Stories for March 13th 2017

Monday, March 13th 2017 - 18:52 UTC
Airbnb raises US$ 1 billion to expand operations; company valued at US$ 30bn

Airbnb has raised around US$1bn in a funding round to expand its operations, the San Francisco- based start-up revealed in a SEC filing last Thursday. The Series F funding round commenced in June 2016 and by September last year it had managed to raise about US$550m. Investors such as Alphabet's venture capital arm GV, had then purchased stake in the start-up for US$105 per share.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 18:41 UTC
Four states challenge Trump's second travel ban

Attorneys general in four states from the United States announced that they will try to block the Trump administration's revised executive order on travel in court, pushing for the temporary restraining order that halted the first order to remain intact.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 18:34 UTC
Repsol announces largest onshore oil discovery in the US in three decades

Spanish oil firm Repsol SA has announced the largest onshore oil discovery in the U.S. in three decades, a 1.2 billion barrel find on Alaska’s North Slope. Repsol has been actively exploring in Alaska since 2008 and finally hit a big one. The find came after drilling two wells with its partner, Armstrong Oil & Gas.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 14:40 UTC
Federal Reserve expected to raise interest rate on Wednesday

Robust hiring by United States employers in President Donald Trump's first full month in power, along with rising wages, have economists tipping a faster-than-anticipated cycle of interest rate increases by the US Federal Reserve, beginning this week.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 12:11 UTC
A third of Argentina's population live in poverty, according to the Catholic Church

Argentina urban poverty rate rose to 32.9% in the third quarter of 2016, which means 13 million people due to a precarious labor market and lack of long-term development policies, according to a report presented last week by the Social Debt Observatory from the Argentine Catholic University (UCA).
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:46 UTC
Brazil ready to launch satellite to protect transfer of national security information

Brazil will launch its first own satellite to protect the transfer of privileged national security information while boosting the broadband capacity of the country later this month. The Geostationary Satellite Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite (SGDC) will be launched on March 21 from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. The event is taking place nearly a year after the original launch plan of April 2016.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:39 UTC
UK's £50bn Brexit “divorce bill”: follow the example of PM Thatcher, says Boris

Boris Johnson has told the BBC that Britain should reject any EU demands for a £50bn “exit bill” and follow the example of former PM Margaret Thatcher. It has been reported that EU negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must continue to pay into the EU until 2020.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:30 UTC
EU should be “open and generous” to UK citizens, says European Parliament leader

British citizens should be able to choose to keep various benefits of EU membership including the freedom of movement after Brexit, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator has said. Guy Verhofstadt said he hoped to convince European leaders to allow Britons to keep certain rights if they apply for them on an individual basis.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:21 UTC
Commons vote on Brexit bill; MPs are asked “not to tie the prime minister's hands”

UK secretary David Davis has urged MPs to back the Brexit bill and insisted the UK would be prepared, if it has to leave the EU with no deal in place. The Brexit secretary urged MPs not to “tie the prime minister's hands” over MPs getting a final vote on the deal and on EU citizens' rights in the UK.
Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:06 UTC
Queen's leads Commonwealth Day celebrations with a peace, respect and understanding message

Queen Elizabeth has highlighted respect and understanding between nations as the key to peace in her annual message to the Commonwealth. The Queen's address to 2.4 billion citizens promotes this year's Commonwealth Day theme of “a peace-building Commonwealth”.