Economy

• Sunday, June 4th 2017 - 12:07 UTC

  Brazil record trade surplus and industrial production up 0.6% in April

  

  Encouraging news for Brazil's economic recovery: industrial output increased in April for the first time since December and the trade surplus rose to a record US$ 7.661bn during May, according to government data. Exports boosted by a record soy crop and rising auto sales reached US$ 19.8bn and imports US$ 12.2bn

• Saturday, June 3rd 2017 - 11:59 UTC

  Nomura Securities admits having purchased Venezuelan government bonds

  

  Japanese investment bank has admitted it was part of a controversial deal with Goldman Sachs to buy Venezuelan government bonds. Nomura Securities said it also bought about US$100m worth of the bonds last week, according to Reuters reports. Goldman Sachs has faced fierce criticism for its purchase of $2.8bn worth of similar bonds.

• Saturday, June 3rd 2017 - 07:45 UTC

  Falkland Islands Budget highlights for 2017-2018: spending within means and no borrowing

  

  The Falkland Islands government has announced highlights of its Budget for 2017/18, approved by the Legislative Assembly and which becomes effective on first July 2017 and will end on the 30th June 2018.

• Friday, June 2nd 2017 - 08:15 UTC

  Relief for Temer: Brazilian economy grew 1% in first quarter of the year

  

  Brazil's economy grew by one percent in the first quarter of 2017, ending eight consecutive quarters of shrinkage in the country's worst recession in history, the state statistics office said Thursday. While not definitively ending the recession, the spike in growth offers another glimmer of light for Latin America's biggest economy -- and could throw a lifeline to President Michel Temer as he tries to fend off a huge corruption scandal.

• Thursday, June 1st 2017 - 07:09 UTC

  JBS meatpackers agree to pay record fine of US$ 3.2bn for corruption practices

  

  J&F Investimentos, controlling shareholder of the world's largest meatpacker JBS SA,, agreed to pay a record-setting 10.3 billion real (US$3.2 billion) fine for its role in corruption scandals that threaten to topple President Michel Temer. The settlement meant Brazil's sweeping graft investigations have now led to the world's two biggest leniency fines ever levied, Brazilian prosecutors said.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2017 - 22:06 UTC

  Brazil cuts Selic rate to 10.25%, lowest since December 2013: slowing inflation and gradual recovery

  

  The Central Bank of Brazil unanimously cut its key Selic rate by 100 basis points to 10.25 percent on Wednesday May 31st of 2017, as widely anticipated. It is the sixth straight rate decline, bringing borrowing costs to the lowest since December of 2013 amid slowing inflation and a gradual recovery.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2017 - 07:24 UTC

  Sterling drops on fears Tories could fail to win an outright majority

  

  The value of the pound dropped after a projection suggested the Conservatives could fail to win an outright majority in the election on 8 June. Previous opinion polls suggested Prime Minister Theresa May's party would increase its majority, which is currently 17 seats.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2017 - 06:16 UTC

  Falklands Annual Address: a confident community's proud report planning for the future

  

  Falklands' Acting Governor Alex Mitham looks back on the past year of activity for the Falkland Islands Government. The ceremony took place on Tuesday morning at the Court and Assembly Chambers during the Budget meeting of the Legislative Assembly

• Tuesday, May 30th 2017 - 09:22 UTC

  Temer urges top electoral court to decide quickly and lift political uncertainty

  

  President Michel Temer urged Brazil's top electoral court to decide quickly on a case alleging illegal funding of his 2014 campaign in order to lift political uncertainty overshadowing a recovery in Latin America's largest economy.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2017 - 08:56 UTC

  EU and Argentina confident a trade deal with Mercosur can be reached by the end of the year

  

  The High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini who visited Argentina on Monday praised the rapid progress made in negotiations on a renewed EU/Mercosur trade agreement and was confident remaining obstacles could be overcomes and a deal can be reached by the end of the year.