Scientists of Chile’s Universidad Católica (UC) have discovered several varieties of the algae Porphyra in Chile. The Department of Ecology at UC has been studying the details of the reproductive cycle of the algae in order to replicate it in the lab
British union leaders say they fear for UK jobs after a deal was announced to save the European arm of General Motors. Germany has agreed a deal with Canadian car parts maker Magna International to take over most of GM Europe, which owns Vauxhall and Germany-based Opel.
Construction in Argentina fell 3% in April year-on-year, accumulating a 2.7% decline since the start of the year, the INDEC statistics' bureau reported. Nevertheless, construction activity grew 3.6% from the previous month, according to the agency, which was partly explained by seasonal effects.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America could plunge up to 45% this year as the global financial crisis stalls capital flows and shrinks the region's economy by more than 0.3%, warned the United Nations Economic Commission on Latinamerica and the Caribbean, Cepal.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez told his Brazilian peer Lula da Silva that Brazilian corporations are safe from the current nationalization process in his oil-rich country. The two presidents met on Tuesday in Bahia to discuss Mercosur, energy, finances and regional integration.
Rio Tinto has agreed to cut key iron ore prices to Japanese steelmakers by 33% in this year's first contract setting a benchmark. However China, the world’s leading consumer of iron ore is not expected to accept such a benchmark.
The Argentine government signed Thursday a contract to purchase twenty mid range aircrafts from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer for recently nationalized flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said these will be the first new aircrafts for Aerolineas in 16 years.
Direct foreign investments in Latinamerica and the Caribbean are showing a significant resistance to the global crisis and in 2008 reached a record 139 billion US dollars, up 9.4% from the previous year according the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
The business climate in Latinamerica experienced a slight improvement in the last three months having jumped from 2.9 points in January to 3.6 in April, although it is still one of the worst levels in seven years, reported the Brazilian Foundation Getulio Vargas
Brazil and China signed Tuesday in Beijing thirteen accords to promote trade, investments and cooperation plus a 10 billion US dollars loan for Petrobras. It was also agreed that bilateral trade in the near future is to be done using the Real and the Yuan.