Stories for February 13th 2017

Monday, February 13th 2017 - 16:41 UTC
Argentina expects at least 15 million tons of wheat from the 2016/17 crop

Argentine farmers are expected to harvest at least 15 million tons of wheat in the 2016/17 crop year versus 11.3 million in the previous season, Agriculture Minister Ricardo Buryaile said last week. Wheat planting in Argentina expanded dramatically when President Mauricio Macri eliminated export taxes soon after his December inauguration.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 10:59 UTC
Panama Papers office raided as part of the Petrobras/Odebrecht investigation

The offices of Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the centre of the Panama Papers leak, were raided on 9 February as part of an ongoing investigation into Brazil's biggest corruption scandal, the so called Operation Carwash (“Lava Jato” in Portuguese) involving the state-run oil company Petrobras.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 10:45 UTC
Brazilian police returned on Sunday to patrolling Espirito Santo state

More than 1,200 military police returned to patrols in Espirito Santo on Sunday as the n Brazilian state inched toward normalcy after a protest left a security vacuum that fueled a crime wave. Schools in the state (north of Rio de Janeiro) are scheduled to reopen Monday and public transport will resume a full schedule, the president's office said on Twitter.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 10:14 UTC
Vice-president Pence: Trump looks forward to speaking with president Macri

Argentine president Mauricio Macri and US vice-president Mike Pence spoke last Friday on the phone and agreed that the two countries need to redouble their efforts to enhance job creation and economic growth. The vice-president also noted that president Donald Trump looks forward to speaking with president Macri.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 09:39 UTC
Falkland Islanders must be recognized, says UK ambassador in Argentina

UK is interested in strengthening bilateral relations with Argentina, building confidence, dialogue, leaving aside sanctions and conflicts, and when it comes to the Falklands/Malvinas and sovereignty, “we must recognize Islanders, their wishes, their lives”, indicated British ambassador in Buenos Aires Mark Kent in an interview with Martin Dinatale, political and diplomatic analyst from La Nacion.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 09:33 UTC
OAS Observation Mission Begins Deployment in Ecuador for General Elections

The Organization of American States Electoral Observation Mission (OAS/EOM) to the general elections and referendum that will be held in Ecuador on February 19 began its deployment this week.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 09:20 UTC
Mercosur/EU technical discussions in Brussels ahead of Buenos Aires meeting

Mercosur representatives will be meeting their European Union counterparts this week, beginning Monday, in Brussels in anticipation of another round of trade and cooperation discussions scheduled for March in Buenos Aires. Mercosur members, under the coordination of Argentina, which currently holds the group's chair are attending with a common position reached after several days of videoconferences.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 09:14 UTC
Some 200 stranded whales in New Zealand managed to refloat, but 350 have died

Some 200 stranded whales in New Zealand managed to refloat themselves overnight and swim away, while volunteers managed to save another 17 whales at high tide. More than 650 pilot whales had beached themselves along Farewell Spit at the tip of the South Island in two separate mass stranding over recent days.
Monday, February 13th 2017 - 09:07 UTC
Falklands: Red Cross advance team collects information for forensic team

The International Red Cross mission which spent nine days in the Falklands gathering information and finalizing plans for the team that will identify Argentine unknown soldiers buried in the Darwin cemetery sometime in June/July, have left the Islands.