Politics

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:45 UTC

  Good signals from the Brazilian economy: inflation picks up in mid July

  

  Consumer prices in Brazil rose faster than expected in the month to mid-July on higher food costs, suggesting the central bank may have less room than previously believed to cut interest rates much further.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:32 UTC

  Bad news for Argentina: economy contracts and industrial production slumps

  

  Argentina's economy contracted in May and industrial production slumped further in June, according to government data released on Friday. Economic activity fell 0.5% in May year-on-year, slowing from April's 0.6% growth rate and marking the first contraction in 34 months.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:28 UTC

  EU considering a new round of discussions with Mercosur before end of 2012

  

  The European Union - Mercosur trade negotiations calendar has been delayed and its full resumption is expected to take place in September or soon after, reports the EU press office in Montevideo.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:17 UTC

  YPF building credibility buys back 79 million dollars in 2028 bonds

  

  Argentina's nationalized oil and gas company YPF said on Friday it had bought back 79 million dollars in 2028 bonds that it was obliged to repurchase in the case of a state takeover.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 06:59 UTC

  Bolivia raids the offices of India’s Jindal alleging “breach of contract”

  

  Bolivian prosecutors with the support from police and military forces on Friday raided the offices of India’s Jindal in La Paz as part of an investigation for an alleged “breach of contract” following the company’s confirmation it was abandoning the huge iron-ore mining project of El Mutún.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 06:50 UTC

  UK receives first of next generation of stealth aircraft, STOVL F-35 Lightning II

  

  The first of the UK's next generation of stealth combat aircraft, Lightning II, was handed over to the Ministry of Defence at a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond formally accepted the first of the jets which are short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and are manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 06:44 UTC

  Argentine collar clamp has sentenced businessman ‘trapped’ in Uruguay

  

  An Argentine businessman who was sentenced in Uruguay to home arrest following a car accident in which one person died remains at the location of the crime because his family in Argentina have been unable to purchase the 5.000 US dollars bail needed for his release.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 06:16 UTC

  Chinese electric-battery buses for Uruguay; the first arrive at end of 2012

  

  China’ BYD has inked another strategic deal for its electric bus products, this time in Uruguay with one of the country’s leading tourism companies. The agreement was witnessed by Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 06:08 UTC

  Angola approves wide-ranging cooperation agreement with Brazil

  

  Angola’s National Assembly approved this week the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of Strategic Partnership with Brazil, as well as the draft resolution on Cooperation between the two countries in defence domain.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 00:16 UTC

  Senior economist “ashamed” of having worked for IMF; blasts power-play

  

  A senior economist at the International Monetary Fund spearheading the bailouts of three Euro zone countries has lambasted its lack of leadership and said its first female chief is not fit for the job.