Stories for July 2012

Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 18:32 UTC
Astori describes Mercosur latest decisions as “aggression and major institutional blows”

“It’s a major institutional blow, maybe the most serious in the 21 years of Mercosur” said Uruguayan Vice president Danilo Astori in direct reference to the group’s decision to incorporate Venezuela with the approval of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay and the absence of Paraguay.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 06:31 UTC
Argentina and Brazil deny Uruguay and insist the decision on Venezuela was unanimous

Argentina underlined late Monday that the decision on the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur was “unanimously” supported by the presidents from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay during the group’s summit last Friday hosted by President Cristina Fernandez.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 06:24 UTC
Uruguay says it accepted Venezuela in Mercosur as part of a major negotiation

The Uruguayan government said that it accepted the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur as part of a “negotiation” in which it demanded no economic sanctions on Paraguay and that is why “the last word has not been said” on the issue.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 06:20 UTC
The Vatican bank opens up to show it is not involved in ‘sinful’ activities

Vatican bank, one of the more secretive institutions of the secrecy-obsessed Vatican, opened itself up to a little external scrutiny in a bid to show it is serious about fighting money-laundering and being more financially transparent.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 06:14 UTC
Brazilian opposition blasts Rousseff for the management of Paraguayan situation

The leading member from Brazil’s main opposition political party described Uruguay’s claim that consensus was absent in the Mercosur decision to suspend Paraguay and to incorporate Venezuela as “extremely serious” and complained Mercosur has become a merely “ideological” grouping.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 06:04 UTC
Casa Rosada turns into a “dolls’ house” with “Cristinita” the witch leading

Argentine president Cristina Fernández presented on Monday evening a doll made to her image, “Cristinita” which is on sale at a museum next to Government House, Casa Rosada, in downtown Buenos Aires.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 03:31 UTC
EU markets’ watchdog investigating three major credit rating agencies

The European markets watchdog is investigating whether the big three credit ratings agencies' methods of evaluating banks are rigorous and transparent enough, its chairman Steven Maijoor told the Financial Times on Monday.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 02:55 UTC
Brazil considering more export-boost measures to counter declining trade surplus

Brazil's government is studying measures to boost the country's exports in the face of a still-difficult global trade environment, Deputy Trade Minister Allessandro Teixeira said on Monday.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 02:50 UTC
Mandela’s eldest daughter South Africa’s ambassador to Buenos Aires

Argentina has handed Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter, Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, credentials as South Africa’s ambassador to Buenos Aires, the foreign ministry said on Monday.
Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 02:16 UTC
Euro zone unemployment reaches another record high in May

Joblessness in the Euro zone rose to a new record high in May, pushed up by lay-offs in France, Spain and even stable Austria, as the several years long debt crisis continues to eat away at the currency bloc's fragile economy.