like the previous one, was well attended with over 50 people filling the room. Investors from all over the world, England, Brazil, Germany, India, China, Kenya, Nigeria were there; interested in property investments opportunities in Brazil. The investors were well aware of the booming Brazilian economy, knowing that the country will host both the World’s Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016, events that will significantly boost the good performance of the country. Anthony Armstrong, CEO of ECOHOUSE delivered a speech about the current scenario in Brazil relating to the property sector and explained the Brazilian government project “My House, My Life”. ECOHOUSE DEVELOPMENTS is a UK development company focussing on the Social Housing programme in Brazil. Following Anthony Armstrong, Miguel Angel Plaza from COMPARE THE FINANCIAL MARKETS.COM handed the prize - FAST 50 2011/2012 to
Richard Callinan, Division Chief ECOHOUSE UK Operations. The New Europe magazine has recently published a report, which recognizes the world’s fastest growing 50 companies. EcoHouse Developments is proud to be named in the 2011/2012 list, and has been listed as 'Leaving a legacy, by developing properties'. According to New Europe Magazine, EcoHouse Developments has reached the very highest level of achievement in their field, and are a company that is driving their respective industry forward. Next, Richard Callinan explained development projects and financial details of the investment, followed by the solicitor Mr. Fraser Macnamara who gave a speech explaining how investors’ money is secured in a Lloyd’s TSB escrow account, fully managed by a law society registered and insured solicitor, giving 100% security to the investors. The investment has a guaranteed 20% pay back in one year. After receiving their money plus 20% pay back one can opt to invest for another 12 months period. After the speeches refreshing cocktails were served.
ECOHOUSE construction team ready to start the second phase of the Arco Iris Residence Brasil. The 92 houses built in the first phase are already being handed over to the buyers, financed by the Brazilian government project “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” (My House, My Life).
Richard Callinan explaining details of t development project.
s of the
The Brazilian Post
Miguel Angel Plaza of the COMPARE THE FINANCIAL, handing the Fast 50 award for the world's fastest growing 50 companies to Richard Callinan, Divison Chief EcoHouse UK.
Elilde Armstrong, Maria Branco and Rebecca Callinan from EcoHouse, and Mr. Fraser Macnamara.
Potential investors listen attentively to the speeches.
The audience interacting and networking.
Elilde and Anthony Armstrong.
INVEST IN THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY IN THE WORLD FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR ARMCHAIR FULLY SECURE AND PROTECTED BY U.K. LEGISLATION U.K. ESCROW ACCOUNT U.K. REGULATED LAWYER
Invest in Brazil Today The Safe Way with Ecohouse Developments
ECOHOUSE DEVELOPMENTS, Office 306, 2 Sheen Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1AE Telephone:
0203 468 6910 Email: info@ecohousedevelopments.com Website: www.ecohousedevelopments.com
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Fashion
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
This week, our cool hunter Zaza spots some really great styles on people on the streets and shows how even you can afford that look.
Polly, 18
Danielle, 30
Scottish/Student Shirt: Urban Outfitters:£20 Dress: H&M:£15 Skirt: Topshop:£16 Sandal: Office:£45 Bag: Zara:£20 Music: a bit of everything Best of London: always something to do
England/curator Top: Reiss: £40 Skirt: Reiss: £70 Socks: American Apparel: £7 Shoes: Topshop: £60 Music: Sbtrkt Best thing of London: always something going on
Olivia, 24 Greece/illustrator Sunglasses: Vintage shop: £20 T-shirt: American Apparel: £15 Top: American Apparel: £30 Jeans: Mango: £40 Shoes: Reebok: £50 Music: everything Best thing of London: work
COOL HUNTER BY
ZAZA OLIVA
Yu, 28
Japan/photographer Hat: Agnes B: £90 T-shirt: Orcival: £40 Jacket: Vintage shop: £20 Trousers: Uniqlo: £20 Socks: Tabio: £10 Shoes: Agnes B: £190 Music: cinema music Best thing of London: the diversity
Karina, 29
Japan/stylist Headband: Vintage shop: £3 Top: Vintage shop: £2 Jumper: H&M: £7 Belt: mum's belt Skirt: Vintage shop: £15 Socks: Primark: £2 Shoes: Vintage shop: £18 Music: Jazz, swing music Best thing of London: good cheap stuff, people
Vanda,24 Czech /Student Kerchief: Borough Market:£1 Sun Glasses: H&M:£5 Earrings: family relic Necklace: family relic Shirt: H&M:2 por £5 Skirt: Camden Market:£10 Shoes: Bata:£60 Bag: New Yorker:£4 Blazer: Mango:£20 Music: Asteroid Galaxy Tour Best of London: never boring, always something to do or someplace to go
Joanna, 28 Portugal/chemistry Glasses: Convent Garden Apple Market: £100 Top: Topshop: £20 Leggings: £6 Shoes: Gola: £30 Shirt: Topman: £20 Bag: Magmd: £5 Music: Nouvelle Vague, Mumford Sons, Arcade Fire Best thing of London: you can be whoever you want
The Brazilian Post
What’s Up You don't have anything to do? Dada, our columnist is going to fill your week's schedule with the best programs, cultural tips and all that is happening in London. Make the most of it!
