Mercosur

• Wednesday, November 23rd 2016 - 16:39 UTC

  Argentina and UK to work jointly in scientific research and exchange of experts

  

  Argentina and the United Kingdom will sign this Wednesday an accord by which the two countries scientific societies will be working jointly in research projects and promoting an active exchange of scientists, as part of the recent joint statement signed last September, revealed Science and Technology minister José Lino Barañao currently in London.

• Wednesday, November 23rd 2016 - 15:16 UTC

  Argentina's tax amnesty program “rescues” US$ 21.9bn including US$ 7.2bn in cash

  

  Argentines have so far declared US$21.9 billion in previously hidden assets in the country's tax amnesty program meant to help jump-start the economy, Alberto Abad, director of the AFIP tax collection agency, said on Tuesday. That included US$7.2 billion in cash deposits, Abad said.

• Wednesday, November 23rd 2016 - 15:07 UTC

  Prosecution warns Congress planning to shut down Petrobras investigation: “the corrupt have a lot of power”

  

  The top prosecutor in Brazil's biggest ever corruption investigation has called on the public to rally around the operation in the face of attempts to shut it down. There are fears that Congress while passing anti corruption measures would also include in an unofficial amnesty for existing cases.

• Monday, November 21st 2016 - 11:10 UTC

  Visitors from Mercosur to benefit from faster entry to UK as Registered Traveler Service is expanded

  

  Business travelers and frequent visitors from a host of countries, including Mercosur founding members, will be able to benefit from faster entry to the United Kingdom as the Government’s Registered Traveler Service is expanded. From this Monday (21 November), frequent travelers to the UK from 16 new countries will be eligible to apply for membership of the scheme, which brings the potential for improved trade and tourism links.

• Monday, November 21st 2016 - 10:43 UTC

  Mercosur/EU accord in 2018, following election results in France and Germany

  

  The free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union could be concluded in 2018 depending on the election results next year in France and Germane anticipated a Brazilian official during a forum on foreign trade held in Sao Paulo. France is holding presidential elections next May 2017 and Germany some time later.

• Saturday, November 19th 2016 - 21:38 UTC

  Ex Rio governor and evangelical pastor arrested on suspicion of vote-rigging

  

  Anthony Garotinho, a former governor of Rio de Janeiro state and presidential hopeful, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of attempted vote-rigging in last month's municipal elections, Brazil's Federal Police said.

• Saturday, November 19th 2016 - 18:39 UTC

  Buenos Aires admits poor cruise season because of past mistakes

  

  Buenos Aires cruise season has taken off but it will be far from its peak in 2012/13 when over half a million visitors reached the Argentine capital. This season will only see 81 calls with 323.000 visitors of which 70% foreigners, according to local port authorities.

• Saturday, November 19th 2016 - 09:07 UTC

  Venezuela loses Mercosur voting rights in December, announces Uruguay

  

  Venezuela will continue as member of Mercosur but with no right to vote, since it has not fully incorporated all the group's rules and regulations as had been agreed, revealed Uruguay's foreign minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa on Friday in Montevideo.

• Wednesday, November 16th 2016 - 08:47 UTC

  EU farmers on alert at the prospect of increased imports of beef from Mercosur

  

  Cheaper imports from Mercosur and the recovering dairy market will push down EU beef production and prices, states in a long-awaited impact study released by the European Union. Dairy and pigmeat exports will see steady gains, says the report, which looked at the cost of 12 pending trade deals on EU agri-food markets.

• Saturday, November 12th 2016 - 21:27 UTC

  Congress opens Brazil's huge “pre-salt” oil fields to the private sector

  

  Petrobras will begin selling off huge “pre-salt” oil fields to raise cash for the desperate Brazilian national oil company, according to new legislation passed by Congress. Politicians in the lower house had fought against the bill, but lawmakers succeeded in pushing the bill through during a late-night session, and the vote stood at 251-22 by the end of the night.