Stories for August 2012

Thursday, August 23rd 2012 - 01:33 UTC
The US Fed considering round of monetary stimulus “fairly soon”

The Federal Reserve is likely to deliver another round of monetary stimulus “fairly soon” unless the economy improves considerably, minutes from the US central bank's August meeting show.
Thursday, August 23rd 2012 - 01:27 UTC
Russia joins WTO after for 18 years; Putin plans greater global role for Moscow

Russia's formally joined on Wednesday 22 August the World Trade Organization after having waited for 18 years. On July 21, President Vladimir Putin signed the final accession document approved by all WTO countries, a final step clearing the way for Wednesday’s formal entry.
Thursday, August 23rd 2012 - 01:20 UTC
Carter Centre absent as observer from Venezuelan October presidential election

The Atlanta based Carter Centre said this week that it declined an invitation from Venezuela's National Electoral Council to have a team at the country's Oct. 7 presidential election. The Centre said it received the invitation too late ”to evaluate it and organize the necessary experts and financing”.
Thursday, August 23rd 2012 - 01:12 UTC
Merkel, Hillary and Rousseff the three most powerful women, says Forbes

Forbes magazine ranked German Chancellor Angela Merkel the most powerful woman in the world for the second year in a row in the annual list dominated by politicians, businesswomen and media figures. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton placed second, followed by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, making the top three spots unchanged from last year.
Thursday, August 23rd 2012 - 00:58 UTC
Chavez pledges 130bn investment to boost oil production to 6 million bpd by 2019

Some 130 billion dollars will be invested in Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt between 2013 and 2019 to boost national production from 3 million barrels per day to 6 million bpd, President Hugo Chavez announced on Tuesday evening.
Thursday, August 23rd 2012 - 00:50 UTC
Where’s the cheapest to ‘fill her up’? Venezuela: 12.8 US cents a liter of petrol

Venezuela, the latest entry as full member of Mercosur has the cheapest petrol price in the world, 8 pennies per liter, (1 £ trading at 1.59 dollars on 22 August) according to the latest report from UK website, “This is money”, based on a research from Evans Halshaw.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2012 - 06:06 UTC
UN warns of risk of African swine fever in Caucasus region

Following the first-ever detection of African swine fever (ASF)in Ukraine, the United Nations is warning that while control measures appear to have temporarily halted the disease's spread, it has established a firm foothold in the Caucasus and poses an ongoing risk to neighbouring areas.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2012 - 05:44 UTC
Double standards in Ecuador: Correa ready to extradite Belarus who faces death threat

Less than a year ago an Ecuadorean judge denied a request to extradite Aliaksandr Barankov to Belarus, the former Soviet bloc nation whose president has been nicknamed “Europe's last dictator”, reports the US and European media.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2012 - 05:24 UTC
UN: Latam 20% richest earn on average 20 times more than the 20% poorest

The gap is widening between the rich and poor in much of Latin America which is the world’s most economically unequal and its most urbanized region, the UN said Tuesday. The richest 20% of the population now earn on average nearly 20 times more than the 20% poorest, a study by the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) found.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2012 - 05:20 UTC
Brazil despite its economic success remains one of the inequality champions

Brazil might be the leading economy in Latin America and has had a significant performance in reducing poverty in recent years, but it still remains among the countries with he highest inequality in the region together with Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia, points out the UN-Habitar report.