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
Where? The Great Gorillas will run or walk the 7km City and Bankside fun run route that takes in sights such as Tower Bridge and The Tate Modern.
Glimpse apocalyptic destruction and biblical disasters through an exceptional exhibition of John Martin, one of the most important artists of the 18th and 19th century whose paintings have always influenced the cinema and artists from all times. The show is set to be the largest retrospective of the painter since the 1800s. Pieces never showed before and paintings last exhibited 20 years ago, like his Belshazzar's Feast, are part of the extraordinary collection showcased at Tate Britain.
London Design Festival
100 Percent Design London (25/09): Talks, seminars, design innovations and installations made by leading names of the design market. Earls Court, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA, Info: 0871 971 4218
When? SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2011
21/09 - 15/01/2012 £14 Tate Britain Millbank, Westminster, SW1P 4RG Info: 0872 261 0093
Tent London (22/09 - 25/09): This cutting edge event has been a big public success, showcasing new products, concepts and designers for the 4th year. The show is divided per zones: Content Zone - find everything you need for home, from lighting to furniture; Talent zone: browse products by newly graduated designers; Your Space: a miscellaneous space with various products and various designers all together. The Old Truman Brewery - 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL
Save a Gorilla This Saturday the streets of London will be really similar to the streets you have seen on Rise of the Planet of the Apes film. The reason for 800 gorillas coming across London's streets is a charity purpose in order to help this species at the risk of extinction. The participants will raise money to protect the gorillas. All entrants are given their own Gorillas outfit and they can keep it with them afterwards. The Great Gorilla Run is in its 8th year and promises a fun time for both runners and spectators.
Malaysian Festival at Trafalgar Square John Pawson: Perspectives (17/09 -25/09): The renowned architect has designed an installation in metal and Swarovski crystal at the base of the Geometric Staircase in the South West Tower, inspired by the idea of Sir Christopher Wren, who first redesigned St Paul's Cathedral 300 years ago, that each of his buildings should include a scientific element.
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John Martin Must-See Exhibition
More information: http://www.greatgorillarun.org
Your home sweet home needs an upgrade in decoration? There is no better time to do it but now. You will find inspiration in every single corner of the capital from 17th to 25th of September. London is overflowing and busting with new ideas, new materials, products, debates, exhibitions, fairs and lots of activities, all part of the London Design Festival 2011 calendar. The ninth edition brings some highlights we have shortlisted for you; it will be too hard to choose which ones to attend such is the wealth of creativity on offer:
The Brazilian Post
Design Overtime (23/09): From 6pm to 10pm this late night at design museum is stuffed with crafts, workshops, performances, music, installations plus the current exhibitions all for £7.50 Design Museum - Shad Thames, South Bank, Se1 2YD, info: 0870 833 9955
St Paul's Cathedral, St Paul's Churchyard, EC4M 8AD
Timber Wave - V&A Museum (17/09 - 15/10 ): We highly recommend a visit or at least a passing by in order to have your eyes laid on Amanda Levete' s installation transforming the V&A entrance with her red oak spiral.
The Malaysian Festival will add colour and fair to Trafalgar Square. The best restaurants specialised in this exotic and flavored Asian cuisine will be offering their top dishes sold on 20 different stalls. In a bid to promote Malaysian culture, the festival brings as well a range of Malaysian art and performances. Check it out! 23/09 3pm - 10pm Free Trafalgar Square, WC2H 7HG
Go Vintage Find your precious vintage garment at Anita's Vintage Fashion Fair. There you will find everything from fabric to accessories dating from 1800 to 1970, all distributed among more than 60 stalls. Keep a eye out and watch carefully every piece you handle, you might be holding an original Vivienne Westwood! 25/09 9.30am - 4.30pm £4 Battersea Arts Centre Lavender Hill, Clapham, SW11 5TN
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Sacred Chat
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
The Brazilian Post
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH HUMOUR Laughter elevates mood, promotes creativity and gives us energy. According to one study, the average four-year-old laughs three hundred times a day, while the average adult laughs just about fifteen times. With all the obligations, stresses and activities that fill our days, we have forgotten how to laugh. Daily laughter has been shown to elevate our mood, promote creativity and give us more energy. Comedian Steve Martin reportedly laughs for five minutes in front of the mirror every morning to get his creative juices flowing and to start his day on a high note. Try it; it works. Laughter therapy has even been used to cure illnesses and heal those with serious ailments. As William James, the father of modern psychology, observed, "We don't laugh because we are happy. We are happy because we laugh." A friend of mine, always known for his wise ways, made it his new year's resolution, one year, to laugh more. Every few weeks, he would go to his local video store and rent a Three Stooges movie or buy a new book
Aries 20/03 to 20/04 You may start the week thinking carefully about what to do in order to achieve your goals. Keep your thoughts secret; otherwise, you might find yourself fighting for something that you're still not sure of. From Wednesday you feel full of physical energy, but will not have time to discuss your ideas. Actions speak louder than words, go ahead and do it!
Taurus 21/04 to 21/05 This week you may have to confront some misunderstanding involving your business partner. Be careful about what you say but also check that your message is completely clear. At the end of the week the Moon enters Leo and conflicts with the Sun. This may leave you feeling worn out, try to rest and stay quiet.
