Stories for July 2008

Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Cristina Kirchner replaces top aide and cabinet chief

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner named on Wednesday a former head of the social security agency Sergio Massa as cabinet chief, in a shake-up just days after the Senate rejected a government tax hike on farm exports, reported the official news agency Telam.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
S&P raises Uruguay's credit rating one level to BB-

Uruguay's debt rating was raised one level by Standard & Poor's, citing the country's economic expansion and international debt reduction. S&P lifted Uruguay's foreign-debt rating to BB-, three levels below investment grade, from B+. The outlook on the rating is stable, S&P said in a statement.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil fertilizer industry expects record sales year

With high prices for soy and corn, which are spurring growers to plant more, the Brazilian fertilizer industry expects a record volume sales year. However fertilizers high cost could have an impact for some crops.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
BHP Billiton makes huge copper discovery in Chile

Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton has made a big discovery near its Escondida copper mine in Chile and has announced plans to spend 327 million US dollars to shore up the resource and two others nearby as it looks to extend the life at the world's biggest copper mine.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Moscow and Tokyo most expensive cities third year running

Moscow and Tokyo top the list of the world's most expensive locations for the third year running, according to the annual report from consultants Mercer which considers 143 cities all over the world. Asunción in Paraguay figures as the less expensive place to live.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil raises basic interest rate 75 basis points to 13%

Brazil's central bank raised interest rates by 75 basis points to 13% on Wednesday, lifting borrowing costs for the third time in four months in a bid to prevent resurgent inflation from undermining economic growth.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Spanish King and Chavez to close “shut up” incident

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez currently on a European tour is scheduled to meet Friday with Spain's King Juan Carlos in Palma de Mallorca, where the royal family is enjoying their summer holidays. The news was confirmed in Madrid by the royal palace and the presidential office.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Joint efforts to keep BAS operating from the Falklands

The Falkland Islands government and British Antarctic Survey, BAS, are jointly looking into ways of keeping BAS operating from the Islands. Stanley's airport insufficient fire cover is the obstacle and one of the options considered is using MPA as the primary air station.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil to host Latam Caribbean integration summit in December

Brazilian president Lula da Silva extended an invitation to Latinamerican and Caribbean leaders to discuss regional integration and development in a meeting scheduled next December 16/17 in the northeastern city of Salvador. The announcement was made during a banquet to honor Trinidad and Tobago Primer Minister Patrick Manning.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Arctic holds massive oil and gas reserves say US scientists

The Arctic could hold as much as 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and has as much undiscovered gas as all the reserves known to exist in Russia, US government scientists have said in the first governmental assessment of the region's resources.