International

• Wednesday, May 4th 2011 - 23:15 UTC

  IMF warns Latam of ‘complacency’, leading to overheated economies

  

  Economic growth in much of Latin America remains strong, propelled by rising commodity prices, easy financing conditions, and stimulative policies. Growth exceeded 6% in 2010, and while it is projected to moderate to about 4¾% in 2011, the IMF says countries should remove the policy stimulus on a timely basis.

• Wednesday, May 4th 2011 - 21:02 UTC

  World Press Freedom Day established by UN Assembly December 1993

  

  World Press Freedom Day was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December, 1993, as an outgrowth of the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press.

• Wednesday, May 4th 2011 - 17:01 UTC

  EU/Mercosur trade negotiations limited by reciprocal claims of protectionism

  

  The European Union/Mercosur trade talks taking place in Paraguay are attempting to advance with a ‘verbal exchange of proposals’ while negotiators continue ahead with technical aspects of a future agreement, according to Argentine sources.

• Wednesday, May 4th 2011 - 15:51 UTC

  Argentina promises to review ban on Indian imported pharmaceutical products

  

  Argentina has assured India of reviewing a ban on imported pharmaceutical products and announced the purchase of drugs worth 150-200 million US dollars from Indian firms, a statement said Wednesday.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2011 - 22:52 UTC

  Portugal reaches agreement with EU and IMF for 116 billion dollars bail-out

  

  Portugal’s caretaker Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced Tuesday that he has reached agreement on a bail-out from the EU and the International Monetary Fund. He said the three-year loan was a “good agreement that defends Portugal”.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2011 - 18:13 UTC

  Air France Flight 447 cockpit voice recorder recovered from the Atlantic

  

  The French aviation safety agency BEA announced on Tuesday the discovery and recovery of Air France Flight 447′s cockpit voice recorder from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, nearly two years after the Airbus A330-200 disappeared.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2011 - 18:08 UTC

  Tax and investment protection agreements needed to boost India/Mercosur trade

  

  India emphasized the need to deepen trade and investment engagements with Latin America by expanding the existing PTA with Mercosur, during a business seminar in Montevideo, Uruguay. But he added that double tax and investment protections agreements are critical to expansion.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2011 - 17:58 UTC

  Beware Mr Slim: Brazil’s Batista says he will become the world’s richest person

  

  Brazil’s billionaire Eike Batista said that he expects to become the world's richest person, speaking in an interview at the Milken Institute's annual global conference in California.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2011 - 16:55 UTC

  EU farm lobbies increase campaign against trade agreement with Mercosur

  

  European Union beef prices would be cut by more than 8% and meat production across the EU would fall in value by more than €3bn if a trade deal were agreed with Mercosur, according to preliminary assessments from an agriculture advisory body to the European Commission.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2011 - 04:59 UTC

  New German central bank chief promises continued “stability culture”

  

  Germany’s Bundesbank new hawkish president Jens Weidmann said private investors should help cover costs of the Euro zone crisis. Mr Weidmann promised a continued “stability culture” at the German central bank after taking over from outgoing president Axel Weber.