Stories for July 2009
Latest News feedHonduran interim president rejects OAS ultimatum
Honduran interim president Roberto Micheletti rejected Wednesday an ultimatum from American governments to reinstate ousted leader Manuel Zelaya to the presidency. The ongoing political crisis has sparked new protests in the capital Tegucigalpa which is under military curfew.
Conservative, pro business president takes office in Panama
Ricardo Martinelli, the multimillionaire owner of a supermarket chain, was inaugurated as president of Panama on Wednesday. National Assembly President Jose Luis Varela performed the swearing-in and placed the presidential sash on Martinelli, a pro-business conservative who in May defeated a candidate from the ruling center-left party.
Brazilian inflation seems under control; further rate cuts expected
Brazil’s government set its inflation target for 2011 at 4.5%, seeing no evidence of significant inflationary pressures going forward. May consumer price inflation or IPCA, was 0.47%, and 5.2% in the last twelve months and is expected to have slowed down further during June.
Boosted by tax exemption GM Brazil breaks sales record
General Motors Brazil car sales broke a record in June thanks to continued government tax breaks for auto makers, the company said Wednesday. The company said sales soared to 55.629 vehicles last month, the highest monthly sales volume in the company’s 84-year history in Brazil.
Gibraltar plans to purchase vessels “to put an end to Spanish incursions”
The Gibraltar Government plans to boost its presence in Gibraltar’s territorial waters by purchasing larger vessels with which to enforce its jurisdiction reports the Gibraltar Chronicle. Chief Minister Peter Caruana made a brief reference to the plan during his closing address to Parliament at the end of last week’s budget session.
US car sales drop in June but Ford shows stabilization signs
United States vehicle sales dropped in June, but there were signs of stabilisation as Ford saw its smallest fall in a year. Ford, the only one of the so-called “Big Three” carmakers not to have gone bankrupt, had the smallest drop, with sales down 10.7% from a year earlier. General Motors said sales fell 33.6%, while Chrysler sales fell by 42%.
PM Brown and Tory leader Cameron clash over public spending cuts
The leader of the British opposition, David Cameron has accused the Prime Minister of “deceit” over public spending cuts. Tory leader Cameron rounded on Mr Brown at Commons question time, after he again claimed the Tories were planning 10% cuts.
Unemployment in Magallanes Region soars to over double a year ago
Unemployment in Magallanes Region, extreme south of Chile surged to 6.3% in the March-May quarter which is more than double the same period a year ago, 2.6%, and higher than the previous immediate quarter, 5.8%, according to the latest release from the regional Statistics Office.
Antarctica heavy fuels ban effect on Falklands’ tourism to be impressed on London
The potential catastrophic effect of the Antarctic heavy fuel oil ban on the Falkland Islands economy is to be impressed on the British Government by Falklands’ politicians.
Chile looks to desalinization plants to supply water-short north
Chile’s Inter-ministry Committee of Hydro Resources thinks it has the solution for the water shortage problems facing the northern city of Copiapo (Region III).
