Stories for August 2014

Friday, August 15th 2014 - 02:18 UTC
WHO downplays panic: air travel is low-risk for Ebola transmission

The World Health Organization reiterated its position that the risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease during air travel remains low. “Unlike infections such as influenza or tuberculosis, Ebola is not airborne,” says Dr Isabelle Nuttall, Director of WHO Global Capacity Alert and Response. “It can only be transmitted by direct contact with the body fluids of a person who is sick with the disease.”
Friday, August 15th 2014 - 02:15 UTC
Unasur Montevideo summit planned for next week, suspended until October

A planned presidential summit between the heads of state of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) has been suspended due to scheduling conflicts amongst member countries, according to the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry.
Thursday, August 14th 2014 - 14:48 UTC
Glasgow shipyard awarded contract for Royal Navy's offshore patrol vessels

The offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), which will be used by the Royal Navy to undertake various tasks in support of UK interests both at home and abroad, will be built at BAE Systems’ shipyards in Glasgow.
Thursday, August 14th 2014 - 06:44 UTC
Aurelius Capital confirms no deal with banks on Argentina's bonds

Argentine holdout creditor Aurelius Capital Management has said that after talks with many financial institutions, the prospects for finding a private-settlement solution to the Argentine sovereign debt dispute had garnered no realistic proposals.
Thursday, August 14th 2014 - 06:34 UTC
Talks between global banks and Argentine creditor hedge fund “collapsed”

Talks between a group of global banks and at least one major hedge fund about buying a portion of the fund's exposure to Argentine debt have collapsed, a person familiar with the matter told sources in Buenos Aires, amid concerns that the Argentine government has dug in to its refusal to pay certain creditors what they are owed and may not relent for months to come.
Thursday, August 14th 2014 - 06:19 UTC
Santiago's security chief fires following the record “embarrassing” robbery

Chile has fired the security chief of the country's main airport after an “embarrassing” robbery of more than 10 million dollars at the cargo terminal. Defense Minister Jorge Burgos said a probe had been launched into how eight armed men had managed to steal the money from a security van at the airport in the capital, Santiago.
Thursday, August 14th 2014 - 06:11 UTC
Argentina: US dollar reaches a new record of 13.15 Pesos in Buenos Aires 'blue' market

The US dollars climbed to a record 13.15 Pesos on the black or 'blue' market on Wednesday trading as fears mount regarding the outcome of the holdout bonds conflict with the New York court. The official dollar rate closed at 8.2750 Pesos.
Thursday, August 14th 2014 - 05:41 UTC
US Nevada court grants 'holdouts' discovery rights into assets of Kirchner family friends

The hedge fund Elliott Management secured a victory on Tuesday in its pursuit of Argentine assets abroad, as a court in the US state of Nevada granted the corporation discovery rights to 123 companies allegedly linked to the Santa Cruz public works tycoon Lazaro Baez, and believed to be closely linked to the Kirchner family.
Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 22:29 UTC
Majority of Argentines fear consequences of the default and favor continuing negotiations

A majority of the Argentine electorate is pessimistic about the consequences of the 'selective default' on the economy, but considers that negotiations with the 'holdouts' must continue, according to a public opinion poll from Poliarquia which also showed that support for president Cristina Fernandez has fallen during the last month.
Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 22:12 UTC
Galicia closes a third of mussel polygons because of resurgent bio-toxic red tide

The Xunta of Galicia in the northwest of Spain banned the extraction of mussels in 18 of the 55 floating nurseries of the autonomous region, that is to say, in 32% of the total capacity because of the presence of lipophilic biotoxin.