Stories for February 2013
Argentina’s industrial production marked a modest 0.2% rise in January
Argentina's industrial production started the year with a modest improvement rising 0.2% in January from a year earlier after output shrank 1.2% in 2012 as a whole, government data showed. Factory output rose 0.6% in January compared with December, seasonally adjusted.
Repsol sells package of LNG assets to Shell to cut its debt and hold to credit rating
Spanish energy giant Repsol SA said Tuesday that it agreed to sell a package of liquefied natural gas assets to Royal Dutch Shell Plc in a transaction valued at 6.65 billion dollars. Shell will pay 4.4bn in cash and assume 2.25bn in debt, Repsol said in a regulatory filing.
Fish discard clash in Brussels; NE Atlantic has highest discard rate, says UN
Europe's fisheries ministers may dilute plans for a total ban on the practice of discarding fish at sea, as they meet in Brussels. An outright discards ban was widely welcomed when backed by the European Parliament last month, but it is being resisted by France, Spain and others.
Italy fears knock world stock markets; US recovers on Bernanke’ defence of stimuli
World stock markets and southern European government bonds sank on Tuesday on fears that political stalemate in Italy would leave its economic reforms in tatters and reignite the Euro zone's broader debt crisis.
Sea adventure of a lifetime: crew member of a schooner along the Brazilian coast and across to South Africa
Want to run away to sea? Two incredible Dutch classic tall ships are seeking training crew for an around-the-world sailing voyage following historic trade routes on an epic adventure. Last minute Voyage Crew places are available on a historic journey to sail the old trade routes around the world and the three southern capes during March & April 2013.
Brazil: current account deficit outpacing FDI expected to continue for two months
Brazil’s current account deficit surged to a record high in January, outpacing foreign direct investment for the third straight month because of the widening trade gap according to central bank data.
Ecuador/Chevron dispute enters a new chapter: Correa calls for Latam support
President Rafael Correa said he expects the regional groupings Alba and Unasur to meet urgently and address the “legal aberration” committed by a UN trade law arbitrage tribunal against Ecuador in a case involving US multinational Chevron and decades of environmental damages.
Tolerance of bribery and violation of the law in the Americas
Where disregarding the law is normal rather than an aberration, citizens are more likely to see paying a bribe as in their best interest and where obeying the law is the norm and disobeying it constitutes deviant behaviour, citizens are more likely to reject bribery, is one of the foundations for understanding the phenomenon, according to the Americas Barometer Insights in one of its latest papers titled, “tolerance of bribery and violation of the law”.
Italy rejects EU sponsored austerity measures leaves country in political deadlock
Italy faced political deadlock on Tuesday after a stunning election that saw the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo become the strongest party in the country and left no political group with a clear majority in parliament. The protest vote is also a clear signal of the failure of the EU-German sponsored austerity measures which were implemented by the government of the non-elected technocrat government of Mario Monti.
Monsanto legal battle on Roundup Ready patent expected to reach Brazil Supreme Court
Monsanto Company announced plans to file an immediate appeal of a recent ruling by a single judge of the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice, relating to the company's request for term correction of a patent covering its Roundup Ready soybean product.
