Sao Paulo  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva believes the ongoing financial crisis will lead to the election of Democrat Barack Obama as US president.

"This crisis, among other benefits it will cause, will get Obama elected as president of the United States. It will get a black man elected, which is no small matter," Lula said late Monday, during an awards ceremony for outstanding personalities held in Sao Paulo and sponsored by the magazine Carta Capital.

Maputo - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva voiced his anger at the rich countries Friday, saying the current global financial crisis is due to "Western hypocrisy."

Speaking in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, on a state visit, da Silva argued that rich nations spent the last decade convincing other countries to better manage their economic and business affairs, but allowed their guard to slip when it came to their own affairs.

"The current financial crisis is due to the irresponsibility of the rich countries which, in the decades of the 80s and the 90s, spent all their time teaching how to administer our countries without properly administering their own countries".

Sao Paulo - Clashes between thousands of striking Civil Police officers and elite anti-riot police forces have left more than 30 people injured in Brazil's financial capital of Sao Paulo.

Rubber bullets and tear gas were used Thursday night to break up the clashes, which continued for several hours in a posh Sao Paulo neighbourhood and caused traffic disruptions, media reports said.

Civil Police in Sao Paulo state have been on strike for a month, demanding a 15-per-cent pay raise.

New Delhi, Oct. 15 : Heads of Government of India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) today agreed to instruct their finance ministers and Governors of Central Banks to meet and establish a coordinating mechanism to deal with the existing global financial crisis.

New Delhi - Leaders from Brazil and South Africa Wednesday blamed rich countries for the financial crisis that was hurting the developing world and called for a new international initiative to bring about structural reforms in the global financial system.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and South African President Kgalema Motlanthe led their respective delegations from their countries at the third IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) summit in New Delhi which focussed on the financial crisis as well as energy and food security.