Economy

• Wednesday, October 3rd 2012 - 01:42 UTC

  Chile a country with a growing disappointed middle class, says Financial Times

  

  The influential business newspaper Financial Times dedicated a special edition to the Chilean economic and social situation and concludes that given the massive demonstrations against energy projects and in favour of education reform, “doing business” in the country has become difficult plus there is growing disappointment in the middle class.

• Wednesday, October 3rd 2012 - 01:29 UTC

  Chile revokes lithium concession; triggers major scandal on “strategic minerals”

  

  Chile revoked the concession awarded to Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile to exploit substantial reserves of lithium in the Andes region, acknowledging problems with the tender process.

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 - 23:17 UTC

  Argentina becomes main supplier of soy and soy-oil to Iran in third quarter

  

  Iran made major imports of Argentine soy-oil and soybeans between July and September as Iranian buyers found methods of making payments in the face of western sanctions, Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World said on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 - 22:18 UTC

  Big storm reaching Latam/Caribbean: growth estimate down to 3.2% from 3.7%

  

  A weak global economy, mainly due to the difficulties faced by Europe, United States and China has affected growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2012 the original growth estimate will fall from 3.7% to 3.2%, according to the latest estimate from the UN Economic Commission for Latinamerica and the Caribbean.

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 - 20:07 UTC

  UN aquaculture initiative to help low-income countries fight hunger

  

  A United Nations-backed initiative that will form partnerships among governments, development agencies and universities has been launched to better understand how aquaculture can help low-income countries fight hunger.

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 - 06:31 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez denies any dollar clamp: in nine months paid out 80bn dollars

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández again denied the existence of money exchange restrictions over the purchase of dollars by explaining that “Argentina has already paid 79.8 billion dollars so far this year”.

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 - 06:07 UTC

  Argentina moves to control prices of a basket of 300 basic products

  

  Argentina's federal government has ordered supermarkets to offer a basket of 300 basic products at low prices amid a backdrop of what many economists say is one of the highest rates of inflation in the Americas.

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 - 05:58 UTC

  Strong private sector and creating jobs, the way out of poverty says World Bank

  

  In developing countries, jobs are a cornerstone of development, with a pay off far beyond income alone. They are critical for reducing poverty, making cities work, and providing youth with alternatives to violence, says a new World Bank report.

• Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 - 05:54 UTC

  Bernanke says stimulus plan directed to create jobs; discards threats of inflation

  

  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered a broad defence on Monday of the central bank's controversial bond-buying stimulus plan, saying its actions are necessary to support a flagging economic recovery.

• Monday, October 1st 2012 - 21:16 UTC

  Uruguay’s interest rates hike “will aggravate stubbornly high inflation”, anticipates CE

  

  The latest Uruguayan central bank decision to further hike interest rates is “unlikely to do much to tackle stubbornly high inflation” and contrary to this could end acting as a magnet for foreign capital inflow, “aggravating the very problem it seeks to address”, says Michael Henderson from Capital Economics.