THE AGENDA FOR MONDAY 29 UNITED STATES -The Department of Commerce publishes data on consumer spending in July, which is expected to show a month-on-month increase of 0.4% in relation to the increase of 1.1% the previous month.Analysts estimate that the underlying personal spending index will show a month-on-month increase of 0.3%.(1400 GMT) -The Vice President of the Federal Reserve, Lael Brainard, speaks at a Chicago Fed event (1815 GMT) BRAZIL -The local statistics agency, IGBE, issues its report on the variation in producer prices in July.The entity also discloses current account data for the past month.MEXICO -A government agency releases current account deficit figures for July.GLOBAL MARKETS UPDATE ZAPORIJIA UN - A team from the UN nuclear watchdog was on its way to Ukraine's Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the agency's chief said, as Russia and Ukraine traded accusations of bombing its outskirts, fueling fears of a nuclear disaster.NASA LAUNCH- Crews on the ground began fueling NASA's colossal next-generation rocket for launch on a six-week unmanned test flight around the Moon and back, kicking off the Artemis program, successor of the Apollo.CHINA COVID- Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen temporarily closed the world's largest electronics market, Huaqiangbei, and suspended service at 24 subway stations in a bid to stem an outbreak of COVID-19. .METALS- As of 1202 GMT, spot gold was up 0.60% at $1,727.79 an ounce, while the London Metal Exchange (LME) was closed for a bank holiday.OIL- By 1205 GMT, benchmark Brent crude was up 0.35% at $101.34 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down 0.52% at $93.51. per barrel.MARKETS EUROPE- European stocks fell sharply, while sovereign bond yields rose, after comments from central bankers fueled fears of aggressive action to curb inflation, raising downside risks. recession.The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 1.12% to 421.30 points by 1207 GMT.GLOBAL MARKETS- Global stocks tumbled as the growing risk of more aggressive interest rate hikes in the United States and Europe hit bond markets and pushed the dollar to new 20-year highs, just as fears mount to a recession.Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium that the Fed will raise interest rates as much as necessary to restrain growth, and hold them "for some time" to reduce inflation, which it is well above its 2% target.WEEKEND THINGS TO KNOW US FED - The US economy will need tight monetary policy "for some time" before inflation is under control, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in comments warning of slower growth, a weaker job market and "some pain" for households and businesses."Reducing inflation is likely to require a sustained period of below-trend growth. In addition, labor market conditions are very likely to weaken. Although higher interest rates, slower growth and weaker labor market conditions will reduce inflation, they will also cause some pain for households and businesses," he said.UKRAINE ZAPORIJIA - Russian artillery fired overnight on Ukrainian towns across the river from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, local authorities said, adding to residents' fears as reports of shelling around the plant they feared a radioactive catastrophe.Russia's Defense Ministry said there had been more Ukrainian shelling of the plant in the past 24 hours, just a day after Moscow and kyiv traded accusations of attacking Europe's largest nuclear plant, sparking international concern.FINANCES COLOMBIA- Colombia will seek an improvement in its credit ratings from the three main risk rating agencies, so it will visit them soon, announced the Minister of Finance, José Antonio Ocampo.Standard & Poor's removed Colombia's investment grade in May 2021 by downgrading the long-term foreign currency note to BB+, while Fitch Ratings did so in July by downgrading the risk rating to BB+ from BBB- due to the increase of the fiscal deficit, the public debt and the uncertainty of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its economy.BRAZIL PETROBRAS- The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, said that he has authorized the Minister of Mines and Energy, Adolfo Sachsida, to consider the privatization of the oil company Petrobras next year in case of being re-elected in October."Sachsida has this idea. I gave it the green light to discuss the privatization of Petrobras next year," Bolsonaro said in an interview on Jovem Pan, a radio and television station."I think it can work well," he added, without giving details of how the state's stake in the company would be sold.MEXICO GM- The US automaker General Motors (GM) reported that it will carry out a technical stoppage of activities from August 29 to September 5 at its plant in the Mexican municipality of Silao, in the center of the country, due to problems in the supply chain.In a statement, the company reported that production from its factories in North America has been relatively stable since the third quarter of last year, but interruptions in the distribution of short-term components continue, for which it has determined to adjust production.It did not detail whether those measures would affect more plants in the region.CHILE CODELCO- The Chilean state-owned Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, appointed André Sougarret, the engineer who led the historic rescue of 33 miners trapped underground in 2010, as the new executive president.The current vice president of North Operations, who was interim head of the state company, will replace Octavio Araneda, who will leave the company on August 29 for personal reasons.(REUTERS VV MF)