Stories for May 2011

Saturday, May 7th 2011 - 04:49 UTC
UK overwhelmingly rejects changing MP’s first-past-the-post electoral system

UK has voted overwhelmingly to reject changing the way MPs are elected - dealing a bitter blow to Nick Clegg on top of heavy Lib Dem poll losses. Officials say 19.1m people voted in the second UK-wide referendum in history - a higher than expected turnout of 41%.
Saturday, May 7th 2011 - 04:47 UTC
Greek exit from Euro zone becomes an option; Portugal faces two-year recession

Top finance officials of the Euro zone's biggest economies met to discuss Greece's debt crisis and Athens denied a media report that it was considering whether to leave the block.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 17:29 UTC
Brazil’s inflation peaks in April, but prices should begin slowing down in May

Brazil’s benchmark consumer price index in April exceeded the upper limit of the government’s target range for the first time since 2005 but officials are confident April was a peak and during May the tendency is for inflation to decelerate.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 17:28 UTC
EU farmers insist with the “catastrophic impact” of trade agreement with Mercosur

European farm leaders have left Members of the European Parliament in no doubt about the ‘catastrophic impact’ on EU agriculture of a trade agreement with Mercosur, reports the Friday edition of the UK’s Farmers Guardian.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 17:26 UTC
Brazilian automobile industry, still strong, begins to feel the tight money pinch

Automobile production in Brazil fell 4.9% and sales dropped 5.5% in April from March, the national automakers' association said on Friday.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 17:24 UTC
Top US grain processors join the ‘bio-fuel refineries rush’ in Brazil

Cargill Inc and the world’s largest grain processor Archer-Daniels-Midland Co, are planning to invest about 560 million US dollars in new bio-fuel refineries in Brazil.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 17:21 UTC
US payrolls expanded in April, but jobless rate climbed to 9%

United States employers in April added more jobs than forecast. Payrolls expanded by 244,000 last month, the biggest gain since May 2010, after a revised 221,000 increase the prior month, the Labour Department said Friday in Washington.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 07:20 UTC
Falklands’ oil companies contract more sophisticated exploration rig

Borders and Southern Petroleum PLC licensed for oil exploration in the Falkland Islands announced Friday the signing of a new rig contract with Ocean Rig under which the Eirik Raude has been replaced by the Leiv Eiriksson.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 06:29 UTC
FDI in Uruguay has soared in last five years and reached 1.6 billion USD in 2010

Foreign direct investment, FDI, in Uruguay during 2010 reached 1.627 billion US dollars which represents a 29% increase over 2009 and puts the country among the top six FDI recipients in South America and eighth in the region, according to the latest report from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC.
Friday, May 6th 2011 - 06:26 UTC
Malvinas events overshadowed by Royal Wedding, complains Argentine minister

Argentine Defence Secretary Arturo Puricelli said he was disappointed with the “excessive coverage” granted by the Argentine media to the Royal Wedding and regretted so little attention was given to the commemoration of Malvinas conflict events.