Economy

• Friday, April 29th 2016 - 06:18 UTC

  Latam and Caribbean forecasted to contract 0.5% in 2016, worst two-year since 1982, says IMF

  

  Latin America and the Caribbean will post an overall 0.5% economic contraction in 2016, the International Monetary Fund forecast in its latest report, capping the region's worst two-year period since the 1982 debt crisis. But the IMF said the region is expected to rebound to 1.5% growth in 2017, avoiding the “lost decade” phenomenon that marked the 1980s.

• Friday, April 29th 2016 - 06:08 UTC

  IMF praises Argentina's new focus despite an expected contraction of 1% this year

  

  Argentina's GDP is expected to contract by about 1% in 2016, according to the latest IMF Regional Economic Outlook; Western Hemisphere, announced on Wednesday in Mexico. The chapter on Argentina makes a special mention of the new government's changes to remove macroeconomic imbalances.

• Thursday, April 28th 2016 - 07:34 UTC

  Maduro blames the “crazy right” for riots sparked by daily several/hours blackouts

  

  Venezuelan cities cleaned up from a night of looting and fiery protests on Wednesday as government offices closed their doors for the rest of the week in the face of a worsening energy crisis that is causing daily blackouts. In Caracas, hundreds of angry voters lined up to sign a petition beginning the process of recalling the deeply unpopular President Nicolas Maduro.

• Thursday, April 28th 2016 - 07:22 UTC

  Fed leaves rates unchanged; expectations over an increase move to June

  

  The U.S. Federal Reserve did what many expected on Wednesday as it left its key interest rate range unchanged. The central bank maintained its overnight lending rate for banks at a target range of between 0.25 and 0.50% where it has been since it was boosted from near zero back in December. Expectations now have moved to the two-day meeting on 14/15 June.

• Thursday, April 28th 2016 - 06:49 UTC

  Foreign Secretary Hammond in Colombia to highlight UK's support for the peace process

  

  UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has arrived in Colombia to highlight the UK’s support for the country’s peace process and fight against narcotics during visits to Bogota and Cartagena.

• Thursday, April 28th 2016 - 06:30 UTC

  Chile is a 'natural partner' for London and the UK, said Lord Mayor

  

  The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Jeffrey Mountevans, is leading a business delegation to Chile focused on strengthening the UK’s relationship with Chile and ensure that London and the UK remain its partner of choice for financial and professional services.

• Wednesday, April 27th 2016 - 10:44 UTC

  Paul Singer praises Macri but warns about negative impact from Collective Action Clauses

  

  Financier Paul Singer again took to the US media to celebrate Argentine President Mauricio Macri’s decision to settle with the so-called “speculative” creditors, including Singer’s own Elliott Management, with an article in the Wall Street Journal heaping praise on his business-friendly approach and willingness to negotiate with the holdouts.

• Wednesday, April 27th 2016 - 10:08 UTC

  Worlds' largest Seafood Expo opens in Brussels; Falklands attending

  

  Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global opened doors on Monday to thousands of seafood professionals from all around the world seeking to grow their businesses in the global market. The exposition, which takes place at the Brussels Expo, Belgium, from 26-28 April, is the world’s largest trade fair for the seafood industry.

• Wednesday, April 27th 2016 - 05:32 UTC

  Russian ban on EU food imports turns European farmers' fury against Mercosur accord

  

  Brussels must do more to help producers ride out the slump in agricultural commodity prices, European farm leaders have warned. Immediate solutions were needed to tackle the “unprecedented” crisis that had hit agricultural markets, said European farm umbrella organization Copa-Cogeca.

• Tuesday, April 26th 2016 - 08:49 UTC

  Gibraltar has 135 tax information exchange accords with 80 countries

  

  The British Ambassador to Madrid has defended Gibraltar against attempts by the Spanish Foreign Minister to portray Gibraltar as a tax haven. In a letter published in El País Simon Manley says Jose Manuel García-Margallo is mistaken in his view, pointing out that Gibraltar has taken important steps to ensure that its tax system is open and fair.