International

• Friday, September 5th 2014 - 02:14 UTC

  Brazil leaves basic interest rate unchanged at 11%, given 'inflation prospects'

  

  With Brazil battling recession and inflation a month away from the presidential election, the Central bank kept its key interest rate on hold at 11%. Traders and analysts had forecast no change and the central bank's monetary policy commission (Copom) duly decided to leave all quiet following its monthly two-day meeting.

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 06:04 UTC

  Malvinas: Argentina recalls fifty years since Falklands claim statement before C24

  

  Argentina will be launching on Thursday, 4 September the book “Argentine sovereignty in Malvinas; 50 years since Ambassador Ruda's statement” which recalls the half century since the presentation by then Ambassador Jose Maria Ruda before the United Nations Special Decolonization Committee, or C24.

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 05:58 UTC

  Support for Scottish independence up eight points in August, say polls

  

  The No vote's lead ahead of the Scottish Referendum has narrowed to just six points, according to a new poll. The YouGov poll suggests support for Scottish independence has risen eight points over the past month.

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 05:37 UTC

  One trillion dollars per year plus lives is the cost of corruption in poor countries

  

  An estimated one trillion dollars a year is being taken out of poor countries and millions of lives are lost because of corruption, according to campaigners. A report by the anti-poverty organization One says much of the progress made over the past two decades in tackling extreme poverty has been put at risk by corruption and crime.

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 05:20 UTC

  Argentina's dispute with holdouts “will not affect” Chinese investments, says Beijing

  

  The current legal dispute between Argentina and holdouts (“vulture funds”) suing the country over its defaulted bonds “will not affect” planned Chinese investments, since Argentina and China have a 'strategic association', the head of the National Commission of Development and Reform (CNDR) of China Xu Shaoshi, warned on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 23:00 UTC

  EC fines Philips, Samsung and Infineon for 'collusion' in price-chips for smart phones

  

  Philips, Samsung and Infineon have been fined 138m Euros by the European Commission (EC) for fixing prices of chips in used in smart-phones. The electronics giants “colluded” on pricing, contracts and capacity between 2003 and 2005, the EC said.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 22:17 UTC

  China expanding its investments in Argentina's South Atlantic fisheries

  

  China is interested in investing in Argentine port infrastructure and in setting up companies with access to the South Atlantic fisheries, according to reports from Shanghai where an Argentine top level delegation is currently negotiating in the framework of the China-Argentina cooperation agreement.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 22:05 UTC

  Soros signals Argentina’s shale is biggest place to be

  

  One of the world’s legendary investors is upping his bet on Argentina’s shale oil and gas industry in a show of confidence for shale production in South America’s largest unconventional prize —and a big boost for both super-majors and smaller players making big waves in the heart of new discovery areas.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 06:37 UTC

  Kicillof in China to confirm loans and a much needed swap dollars

  

  Credit strapped Argentina is wooing Beijing and with this purpose Economy Minister Axel Kicillof, Planning Minister Julio De Vido and YPF oil company CEO Miguel Galuccio are currently on an official trip to China, aimed at gathering funding for public works including two dams and one nuclear power plant.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 05:55 UTC

  Australia scraps contested mining tax; major win for Abbot's conservatives

  

  Australia on Tuesday agreed to scrap a contested resources profits tax after the government struck a surprise deal with crossbench senators, including mining tycoon Clive Palmer. The Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) was introduced by the previous Labor administration in 2012, with a levy on annual profits above 70 million dollars on iron ore and coal at a rate of 30%.