Stories for May 17th 2011

Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 05:58 UTC
Argentina/Brazil agree to attempt dialogue to overcome latest trade dispute

Argentine Minister for Industry, Debora Giorgi will meet in coming hours with Brazilian Ambassador, Enio Cordeiro, to schedule a series of meetings to address trade disputes between the two neighbouring countries and main Mercosur associates.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 05:51 UTC
China ready to increase trade and investments in Brazil but infrastructure lacking

China moved to smooth economic relations with Brazil on Monday, saying it was open to more Brazilian exports and that Chinese firms will broaden their investments in the country.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 04:05 UTC
“There’s no plan B” if Cristina Fernandez does not seek re-election, says governor

A recently elected governor and very close to Argentine president Cristina Fernandez cautioned that “there is not plan B” within the ruling Victory Front if Mrs Kirchner decides not to seek re-election next week.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 03:29 UTC
Organized labour ignores warnings and keeps pressure on Argentine president

Argentina’s organized labour continued Monday with its aggressive offensive to have unionist included in the pro-ruling party’s ballot tickets for next October presidential election arguing that Argentines from all walks of life have been invited to participate in politics, ‘but not union members’.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 03:22 UTC
Argentina makes official October 23 as Election Day

Argentina formally announced Monday dates for the general election that will take place next October 23, when voters will choose President, Vice President, half of the Lower House and Senators from eight of 24 provinces
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 01:15 UTC
Budget dispute forces US to appeal to pensions’ funds to pay the country’s bills

United States reached the legal limits of its borrowing authority as a top Republican increased his party's demand for deep spending cuts as part of any increase. The remarks by Representative Paul Ryan, the top budget writer in the House of Representatives, underscored the divisions that Republicans and Democrats will have to overcome in order to raise the 14.3 trillion US dollars debt limit and avoid a default that would roil markets across the globe.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 01:05 UTC
“Heaven is a fairy story, there is no afterlife” says eminent Stephen Hawking

Heaven is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark, the eminent British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said in an interview. Hawking, 69, was expected to die within a few years of being diagnosed with degenerative motor neurone disease at the age of 21, but became one of the world's most famous scientists with the publication of his 1988 book “A Brief History of Time”.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 00:56 UTC
Support for Uruguay president drops to 41%, down from 75% when taking office

Support for Uruguayan president Jose Mujica dropped to 41%, nine percentage points less than last March and 34 points down from when he took office in March 2010, according to an Interconsult public opinion poll published Monday in one of Montevideo’s dailies.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 00:53 UTC
South Korea and Brazilian lawmakers committed to expand links with Mercosur

Parliamentary leaders of South Korea and Brazil agreed Monday in Seoul to put forth efforts to promote economic ties between the two nations in the framework of Mercosur, through closer interactions at the parliamentary level.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 - 00:44 UTC
Euro aid package for Portugal approved but private bond holders also involved

Euro zone finance ministers approved Monday a three-year, 78-billion Euro emergency loan program for Portugal and said Lisbon would ask private bondholders to maintain their exposure to its debt.