
Brazil rolled out additional stimulus measures to bolster its sluggish economy on Thursday, extending tax breaks to more than two dozen industries and reducing the cost of acquiring capital goods in a bid to help struggling local businesses.

Argentina’s inflation advanced 0.9% in August and 6.8% in the first eight months of the year according to the controversial official stats office Indec. Whole sale prices were up 1% over July and the construction cost increased 1.3%.

The Argentine central bank has informally “suggested” the banking system to limit the advances (in dollars) of credit card holders overseas, reports the Buenos Aires financial press. This is seen as another tightening of the dollar clamp imposed by the administration of President Cristina Fernandez to retain much needed foreign currency.

Six ambassadors presented their credentials to Uruguayan president Jose Mujica during a ceremony held at the Executive Tower on Tuesday. The first to meet President Mujica was UK ambassador Ben Lyster-Binns.

South America's cruise industry has been growing fast and holds vast potential, but the region must work together to tackle issues, create demand and rein in costs, said speakers at the Seatrade South America Cruise Convention in Buenos Aires.

A Chilean court has confirmed that President Salvador Allende killed himself in 1973 as troops attacked the presidential palace to oust him. Official reports, accepted by his family, concluded that his death was suicide but his body was exhumed in 2011 to settle lingering doubts.

By Trent Boultinghouse - This week marked the 39th anniversary of the Chilean coup d’etat that ousted the constitutional president of Chile, Salvador Allende, from office and gave rise to the vicious dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet was known for his adherence as an unabashed apostle to a hard-lined laissez-faire free market economic policy that was widely seen as the impetus for Chile’s economic revival.

Anticipating a greater demand for housing from oil developers and support activities the Falkland Islands government is advancing plans to further expand Stanley. Additional funding to take in phase two of the Sapper Hill housing development to the south of Stanley has been approved by the Standing Finance Committee totalling £1.3 million for a further 27 housing plots.

The individual average annual income of the Falkland Islands residents totals £ 20.100 (approx 32.000 US dollars) according to data from the latest 2012 Census, which also showed an exceptionally high economic activity rate and a very tight labour market with just 1% unemployment and 20% of residents with a second job.

Bolivia will begin the coming year formal talks for full membership of Mercosur, for which it has the support from Uruguay, said diplomatic sources from both countries, Bolivian Deputy Foreign minister Juan Carlos Alurralde met with his Uruguayan counterpart Roberto Conde in the framework of the “Bolivia-Uruguay coordination and consultation mechanism” sixth meeting in La Paz.