Stories for February 26th 2016

Friday, February 26th 2016 - 18:04 UTC
Infantino elected president of FIFA, after a surprise win in two rounds

FIFA elected on Friday Gianni Infantino to replace disgraced president Sepp Blatter in an unexpected turn of events. UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino defeated expected frontrunner Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, former FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan and former FIFA executive Jerome Champagne.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 11:02 UTC
Brazil's Vale reports record losses; puts prime assets on sale to lower debt

Brazilian miner Vale SA put its prime assets on the block on Thursday after taking the biggest loss in decades, but analysts said the target to make $10 billion in 18 months was unrealistic and expressed concern a fire sale could destroy equity value.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 10:19 UTC
Total starts production at Argentine Tierra del Fuego offshore gas field

French oil company Total has started up production at the offshore Vega Pleyade gas and condensate field in the Tierra del Fuego region of Argentina. Operated by Total, the project will have a production capacity of 10 million cubic meters of gas per day (70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d)).
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 07:49 UTC
IMF warns global economy has weakened and is highly vulnerable to adverse shocks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the global economy has weakened further and warned it was “highly vulnerable to adverse shocks” and the weakening has come “amid increasing financial turbulence and falling asset prices”.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 07:46 UTC
French farmers furious with low prices and storm shops selling foreign goods

French government has been trying to defuse the week-long protests by farmers over the collapsing prices of agriculture including cereals, milk and vegetables.The depression of prices is partly due to EU agriculture ministers, who have come under pressure from the French government to ease Russian trade sanctions and to remove excess meat and dairy products off the European market.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 07:19 UTC
Australian icebreaker stranded in Antarctica next to Mawson Station

Freezing winds are continuing to hamper the rescue of 68 people from an Australian icebreaker ship stranded in Antarctica. Aurora Australis was on a supply mission to Mawson Station when it broke its mooring and ran aground in Horseshoe Harbour on Wednesday.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 07:05 UTC
Britain protests 'provocative' incursion in Gibraltar waters by Spanish corvette

Britain has protested to Spain after a Spanish warship “manoeuvred dangerously” during an incursion into British Gibraltar territorial waters, risking collision with a Royal Navy patrol boat.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 06:55 UTC
Petrobras scandal becomes a mincing machine for the political system

Petrobras corruption investigation keeps gobbling Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff former cabinet members, but also political figures from other leading political parties. On Wednesday the Supreme Court authorized formal investigations into Rousseff’s former chief-of-staff, as well as the mayor of the country’s largest city and an opposition senator, for potential corruption.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 06:38 UTC
Falklands' Gentoo penguins practice “kleptoparasitism”, shows study by South African scientist

Penguins in addition to being stealthy swimmers and keen hunters, unique video footage has revealed a dark side: a video camera attached to the back of a gentoo penguin swimming off the Falkland Islands captures a violent underwater scuffle where penguins steal food right out of each other’s beaks.
Friday, February 26th 2016 - 06:19 UTC
Greenpeace celebrates and supports cancellation of Icelandic fin whale hunt

Greenpeace celebrates the 'incredible' news that Iceland has cancelled the fin whale hunt for the current season and underlines that nowadays “there is simply no place for commercial whaling” plus the fact that Iceland and Japan have stockpiles of unwanted whale meat.