
European Parliament has backed a deal that will increase EU imports of beef from the US and Canada and help European food exporters. A row over growth hormones used on North American cattle ranches led to a trade war lasting more than 20 years.

Argentine Patagonia Chubut province could move to revoke oil and gas concessions held by Spain’s Repsol controlled oil and gas giant YPF SA as soon as Wednesday, a provincial official said Monday.

United States remains interested in a possible purchase of light attack aircraft made by Brazil's Embraer despite cancelling a contract this week, a top US official said Thursday.

Spain and Argentina formed a working group to resolve their “differences” over YPF, the Argentine oil company majority-owned by Madrid-based Repsol-YPF, Industry Minister Jose Manuel Soria said.

Santiago de Chile has the highest skyscraper in South America: the Gran Torre Costanera reached this condition when it surpassed the 300 metres height. The 107.125 square metres block has been designed by Chilean architects Alemparte, Barreda & Associates together with Pelli, Clarke, Pelli Architects, responsible for the Petrona Towers in Kuala Lampur.

HSBC Holdings Plc said a 1 billion dollars increase in its wages bill in Brazil, China and other emerging markets was the price of avoiding the stagnant growth which has dogged some rival lenders more dependent on Europe.

Spain's Repsol and China's Sinopec have made an oil discovery offshore Brazil that could be one of the biggest so far in the area and that boosted confidence that across in Africa, Angola's deepwater reserves may be abundant too.

Spain’s main corporations are freezing investments in Latinamerica this year with no chances of an increase given the risk of the global financial crisis hitting negatively in the region, particularly Brazil and Mexico.

The Falkland Islands Director of Minerals Stephen Luxton said that estimates published last week in the UK, of revenue of 180 billion dollars for the Falklands Government from oil production are only a “best case” scenario since in spite of great potential, the only true test is the drill bit.

Falklands’ oil explorer Desire Petroleum Plc (AIM:DES) will be making presentations this week at the North American Prospect Expo (NAPE) in Houston.