Economy

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 09:39 UTC

  Brazil's agriculture minister optimistic about a Mercosur/EU trade accord by end of the year

  

  Brazil' minister of agriculture Katia Abreu said she was very optimistic about Mercosur reaching a trade agreement with the European Union, and if there are problems look to Europe, because Mercosur members have almost agreed and finished their proposal.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 09:16 UTC

  Kicillof blasts 'speculators' for promoting a run from the Peso to the US dollar

  

  Argentina's economy minister and central bank governor came out strongly to warn the “devaluation club” and speculators in the foreign exchange market who allegedly are pushing the value of the US dollar and sinking the local Peso.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 09:04 UTC

  Fed pleased with labor market gains but inflation remains 'soft' distant from 2% target

  

  The United States Federal Reserve on Wednesday decided to leave its benchmark federal funds interest rate unchanged at between 0 percent and 0.25 percent, while it offered an optimistic assessment of the world's biggest economy and hinted that a rate hike remains on the short-term horizon.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2015 - 07:10 UTC

  Uruguay announces controversial massive infrastructure investment program

  

  Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez announced on Monday a controversial plan for 12.37 billion in infrastructure investment over the next four years. Two-thirds of the investment will come from the government, Vazquez told a news conference. Where the other third was to come was not confirmed.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2015 - 06:58 UTC

  UN committee agrees on nine principles for restructuring sovereign debts

  

  A United Nations committee, after six months work, on Tuesday, unanimously adopted a “historic” report that establishes nine principles for restructuring sovereign debt, the committee's chair Sacha Llorenti of Bolivia told reporters.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2015 - 06:30 UTC

  Positive signals from Argentina's economy ahead of October's election

  

  Industrial production in Argentina fell 0.8% in June compared to the same period last year, according to the country's National Statistics and Census Institute (INDEC), marking the 23rd consecutive month that the sector has contracted. However with seasonally adjusted figures, Indec's data showed a 0.9% rise, the first positive advance in two years (July 2013).

• Wednesday, July 29th 2015 - 06:00 UTC

  S&P warns Brazil could lose investment-grade rating as economic slippage continues

  

  Standard & Poor's on Tuesday said Brazil could lose its coveted investment-grade rating in the coming year if fallout from a number of corruption investigations further stymies economic growth and the implementation of austerity measures.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2015 - 05:52 UTC

  Volkswagen overtakes Toyota to became world's biggest selling vehicle maker

  

  Germany's Volkswagen became the world's biggest-selling vehicle maker in the first half of the year, overtaking Toyota for the first time. VW sold 5.04 million cars between January and June - slightly more than the 5.02 million sold by Toyota.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2015 - 07:00 UTC

  Chinese shares on the slide after dropping 8% on Monday; central bank to inject liquidity

  

  Shares in mainland China continued their slide on Tuesday, after a historic sell-off the previous day. The Shanghai Composite fell by 4.3% to 3,567.38 points in early trade, after the index on Monday saw its biggest drop in eight years with an 8% tumble.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2015 - 06:45 UTC

  PM Cameron: UK must not become a safe haven for corrupt money from around the world

  

  Foreigners must be stopped from buying UK homes with “plundered or laundered cash” and a “global effort” launched to defeat corruption, David Cameron will say in a speech later. Cameron will vow to expose the use of “anonymous shell companies” to buy luxury UK properties - often in London.