Stories for July 21st 2012
Chavez confirms Dilma’s invitation to Mercosur meeting in Rio on July 31
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said he had talked with his peer from Brazil Dilma Rousseff who confirmed the invitation to an extraordinary meeting of Mercosur next July 31 in Rio do Janeiro.
Good signals from the Brazilian economy: inflation picks up in mid July
Consumer prices in Brazil rose faster than expected in the month to mid-July on higher food costs, suggesting the central bank may have less room than previously believed to cut interest rates much further.
Brazilian government cuts 2012 growth forecast from 4.5% to 3%
The Brazilian government said Friday it was cutting its economic growth forecast for this year from 4.5% to 3% due to the impact of the global slowdown. However the figure is still higher than the 2.5% predicted by the Central Bank.
Bad news for Argentina: economy contracts and industrial production slumps
Argentina's economy contracted in May and industrial production slumped further in June, according to government data released on Friday. Economic activity fell 0.5% in May year-on-year, slowing from April's 0.6% growth rate and marking the first contraction in 34 months.
EU considering a new round of discussions with Mercosur before end of 2012
The European Union - Mercosur trade negotiations calendar has been delayed and its full resumption is expected to take place in September or soon after, reports the EU press office in Montevideo.
YPF building credibility buys back 79 million dollars in 2028 bonds
Argentina's nationalized oil and gas company YPF said on Friday it had bought back 79 million dollars in 2028 bonds that it was obliged to repurchase in the case of a state takeover.
Bolivia raids the offices of India’s Jindal alleging “breach of contract”
Bolivian prosecutors with the support from police and military forces on Friday raided the offices of India’s Jindal in La Paz as part of an investigation for an alleged “breach of contract” following the company’s confirmation it was abandoning the huge iron-ore mining project of El Mutún.
UK receives first of next generation of stealth aircraft, STOVL F-35 Lightning II
The first of the UK's next generation of stealth combat aircraft, Lightning II, was handed over to the Ministry of Defence at a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond formally accepted the first of the jets which are short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and are manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
Argentine collar clamp has sentenced businessman ‘trapped’ in Uruguay
An Argentine businessman who was sentenced in Uruguay to home arrest following a car accident in which one person died remains at the location of the crime because his family in Argentina have been unable to purchase the 5.000 US dollars bail needed for his release.
US members of Congress blame the UN for introducing cholera to Haiti
More than 100 Democrats from the US House of Representatives have called on the UN to take responsibility for introducing cholera to Haiti. It is the latest twist in the allegation that UN peacekeepers unwittingly introduced the disease.
