
Urban unemployment in Latin America will hit 7% this year, growing 0.5 percent point from last year’s 6.5% rate, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said in a joint report — a drop linked to the region’s lower growth.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 151.8 points in April 2016, up 1.1 points (0.7 percent) from March, but almost 10 percent below its April 2015 level. A relatively strong rise in vegetable oil quotations coupled with a more modest gain in international prices of cereals more than offset a decline in dairy and sugar prices.

The situation in Venezuela has become so bad that even soldiers are struggling to support themselves. Over the weekend, six members of the Venezuelan military were detained by local authorities for stealing goats, the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported on Sunday. It said the soldiers confessed to stealing the goats and said they did it to feed themselves, since they had no food left in their barracks.

Brazil´s Petrobras problems has taken a major player from the market for new floating production systems in the oil business, according to a report from the industry. In effect absence of new contracts has forced fabricators and equipment suppliers to make huge cutbacks in personnel and spending and the past 12 to 18 months have been a difficult period the whole deepwater production sector.

Tensions over a disputed border between Guatemala and Belize again erupted over the weekend with a new shooting incident less than a month after Belizean soldiers killed a teen. Belize said one of its patrols had to shoot and wound a Guatemalan man who threatened them with a machete after he was found on the Belize side of the border with companions illegally prospecting for gold.

Brazil's interim government dismissed criticism by populist countries in Latin America, including Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia, over the impeachment process of Dilma Rousseff, who was suspended as president by the senate.

Britain reiterated interest in strengthening relations with Argentina in areas of mutual interest, but also underlined London's position regarding the Falkland Islands remains unchanged, while from Stanley, the Falklands' elected government expressed its willingness to explore a potential cooperation with the Argentine government.

Peruvian presidential contender Keiko Fujimori has a slight lead over rival Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ahead of the June 5 run-off election, according to a poll published on Sunday. The two pro-business candidates emerged from a first round election on April 10.

Venezuela's foreign minister accused the United States of conspiring to topple President Nicolás Maduro's government in conjunction with Venezuela's opposition. Minister Delcy Rodríguez says the plot includes attempting to remove Maduro's government from the Organization of American States in conjunction with the organization's secretary-general, Luis Almagro.

A £55.7 million contract to upgrade infrastructure at MPA, in the Falkland Islands was signed this week between Southampton based Trant Engineering Ltd and the UK Defense Infrastructure Organization (DIO).