Stories for August 5th 2016

Friday, August 5th 2016 - 21:18 UTC
Rio Games have an international counterterrorism office, a first for an Olympic event

A lot of people are fretting about the safety of the Rio Olympic Games. Zika fears, the notoriously unsafe water in Guanabara Bay, an Olympic venue so filthy that some rowers and sailors are planning to wear protective gear and of course violent crime.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 20:54 UTC
Cuba admits Venezuelan recession is hitting hard: Chavist oil shipments down 20%

Venezuela’s grim situation is impacting not only millions of households around the country: it is also sending panic waves across the Caribbean all the way to Cuba, a solid ally that for decades now has relied heavily on Chavismo’s generosity.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 20:44 UTC
Kerry supports Macri free-market policies but calls for patience: things don't change overnight

United States Secretary of State John Kerry urged Argentina to be patient with the slow pace of economic progress and investments under its new government and praised president Mauricio Macri’s free-market stance.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 20:23 UTC
Argentine human rights leader arrest warrant for alleged involvement in public funds embezzlement

Hundreds of supporters prevented Argentine police on Thursday from executing an arrest warrant against the 87-year-old president of the human rights groups Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in a highly politicized corruption case. Hebe de Bonafini had refused to submit to questioning about the alleged embezzlement of public funds meant for a low-income housing project, “Shared Dreams”, registered in her group’s name.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 20:18 UTC
Kerry delivers declassified documents from the Argentine 1976/83 dictatorship

US Secretary of State John Kerry delivered the first batch of Washington’s declassified intelligence documents dating back to the 1976-1983 Argentine dictatorship to President Mauricio Macri, following through on a commitment made by US President Barack Obama during his March visit to Argentina.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 19:50 UTC
Mercosur founding members agree to disagree, but will hold another round of talks

Mercosur founding members coordinators who met in Montevideo on Thursday to address the controversy over the presidency of the group and the self proclamation to the post by Venezuela, did finally reach some conclusions, but the most significant seems to be that they continue to disagree on the steps to follow and are prepared for another round of talks.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 13:24 UTC
Argentina squid landings very poor; jiggers could anticipate closure of the season

Argentina reports poor results from the current Illex squid season and does not discard an anticipated closure if catches fail to recover. The president of the Argentine Chamber of Jigger Fishing Shipowners (CAPA), Juan Redini confirmed to the portal Pescare that only five to six vessels remain operational between parallels 40° and 42°, but with erratic course and catches.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 13:18 UTC
Clint Eastwood blasts the “kiss-ass generation”, and admits a vote for Trump despite “some dumb things”

Clint Eastwood is a Hollywood legend. He's been a movie icon for decades, the star of the famed “Man With No Name” Spaghetti Westerns and Dirty Harry movies. The 86-year-old Oscar winner is also one of the highest-profile conservatives in the movie business. Or maybe he's one of the highest-profile libertarians but he's not sure which ideological descriptor fits for him anymore.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 12:18 UTC
Moody's lowers Uruguay's banking system outlook to negative: inflation remains main challenge

Moody's has lowered its outlook on Uruguay's (Baa2 negative) banking system to negative from stable on the expectation that asset risks will rise moderately as challenging economic conditions weigh on consumers and businesses alike, and profitability will decline.
Friday, August 5th 2016 - 12:07 UTC
UK admits economy contraction and announces a bold package of stimulus measures

The Bank of England has unveiled a series of stimulus measures in the wake of Brexit, including its first interest rate cut since the global financial crisis (2009), as it tries to jumpstart an economy shocked by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.