Gemini 22/05 to 22/06 This week the Moon starts in Gemini with a good aspect of Saturn, it is time to put some structure in your life. If you are
uncertain about anything, now is the moment to decide. You have had enough time to put things in balance and see what is best for you. Don't hesitate to make your choice this time.
Cancer 23/06 to 22/07 If your approach is good, you will get whatever you want from your partner. Use your sensibility to show him/her that sometimes we need to take risks in order to move out of our comfort zone. Your professional life will allow you to reap the rewards of your efforts. Conserve your energy and celebrate each step.
Leo 23/07 to 22/08 The Planet Mars enters into Leo bringing you physical energy and the power of decision. You may feel that it is time that you placed your feet firmly on the ground and stopped complaining about what you still have not achieved. At the weekend the conjunction between Moon and Mars can be a perfect explosion to get that Honeymoon with your partner. Only remember that it is also the time to relax now.
Virgo 23/08 to 22/09 You probably will start the week with a lot of questions about what you should or should not do. It seems as if things are coming towards you like an avalanche so it's time to breath and do only what you are able to do now. Your imagination is growing wings and maybe it is a good time to create a new way to work. On the weekend don't push yourself to go somewhere you don't want to go just to please other people.
Libra 23/09 to 22/10 The Sun will enter Libra this week and you start to think clearly about all aspects of your life. Romance could be the subject of the week. If you have someone it is time to believe and invest more into the relationship. If you are alone your good vibes might be the tool that you need to attract people.
Scorpio 23/10 to 22/11 Your health may seek attention this week. It's not serious, but if you have avoided finding out the reason for any insistent pain
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of humour, which he would then dip into when he had a few free moments during the course of his day. A positive person already, he began to notice that he felt even happier and started to laugh even more than before he undertook this personal development initiative. Because of all the humour he surrounded himself with and the new awareness it created in his life, he also began to see the lighter side of things and no longer experienced the level of stress he had felt in his professional pursuits. This simple discipline raised him to a whole new level of living and effectiveness. Why not follow my friend's lead and head down to your local video store to stock up on the latest funny movies? Then pick up a few books, perhaps something from Gary Larson's Far Side series or the much-read Dilbert cartoons, to stimulate your laughter habit. Reconnect to your playful side and enjoy the wonders of a deep belly laugh. - ROBIN SHARMA
that you may have, perhaps it is the right time to check it out. Don't be sad if you have to take time out, enjoy talking with friends and people who you haven't seen for a long time. You will feel protected and loved by them.
Sagittarius 23/11 to 22/12 You don't believe that the issues in your life are imaginary, but why keep worrying about the things that didn't happen when it is just speculation. People may feel fed up of being around you because you insist on seeing just one side of the coin. Be reasonable and willing to examine the possibilities of what could've happened if you hadn't been so stubborn about your own your ideas and ignored the advice of others.
Capricorn 23/12 to 21/01 You don't need to sort out everything alone, you have plenty of friends that would like to help you. Call them and ask for help. It doesn't mean that you are not capable, it only means that you are human. Everybody needs support. When we show ourselves with sincerity the
world accepts us the way we are. You don't need to carry more weight on your shoulders than necessary.
Aquarius 22/01 to 20/02 This might be good week for you to focus on your priorities instead of worrying about the people around you. You really feel that you may have given everything to the detriment of your health and even your dreams. Time to refuel.
Pisces 21/02 to 19/03 People from the past may come back into your life, and even though you wouldn't particularly like to talk to them it is important to clean the resentment that has been left behind. It is a gift when we can forgive someone truly as we are then able to forgive ourselves, releasing the weight of intolerance. Listen to what they have to say and remember one day maybe you yourself would like to be forgiven by someone. Renata Fornari is an Astrologer and Tarot Reader. For feedback, suggestions and consultations reach her at : astrotaro6@gmail.com
brazilianpost.co.uk
World Kabul siege ends, 11 dead
Foreign military officials raised the death toll in a 19-hour siege in Kabul to 11 on last Wednesday as the Afghan government announced the violence had come to an end with the killing of two insurgents. The attacks started on last Tuesday but dragged into a second day as armed men remained holed up in a high-rise construction site overlooking the US embassy and the headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings, an ISAF spokesman, said six foreign troops had also been injured. "Nineteen (were) wounded, 11 killed, which includes three children," Cummings said, without giving immediate exact details of who the dead and wounded were. "We also have six (ISAF) wounded in action. Three of them were US which happened during the main engagement off the ISAF compound... the other three were in support during clearing (of the main building.)" The death toll of 11 covered the main attack plus several much smaller related ones which took place elsewhere in Kabul on last Tuesday. Meanwhile, Afghan interior ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqui said the siege, which has raised fresh serious questions about security in Kabul, was now over. "The last attackers are dead and the fighting all over. There were six terrorists in the building and all are dead," he said.
