Unemployment among the under 25s rose in April to 23.5% within the EU and 24.4% across the Euro area. The rates released by EU statistics office Eurostat show an increase on the same month last year, when youth unemployment reached 22.6% across both zones.
The biggest pork firms in China and the US plan to join forces in a 4.7bn dollar deal that aims to feed the world's most populous country. China's Shuanghui International has agreed to pay cash for the Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, which including debt, values the firm at 7.1bn.
The Organization of American States (OAS), Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, highlighted the important progress made in the region’s democratization in recent decades, but also warned about worrying risks of deconstruction which are creating ‘distinct categories of citizens’ particularly in terms of access and quality to basic services such as education, health and security.
The Specialist Oil & Gas Advisor for the Falkland Islands Government (FIG), Anne Drinkwater has stated that the Falkland Islands are an attractive location for the oil and gas industry and has praised FIG five year plan which sets the desired economic and social context for development generally.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden encouraged Brazil to open its economy further to keep up with free trade trends worldwide during a visit aimed at boosting business between the two largest economies in the Americas.
Brazil's economy grew 0.6% in the first quarter of 2013, compared with the final quarter of last year, the government said this week. The figure could confirm official projections that the economy would recover following the slowdown experienced over the past two years.
Brazil's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday to 8% from 7.5%, as part of an effort to battle high inflation in an economy that keeps struggling with slow growth.
On Tuesday Uruguayan President Jose Mujica said that the policy of integrating the economies of Asia and his country is a necessary “strategy for the future.”
The European Union is imposing punitive duties on imports of biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia, charging them with selling the product into the bloc at unfairly low prices, setting provisional tariffs ranging from 6.8 to 10.6 % for imports from Argentina and between zero and 9.6 % for those from Indonesia.
The Uruguayan offshore platform continues to advance its global positioning and increase its economic value as the Irish firm Tullow Oil, which is currently conducting exploration work in Block 15 of the Uruguayan offshore platform, sold 30% of its stake in its exploration contract to leading Japanese oil company Inpex.