Stories for August 11th 2023

Friday, August 11th 2023 - 17:39 UTC
China's largest property developers on thin ice: 'Country Garden' admits losses of US$ 7,6bn in six months

One of China's biggest property developers, Country Garden has warned that it could see a loss for the first six months of the year of up to US$7.6bn., the latest sign of the major issues faced by the world's second-largest economy.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 17:37 UTC
Inflation in US remains stubborn with 3,2% in twelve months to July

The rate of inflation in the United States was 3.2% over the year to July, driven by higher housing, car insurance and food costs, the Labor Department said. That was up from 3% in June, which was the lowest rate in more than two years.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 17:30 UTC
Chinese recovery slowing down, with weaker trade and demands for fresh stimulus

China’s economic activity slowed and trade markers fell much faster than expected in July as weaker demand threatens recovery prospects in the world’s second-largest economy, heightening pressure for authorities to release fresh stimulus to steady growth.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 12:36 UTC
FBI's help requested in Ecuadorian candidate's murder probe

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso Thursday asked the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to support his country in the investigation of Wednesday's murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, it was reported in Quito. An FBI team is due in Ecuador shortly, Lasso said.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 11:48 UTC
“EU approach on trade accord with Mercosur is simply unacceptable,” Paraguayan President elect Peña

Paraguay President-elect Santiago Peña has said that Mercosur and the European Union should put on hold talks over a free trade agreement since the current environmental demands from the EU are “unacceptable.”
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 11:37 UTC
Evidence found against 40 people for illegal mining in Roraima in 2023

Brazil's Federal Police (PF) found evidence against 40 people for illegal mining in Roraima in 2023, Agência Brasil reported citing data obtained through the Access to Information Law (LAI). The PF is due to forward the investigation to the Public Prosecutor's Office, which may or may not file a case before the courts, it was explained.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 11:17 UTC
Major haul of cocaine in Rotterdam: eight tons in a shipment of Ecuadorean bananas

Ecuador again is headlines. Netherlands authorities have seized eight tons of cocaine in the port of Rotterdam, prosecutors announced on Thursday. The drug is valued at an estimated US$660 million and represents the biggest haul ever recorded at the port. The last biggest was a 4,500-kilogram haul made in 2020.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 09:30 UTC
Chile: Boric enacts bill protecting whistleblowers in corruption cases

Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font Thursday signed into law a bill providing for the protection of whistleblowers in corruption cases within the government, it was reported in Santiago. The initiative was pushed after a journalistic investigation last June into then-Social Development Minister Giorgio Jackson.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 09:28 UTC
Largest cruise vessel ever, five times the Titanic, will see its maiden voyage next January

As the cruise industry is again picking up with clients returning, a Finnish shipyard is putting the final touches on what will be the world’s largest cruise ship. According to Travel and Tour World, Royal Caribbean’s luxurious new vessel 'Icon of the Seas' is nearing completion in the Turku shipyard on Finland’s southwestern coast, its maiden voyage scheduled for January 2024.
Friday, August 11th 2023 - 09:12 UTC
Ecuador: Six Colombians accused of killing presidential candidate; State of emergency and elections ratified

Six people have been arrested in Ecuador late on Thursday in connection with the killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio following a political rally a day earlier.