The powerful manufacturers lobby, Sao Paulo’s Industry Federation, Fiesp believes a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union is very much needed so that Latam’s largest economy climbs out from the “commercial isolation” in which it currently stands.
The Brazilian state development bank BNDES is “overbooked” and needs the private sector to step up funding in investments, according to bank president Luciano Coutinho. Lending by BNDES and other public banks has increased six times faster than credit by non-state bank this year, as the government tries to fuel economic growth.
Chile’s Commander in Chief of the Chilean Army General Juan Miguel Fuente-Alba was in the UK for an official visit to strengthen links between the British and Chilean armies.
A team of European Union inspectors are visiting Gibraltar to investigate a border row that has caused diplomatic tensions between the UK and Spain. London and British Overseas Territory Gibraltar complained to the EU that Spain's over-zealous checks on border traffic were holding up workers and tourists. Spain accuses Gibraltar of not doing enough to combat cigarette smuggling.
In her speech to the 68th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday Argentine President Cristina Fernandez stressed that regulating the financial markets is a human rights issue and claimed that Argentina has been a repeat victim of shady financial entities such as the 'vulture funds', despite having repeatedly proved it is prepared to honour debt commitments.
President Cristina Fernandez during her speech to the UN General Assembly said she hoped that the new Government in Iran would cooperate with Argentina in relation to the clarification of the attack on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires in 1994.
FIFA has confirmed that it will discuss the timing of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at its next executive committee meeting. The agenda for the meeting on Oct. 3-4, published on Tuesday, included the item FIFA World Cup Qatar, period of the competition.
Struggling smart-phone maker Blackberry has agreed in principle to be bought by a consortium led by Fairfax Financial for 4.7bn dollars. Blackberry said in a statement that Fairfax, its largest shareholder with about 10% of the stock, had offered 9 dollars a share in cash to buy the company.
The year 2013 is a special one for researches in the northern region of Brazil: the Ferreira Penna Scientific Station, research base of the Emílio Goeldi museum and research unit of the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology, completes 20 years of existence.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández used Tuesday’s speech in before the UN General Assembly to once more criticize British military movements in the South Atlantic, condemning the use of nuclear submarines around the disputed Falklands/Malvinas Islands.