Urgent changes in global agricultural policies are needed to meet the threats of soaring food and energy prices, the United Nations General Assembly President said on Friday.
Boosted by agriculture, construction and manufacturing Paraguay's GDP expanded at an annual 7.6% during the first quarter of 2008, according to the latest report from the country's Central Bank. Last year the Paraguayan economy expanded 6.4%.
South American integration is advancing fast and with our own resources said Brazilian president Lula da Silva on Friday during a regional summit in Amazonia with the presidents of Bolivia and Venezuela
Spanish vice president Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega described on Friday the agreement by which Argentina regains control of flag air carrier Aerolineas Argentinas as satisfactory.
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner administration canceled the widely protested farm export tax hike on Friday following four long months of protest and a stunning rejection by the Senate. First reactions from farmers was that the conflict is over.

Mercosur and the European Union could resume trade talks in two months time because we're interested in having an open discussion next September or October according to the EU commissioner for Latinamerica Stefano Saninno who this week visited Buenos Aires.

Tuesday was a particularly black day for the US with a rainfall of bad news including Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke forecast of numerous difficulties ahead for the US economy plus reports of the highest inflation since 1981.

Global shares fell sharply during Tuesday on fears over the state of the US economy, with the Dow Jones index closing at its lowest level in two years.

United States inflation accelerated at its fastest pace in 17 years in June driven higher by surging energy prices. Consumer prices were 5% higher than a year ago and rose 1.1% on a monthly basis, the Labor Department said on Wednesday.

Surging fuel food prices drove Euro zone inflation in June to 4%, (from 3.7% in May) more than double the European Central Bank target and the highest since measurements began in 1997, according to the latest release from the EU statistics office Eurostat.