Brazil Central Bank holds interest rate after seven straight hikes / Photo: © AFP/File
-
'Tough to stay here': Nepal flood survivors wait for homes
-
LeBron shines in pre-season debut for re-tooled 76ers
-
Malaysia closes schools in capital, parts of country due to haze
-
Okinawa resolution calls for revision of US forces pact after murder
-
Buccaneers stun Cowboys for first win of NFL season
-
Verdict expected Friday in Mexico trial over murders of Australia, US surfers
-
Activists hope trial will stop 'forever chemicals' at Italy plant
-
New York mayor says asking Trump to withdraw ICE after shooting
-
Guardians rally for 9-5 victory over White Sox to stay alive in MLB playoffs
-
Walking through flames: orangutan rescued in Indonesia fires
-
Asian stocks mixed amid AI concerns, oil dips after surge
-
James shines in pre-season debut for re-tooled 76ers
-
Wallabies expect fast-paced All Blacks in Bledisloe opener
-
Fuel, fertilizer costs strain US farmers' support for Republicans in midterms
-
Tech scammer Elizabeth Holmes focus of documentary by absurdist Nathan Fielder
-
Trump's 'super intelligence' rebrand to sell AI faces uphill battle
-
Climate hopes shift from politics to the courts
-
Fiji demands US provide evidence Chinese official paid bribes for Beijing
-
Will Nobel Peace Prize pick make waves at the White House?
-
More than just football: How scandal-tainted City led Manchester's rebirth
-
Trump rules out new Iran attack before US midterm elections
-
Record Eden Park streak creates tension for All Blacks
-
Far-right influencer shows Israel's coarse political turn
-
EU trade chief seeks 'tangible outcomes' in China talks
-
Seals and sea lions get hearing tested at Australia zoo
-
Man City face Anfield cauldron after guilty Premier League verdicts
-
Mourinho's Real Madrid playing catch-up in Clasico countdown
-
CNN, MS Now, Politico urge judge to extend White House access
-
Joy as USS Lincoln back home after troubled Gulf deployment
-
Trump administration to launch new vaccine research center
-
OpenAI says Iran, Russia influence ops busted
-
Russian strikes kill 30 in Ukraine frontline city, talks set in US
-
Anthropic bans 'cruel' behavior against its Claude AI
-
US military to livestream firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter
-
Anne Carson's Nobel literature prize 'a proud moment for Canada': PM
-
Aces star Wilson wins record-extending fifth WNBA MVP
-
Montagliani to seek CONCACAF re-election in boost for Infantino: reports
-
Undefeated 49ers seek Seahawks revenge
-
Oil surges, stocks sink on jitters over US plans in Iran war
-
Madrid mourns evicted retiree, 'icon' of Spain housing protests
-
John Cena and Jessica Biel hit the gas in 'Matchbox: The Movie'
-
OpenAI revenue gap report rattles AI stocks
-
US, Ukrainians, Europeans to discuss 'new ideas' to end war
-
France pledges more teachers after school students vow no let-up
-
Unproven 'cures' pushed online amid plague concerns
-
Bordeaux confirmed in sixth tier of French football
-
Nigeria looks to ease fuel prices as election looms
-
Trump gives 'national treasure' Musk top US medal after rift
-
Prosecutors in Maradona death trial seek sentences up to 12 years
-
MLB proposes shortening season, reforming playoffs
Brazil Central Bank holds interest rate after seven straight hikes
Brazil's Central Bank on Wednesday held its benchmark interest rate steady at 15 percent after seven straight hikes that had angered leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The announcement came as US President Donald Trump slapped a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods, spelling potential trouble for South America's biggest economy.
The benchmark rate, known as the Selic, remains at its highest level since 2006, and is one of the highest in the world.
The bank had raised the rate seven times in succession, in a bid to curb inflation.
The last time, in June, it cited "heightened geopolitical tensions" and adverse external conditions given "the economic situation and policy in the United States."
Lula has argued high interest rates stifle growth.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump ordered massive tariffs on the country and sanctions against the judge overseeing the coup trial of his far-right ally Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Unlike the tariffs Trump is slapping on economies around the world, the measures against Brazil have been framed in openly political terms, sweeping aside centuries-old trade ties and a surplus that Brasilia put at $284 million last year.
J.Bergmann--BTB
