Economy

• Wednesday, December 19th 2018 - 08:43 UTC

  Abundant rains in Argentina's soy belt help expectations of a good harvest

  

  Rainstorms are sweeping Argentina’s soy belt, building soil moisture needed to guarantee good yields when crops blossom in February and providing some cushion for China to buy should its trade war with the United States continue to limit U.S. supplies.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2018 - 19:43 UTC

  Mercosur leaders agreed on need for reforms in the midst of Bolsonaro's threat to leave

  

  The presidents of all Mercosur member and associate countries gathered Tuesday in Montevideo for a summit to redefine the bloc's future, in light of recent statements from Brazil's future government that the region will not be among the priorities of Jair Bolsonaro when he becomes president on January 1.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2018 - 09:35 UTC

  Creditors demanding payment of US$ 1.5 billion Venezuelan bond in default

  

  A group of creditors has demanded payment on a US$ 1.5 billion Venezuelan bond that is in default, their lawyer said on Monday, kicking off a long-awaited showdown between creditors and the crisis-wracked OPEC nation. President Nicolas Maduro’s government and state-owned companies owe nearly US$ 8 billion in unpaid interest and principal following this year’s default on bonds amid a hyperinflationary collapse of the country’s once-wealthy socialist economy.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2018 - 09:23 UTC

  Mexico new government first budget committed “to fiscal and financial discipline”

  

  Mexico’s new government avoided major surprises in its closely watched first budget, sticking to promises made to investors who have been jittery about plans for Latin America’s No. 2 economy.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2018 - 09:17 UTC

  Labour's Jeremy Corbyn has called for a no confidence vote in PM Theresa May

  

  The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said he was calling for a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Theresa May — a largely symbolic gesture — for not putting her Brexit plan to a vote by lawmakers immediately.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2018 - 09:03 UTC

  UK economy growth feeling the uncertainty impact of Brexit: weakest since 2009

  

  British economic growth this year and in 2019 looks set to be the weakest since the country’s last recession, due to a freeze in business investment and weak consumer demand ahead of Brexit, the British Chambers of Commerce forecast on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2018 - 09:00 UTC

  Brazil's GDP expected to rise 2% in 2019, says farmers' lobby CNA

  

  Brazil's agriculture gross domestic product is expected to rise 2% year-on-year in 2019, compared to a forecasted drop of 1.6% this year, farmer’s union CNA said. CNA laid out an optimistic view for 2019 with positive outlooks for Brazil’s economy and agriculture policy.

• Monday, December 17th 2018 - 18:47 UTC

  Cubans outraged on social media over shortage of bread

  

  With 3G technology available only a fortnight ago, Cubans took their anger over to social media to complain for the shortage of bread on the island.

• Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:27 UTC

  Falklands-Buenos Aires link: Argentina awards license and route to low-cost airline

  

  The Argentine government awarded low-cost airline Flybondi a 15-year license to exploit 284 domestic and international routes, including one that potentially can link Buenos Aires directly with the Falkland Islands.

• Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:20 UTC

  Euro falls on disappointing French and German economic prospects

  

  The Euro has fallen against the dollar after disappointing French and German economic surveys dismayed the markets. In France, private sector business activity contracted for the first time in two and a half years as the “gilets Jaunes” protests took their toll.