Gunmen kill 22 bus passengers in Iraq: Police Gunmen killed 22 passengers on a bus coming from Syria late Monday night in a desert region of Iraq's western province of Anbar, police general Haider Rzayj said. "Some armed men stopped the bus coming from Syria Monday around 9:30 pm (0000IST), they made the 22 passengers get off the bus and killed them with automatic weapons," he said. "All the victims are men and their bloodied bodies were stretched out on the ground," he added. The incident took place about 300 kilometres west of Baghdad, in a sector under the control of the Iraqi army. Since the US-led invasion in 2003, the mainly Sunni province of Anbar has been a stronghold of Al-Qaeda, whose members have killed numerous Iraqis and foreigners travelling the roads to Jordan and Syria. While tribal militias have cracked down on insurgents since 2007, they have not completely eliminated them. Earlier Monday, in a separate incident, gunmen shot dead a Sunni imam hostile to Al-Qaeda in the troubled city of Baquba, 60 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, a local security official said. The gunmen, using weapons fitted with silencers, killed 63-year-old Ahmed Mahmud al-Jabalawi, the imam of the Al-Shuhada mosque," said the official. The imam, who was known for his outspoken criticism of Al-Qaeda, was killed on his way to the mosque for morning prayers, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. In the main northern city of Mosul, a car bomb wounded six people, including five policemen, a police officer said. And in another attack, a vehicle packed with explosives wounded two people in Iskandariyah just south of Baghdad, another police officer said. Both sources declined to be identified. Violence is down across Iraq from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common. A total of 239 people were killed in violence in the country in August, according to official figures.
The Brazilian Post
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SEP 29th - 25th 2011
One in six Americans living below poverty line One in six Americans are now living below poverty line, the Census Bureau said in a report, reflecting the adverse impact of economic crisis on common man. "The nation's official poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1 per cent, up from 14.3 per cent in 2009 - the third consecutive annual increase in the poverty rate," Census Bureau said in its report. "There were 46.2 million people in poverty in 2010, up from 43.6 million in 2009 the fourth consecutive annual increase and the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published," it said. These findings are contained in the report 'Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010.' The government defines the poverty line as income of USD 22,314 (about Rs 10 lakh) a year for a family of four and USD 11,139 (about Rs 5 lakh) for individual. Census Bureau said, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 49.0 million in 2009 to 49.9 million in 2010, while the percentage without coverage - 16.3 per cent - was not statistically different from the rate in 2009. Since 2007, the year before the most recent recession, real median household income has declined 6.4 per cent and is 7.1 per cent below the median household income peak that occurred prior to the 2001 recession in 1999.
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World
The Brazilian Post
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
Obama to visit NY Flight diverted after Australia in November 'suspicious' behaviour
A flight from New York to Phoenix was diverted to Missouri on last Wednesday after three passengers on board behaved in a "suspicious" manner. The three passengers were taken off the US Airways flight after it landed in St Louis, Missouri where the police took them in, the transportation security administration said. "US Airways Flight 457 from John F Kennedy International Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport diverted to Lambert - St Louis International Airport at the request of the flight crew, due to suspicious behaviour exhibited by three passengers," the TSA said in a statement. The plane was swept and cleared for flight, it added. The incident comes a couple of days after F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to escort two US flights after their crew were unnerved by two of its passengers spending a long time in the plane's lavatory on September 11. The planes landed without incident in Detroit and New York and the six passengers who exhibited "suspicious behaviour" were released without charge after being questioned.
US President Barack Obama will visit Australia in November to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the alliance between the two countries. "At the invitation of Prime Minister Gillard, the President will visit Australia on November 16-17 in connection with the 60th anniversary of the ANZUS alliance, which plays a critical role in the security of the entire AsiaPacific region" the White House has said. "Australia is one of the US' closest allies and our troops have served together bravely in Afghanistan and conflict zones throughout the world," it said. This visit would immediately follow the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Council) Leaders Meeting hosted by Obama in Hawaii and provide the two leaders an opportunity to build on the APEC agenda and expand bilateral cooperation to increase global economic growth, trade and jobs, it said. Obama looks forward to consulting closely with Gillard on global and regional issues in preparation for the East Asia Summit to be held later that week in Bali, Indonesia, the White House said.
Explosion at French nuclear site kills one A furnace exploded at the Marcoule nuclear waste treatment site in southern France on last Monday, killing one person, but there was no leak of radioactive material outside the furnace, France's ASN nuclear safety watchdog said. Four other people were injured, one seriously, in the blast at the Centraco site, owned by French power utility EDF and adjacent to the Marcoule nuclear research centre. The site does not house any nuclear reactors. The furnace that exploded is used to melt waste with levels of radioactivity ranging from low to very high, ASN said. It did not immediately give a reason for the blast but said it was completely contained within the furnace. Police also said there was no contamination outside the site, which is about 30 km (18 miles) from the city of Avignon and about 80 km (50 miles) from the Mediterranean coast. France - the world's most nuclear-reliant country - is carrying out stress tests on its 58 nuclear reactors in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
120 dead in Kenyan pipeline fire At least 120 people burned to death tuesday when a fuel pipeline burst into flames in a slum area in the Kenyan capital, an official said. "The death toll from bodies counted so far is 120. It is likely to rise because of the bodies in the river," said Philip Kisia, a Nairobi city council official. A police commander earlier said more than 100 people had been killed in the explosion at Nairobi's Lunga Lunga industrial area, which is surrounded by the densely packed tin-shack housing of the Sinai slum. "There had been a leak in the fuel pipeline earlier, and people were going to collect the fuel that was coming out," said Joseph Mwego, a resident. "Then there was a loud bang, a big explosion, and smoke and fire burst up high." Many residents were caught up in the blaze, which started around 0530 GMT. "People were trying to scoop fuel from the pipeline," a Red Cross official confirmed by telephone, adding that the organisation had sent a team to the scene. Some of those whose clothing and hair caught fire jumped into a nearby stream to try to extinguish the flames, but many succumbed to their injuries in the water. Police placed a net across the stream to prevent the bodies from drifting away. Houses close to the pipeline were also engulfed in flames, their tin roofs buckling and disintegrating and their badly burned residents evacuated for medical care. Fuel leaks and oil tanker accidents in Africa often draw huge crowds scrambling to scoop fuel, resulting in many deaths due to accidental fires. In 2009, 122 people were killed after a fire erupted while they were drawing fuel from an overturned tanker in western Kenya.
