Stories for August 20th 2008

Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Comodoro Rivadavia readies to become oil exploration town

A jack-up oil platform for exploration in shallow waters is expected to arrive in the coming weeks in the Argentine San Jorge Gulf basin where three exploratory wells have been scheduled for drilling plus a fourth offshore Santa Cruz province, according to reports in the Argentine press.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Bolivian stalemate persists with strikes and street clashes

Bolivian government supporters and opponents clashed in the streets of Santa Cruz one of the five dissident provinces which held a general strike on Tuesday to demand Bolivian President Evo Morales return state shares of oil and natural gas income his administration diverted to fund a pension for the elderly.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Private sector says Argentina's budget must increase 19%

The Argentine government will have to increase in 19% its budget for 2008 and in 16% its income in order to balance public spending, as the estimations with which it was calculated “were surpassed” by inflation.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Uruguay received 13.7% more tourists in first half of 2008

In the first half of this year the number of overseas tourists arriving in Uruguay increased 13.7% compared to the same period in 2007, according to Benjamin Liberoff, chief advisor of the country's Ministry of Tourism.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Venezuela supports production oil cut if prices continue to fall

Venezuela will sponsor an oil production cut at the next OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) meeting in September if prices continue to fall, cautioned Energy minister Rafael Ramírez in Caracas.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Bovine TB outbreak quarantines 20% of Magallanes herd

An outbreak of bovine tuberculosis has forced Magallanes Region in the extreme south of Chile to declare quarantine in 48 paddocks belonging to twelve farms. The number of cattle involved is 30.000 head which is a considerable percentage of the 180.000 herd of the region according to the 2007 census.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Paraguay: you won, but the presidential chair belongs to me

Paraguay's new government of president Fernando Lugo claims the outgoing administration of Nicanor Duarte committed all sort of irregularities adding to millions of dollars before abandoning office, including the theft of the presidential chair.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
BoE split three ways over August interest rate setting

Bank of England policymakers were split three ways for the second meeting in a row at their interest rate-setting meeting earlier this month. Minutes of the meeting showed seven members of the Bank's nine-strong rate- setting body voted to hold rates at 5%.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
US is Cuba's fifth trading partner in spite of the embargo

United States farm and food exports to Cuba reached 600 million US dollars in 2007, despite the decades old US trade embargo, according to the latest release from the Cuban Statistics Office.
Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Third Korean ban in a month on Chilean pork exports

South Korea for the third time in less than a month temporarily suspended all imports of Chilean pork following the discovery of excessive dioxin levels in a shipment of eleven tons, reported the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.