Stories for January 2015

Friday, January 16th 2015 - 04:58 UTC
US makes it easier for Americans to travel and make business in Cuba

The United States government on Friday will begin making it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba than it has been for more than half a century, opening the door to a new era of contact between neighbors that have been estranged longer than most of their citizens have been alive.
Thursday, January 15th 2015 - 08:45 UTC
Guyana dismisses warning of Commonwealth action for suspending Parliament

Guyana's ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) dismissed a warning from Britain that Guyana risks being referred to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group after the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country suspended Parliament in November last year.
Thursday, January 15th 2015 - 08:13 UTC
Five ways to play the oil price plunge

The collapse of the oil price has created losers and winners, and like every major movement in a commodity sector, the trick for investors is figuring out which side of the trade to be on.The most obvious victim of the slide in Brent and WTI prices over the last 6 months has been the major oil producers. Holders of these equities have seen price slides up to 33%.
Thursday, January 15th 2015 - 07:56 UTC
Mexico's Slim poised to become New York Times Co. largest shareholder

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim is poised to become the largest shareholder in the New York Times Co. after already almost doubling his money from an investment that helped the newspaper get through the financial crisis.
Thursday, January 15th 2015 - 05:42 UTC
Argentine government bluntly rejects 'Iran cover up' accusation as 'nonsense'

Argentina's Presidency Secretary General Anibal Fernandez bluntly rejected the accusations by the prosecutor in the AMIA bombing probe against president Cristina Fernández, foreign minister Hector Timerman and other Kirchnerite officials for allegedly “covering up” Iranian citizens in the investigation.
Thursday, January 15th 2015 - 05:32 UTC
Argentine president accused of 'covering up' Iran's role in Buenos Aires deadly attack

An Argentine federal special prosecutor on Wednesday accused President Cristina Fernandez of seeking to cover up the involvement of Iran in a 1994 terrorist attack on a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires that claimed 85 lives and 300 injured.
Thursday, January 15th 2015 - 05:09 UTC
Premier drastically cuts spending; Falklands projects included in 2015 agenda

UK hydrocarbons producer Premier Oil with strong interests in the Falklands expects to book a 300 million dollars impairment charge due to the plunge in oil prices and plans to cut jobs and investment by 40% compared to 2014, to rein in costs, it said on Wednesday.
Wednesday, January 14th 2015 - 22:46 UTC
Chinese jet fighters, an option to re-equip the Argentine Air Force

China has emerged as a possible supplier of jet fighters to help modernize the Argentine Air Force, depleted since the 1982 Falklands' war, according to reports from Defense News. In effect the FC-1/JF-17’s, 'Thunder' operational with the Pakistani air force and proven in combat could be a suitable, accessible option for the Argentines after the Spanish, French, Israeli offers seem to have fallen through.
Wednesday, January 14th 2015 - 09:31 UTC
World Bank cuts 2015 global growth forecast; however lower oil prices will delay rate hikes

The World Bank on Tuesday cut its global growth forecast for 2015 and lowered the estimate for 2014, as several headwinds mitigate the effects of an improving U. S. economy and plunging oil prices.
Wednesday, January 14th 2015 - 09:19 UTC
Brazil anticipates 'program of targeted tax increases' and 'fare realism' for power and fuel

Brazil's finance minister said on Tuesday a program of targeted tax increases was designed with the intention to not harm fragile growth in Latin America's largest economy. Joaquim Levy also pledged 'fare realism' for electricity bills and fuel prices based on 'business reasons'.