The Brazilian Post
World
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New Japan PM 'concerned' by rise of Chinese military Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on last Wednesday he was concerned about China's military build-up, urging his giant neighbour to act as a "responsible member of the international community". Japan wants to deepen relations with China in the run-up to the 40th anniversary next year of the restoration of diplomatic ties, Noda told parliament. "On the other hand, I am concerned about their reinforcement of national defence power, which lacks transparency, and their acceleration of maritime activities," Noda said. "I expect China to play an appropriate role as a responsible member of the international community," he said, adding he wanted to visit the country at a convenient time for both sides. Noda, known to have slightly hawkish views on China, has irked Beijing in the past with his assertion that prominent Japanese war criminals from World War II, should no longer be considered "criminals". However, since coming to power he has pledged that neither he nor any of his cabinet will visit the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo that honours the country's war dead, a move welcomed by Japan's Asian neighbours. In an annual defence paper published last month Japan voiced concern over China's widening naval reach in nearby waters and the Pacific and over what it called the "opaqueness" of Beijing's rapidlygrowing military budget.
China reacted angrily, with its foreign ministry branding the paper "irresponsible" and insisting Beijing's drive to modernise its forces was entirely defensive. Earlier this year, China announced military spending would rise 12.7 percent to 601.1 billion yuan ($91.7 billion) in 2011 after funding slowed last year. Beijing has repeatedly sought to alleviate fears over its pursuit of sophisticated missiles, satellites, cyberweapons and fighter jets, stressing that its policy is "defensive in nature". However, China has become increasingly assertive in its claims over the East China Sea and South China Sea, most of which it views as its maritime territory, but where several other Asian nations have competing claims. It has invested heavily in developing its first stealth fighter jet, revealed in January, as well as an aircraft carrier and anti-ballistic missile capable of piercing the defences of even the most sturdy US naval ships. Despite close economic ties between the two countries, relations between Japan and China are often fraught, marred by what some in China see as Tokyo's failure to make sufficient amends for its record of wartime atrocities. In September 2010, ties plunged to their lowest in years after Tokyo detained a Chinese fishing boat captain whose vessel had collided with Japanese coastguard ships in waters disputed islands. He was later released.
Al-Qaida far from done: US The top two US intelligence officials said last Tuesday that al-Qaida is weaker and US intelligence agencies are smarter since the Sept. 11 attacks, but the terrorists are nowhere near giving up. In his first week on the job, CIA director David Petraeus told members of Congress that al-Qaida's recent losses of Osama bin Laden and others have opened "an important window of vulnerability." Petraeus predicted that al-Qaida leaders may even flee to Afghanistan or leave South Asia altogether to escape the CIA, which has quadrupled covert drone strikes against alQaida under the Obama administration. He testified at a joint congressional intelligence committee hearing. Petraeus and the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, both said that al-Qaida's Yemeni offshoots and others are growing more daring and dangerous - a sentiment shared by lawmakers. The chairman of the House intelligence committee, Mike Rogers, a Republican, warned against dismissing new al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri as "feckless" and dismissed suggestions that "the threat of terrorism has significantly waned." He said he feared Americans becoming complacent. "Are we safer today? I say yes," said Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat and the head of the Senate's intelligence committee. Last Tuesday was the first combined hearing since Congress' joint inquiry into the 2001 terrorist attacks against the US. "More than one-half of al-Qaida's top leadership has been eliminated....Virtually every major al-Qaida affiliate has lost a key leader." But Feinstein warned that "there is a metastasizing set of groups," including militants in Pakistan and Yemen, that uses everything from small arms to explosives disguised in printer cartridges. Clapper and
Feinstein both complimented the FBI's shift to strengthen its counterterrorist division. Clapper faced several questions about how he will find ways to spend less money. He called it a "litmus test for this office to preside over the budget cuts" without making what Clapper called the mistakes of the 1990s, where across-the-board cuts led to hiring freezes in the CIA and beyond. He said the priority would be to protect people over systems and keep hiring new staff. He identified information technology as a key target for budget cuts, with the goal of putting as many of the 16 agencies on the same computer systems to save money by eliminating redundancy. Petraeus faced questioning on the use of harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding, used by the Bush administration. He said while he did not support such techniques, he indicated it was time to stop investigating CIA interrogators who then employed them. "Now it is time to take the rear mirror off the bus and look forward ... and move on," Petraeus said. Two demonstrators from Code Pink, the anti-war group, held signs denouncing the CIA's covert drone war against militants in Pakistan. The Obama administration has quadrupled drone attacks since the previous administration, which former top counterterror official Michael Leiter called "the single most effective tool against the group." Petraeus and his staff ignored the outburst, and the demonstrators were allowed to stay in the committee room. Counterterrorism officials across New York and Washington braced for a possible al-Qaida car bomb attack over the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks. When asked if that threat was past, Petraeus told media after the hearing, "We're not done."
