Stories for March 27th 2015

Friday, March 27th 2015 - 09:04 UTC
Argentine appeals court dismisses Iran-case accusation against Cristina Fernandez

Argentina's First Court of the Buenos Aires City Federal Appeals Court dismissed late prosecutor Alberto Nisman’s accusation that claimed President Cristina Fernández and other top officials had tried to negotiate impunity for the alleged Iranian masterminds of the 1994 AMIA Jewish community centre bombing.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 08:57 UTC
Uruguay's economy expanded 3.5% in 2014, completing over a decade of sustained growth

Uruguay's GDP expanded a strong 3.5% during 2014 over the previous year, with positive activity in most sectors of the Mercosur member economy, according to the latest report from the Central bank. The result was in line with government officials expectations of 3% growth last year.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 08:46 UTC
European clearing houses close trading bridges on Argentine law bonds

Clearing houses Euroclear and Clearstream have closed trading bridges on some 9.4 billion of Argentine bonds issued under the country's law. The action will prevent Euroclear customers from settling their trades with Clearstream clients and vice versa, but will not affect trading between customers belonging to the same clearing company, the same source said.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 08:36 UTC
Another major corruption scandal hits Brazil, this time fraud at the tax office

Brazilian authorities on Thursday said they uncovered a tax fraud scheme at the Finance Ministry's tax appeals board that may have cost taxpayers up to 19 billion Reais (5.96 billion dollars).
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 08:31 UTC
Brazilian industry confident depreciation of the currency will help spur exports

Brazil's private sector believes the depreciation of the Real against the dollar can help spur a manufacturing sector recovery even though the business climate has been affected by the Petrobras scandal, an official with the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo, Fiesp, said.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 08:23 UTC
Brazil's central bank forecasts economy will contract 0.5% and inflation climb to 7.9%

Brazil's economy will contract 0.5% in 2015 and inflation will climb to 7.9%, ending the year far outside the tolerance range, the Central Bank admitted on Thursday in its latest quarterly inflation report.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 08:07 UTC
Petrobras engineering firm contractor files for bankruptcy

Brazilian engineering firm Galvao Engenharia said on Wednesday it filed for bankruptcy protection, as state-run oil company Petrobras cut off payments due to a broad corruption scandal in which it had been implicated.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 07:52 UTC
International summit on oil and gas potential in Uruguay next June

Uruguay's oil and gas Government owned company, ANCAP, will join senior level delegation from international oil and gas operators on 11-12 June 2015 in Montevideo to analyze the potential of a region that has experienced significant advances since 2009.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 07:38 UTC
UK biggest union and Labor affiliate pledges full support for Gibraltar with Ed Miliband

United Kingdom Unite boss Len McCluskey gave ‘the fullest of assurances’ that he would influence a future Labor government in Britain to respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar in any dealings with Spain.
Friday, March 27th 2015 - 07:23 UTC
Argentina denies purchase of Russian aircraft but admits the Chinese option

Argentina 'never had in consideration' the possibility of purchasing fighter aircraft from Russia, such as the Sukhoi Su-24, to replace the aging French Mirages to be decommissioned by the end of the year, said Defense minister Agustín Rossi.