Stories for May 2013

Thursday, May 23rd 2013 - 02:13 UTC
Rest cool, toilet paper is on the way for the beleaguered Venezuelan consumers

Venezuela's National Assembly approved a 79 million dollars credit for the import of toilet paper, toothpaste and soap. The measure comes after Venezuela hit the news with its dire toilet paper shortage.
Thursday, May 23rd 2013 - 02:10 UTC
Argentine ports strike stalls oilseed and grains exports at peak harvest time

Argentine longshoremen on strike at the peak of summer harvests exports have scores of grains ships delayed in and around due to a three-day-old conflict that threatens to bog down shipments at a time of heightened world demand for South American soy and corn, according to industry sources.
Thursday, May 23rd 2013 - 00:45 UTC
Penn calls for Dakar rally to cancel Bolivia unless a US citizen is released

Actor and humanitarian Sean Penn called for the Dakar Rally to cancel its debut run in Bolivia unless an ailing American businessman being held under house arrest there is released. Penn, a friend of President Evo Morales has angered Bolivian authorities with his request.
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 23:42 UTC
Falklands and other BOT should be given a seat in the Commons, says MEP Farage

The Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and Britain’s other Overseas Territories should be given a seat in the Commons, UK Independent Party MEP Nigel Farage said on Tuesday. The UKIP leader claims their voices are dangerously ‘muted’ in Britain and they should be allowed to elect their own ‘MP for the Territories’, following on the French experience.
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 23:28 UTC
Gibraltar: UK has no plans ‘at present’ to extend the 12 miles territorial waters around Gibraltar

The British Government has no plans “at present” to extend British territorial waters around the Rock but does not rule out doing so in the future. The position was revealed in a statement by David Lidington, Britain’s Minister for Europe, in response to a question in the House of Commons.
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 23:08 UTC
Argentina's Judicial Reform: A Farewell to the Rule of Law and the Separation of Powers.

By Rodolfo Arrate (*) - The Argentine poet Jorge Luis Borges famously declared: “Democracy is an abuse of statistics”. Observing the evolution of the political regime in Argentina nowadays, the poet’s sentence may well have turned into a prophecy.
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 23:03 UTC
US airline closes 4bn dollars deal with Brazil’s Embraer for 40 commuter aircraft

United Airlines partner SkyWest Inc. agreed to buy more than 4 billion dollars of Brazil’s Embraer jets as new pilot contracts at the largest carriers allow commuter operators to fly bigger planes.
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 18:14 UTC
Uruguay’s booming construction industry anticipates a tough year ahead

The investment in the construction industry in Uruguay soared 26.45% last year over 2011 and reached seven billion dollars, of which 40% correspond to the Brazilian-Chilean pulp mill, Montes del Plata, the country’s largest investment in years equivalent to 2 billion dollars. However there are storm clouds ahead.
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 18:09 UTC
Quarter of Italians edging the poverty line and most youngsters survive thanks to Mon and Dad

One out of four Italians up to 40 years of age survive with the help of their parents, according to a report on “Youth and the crisis” released this week in Milan. Another report from the Italian national statistics institute (ISTAT) says millions of Italians have or are close to falling below the poverty line.
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 18:00 UTC
China/Latam trade expanded 8% in 2012 and region’s deficit jumped to 6.6bn

Latin America's trade deficit with China jumped to 6.6 billion dollars last year from only 150 million in 2011, according to an analysis by online publication Latinvex based on new data from the IMF. Total trade between China and Latin America grew 8% last year to 255.5bn which means the region’s trade with China is growing faster than with the United States, 6.2%.