Stories for February 12th 2015

Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 21:04 UTC
Argentine church says child malnutrition stats manipulated; blames corruption and indifference

Argentina's Catholic church warned that the official data on child malnutrition is 'manipulated' to avoid responsibility and rejected the official government argument that the death of some children because of nutrition problems are 'isolated cases'. The statement follows the surfacing of children's deaths of aborigines communities in northern Argentina.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 20:57 UTC
Argentina and Brazil admit trade disagreements between Mercosur main partners

Argentina and Brazil failed to reach an agreement to help unlock the ongoing tension between the two key Mercosur allies over bilateral trade. Argentina's Hector Timerman and his counterpart Mauro Vieira met in Buenos Aires to try and ease Brazil’s growing concerns about restrictions on the flow of goods, but any decisions were pushed forward to an undetermined date.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 06:38 UTC
Argentine administration counterattacks US media on Nisman's case

Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said that the death of AMIA special prosecutor Alberto Nisman is being “used to attack the government” in an interview with the Washington Post. Meanwhile Argentina's Ambassador to the US Cecilia Nahon wrote a letter to the Post’s editor stating that “Argentina seeks only justice in 1994 bombing case.”
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 06:25 UTC
Argentine industry fearful of some clauses in agreements signed with China

Argentina's top officials will meet on Thursday with representatives from the Argentine Industrial Union, UIA, to discuss some clauses and aspects of the recent agreements signed between China and Argentina last week, and which have been questioned by the manufacturers' lobby.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 06:18 UTC
Bachelet under fire because of her son's privileged access to funding for real estate speculation

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is coming under fire with complaints her family got privileged access to a bank loan for a land deal. Chile’s Que Pasa magazine reported that a company half-owned by Bachelet’s daughter-in-law, Natalia Compagnon, received a 10 million dollars loan from Banco de Chile during the 2013 presidential campaign.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 06:02 UTC
Holdouts open new front in dispute with Argentina: officials dramatic increase in their personal wealth

US holders of defaulted Argentine bonds have stepped up their campaign for full repayment of their loans by detailing how 14 senior Argentine officials experienced “dramatic and often unexplained increases” in their personal wealth during service in the Kirchner administrations.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 05:55 UTC
Petrobras CEO says he has 'full autonomy' in fuel-price policy and cash flow

The new chief executive officer of Brazil's Petrobras said that he has full autonomy to dictate its own fuel-pricing policy and protect cash, even as he questioned the size of losses stemming from a giant corruption scandal.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 05:45 UTC
Petrobras has trouble finding an independent chairman of the board

Petrobras plans to publish its delayed audited fourth-quarter results by the end of March, something it needs to do to avoid possible early repayment of its bonds, the Globo newspaper said on Wednesday. Globo also published that the Brazilian government was considering appointing Planning minister Nelson Barbosa as chairman of the oil giant.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 05:34 UTC
UK's Customs request information on Argentina's criminal case against HSBC

Britain's HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) department has requested Argentina’s AFIP tax bureau information on the criminal report filed in Buenos Aires against HSBC on allegations the bank helped more than 4,000 clients to evade taxes by stashing their money in secret Swiss bank accounts.
Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 05:26 UTC
Costa Concordia cruise captain sentenced to 16 years in prison for 2012 shipwreck

The former captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in the 2012 shipwreck, which killed 32 people off the Tuscan holiday island of Giglio. Francesco Schettino was commanding the vessel, a floating hotel as long as three football pitches, when it hit rocks off the island, tearing a hole in its side.