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20
Economy
UBS: $2 billion lost on rogue SPEED NEWS: “trades” cholanda@brazilianpost.co.uk
With leap to Vuitton, a change in culture
Louis Vuitton's CEO-inwaiting, Jordi Constans, won't be the first consumer-goods brand manager who jumps over to the luxury-goods business. But when he arrives at the French luxury fashion giant, Mr. Constans is likely to face a culture shock.
Google sees India web explosion
Google predicts India will add 200 million Internet users in the next two years, but capitalizing on that huge emerging audience will be challenging in a country where television and newspapers suck up advertising dollars and the government is throwing up regulatory hurdles.
Yahoo hears from potential bidders
Yahoo has been contacted by potential bidders for some or all of the Internet company, even as it focuses on stabilizing its executive ranks and bolstering its online-ad business, sources said.
Barclays beats Lehman in bonus spat
A judge sided with Barclays PLC in a dispute over whether the British bank should have to pay Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. hundreds of millions of dollars for employee bonuses the collapsed investment bank said it was owed.
UBS AG said a rogue trader racked up as much as $2 billion in losses using the firm's own money, a dramatic admission that raised new questions about the ability of one of the world's largest banks to manage risk and global regulators' ability to monitor it. The losses stemmed from unauthorized derivatives-trading bets, as per reports. The bank said no client positions were affected. The Swiss bank made the discovery late last Wednesday and notified London police at 1 a.m. Thursday, alleging that one of its traders had committed fraud. At 3:30 a.m., police arrested a 31-year-old man on "suspicion of fraud by abuse of position." The man arrested is Kweku Adoboli, according to sources, and is a trader in London who makes bets using UBS's money on financial instruments tied to exchange-traded funds, which allow clients to trade securities that track the performance of broad indexes. Police said the person arrested hasn't been charged, but remained in custody last Thursday. Mr. Adoboli couldn't be reached for comment. John Hughes, a trader who worked with Mr. Adoboli, has resigned. Mr. Hughes didn't respond to an emailed request for comment. The bank has suspended a number of other members of the desk, pending questioning as to whether any were involved. The crisis slammed shares of UBS, which on last Thursday fell nearly 11% in Swiss trading and 10% in New York Stock Exchange trading. The losses from alleged unauthorized trading rank among the largest in the history of finance. Over the past two decades, banks including Société Générale SA, Barings PLC and Kidder Peabody also have been victims of alleged rogue traders. The news dealt a heavy blow to efforts by UBS Chief Executive Oswald Grübel to win back client confidence in a bank that was among the hardest hit by the financial crisis. It raised fresh questions about UBS's risk-management systems three years after its investment bank had to write down about $50 billion in securities trades. For five years, Mr. Adoboli has worked on a desk that trades large baskets of securities or allows clients to bet on them through options or other instruments, according to a LinkedIn profile under the name Kweku Adoboli.
The Brazilian Post
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
U.K. retailers see inflationary pressure easing News from U.K. retail has made for gloomy reading since VAT went up in January. Food and fuel costs started their inexorable rise, and government austerity measures spooked consumers into snapping their purses shut. Now there's a little glimmer of hope on the horizon. Clothing retailer NEXT said the inflationary pressure on both the company and the consumer will ease early next year, a prognosis echoed by department store chain John Lewis Partnership. Coming from what Arden analyst Nick Bubb describes as the 'new' and 'old' high street bellwethers respectively, one could be forgiven for breaking out the sparkling wine, but that might be a little premature. John Lewis is the only high street retailer which provides weekly sales updates, and over the course of the year its consistent outperformance, especially in the electricals sector (which has been the centre of the retail
bloodbath for the past six months) is always a fillip for optimistic analysts. The decades-old guarantee, which was recently broadened to include online offers from companies that also have bricks and mortar stores, is a bedrock of the department store's price proposition. But in this ultra-competitive retail environment it's an increasingly expensive one. John Lewis department store Managing Director Andy Street said the majority of the guarantee costs were incurred in the electrical home technology department which encompasses white goods like washing machines as well as brown goods like TVs and computers, where competition and promotions are rife. The 'new' guard, Next, passed on 7% price rises to its customers in the first half and still managed to clock an 8.5% rise in profit. Its shareholders have so far cheered it up 6.7% last Wednesday morning.
