Stories for July 28th 2011

Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:53 UTC
Paraguay president cancels activities and is flown to Brazil for cancer check-up

Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo travelled to Brazil on Thursday bringing forward a routine check-up following his cancer treatment last year and cancelling a planned trip to Peru due to a severe cold.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:39 UTC
US unemployment benefit claimers dropped last week for the first time since April

The number of US citizens claiming new unemployment benefits last week dropped below the 400,000 level for the first time since early April, a hopeful sign for the US economy which has struggled to regain momentum.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:30 UTC
Second rescue plan “too tough for Greece, too light for private creditors”

Representatives of leading emerging market countries at the IMF have warned the Fund's management against pouring more large sums of money into Greece's second bailout, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:23 UTC
Top IMF official joins White House as special assistant on international economic affairs

International Monetary Fund's external relations director Caroline Atkinson resigned Thursday after being appointed the as a White House special assistant to the president for international economic affairs.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:03 UTC
EU population reached 502.5 million; Ireland, UK with highest birth rates

The population of the European Union reached 502.5 million on 1 January 2011 according to data provided by the statistical office of the European Union. This is one million and a half more than a year ago.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:42 UTC
Argentina-Brazil summit in Brasilia to discuss trade and political coordination

Brazilian Foreign Affairs minister Antonio Patriota said that trade talks is one of several points in the bilateral agenda, ‘but not the most important’, next Friday when Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner visits her Brazilian peer Dilma Rousseff.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:34 UTC
Volcanic ash cloud dissipates and Buenos Aires airports return to normal activity

Activity in Buenos Aires Metropolitan airport slowly resumed its normal pace on Wednesday as Aerolíneas Argentinas, Austral and Lan airlines announced they resumed their operations, after cancelling them due to volcanic ash cloud.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:32 UTC
Venezuela remains committed to compensate oil companies, says minister

Venezuela said it remains committed to compensating Exxon-Mobil and Conoco-Phillips for nationalized oil assets, as long as the amount is reasonable and either settle by mutual agreement or set by the World Bank’s arbitration panel.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:27 UTC
US economic recovery slowed down in June says Fed’s Beige Book

The pace of United States economic growth slowed last month in eight of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts, the central bank said Wednesday in the latest edition of its Beige Book report.
Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:21 UTC
Santander Latam’s profits insufficient to compensate EU poor performance

Spain's Banco Santander CEO Alfredo Saenz announced Wednesday its second-quarter net profit fell 38% as growth in Latin America was offset by weaker results in crisis-hit Europe and a one-time charge in Britain