Mercosur

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 03:28 UTC

  Falkland Islands cruise ship season looking “relatively healthy”

  

  The Falkland Islands cruise ship season is looking “relatively healthy” to date, according to Sulivan Shipping Tourism Coordinator Samantha Marsh, with a third of the estimated 45,000 (total) passengers scheduled still to visit during February. The season got underway in October and to date 12,300 passengers have landed from 41 vessels of varying sizes.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 02:15 UTC

  Argentina: in chaotic trading dollar jumps 12.4% in one day to 8 Pesos in the official market

  

  In a day of chaotic trading the Argentine Peso on Thursday again plummeted against the US dollar losing 12.4% of its value in the official market, ending the day at just over 8 Pesos. In earlier operations the dollar was selling at 8,31 Pesos until the Central bank decided to intervene helping to cool the market.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 02:11 UTC

  Record hot January for Argentina with thermal factor 47.6 Celsius in Buenos Aires

  

  January 2014 is becoming the hottest month in 53 years for Argentina with the thermal factor reaching an unbearable 47.6 Celsius mid afternoon before rain poured bringing some relief to most of the country an particularly in cement city Buenos Aires.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 02:09 UTC

  Argentine 2013 trade surplus down 27%, helping with the dollar shortage

  

  Argentina's trade balance during 2013 left of surplus of 9.24 billion dollars, 27% less than in the previous year (12.42bn), according to the latest release from the official stats office, indec. Exports in the past year grew by 3% to reach a value of 83bn dollars, while imports rose by 8% and totaled just over 74bn.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 02:07 UTC

  Blatter confident it will be a great Cup, after meeting Brazil president Rousseff

  

  FIFA president Sepp Blatter played down concern about sluggish World Cup preparations on Thursday, even when his deputy warned Curitiba must prove it can finalize work to remain a venue. Blatter met visiting Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff at FIFA headquarters in Zurich and the pair both made positive noises about Brazil's ability to deliver come the big kick-off on June 12.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 23:36 UTC

  Argentina after Israeli fighter planes; concern in London and Brasilia, says defense expert

  

  Argentina is considering the purchase from Israel of 18 multipurpose combat aircraft Kfir Block 60 after negotiations with Spain for 16 Mirage F1 fighter bombers fell through, according to a report from Buenos Aires daily Clarin.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 21:22 UTC

  Christ the Redeemer head and hands under repairs but still open to the public

  

  Repairs have begun on Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue after lightning damaged the 38 meters statue's head, right finger and thumb. The iconic statue of Christ overlooking Rio de Janeiro was struck again last week during a violent storm, damaging its right thumb.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 21:21 UTC

  Brazil's vulnerable transport system again exposed as Rio commuter train accident sowed chaos

  

  A commuter train in Rio de Janeiro left the tracks and hit a pole supporting power lines early Wednesday, causing no injuries but sowing widespread chaos across the overburdened public transportation system of Brazil's Olympic city which next June/July will host several World Cup matches.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 20:57 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez is back on stage and announces program to help the young unemployed

  

  Forty two days after her last public speech, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez was back on stage on Wednesday evening on national television to criticize the media, question the opposition and announce a new social plan to aid young unemployed and encourage them to study.

• Wednesday, January 22nd 2014 - 11:29 UTC

  Uruguay warns trade negotiations with EU could leave “a Mercosur member out”

  

  Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro said it should not come as a surprise if the negotiations for a trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union does not include all four original full members and leaves one out, although the objective is for all members to be part of the accord.