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
The Brazilian Post
Economy
21
Central banks pour Road gets funds into Europe bumpy for GM in China
The world's leading central banks joined forces to offer Europe's beleaguered banks easy access to dollars last Thursday, acting to quell fears that the region's lenders could fall victim to the euro-zone's government debt crisis. The European Central Bank said it would coordinate with the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Bank of Japan and Swiss National Bank to ensure banks unlimited dollar funding through the end of the year. The rare coordinated move buoyed markets. European financial stocks, which have been battered in recent weeks, surged as concerns eased over some banks ability to raise enough dollars to meet their obligations. But the action also demonstrates that stress on European banks have intensified to the point that central bankers are reactivating programs used in 2008 and 2009, the depths of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. That underscores worry outside of Europe that the two-yearold crisis, which has already infected some of the Continent's core economies, could quickly spread beyond Europe's shores and imperil the global economy. Many European banks have substantial exposure to government and consumer debt in markets along the euro-zone's troubled periphery, including Greece and Spain. Concerns that Greece could be forced to default on its debts have focused attention in recent weeks on how a Greek bankruptcy could affect Europe's banks, especially those in France, which are heavily invested in the region. The joint action came after two euro-zone banks tapped the ECB's existing seven-day dollar window for â‚Ź575 million ($791 million) on lst Wednesday, only the second time in six months that type of funding has been used. The last time these five central banks jointly decided to make longer-term dollar funding available was May 2010, at the height of the Greek debt crisis. The most striking case of joint action came in October 2008, when many of the largest central banks jointly cut interest rates in the wake of Lehman Brothers' collapse. Though markets rose last Thursday, analysts warned that the measures would do little to resolve the deeper challenges facing the region.
Brazil moves to protect local carmakers The government on last Thursday moved to protect Brazil's auto manufacturing industry from a rising tide of imports, granting steep tax advantages for cars produced locally. The government raised the IPI industrial products tax on all vehicles by 30 percentage points, but also introduced large tax breaks for those manufacturers that comply with a series of local content and investment criteria. "The measures we're taking will stimulate national production," said Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega. "They'll allow industry that invests and create jobs to keep growing. The measure could make foreign vehicles between 25% and 28% more expensive than local models, according to government officials. A study released in June by automaker association Anfavea said that higher parts, labor and bureaucratic costs make Brazilian cars 60% more expensive than Chinese alternatives. Imports have been on the rise in Brazil, largely due to the appreciation of the Brazilian real, which has appreciated nearly 30% against the dollar over the last three years. More recently, weakness in developed markets in the U.S. and Europe have led manufacturers to divert cars to healthier economies such as Brazil's. Sales in Brazil are expected to be up by around 5% this year, down from 12% growth last year, when they reached a new record high. Imports now account for more than 20% of sales, from less than 10% five years ago.
As the world's biggest car maker powers ahead in the world's biggest car market, it's hitting bumps in the road. General Motors Co. this week will hold its board of directors meeting in Shanghai, where it has its main China joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. It is GM's first board meeting in Asia and only its fourth ever outside the U.S. The meeting will stretch over three days and include plant tours and a town-hall gathering with employees. But even amid the pageantry, the difficulties of doing business in China are coming into focus for the car giant. One recent example: GM would like to bring its Volt electric car into China. But Chief Executive Dan Akerson said he refuses to share electric-car technology in exchange for hefty consumer rebates from the Chinese government that would juice sales of the vehicle. The lure is China's astonishing growth. In 2000, just over a million light vehicles were sold there. Last year, that number hit 16.6 million, surpassing the U.S.'s 11.6 million. J.D. Power and Associates predicts by 2018 the Chinese market will reach 33 million vehicles—more sales than the U.S. and European Union combined. Low labor and production costs have meant juicy profit margins in China. All of that has kicked Western auto makers into high gear. GM's cross-town rival, Ford Motor Co., plans to build four new plants in China by the end of 2015, launch 15 new vehicles and double its dealers in the country. Volkswagem AG, the No. 2 auto maker in China behind GM-SAIC, has made China the center of its global growth plan and is investing heavily there. Hyundai Motor Co., meantime, is in talks with Chinese partner Beijing Automobile Industry Holding Co. to create a China-only brand that will focus on electric cars. But that euphoria is increasingly tempered. Industry executives say they are fretting the race to build plants will lead to a glut of factories down the road, much like what eventually contributed to the collapse of the U.S. auto industry. And they worry about the heavy hand of the Chinese government, which requires foreign companies to partner with and split their profits with local companies as a condition of doing business in China.
22
Sport
The Brazilian Post
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
The Champion is out till 2012
Anderson Silva's injured shoulder will most likely keep him out until early 2012, Silva's manager Ed Soares informed MMA Fighting. Silva injured his shoulder in training for his UFC 134 fight against Yushin Okami last month, which he won via secondround TKO. There was some fear within his camp that he would have to undergo surgery, but Soares said Silva will simply need rehab to heal it. Anderson Silva is 36-years-old and rapidly leaving his athletic prime. He does need to rush back and when he comes back I am sure he will still be the number one.
Brazilian Volleyball creating champions
The Brazilian men's team helped illustrate to 19 young offenders where hard work and dedication can get you at their training base Aryzao in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro as part of a rehabilitation programme. Brazil is currently training for the Men's South American Championship, a qualifying tournament for the 2011 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup in Japan which runs from November 20 to December 4. Degase took full advantage of their partnership with VivaVolei as the teenagers had the chance to talk to some of Brazil's top volleyball players, as well as get autographs and photos with their idols. “This is the least I could do. It was my pleasure to have shared these moments with them,” Leandro said. “These people have faced difficult situations in their lives and we need to somehow stop this reality. My volleyball career came after hard work and these guys need to discover that. This way, they will achieve things in their lives with dignity.” Libero Sergio, who, like many of the young people who visited the team, grew up in the city of Pirituba, said that he believes there is still a chance for these teenagers to have a better life in the future. Degase sports director Mr Carlos Vitor agreed, saying: “Sport is a very powerful tool for social inclusion. It was really worth bringing these teenagers here as they could see that nothing in life comes easily. I am really glad with that and I am sure these guys were very excited and certain that there is a better view of life.”
