Stories for May 2011

Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 01:03 UTC
Brazil’s Rousseff frustrates top business leaders but is praised by landless peasants

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff left top bankers, investors and corporations CEO frustrated following her decision to cancel a speech to the World Economic Forum on Latin America meeting in Rio do Janeiro.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:59 UTC
Spain main bank’s profits sustained by Latin America branches, mainly Brazil

Spain’s biggest bank Santander reported first-quarter profit declined 5% as lower earnings at home offset gains in Latin America. Net income fell to 2.11 billion Euros from 2.22 billion Euros a year earlier, the Spanish bank said in a filing Friday.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:48 UTC
Argentina looses a master of literature, human rights and common sense

Argentine writer and human rights militant Ernesto Sabato died at his home on Saturday morning at the age of 99. He has been suffering from bronchitis. A physicist by training he became famous because of his writing; however he had not produced any works for quite some time.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:42 UTC
Japan’s industrial output plunges record 15.3% and household spending 8.5%

Japan's industrial output fell a record 15.3% in March from the previous month, while household spending tumbled the government announced Thursday, direct result of the earthquake impact and ongoing nuclear crisis.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:40 UTC
Chrysler to repay bailout loans to US and Canada governments next June

Chrysler anticipated that by the second quarter it will have repaid bailout loans worth more than 7 billion US dollars given by the US and Canadian governments. The auto group said it would pay back the bailout by June with loans from investors.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:31 UTC
LAN plans to invest 4.6 billion USD on its fleet through 2014

Chile's LAN Airlines group plans to spend around 4.6 billion US dollars on its fleet of aircraft through 2014, Chief Financial Officer Alejandro de la Fuente announced.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:21 UTC
China’s manufacturing slows down in April, according to official data

China's manufacturing growth slowed in April, according to official figures. The country's purchasing managers' index (PMI), which is designed to provide a snapshot of conditions in the manufacturing sector, fell to 52.9 in April, from 53.4 in March.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:16 UTC
Tanks, bombings and snipers can’t stop Syrian protests from intensifying

Anti-government protesters in Syria are planning further demonstrations during the week, in spite of the violent crackdown including tanks, bombings and snipers unleashed on them.
Monday, May 2nd 2011 - 00:14 UTC
UN withdraws staff from Libya; NATO air strike kills son of Gaddafi

UN is withdrawing all international staff from the Libyan capital Tripoli following a mob attack on its offices. UN buildings and some foreign missions were targeted by angry crowds following a NATO air strike that reportedly killed a son of Col Gaddafi.
Sunday, May 1st 2011 - 23:38 UTC
Air France flight 447 memory unit recovered from bottom of the Atlantic

The memory unit that may tell why an Air France jet plunged into the Atlantic nearly two years ago was recovered from the bottom of the ocean Sunday, France's Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) said.