Latin America

• Wednesday, September 20th 2017 - 18:32 UTC

  Argentina 2018 budget bill forecasts growth of 3.5% and 15.7% inflation

  

  Argentina’s 2018 budget bill forecasts economic growth of 3.5% next year and average annual inflation of 15.7%, Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne told Congress. The bill proposes a 2018 primary fiscal deficit of 3.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) as previously announced.

• Wednesday, September 20th 2017 - 07:17 UTC

  Powerful wide ranging earthquake kills at least 200 in Mexico; thousands flee in panic

  

  A powerful earthquake shook central Mexico on Tuesday, collapsing buildings in plumes of dust and killing at least 200 people. Thousands fled into the streets in panic, and many stayed to help rescue those trapped.

• Wednesday, September 20th 2017 - 07:00 UTC

  Merciless Hurricane Maria lashes across the Caribbean leaving thousands homeless

  

  Hurricane Maria slammed into the US Virgin Islands on Tuesday, lashing the archipelago with rain as Puerto Rico braced for the Category Five storm’s expected landfall on Wednesday. On St John Island, which was also battered by Hurricane Irma two weeks ago, locals reported seeing trees dramatically swaying in swirling winds, with rain pouring “sideways.”

• Wednesday, September 20th 2017 - 01:46 UTC

  Peru appoints more conservative cabinet following a no confidence vote

  

  Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski made Vice President Mercedes Araoz his new prime minister in a Cabinet shuffle on Sunday that won praise from the opposition - a sign his year-old government will likely avoid a fresh standoff with Congress. Kuczynski also swore in Deputy Economy Minister Claudia Cooper as his new finance minister and replaced his justice, education, health and housing ministers.

• Tuesday, September 19th 2017 - 19:57 UTC

  Irish and French farmers warn about Mercosur/EU beef negotiations

  

  News of a potential offer of a tariff rate quota for 85,000 tons of beef in the Mercosur/European Union negotiations has triggered a dismayed reaction from the ICSA’s (Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association’s) Beef Chairman Edmond Phelan.

• Tuesday, September 19th 2017 - 09:04 UTC

  Hurricane Maria flattens Dominica: “we need help, we need help of all kinds”

  

  The British Overseas Territory of Dominica has suffered “widespread damage” from Hurricane Maria, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced. “We have lost all that money can buy,” he said in a Facebook post. The hurricane suddenly strengthened to a “potentially catastrophic” category five storm, before making landfall on the Caribbean island.

• Monday, September 18th 2017 - 09:40 UTC

  Washington considers closing embassy in Havana because of “sonic attacks”

  

  The United States is considering closing its embassy in Cuba after diplomatic staff reported health problems which Washington blames on a “sonic attack”. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a decision whether to shut to the mission in Havana was “under evaluation”.

• Sunday, September 17th 2017 - 12:44 UTC

  UK's Newton Fund offering opportunities for regional workshops and travel grants

  

  The Newton Fund, a UK Government initiative, has announced the opening of applications for scientific researchers of six Latin American countries (among them, Argentina) to take part in regional workshops on biodiversity or travel grants to the United Kingdom.

• Thursday, September 14th 2017 - 20:49 UTC

  Brazilian congress advances political reform to streamline parties; 28 have elected members

  

  Brazil's lower house of Congress has given initial approval to a bill to reduce the huge array of political parties that have made it hard to govern the country and contributed to corruption. The chamber voted 384-16 for the establishment of a minimum national vote threshold that parties must reach to get public funding and free radio and television time for their election campaigns. The requirement would be 1.5% of votes in 2018, rising to 3% in 2030.

• Thursday, September 14th 2017 - 06:37 UTC

  Netanyahu, in Colombia: Israel a close ally in war and in the reconstruction process

  

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos are pledging to strengthen ties in areas like science, security and tourism as Colombia transitions into a post-conflict era. Netanyahu arrived in Bogota on Wednesday for the second-leg of his trip as the first Israeli prime minister to visit Latin America.