Stories for August 2013

Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 02:48 UTC
IMF encouragement for Brazil’s economy gradual upturn

The Brazilian economy is on a gradual upturn from the slowdown begun in mid-2011, the IMF says while urging Brasilia to continue efforts to rein in inflation. The country's 12-month inflation reached 6.27% in July, close to the upper limit of the government target of 6.5%.
Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 02:27 UTC
Gibraltar will bring in construction materials by sea, skirting Spanish ban

Gibraltar will sidestep an ‘illegal’ Spanish ban on overland cross-border shipments of rock, sand and aggregates by shipping the vital building materials in by sea. The ban was announced at the weekend by the Spanish authorities, which are denying export permission for these commodities and say they are being used to reclaim land in breach of EU environmental rules.
Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 02:20 UTC
Freezing frosts kill 4.000 cattle in landlocked Paraguay

Freezing cold temperature from heavy frosts are estimated to have killed at least 4.000 head of cattle in landlocked Paraguay, according to the primary reports from the country’s National Animal Quality and Health service, Senasa.
Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 02:13 UTC
Australia calls on sheep farmers to test rams for ovine brucellosis

Australia Livestock Health and Pest Authorities (LHPA) are encouraging all sheep producers to test their rams for ovine brucellosis, following recent positive tests that the disease might be spreading throughout the country.
Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 02:06 UTC
USDA confirms an outbreak of PEDV in the United States for the first time

The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed that porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) has been identified in the United States for the first time through testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory.
Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 01:57 UTC
OAS recalls Martin Luther King’s historic speech “I have a dream”

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza recalled on Wednesday the 50 years since the historic address by the great civil rights leader in the United States, Martin Luther King, “in which he shared his dream of inclusion and his will to put an end to racial discrimination using non-violent means.”
Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 01:42 UTC
Obama honours 50 anniversary of March on Washington and the ‘I have a dream’ speech

Addressing hundreds of thousands of people commemorating on Wednesday the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for civil rights, US President Barack Obama underlined the “unfinished business” in the struggle for equality and justice in America
Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 01:02 UTC
Unasur summit will formally receive Paraguay at its summit in Suriname

Unasur leaders will welcome Paraguay’s return to the group and will honour the memory of deceased Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez during this week’s summit in Suriname that will be taking the chair of the group from Peru.
Wednesday, August 28th 2013 - 21:56 UTC
Brazil raises benchmark interest to 9% hoping to rein in inflation

Brazil raised on Wednesday its Selic benchmark interest rate to 9% from 8.5% in a further attempt to rein in inflation. The central bank's monetary policy committee, the Copom, voted unanimously for a third straight half percentage point rate rise.
Wednesday, August 28th 2013 - 14:24 UTC
EU Home Affairs Commissioner heads mission to examine Spanish controls at Gibraltar border

Cecilia Malmstrom, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, will be heading the mission tasked with examining border controls imposed on Gibraltar by Spain while a second mission will address the ‘customs dimension’ issue, the European Commission has confirmed. British authorities will be involved in the EC probe of the Gibraltar frontier as will Spanish officials but no date for the visit has been set though it is expected within a few weeks.