Anderson Silva
The dominance of the beach is over
Earlier in this month the swashbuckling Russian team unceremoniously brushed aside four-time champions Brazil 12-8 to win their first ever FIFA beach soccer World Cup title. And despite a late fightback attempt, Brazil were unable to draw level with the Europeans and thus missed out on a fifth piece of silverware, while the Russians were crowned kings on the sand in their first-ever appearance at the Final. If the fans are worried about the bad results on the field after the defeat on the sand the only thing that's clear is that the Brazilian football needs help.
TheBrazilianPost
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
Brazilian Basketball in London 2012
ARGENTINA, Olympic champions in 2004, and Brazil have qualified for the basketball tournament at next year's London Games after finishing on top in the FIBA Americas Championship in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Brazil, coached by Argentine Ruben Magnano who steered the Argentines to their 2004 gold medal in Athens, finished the tournament in second place but the ticket to the London 2012 was earned after overcoming the Dominican Republic 83-76 in the semi-final. It was a very proud moment for the players as they hugged and corralled around each other. The Brazilian team has won bronze three times between 1948 and 1964 and will be going to the Games for the first time since 1996 in Atlanta. Argentina and Brazil teams join title holders the United States from the Americas in London 2012.
Preparing for
GOLD With a delegation of 62 athletes in athletics, Brazil plans to take over the Pan American podium. The Brazil Athletics Confederation announced the list of representatives of Brazil that will participate in the Pan American Games Guadalajara 2011. There will be 62 athletes in athletics comprising 30 women and 32 men. Fabiana Murer, current world champion of pole vault; Maurren Maggi, long jump athlete; Fabio Gomes da Silva, pole vault athlete; Sabine Heitling, 3,000 m hurdle race athlete; and Hudson de Souza, 1,500 m and 5,000m race athlete, stand out among the list of athletes because of the Pan American medals they have won in Santo Domingo 2003 and Rio de Janeiro 2007. The delegations are still defining the names of the athletes that will compete in the sporting event. The countries that will top the lists with the most athletes are Mexico, U.S., and Brazil, who have over 600 athletes registered.
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The Brazilian Post
SEP 19th - 25th 2011
5 ROMANTIC THINGS TO DO IN
RIO DE JANEIRO
With its magnificent views, pulsing nightlife, beautiful locals and steamy tropical heat, Rio is a city that will have your pulse racing and your senses tingling. As a destination for a romantic getaway it's hard to beat, and aside from the city's own myriad attractions there are scores of unspoiled spots nearby that can offer lovers in Rio an escape from the crowds. Single? Well, there a few better places to cure a broken heart than Rio de Janeiro. Get practicing your Portuguese, sink a few caipirinhas to get into the samba spirit, and you could soon find yourself arranging a romantic rendevous with a local. No matter whether you're here to find new romance or to celebrate an ongoing one, our pick of the top five romantic things to do in Rio will ensure you're never stuck for ideas (and you won't need megabucks either)
1
Sugar Loaf at sunset
Yes, it's touristy, but don't let that put you off taking the twostage cable car ride up to the top of Sugar Loaf mountain. Head here just before sunset, pack a cool bag with champagne, chocolate and other tasty nibbles, and enjoy stunning views as the pumpkin sun descends over one of the world's most beautiful cities.
2
Drinks at Copacabana Palace hotel
many good bars and restaurants. For al-fresco dining and wonderful views over the city, try the fine French-Brazilian food at Aprazivel, set a little back from the main eating, drinking and shopping strip (ask a taxi driver to take you).
4
Recreio beach
The beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon are all romantic spots in their own right, but if you want to escape the crowds, head out west to Recreio das Bandeirantes. Although it gets packed at weekends, during the week this beach is wonderfully quiet. Regular buses run here from central Rio and the
Zona Sul, and there are lots of relaxed spots to enjoy a postbeach drink or bite to eat.
5
Boat trip down the coast
If the sticky city heat gets too much, jump on-board a fishing boat and head down the beautiful Costa Verde (Green Coast) to discover Paradise islands, crystal clear lagoons and excellent swimming and sunbathing opportunities. There are hundreds of companies offering day trips (many of which include lunch and drinks), so shop around for the best deals.
This is one of the world's most celebrated hotels, and has a long history of attracting celebrities on their visits to Rio de Janeiro (recent names have included Madonna, Will Smith and the Obamas, to name just a few). If your budget doesn't extend to a night here, or even a meal in the celebrated Cipriani restaurant, you can still join in the fun by enjoying a cocktail by the hotel's pool. Open to non-guests, Pergula is the hotel's less formal poolside bar/restaurant, and while prices are steeper than elsewhere in the city, it's worth it for the opportunity to soak up the opulence. Throw on your gladrags, linger over your drink and enjoy the super-romantic setting.
3
Santa Teresa
A world removed from the crush of Centro and the touristcrammed beaches of the Zona Sul, Santa Teresa is a wonderfully kooky neighborhood high in the hills. Ride the famous bonde (streetcar) up here before strolling around the cobbled streets, peeking in at the many arts, crafts and clothes stores, before stopping for drinks and dinner at the neighborhood's
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