Stories for May 9th 2014

Friday, May 9th 2014 - 22:15 UTC
Bank of England leaves rates unchanged as UK economy recovers

Interest rates have been held at the record low of 0.5% for another month by the Bank of England and so has the size of its bond-buying economic stimulus program unchanged at £375bn.The news is in line with analysts' expectations, despite recent evidence that the UK economic recovery is strengthening.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 07:35 UTC
Chaos in Sao Paulo and Rio, as protestors take to the streets 35 days ahead of the Cup

Two of Brazil's major cities which will be hosting matches of the World Cup in 35 days time, were in chaos on Thursday because of protests from the Landless Peasants and Homeless Workers in Sao Paulo and a bus drivers' strike in Rio do Janeiro.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 07:20 UTC
The 'indigence' basic food basket in Argentina climbed 40% in 12 months

An average Argentine family during the month of April needed 4.779 Pesos (approx. 600 dollars) not to be included in the poverty category, which represents an increase of 1.6% over March, of 20% in the first four months of the year and 40.5% in the last twelve months, according to the latest report from the Latin American Economic Research Foundation, FIEL.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 07:11 UTC
Holdout bondholders tell US Supreme Court Argentina's case is “undeserving of review”

Holders of Argentine sovereign debt this week asked the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear that country's appeal of lower court decisions ordering it to pay them 1.33 billion dollars in a case Argentine officials warn could force it to default on its sovereign debt.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 07:01 UTC
Repsol/YPF 'marriage' definitively over; Spanish company ends 15-year presence in Argentina

Spanish oil major Repsol signed a definitive settlement agreement Thursday with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez's administration, which transferred more than 5 billion dollars in bonds as compensation for the 2012 seizure of Repsol's controlling stake in energy firm YPF.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 06:47 UTC
Brazil says Mercosur/EU to meet in Brussels at the end of May for trade talks

At the end of May Mercosur will be ready to exchange tariff-reduction proposals with the European Union, announced Brazilian Industry minister Mauro Borges who also anticipated the trade block would be holding a preparatory meeting next week in Caracas, Venezuela.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 06:42 UTC
Fed in no rush to address its balance sheet; calls on Senate for fiscal restraint

The US Federal Reserve is in no rush to decide the appropriate size of its balance sheet, but if it ultimately shrinks it to a pre-crisis size, the process could take the better part of a decade, Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 06:33 UTC
MSC certified products have risen 21% and represent 10.5% of world's wild-capture fisheries

In the framework of the Seafood Expo Global 2014 in Brussels, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) held its annual Global Commercial Network meeting, which showed an annual rise in MSC certified products of 21% to September 2013 and a fivefold increase in four years.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 06:13 UTC
Strong commitment to support Marine Protected Areas in Southern Ocean

The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) joined member states of the Antarctic Treaty, along with observer and expert organizations, in Brasilia this week to discuss measures for the protection of the Antarctic environment.
Friday, May 9th 2014 - 02:29 UTC
UK disappointed with Uruguay's identification of Falklands as 'a latent threat'

The United Kingdom is disappointed with Uruguay's stance which identifies the Falklands/Malvinas Islands as 'a latent threat' and an element that negatively affects the South Atlantic as “as zone of peace and cooperation”. Ambassador Ben Lyster-Binns said he does not share the statement that the British Overseas Territory of the Falklands are a 'destabilizing element for the region'.