Stories for January 4th 2012

Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 06:34 UTC
Uruguay consumer inflation in 2011 reaches 8.6%, which is 43% above target

Uruguay consumer price inflation accelerated to 8.6% in 2011 from 6.93% the previous year, the government stats office, INE said on Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 06:26 UTC
Dry weather, heat and lack of rain threaten Mercosur soybean crop

Mercosur soybean production is expected to fall 2.9% after dry weather and heat damaged crops in Brazil and Paraguay and as conditions deteriorate in Argentina, Hamburg-based industry researcher Oil World said.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 06:18 UTC
CFK undergoes thyroid surgery; well-wishers camp next to hospital

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez on Tuesday rested at home on the eve of scheduled surgery for thyroid cancer, less than three months after being re-elected in a landslide.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 06:16 UTC
Unemployment in Spain climbs to 4.4 million at end of 2011

Spain ended 2011 with record high unemployment, according to data released Tuesday as the new conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy considers additional austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 06:09 UTC
China’s Sinopec buys stake in five shale projects in the US

Devon Energy Corp announced Tuesday the sale to China’s Sinopec of a one-third stake in five shale projects in the United States. The terms of the deal call for China’s No. 2 oil company to pay 900 million dollars in cash to the US firm and contribute 1.6 billion toward the cost of drilling.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 06:06 UTC
US is ending three-decade subsidies on corn ethanol

The US government is ending a three-decade-old policy of subsidizing corn ethanol, but it appears that the loss of the 6 billion dollars annual benefit will have little impact on farmers.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 06:03 UTC
Brazilian auto sales rose 2.9% to a record 3.4 million in 2011

Brazilian auto sales rose 2.9% to a record 3.4 million units in 2011, compared with the previous year, the daily O Estado de S. Paulo reported Tuesday, quoting industry sources.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 05:52 UTC
GSK Argentina fined for experimenting vaccines in babies from poor families

GlaxoSmithKline Argentina Laboratories company was fined 400.000 Pesos (approx 90.000 dollars) by Judge Marcelo Aguinsky following a report issued by the National Administration of Medicine, Food and Technology (ANMAT) for the killing of 14 babies during illegal lab vaccine trials conducted between 2007 and 2008.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 05:50 UTC
Iran’s president adds Guatemala to his tour of four Latin American countries

Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadineyad who is scheduled to begin next week a tour of several Latin American countries will also be attending the inauguration of Guatemalan president Otto Perez next 14 January according to future Foreign Affairs minister Harold Caballerso.
Wednesday, January 4th 2012 - 05:47 UTC
Piñera announces partial reopening of Torres del Paine Park under strict controls

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera assured on Tuesday that several forest fires in Torres del Paine, Chilean Patagonia, were “under control” and announced that the national park will partially reopen as of Wednesday. It has remained closed since last Friday when the fire went out of control.