Politics

• Wednesday, August 9th 2017 - 06:39 UTC

  Beef and ethanol back in the EU/Mercosur agenda in October meeting

  

  Beef will be back on the menu this October as the European Union seeks to finalise a trade deal with Mercosur. The European Commission will offer Mercosur new beef import quotas at reduced tariff rates during a formal round of trade talks in the first week of October in Brussels, EU sources confirmed.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 20:08 UTC

  UK big business lobby calls for a Brexit “transitional, interim or bridging” deal

  

  Britain should consider pushing back the 2019 Brexit deadline as the simplest way to managing all the trade deals and other arrangements for leaving the European Union, business leaders urged on Friday.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian economy on course to a modest growth (2%) next year

  

  Brazilian Central Bank President Ilan Goldfajn said that Latin America's largest economy remains weak though it is on course to show modest growth next year. In an interview with a São Paulo radio station, he said Brazil may achieve growth of 2% in 2018 if the economy continues expanding at its current pace.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 17:12 UTC

  Brazilian Attorney General describes president Temer as a “thug”

  

  Brazil’s attorney general strongly criticized Congress’ lower house on Monday for voting against putting President Michel Temer on trial for bribery, adding that plea bargains being negotiated could lead to charges of racketeering and obstruction of justice.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 17:05 UTC

  Greenspan warns of a bubble in the bond market: low interest rates about to end

  

  Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan issued a bold warning that the bond market is on the cusp of a collapse that also will threaten stock prices. The longtime central bank chief said the prolonged period of low interest rates is about to end and, with it, a bull market in fixed income that has lasted more than three decades.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 16:25 UTC

  Gibraltar does not rule out a third sovereignty referendum, if the need arose

  

  The Gibraltar Government would consider holding a third referendum on the issue of sovereignty if the need arose, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said in an interview with the Gibraltar Chronicle, even as he acknowledged “a change of tone” in Spain’s approach to the Rock.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 16:16 UTC

  Lib/Dem will join massive anti/Brexit protest outside Conservative conference in Manchester

  

  Liberal Democrats will abandon political party protocol by joining pro-EU campaigners to protest against Brexit outside this year’s Conservative Party Conference. Activists are planning to stage one of the biggest marches in opposition to Britain leaving the EU when the Tories stage their annual conference in Manchester in October.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 15:41 UTC

  Markets (and investors) in Argentina waiting for Sunday primary results

  

  The technical tie for the Senate seat in the province of Buenos Aires is being closely followed by the business community and potential investors in Argentina, fearing that a victory by ex president Cristina Fernandez over the candidate sponsored by president Mauricio Macri, could be interpreted as a longing for the hand-out and subsidies policies of Kirchnerism and rejection of the current economic reforms which have yet to deliver enough jobs and stable prices.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 15:19 UTC

  Hackers storm dozens of Venezuela websites, following the failure of “Operation David”

  

  Supporters of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro marched in Caracas on Monday in support of a newly created constitutional assembly as hackers took down dozens of state websites to show their backing for a pre-dawn armed assault on a military base the day before.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 15:02 UTC

  Italy and France clash on control of Europe's cruise shipbuilding industry

  

  France said it was ready to seek other buyers for its biggest shipyard should Italy refuse a 50-50 ownership split, before both countries pledged to find a solution next month. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, told the Corriere della Sera daily that a deal with Fincantieri might not be thrashed out.