Stories for February 2011

Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 01:11 UTC
US plans 53 billion USD high-speed rail and intercity network investment

United States unveiled a strategy to spend 53 billion US dollars on high-speed rail and intercity network over the next six years. It's a plan that will, according to Vice-president Joe Biden, bring the US closer to giving 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail in the next 25 years.
Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 01:06 UTC
Hong Kong residential property the “most expensive in the world”

The Global Cities Survey, published by Savills PLC, reported last week that Hong Kong residential property is now the most expensive in the world. Based on the property price index contained in the survey, residential property in Hong Kong is 55% more expensive than property in London.
Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 00:58 UTC
South America/Arab countries business summit in Peru next April

The South American/Arab countries III Business Summit will take place April 19 and 20 in Peru confirmed the organizers of the event that was to be held parallel to the suspended South America/Arab leaders’ summit (ASPA) this month in Lima.
Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 00:54 UTC
Chile extends foreign exchange market intervention program to tame strong peso

The Chilean central bank announced Tuesday it would maintain the pace of a 12 billion US dollars foreign exchange intervention to tame the strong peso between Feb. 9 and March 8, and continue to buy 50 million of US currency daily.
Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 00:50 UTC
Venezuela’s homicide rate exposes vulnerable flank of President Chavez

Venezuelan authorities say they recorded 48 homicides for every 100,000 inhabitants last year, making it one of the most dangerous places in South America. Venezuela has a population of 28 million and a report for United Nations last year put the homicide rate for South America as a whole around 20 per 100.000 people.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 23:20 UTC
Riding on commodities boom, Peruvian exports reached 35 billion USD in 2010

Peruvian exports in 2010 reached 35 billion US dollars, up 30% from 2009, said Foreign Trade and Tourism minister Enrique Ferreyros. He also pointed out in nine years the number of Peruvian companies involved in exporting jumped from 4.086 to 7.200 and markets from 155 to 178 markets.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 20:55 UTC
Brazilian January inflation highest since April 2005

Brazilian officials say inflation in January was the highest monthly jump in almost six years. The government's IBGE statistics bureau said that January inflation was 0.83%, the biggest monthly jump since April 2005, when inflation was 0.87%.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 20:42 UTC
Brazil to trim budget and fight inflation by eliminating all 2009 stimuli

Brazil announces 50 billion Real (30 billion US dollars) cuts from this year’s budget as President Dilma Rousseff seeks to help the central bank contain inflation and lower some the world’s highest real interest rates.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 20:13 UTC
A former secretary of Nestor Kirchner claims she was his mistress

A former secretary of Nestor Kirchner, the late ex-president of Argentina, has claimed she was his long-term mistress weeks after being sacked by his widow and successor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 19:59 UTC
Uruguay solid candidate for “investment grade” rating says JP Morgan

Uruguay is considered a solid candidate to obtain “investment grade” given its strong economic fundamentals and these same factors make the country’s bonds issued in indexed units, UI, an attractive investment, according to a report from the investment bank JP Morgan published in the Montevideo press.