Stories for August 1st 2008

Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Exceptional papal waiver for bishop president in Paraguay

Pope Benedict granted an unprecedented waiver to allow former bishop and elected president Fernando Lugo to serve as head of Paraguay Executive without violating church rules, said the Vatican representative in the capital Asuncion.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update

Headlines: Champions!; 'Medical Services' tax dropped; FIGAS fares capped at £50; Experts to deal with Ocean 8 wreck; Commonwealth Games team prepares for Pune.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
US economy picks up but Governors give different picture

The US economy has been boosted by the government's 168 billion stimulus package, according to the US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Official figures showed that gross domestic product (GDP) rose at an annual rate of 1.9% between April and June, up from 0.9%.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Euro zone inflation at its fastest; unemployment 7.3%

Inflation in the Euro zone accelerated to its pace in more than 16 years in July, 4.1% from 4% in June, according to the European Union statistics office in Luxembourg. A separate report showed unemployment was 7.3% in June.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentina and Brazil try to mend fences following WTO talks

Mercosur must do its utmost to find a common position and talk as an only voice said Brazil's Foreign Affairs minister Celso Amorim following the aftermath of the recent Doha round effort in Geneva where Brazil and Argentina stood on different sides.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
LAN Chile's profits up 7.4% in spite of rising cost of fuel

Compared with this time last year, Chile-based LAN Airlines has seen a 7.4% increase in profits – despite the rising cost of gas, which accounts for 36% of the company's overall costs.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentine gov. planning review of farm export taxes

The Argentine government is re-drafting modifications to the grains and oilseeds exports tax system with the purpose of raising the levy on soy but reducing it for wheat and corn, according to reports in the Buenos Aires media.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
FAO rescues Peruvian alpacas suffering from cold spell

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has provided urgently needed medical supplies to poor farmers in the Peruvian highlands whose livestock are suffering as a result of a severe unseasonable cold spell, known locally as “El friaje.”
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil's Embraer record sales and doubles profits

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer this week that profits more than doubled in the second quarter, driven by strong sales of midsize commercial jets and the company's new, popular executive jets.
Friday, August 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Mrs. Kirchner with a sustained negative rating of 50%

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has a negative image rating of 50.4% and a positive one of only 19.2%, according to the results of an opinion poll conducted by the Giacobbe & Asociados consultancy which were released recently.