Stories for January 2018

Friday, January 19th 2018 - 09:13 UTC
China poured US$ 21bn into Brazil in 2017 taking advantage of recession asset prices

China invested US$20.9 billion in Brazil in 2017, the most since 2010 as a recession helped push down asset prices and attracted investors, according to Brazil’s planning ministry.The energy, logistics and agriculture sectors drew the most Chinese capital, including investments in Brazil’s rich pre-salt oil fields and China’s State Power Investment Corp US$2.25 billion deal to operate the São Simão hydropower plant.
Friday, January 19th 2018 - 09:01 UTC
Lula is no radical or a threat to stability: everyone won when he was president

The leader of Brazil's Workers' Party, PT, argued in an interview that former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is anything but radical and does not pose a threat to Brazilian financial stability. Brazilian senator Gleisi Hoffman told Bloomberg News that Lula is working on a second “letter to Brazilian people” (as he did in 2002) to reassure the markets about his commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Friday, January 19th 2018 - 05:21 UTC
Foreign Office director in Chile to discuss UK's exit and transition process

The Foreign Office Director of the Economic Diplomacy Directorate Hugh Elliot is currently in Chile on a two day visit to discuss the UK’s transition process from the European Union with the Chilean Government. Mr. Elliot is the UK's government main interlocutor for the transition program of agreements and third countries.
Friday, January 19th 2018 - 05:04 UTC
Pope marries two flight attendants from Chile's flagship en route to Iquique

Pope Francis celebrated the first-ever airborne papal wedding on Thursday, marrying two flight attendants from Chile’s flagship airline at 36,000 feet during a flight from Santiago.
Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 20:23 UTC
EU sanctions against Venezuelan officials

Among the sanctioned are the number two of the government, Diosdado Cabello; Néstor Reverol, minister of Justice and Maikel Moreno, president of the Supreme Court of Justice. These are new individual sanctions, which include the freezing of assets and the prohibition to travel to the countries of the European bloc to at least seven senior Venezuelan officials.
Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 10:23 UTC
Francis calls on Mapuches to shun violence, which “turns a most just cause into a lie”

Pope Francis urged Chile’s indigenous Mapuche people on Wednesday to shun violence, saying unity was the best weapon against “the deforestation of hope,” as they struggle to defend their culture and reclaim ancestral lands.
Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 09:48 UTC
Juncker renews offer to UK to stay in EU; Brexit is a catastrophe and “the blame is on many”

The European Union chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker renewed an offer to Britain on Wednesday to stay in the European Union and said he hoped that even if it goes through with Brexit it would apply to rejoin the bloc.
Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 09:44 UTC
China and Japan slow down purchase of US Treasury securities

China cuts its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities in November 2017 after adding US$ 8.4bn in October. China's holdings of U.S. treasuries dropped by US$ 12.6bn to US$ 1.1766 trillion in November last year. China remained the largest holder of U.S. treasuries.
Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 09:39 UTC
Merkel stands firm in the terms agreed for the coalition with Social Democrats

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on Wednesday ruled out further political concessions in the preliminary coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and German Social Democrats (SPD).
Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 09:36 UTC
Brazil willing to admit US ethanol, if US opens market to fresh beef exports

Brazil is studying the removal of a 20% tariff on ethanol imports from the United States, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Wednesday, in a decision that could depend on Washington lifting a ban on fresh beef exports from Brazil. Last year, Brazil imposed a 20% tax on ethanol imported from the U.S. that exceeds a 600 million liter annual quota to protect local producers as imports spiked.