Stories for August 24th 2018

Friday, August 24th 2018 - 09:06 UTC
Latin American growth lowered to 1.5% this year, in a “complex global scenario”

Latin America's economic growth is set to come in lower than expected this year, as US protectionism and widespread wariness of emerging markets put a drag on the region, a UN panel said Thursday. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) slashed its growth forecast for the region by 0.7 point to 1.5%, saying the “complex global scenario” had dimmed the outlook since its last report in April.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 09:04 UTC
Corruption scandal: Police searched homes of ex Argentine president Cristina Fernandez

Police accompanied by sniffer dogs searched the homes of Argentina's former president Cristina Kirchner on Thursday as the investigation intensified into the so-called “notebooks” corruption scandal that has rocked the country.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 09:02 UTC
Trump warns that any attempt to impeach him would crash the US economy

US President Donald Trump has warned that any attempt to impeach him would result in the crash of the economy. The President made the claim as the White House struggled to manage the fallout from a plea deal Mr Trump's longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen made with prosecutors, and the conviction of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on financial charges.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 08:55 UTC
Uruguay players support FIFA's decision to take temporary control of AUF

Several Uruguayan international players used their social media channels to share a letter in support to FIFA's decision to take temporary control of the country's soccer federation because of governance concerns. The letter, tweeted out by team stars such as Luis Suarez and Diego Godin, says it would bring “transparency, democracy and plurality” to the federation, known as the AUF.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 08:50 UTC
Argentina’s economy contracts in June for the third month running

Argentina’s economy contracted 6.7% in June compared with the same month last year, and 1.3% compared with May, government statistics agency Indec said on Thursday. June was the third consecutive month of decline following 5.2% in May and 0.6% in April.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 08:37 UTC
Disaster contained: Brazilian court lifts ban on products containing glyphosate

A Brazilian court has lifted an injunction that had suspended registration in the country of products containing the agrochemical glyphosate, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Thursday on his official Twitter account.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 08:32 UTC
African swine fever in China: fourth outbreak in a 2.000kms radius in three weeks

China which is home to the world’s largest pig herd, reported its fourth outbreak of the deadly African swine fever on Thursday, with more than 400 pigs infected as the disease entered a fourth province, fanning worries about its rapid spread. The infection killed 340 hogs on three farms in the coastal city of Wenzhou in eastern Zhejiang province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 08:24 UTC
Brazilian currency sliding to record lows ahead of October's election outcome

The Brazilian currency Real fell to a 31-month low versus the U.S. dollar on Thursday on jitters ahead of the country’s October election. Jitters across emerging markets caused by a stronger U.S. dollar and exacerbated by the unfolding currency crisis in Turkey already took a toll on the Brazilian unit before this week.
Friday, August 24th 2018 - 08:16 UTC
Monsanto glyphosate weed killer could cost Bayer billions in damage lawsuits

United States agro-chemicals company Monsanto is facing a surge in lawsuits that may cost its new owners, Bayer, billions in damages. Monsanto manufactures glyphosate-based weed killers which some believe are carcinogenic. Last month it lost a US$ 289m court case that alleged its products Roundup and RangerPro had led to a Californian man's terminal cancer.