Economy

• Monday, January 14th 2013 - 06:20 UTC

  Twenty million US children, one in four, received food stamps in 2011

  

  One in four children in the United States participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, in fiscal year 2011, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture and US Census Bureau.

• Monday, January 14th 2013 - 04:02 UTC

  Argentine government ‘dollar clamp’ suffers another court defeat

  

  A court in the Argentine province of Cordoba ordered the Banco Nación to sell US dollars to a teacher, after she was authorized by AFIP tax agency to purchase Brazilian Reais, but could not do so due to lack of currency.

• Monday, January 14th 2013 - 03:53 UTC

  “Where is the reconstruction money?” asks Haiti on third anniversary of devastating quake

  

  Three years after a massive earthquake ravaged Haiti, President Michel Martelly said on Saturday his country was slowly rebuilding, despite the ongoing day-to-day misery of many survivors and the still to be honoured promises of international aid and donations.

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 18:57 UTC

  P&O cruise line suspends stops in Argentina, confirms calls in the Falklands

  

  British cruise line operator P&O has scrapped stops in Argentina because of continuing tensions with the country over the Falkland Islands. Two of its vessels will no longer dock at three Argentine port destinations on around-the-world cruises. The decision was taken because there was no guarantee they will be able to dock.

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 18:26 UTC

  Bluefin tuna opens 2013 with record auction price at Tsukiji: 1.78 million dollars

  

  The price of premium “Oma” bluefin tunas has reached a new record: JPY 155.4 million or 1.78 million dollars, in the first auction of 2013 at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish market, compared to JPY 56.49 million (640.696 dollars) in the first auction of 2012.

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 18:18 UTC

  Chilean fish exports total 3.8bn in ten months; salmon the main item with 1.2bn

  

  Chilean exports of fishery products and aquaculture in the first 10 months of 2012 reached 3.8 billion dollars,1% over the same period in 2011. But the volume of exports increased 11.3%, according to the latest stats from Chile’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Under-Secretariat (Subpesca).

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 17:53 UTC

  Methanex Canada to idle plant in Punta Arenas because of insufficient gas provision

  

  Chilean Energy minister Jorge Bunster regretted on Friday Methanex Canada announcement on its decision to idle operations in Chile in March due to lack of adequate natural gas supply. The company stated that it does not have sufficient feedstock to keep the plant in operation given the natural gas supply challenges.

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 12:32 UTC

  Eleven million Argentines surviving on 7 dollars per day, according to Indec

  

  Three Argentines out of ten living in urban areas, an estimated 11.1 million people must survive with less that 35.5 Pesos per day or 1.067 Pesos monthly, according to data from the latest Standing homes’ survey, performed by the country’s stats office Indec.

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 12:13 UTC

  More signs that the UK economy contracted in the last quarter of 2012

  

  Disappointing figures on industrial production and construction in November have added to fears that the UK economy contracted in the last quarter of 2012. The index of production grew 0.3% in November, compared with October, but had been expected to grow more as some North Sea oil and gas production resumed following maintenance.

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 11:57 UTC

  Inflation under control says Brazil, but investors not entirety convinced

  

  Brazilian consumer prices ended 2012 near the top of the central bank's target range for the third year running, prompting concern from economists that the country is stuck in a phase of low growth and high inflation.