Politics

• Wednesday, February 5th 2014 - 08:38 UTC

  US Senate passes 1 trillion dollars farm bill with crop insurance program, cuts in subsidies and food stamps

  

  The United States Senate on Tuesday passed the long-awaited almost 1 trillion dollars farm bill, ending two years of partisan clashes and stalled negotiations. The bill was approved with strong bipartisan support, 68 to 32.

• Wednesday, February 5th 2014 - 08:31 UTC

  Argentina grateful to Grenada for Malvinas claim support, promises cooperation

  

  Grenada foreign minister Nickolas Steele is in Buenos Aires for a two-day visit which included a meeting with his peer Hector Timerman and other top officials from the foreign ministry to discuss cooperation, economic development and trade issues.

• Wednesday, February 5th 2014 - 08:27 UTC

  Blackout in several Brazilian states that will be hosting the World Cup in June

  

  A blackout late Tuesday hit eleven states of Brazil, six of which are scheduled to host the 2014 World Cup next June. Apparently a peak of demand caused by a heat wave had the grid down, but the government of President Dilma Rousseff attributed the incident to “a disturbance in the National Integrated System Operator” (ONS).

• Tuesday, February 4th 2014 - 23:09 UTC

  Deputy PM Nick Clegg in Colombia calls for new drugs policy in the UK

  

  The UK should abandon its current drugs policy because the war on drugs is not being won, Nick Clegg has said. Speaking on a visit to Colombia, the deputy prime minister said different approaches were needed although he did not back full legalization. He also praised President Juan Manuel Santos commitment to the peace process with FARC and welcomed the human rights' policy.

• Tuesday, February 4th 2014 - 23:00 UTC

  Desperate Argentine officials target big business as the culprits of the current situation

  

  The Argentine government announced on Tuesday it has started “a thorough investigation on major foreign trade companies” which have allegedly registered accounting irregularities for 6.8 billion dollars. Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich said the Central Bank has reported “mining, grain, food, car and oil companies have exported but failed to account for foreign currency income.”

• Tuesday, February 4th 2014 - 09:03 UTC

  Brazilian police challenge Rousseff and threaten to strike during the World Cup

  

  Only four weeks away from the World Cup and in a climate of growing social unrest Brazil police unions are threatening the government of President Dilma Rousseff with a national strike. For Rousseff it also means an additional challenge since on February 10 the ruling Workers Party will be launching her re-election bid for next October's presidential election.

• Tuesday, February 4th 2014 - 09:00 UTC

  Yellen is sworn in as chair of Federal Reserve; Bernanke returns to academia

  

  Janet Yellen on Monday was sworn in as chair of the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, replacing Ben Bernanke in the role. She is the first woman to hold the post at the Washington-based bank.

• Tuesday, February 4th 2014 - 08:50 UTC

  Quasi-monies could be back in Argentina if provinces don't receive financial support by March

  

  Quasi monies could be back in Argentina since many provinces and city councils are running short of funds and the federal government is not sending the checks be it because of political differences or simply because there is not enough money to go around.

• Tuesday, February 4th 2014 - 08:47 UTC

  YPF buys a Petrobras Neuquén/Mendoza block with production of 10.000bpd

  

  Argentina oil company YPF has bought out Brazil player Petrobras to take over full ownership of an exploration block in Neuquen and Mendoza provinces. YPF agreed to pay 40.7 million dollars for Petrobras' operatorship and 38.45% stake in the Puesto Hernandez block, cutting short a joint venture due to expire in 2016, according to the Argentina explorer.

• Tuesday, February 4th 2014 - 08:39 UTC

  Brazil's experiences the worst January trade balance in years: 4.06bn deficit

  

  Brazil's balance of trade began 2014 with disappointing results, after closing January with a deficit of 4.06 billion dollars, according to the figures released by the Ministry of Industry, Development and Foreign Trade. Exports totaled 16.02bn dollars, while imports reached 20.08bn.