Stories for 2016

Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 10:18 UTC
Spinach effective in helping detect landmines, according to MIT field work

Scientists have transformed the humble spinach plant into a bomb detector. By embedding tiny tubes in the plants' leaves, they can be made to pick up chemicals called nitro-aromatics, which are found in landmines and buried munitions. Real-time information can then be wirelessly relayed to a handheld device.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 09:48 UTC
Norovirus outbreak in Massachusetts shellfish growing areas

The norovirus which has caused havoc to the cruise industry had emerged in Massachusetts waters forcing the closure of shell fishing within Wellfleet Harbor. The ban imposed by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has been set since October 28, but does not include bay and sea scallop adductor muscles and carnivorous snails, including conchs and whelks.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 08:11 UTC
Argentina 2016/17 wheat production estimated at 14.4m tons and 8m tons exports

Argentina’s wheat production is estimated at 14.4 million tons in 2016-17 and total exports are estimated at 8.03 million tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) said in its latest report. The main market is expected to be Brazil, the historic, natural market for Argentine wheat and flour.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 07:57 UTC
Meirelles insists in overhaul of social security rules to restore public finance order in Brazil

Brazil must push ahead with reforms, including a proposed cap on government spending and an overhaul of social security rules, to restore long-term order to public finances in Latin America's biggest economy, according to the country's finance minister.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 07:30 UTC
CFK says she is a victim of political harassment - equals her case to Lula's

The former Argentine president said she is no friends with entrepreneur Lazaro Baez, who was awarded around 80 percent of all public works in the province of Santa Cruz when governed by her late husband and eventually president Nestor Kirchner.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 05:17 UTC
Argentina and Uruguay involved in hake assessment cruise in the River Plate

Argentina and Uruguay are involved in a joint demersal assessment cruise with the purpose of estimating the hake hubbsi biomass, sizes and age, as well as other resources up to a depth of approximately 300 meters.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 04:59 UTC
Squall hits Piriapolis - all of Uruguay under metheorological orange alert

From 6 am till Tuesday midnight, according to Inumet. Montevideo, Colonia and other key cities are code yellow. Some experts also speak of tornadoes.The Mayor of Maldonado, Enrique Antia, moved to Piriápolis to see first hand the consequences left by the squall that reached 180 kilometers per hour on Monday, and affected several parts of the city.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 02:29 UTC
Maduro and opposition leaders meet under the mediation of Vatican envoys

For the first time in at least two years, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his political team have met with several opposition leaders in attempt to defuse the country’s political crisis. The opposition’s main demand is to revive a suspended a recall referendum that could lead to the ouster of President Maduro. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in recent days to support to recall effort.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 02:16 UTC
Brazil municipal elections runoff ratify “non political” candidates

Marcelo Crivella on Sunday won the mayor's race in Rio de Janeiro, beating leftist Marcelo Freixo by a wide margin. Crivella, with the Brazilian Republican party, garnered 59.35% of the votes to 40.65% for Freixo, who is with the Socialism and Freedom Party.
Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 02:05 UTC
Bank of England governor will step down in June 2019, after Brexit is over

Bank of England governor Mark Carney says he will step down in June 2019. It means he will serve one additional year beyond the five-year term he committed to when he took the post, but will still be two years short of the usual eight years governors serve.