Stories for February 25th 2010
Repsol-YPF to explore for oil in Malvinas waters at the end of 2010
Spanish-Argentine Oil Company Repsol-YPF announced Thursday that it will drill for oil in an area near the Falkland Islands beginning next November /December.
Falklands’ dispute reaches the UN: Ban Ki-Moon’s praises peaceful attitude
Argentina’s Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana as had been anticipated on Wednesday formally asked United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to interfere in the “unilateral decisions” Britain has made regarding the Falklands/Malvinas Islands issue and highlighted that “from now on” everyone has to wait until Ban acts within a “good-solicitor” framework.
Argentine court keeps freeze on Central Bank reserves
An Argentine federal court kept a hold on the government’s plan to use 6.6 billion US dollars in Central Bank reserves to pay debt, sending the case to the Supreme Court for a final ruling, Argentina’s Court Information Center Web site said.
“Political intolerance” and “citizen insecurity” rampant in Venezuela says OAS
Venezuela routinely violates the rights of its citizens, using the “punitive power of the state” to intimidate and punish people for their political opinions, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) said Wednesday.
Bernanke reaffirmed low interest rates for an extended period
United States stocks rose on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve chairman reaffirmed his commitment to keep interest rates low for an extended period to sustain the still fragile recovery. Ben Bernanke told Congress a weak job market and tame inflation warranted keeping rates close to their near-zero level for the time being.
Official Argentine economy data shows recovery in underway
Argentina's trade surplus widened 25% in January from the same month a year ago as both exports and imports rose, signalling an economic recovery is underway.
On its fiftieth anniversary Brasilia exposed to a major political dispute
The acting governor of Brazil's federal district resigned this week in connection with a corruption scandal that has tarnished one of the main opposition parties and could affect the campaign of front-runner Jose Serra in this October's presidential race.
EU ready to reach trade agreements with Latinamerica by next May
Spanish president Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and European Commission president Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said they were confident of a successful conclusion of trade and cooperation agreements the EU is currently in the process of negotiations with Latinamerica.
World trade drops 12% in 2009; re-launching Doha round “imperative”
World Trade Organisation director-general Pascal Lamy said on Wednesday that international trade fell by 12% in 2009, a marked deterioration on previous estimates which put the drop closer to 10%.
Good prospects in 2010 for Latam commodities and energy exporters
A report released this week in Mexico by the inter American Development Bank, (IDB) forecasts a good year for Latinamerican countries exports of commodities and energy but a slower recovery for Central America and the Caribbean more dependent on tourism and remittances.
