Germany and Argentina voiced hopes Thursday for a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur as German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Buenos Aires. In talks with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, Merkel discussed bilateral commerce and efforts to strike a deal with the Mercosur grouping of South American countries.
Spanish Banco Popular has been rescued from the brink of collapse by larger rival Santander for one Euro. Buying Banco Popular will cost Santander 7bn euros, around 2bn euros more than analysts had expected. Banco Popular was described by the European Central Bank as failing or likely to fail due to its dwindling cash reserves.The bank has struggled after billions in property investments turned sour.
Argentina and UK agreed to begin implementing in August/September the trade and investment chapters included in the in Memorandum of Understanding signed last March in Buenos Aires. Argentine Production minister Francisco Cabrera is currently in London for a round of business talks with the private sector but also met Trade and Investment minister Greg Hands to continue advancing with the MoU.
The Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS says it has sold its units Mercosur members, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to companies controlled by a rival meat processing company in Brazil. JBS said in a Tuesday securities filing that it sold meat processing plants in the three countries for US$300 million to Minerva in Sao Paulo state.
Opening a “game-changing” international conference on the health of the world’s oceans and seas, top United Nations officials urged on Monday coordinated global action to protect the planet. Speaking in the UN General Assembly Hall, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned Governments that unless they overcome short-term territorial and resource interests, the state of the oceans will continue to deteriorate.
A trial has begun in South Dakota over a meat processer's claim that it was defamed by ABC News reporting that dubbed its product pink slime. Beef Products Inc (BPI) argues ABC and its journalist ruined its reputation in 2012 reports on lean finely textured beef, as the industry calls it.
The boss of British Airways' parent company says that human error caused an IT meltdown that led to travel chaos for 75,000 passengers. Willie Walsh. chief executive of IAG, said an engineer disconnected a power supply, with the major damage caused by a surge when it was reconnected. He said there would now be an independent investigation to learn from the experience.
People are drinking fewer alcoholic drinks, according to a new industry report tracking consumption worldwide. Beer sales continued to slide last year and the trend towards cider sipping stalled.
Argentina formally inaugurated the Vega Pleyade gas and condensate deposit off the coast of Tierra del Fuego considered the most austral of its kind in the world, and which has been supplying the country with nine million cubic meters daily since February 2016. The well is operated by French Total (37.5%) together with Wintershall Energy (37.5%) and Panamerican South (25%), demanded an investment of 1.1bn dollars over three years.
United States employers added fewer jobs than expected in May, but the unemployment rate dipped further as the economy headed toward full employment. The unemployment rate last month was 4.3%, falling a 10th of a percentage point to its lowest level since 2001, the US Labor Department said on Friday.