Stories for July 2009

Friday, July 24th 2009 - 13:54 UTC
Argentine scientists identified the complete genome of A/H1N1 virus

Argentine health authorities announced this week they had identified the complete genome of the A/H1N1 flu virus which so far has caused almost 200 deaths according to official numbers.
Friday, July 24th 2009 - 13:51 UTC
Uruguay takes Mercosur chair for the next six months

Uruguay officially takes the pro-tempore chair of Mercosur from Paraguay on Friday during the main ceremony of the group’s presidential summit in the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion. Originally the meeting was to receive eight presidents but al last moment Ecuador and Venezuela turned back.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 - 15:00 UTC
Mediators say Zelaya must return to Honduras Friday

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya should return home on Friday, mediators in the crisis have said. But the country's interim authorities, who removed him, have said they will not bow to international demands for his reinstatement.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 - 14:55 UTC
Controversy as Israeli Foreign Minister begins South American tour

Israel's foreign minister ran into controversy on the first day of a Latinamerican trip when an official of Brazil's ruling party reportedly called him a “fascist”. Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that Valter Pomar, secretary of international relations for the Workers Party, described Avigdor Lieberman as “a racist and a fascist” during an interview
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 - 14:50 UTC
Snow blanket reaches outskirts of Buenos Aires city

Parts of the city of Buenos Aires were covered in snow on Wednesday as temperatures plummeted to below zero in most of Argentina. Snow was reported in the provinces of Rio Negro, San Luis, San Juan and Cordoba and along most of the Buenos Aires province coastline.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 - 14:45 UTC
Australia’s conflict with China favours Brazilian iron-ore sales

Spot iron-ore vessel bookings from Brazil to China jumped to a record in July as Australia suspended spot sales following detentions of Rio Tinto's top sales officials in China, reports Reuters.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 - 14:44 UTC
Record fine on world largest brewer: 176 million USD

Brazil's antitrust regulator imposed a record fine of 352 million Reais (approximately 176 million US dollars) Wednesday on beverage giant AmBev. The Cade regulator found that AmBev, brewer of Skol, Brahma and Antarctica beers, used discounts, premiums and exclusivity agreements to dissuade retailers from selling competing brands.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 - 14:30 UTC
World’s largest meat processor applies for listing in New York market

The United States unit of the world's largest meat processor, Brazilian JBS SA, filed for an initial public offering of up to 2 billion US dollars on Wednesday, making it the largest planned offering in the US IPO pipeline.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 - 14:25 UTC
Brazil slows basic rate cut as the economy begins to rebound

Brazil’s Central bank lowered on Wednesday the benchmark Selic rate by a half point to a record low 8.75%. The bank had cut the rate by at least a full point at all four previous policy meetings of 2009.
Wednesday, July 22nd 2009 - 23:09 UTC
Spain says dialogue and 20.000 opinions needed to solve Gibraltar dispute

Dialogue, cooperation and negotiation are the three basic words and formulae to solve the problem of Gibraltar, said Spanish Foreign Affairs minister Miguel Angel Moratinos following his historic visit to the Rock where he met with Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Peter Caruana.