Economy

• Monday, August 5th 2013 - 01:38 UTC

  Yerba mate price soars but consumers remain faithful to the traditional infusion

  

  Yerba mate, the classical infusion drink in much of southern South America and particularly in Uruguay is making headlines because of a 34% price increase in the last six months and with prospects of further hikes, according to local providers.

• Saturday, August 3rd 2013 - 02:30 UTC

  Falklands: controversy with the private sector over oil and port policy

  

  A Falkland Islands government statement of policy principles on port location and oil infrastructure development passed at Executive Council last week has been met with opposing views from members of the private sector, reports the Penguin News.

• Saturday, August 3rd 2013 - 02:08 UTC

  Brazil passes strict law on bribing extending liability to staff and companies involved

  

  Bribing a public official in Brazil could become a very onerous mistake for local and foreign businesses under a law enacted that for the first time makes companies liable for bribes paid by their employees.

• Saturday, August 3rd 2013 - 01:53 UTC

  Brazil investment in science, via the ministerial budget reaches ‘an all time high’

  

  Brazil's investment in science has reached an all-time high, with the science ministry's budget increasing from 8.6 billion Real (about 3.8 billion dollars) in 2012 to 12.7 billion Real (around 5.6bn) this year, according to science minister Marco Antonio Raupp.

• Saturday, August 3rd 2013 - 01:41 UTC

  EU FTA agreements with Colombia and Central America became effective August first

  

  Free trade agreements, FTA, signed by the European Union with Colombia, and with Central American countries Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama became effective August first as part of the EU strategy to eliminate tariffs on trade with Central American and the Andean region.

• Saturday, August 3rd 2013 - 01:38 UTC

  Santos describes Colombian economy as the ‘third fastest growing’ in Latam

  

  The Colombian economy is the third fastest growing in Latinamerica with a stable performance in 2012 of 4%; an estimated 4.5% this year and 4.7% in 2014, said President Juan Manuel Santos on making a balance of his three years in office.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 04:17 UTC

  Argentines capable of ‘eluding the Pope and the UN in getting dollars out of their country’

  

  Uruguay president José 'Pepe' Mujica was again ironic in praising Argentines when he stated that the Argentine population “is capable of eluding the Pope and even the United Nations” in their quest to buy US dollars and get them out of the country, in spite of current exchange controls.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 04:10 UTC

  Paraguay advancing on trade agreement with Mexico, previous to requesting Pacific Alliance membership

  

  Paraguay and Mexico have made significant advances in reaching a trade agreement in the framework of the Latinamerican Integration Association, ALADI, according to Paraguayan diplomatic sources.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 03:49 UTC

  Lagarde again warns Argentina about the need for ‘credible stats’

  

  The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde has once more requested that Argentina present economic figures based on “trustworthy and credible numbers and statistics”.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 03:39 UTC

  Rajoy admits in Parliament mishandling corruption scandal, but won’t resign

  

  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy apologised on Thursday for mishandling a major corruption scandal, but denied he or his conservative People's Party, PP, accepted illegal payments and rejected opposition calls to step down.