Stories for March 2015

Monday, March 30th 2015 - 10:32 UTC
US economic growth cools in the fourth quarter and profits take a hit from strong dollar

US economic growth cooled in the fourth quarter as previously reported and after-tax corporate profits took a hit from a strong dollar, which could undermine future business spending. GDP expanded at a 2.2% annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday in its third estimate of GDP. That was unrevised from the forecast the government published last month.
Monday, March 30th 2015 - 09:34 UTC
Carnival and associates to incorporate nine new cruise vessels by 2022

Carnival Corporation enters into strategic partnerships to add nine cruise ships to its fleet over a four-year period starting in 2019; shipbuilders Fincantieri and Meyer Werft to each build next-generation cruise ships for Carnival Corporation through two separate, long-term partnerships, reports Maritime Link.
Monday, March 30th 2015 - 07:13 UTC
Falklands economy main contributor is fishing industry: 34% of GDP in 2012

Measured by GDP, fishing is the most important industry in the Falkland Islands and in 2012 contributed 34% to GDP, according to the State of the Falklands Economy report from the FIG Policy Unit.
Monday, March 30th 2015 - 06:58 UTC
Falklands' oil industry advances despite the fall in oil prices, according to FT

A recent piece from the Financial Times points to the fact that despite the remoteness of the Falkland Islands, the fall of international oil prices and the ongoing conflict with Argentina, this has not impeded small oil and gas companies from going ahead with exploration, and hopefully before 2020 production, in the Islands waters.
Monday, March 30th 2015 - 06:47 UTC
Citibank suspended in Argentina “until it revokes agreement with Griesa and holdout funds”

Economy Minister Axel Kicillof said the suspension of Citibank Argentina, ordered by the National Securities Commission (CNV) financial watchdog, will stay in place until the bank revokes its agreement not to appeal US Judge Thomas Griesa’s ruling that interest payments on Argentina's restructured local law bonds could not be processed if the bank was allowed to make two one-off payments to help it exit its local custody business.
Monday, March 30th 2015 - 06:32 UTC
French local elections confirm come back of Sarkozy and containment of Marie Le Pen

The far-right National Front (FN) made only limited gains in French local elections won by ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy's conservatives. The anti-immigrant, anti-EU party is likely to have won up to 108 local council seats, from holding only one currently. But they will have too few in any one of the 102 “departements” to control any of them, updated Sunday exit polls showed.
Monday, March 30th 2015 - 06:20 UTC
Cruise lines are preparing for the Cuban rush of US tourists

Although U.S. tourists are still technically banned from visiting the Caribbean country, one of the world's last remaining authoritarian regimes, the process of normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba has the cruise industry ready to pounce, according to Maritime Link.
Sunday, March 29th 2015 - 09:47 UTC
Sea Shepherd receives unexpected help in the 100-day chase of poacher

One of Australia's biggest commercial fishing businesses has joined forces with militant environment group Sea Shepherd in an unheralded bid to stop pirate fishing boats. David Carter, from Perth-based Austral Fisheries, said the company was joining forces with Sea Shepherd because it wanted to lend moral support to the group's efforts to stamp out poaching.
Saturday, March 28th 2015 - 11:52 UTC
Antarctica floating ice shelves thinning at an unexpected accelerated rate

Scientists have their best view yet of the status of Antarctica's floating ice shelves and they find them to be thinning at an accelerating rate. Fernando Paolo and colleagues used 18 years of data from European radar satellites to compile their assessment.
Saturday, March 28th 2015 - 11:46 UTC
Gibraltar Deputy Chief Minister lobbies Democrats and Republicans in US Congress

Gibraltar Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Joseph Garcia highlighted the long and historic relationship between Gibraltar and the United States during a series of meetings in Washington. In a busy schedule Dr Garcia held meetings at the offices of both Democratic and Republican members of Congress on Capitol Hill.