Stories for January 2nd 2018

Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 11:19 UTC
Busiest air route in North America is Mexico City/Cancun with 3.7m pax

A new study shows that Mexico City to Cancun is the busiest air route in North America. Almost 3.7 million passengers traveled the 1,294 km journey between Mexico City Juarez and Cancun in the twelve-month period between November 1, 2016 and October 31, 2017, putting it at the top of the study’s rankings. The average cost of a ticket was US$72.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 11:13 UTC
Panama Papers enable tax authorities worldwide to recoup US$ 500 million

More than US$500 million has been recouped by tax authorities worldwide after the Panama Papers revelations, first published in April 2016. Spain alone collected US$122 million after an investigation into the affairs of tax residents who had stockpiled money offshore. Among the countries represented in the Panama Papers data, a total of 15 – on three continents – have publicly commented on the amount of taxes recovered by tax authorities.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 11:07 UTC
Airbus closes a deal for a 430 aircraft order valued at US$ 49.5bn

Airbus announced that it had finalized agreements with Indigo Partners and its four portfolio airlines for the purchase of 430 additional A320neo Family aircraft for ultra-low-cost airlines Frontier Airlines (United States), JetSMART (Chile), Volaris (Mexico) and Wizz Air (Hungary).
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 11:03 UTC
Berlusconi looks as kingmaker for 4 March general election; Merkel wished him good luck

Italians will head to the polls on 4 March in elections that look set to result in renewed instability and thrust former leader Silvio Berlusconi back to the centre of the political stage. Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's cabinet set the date for the election after President Sergio Mattarella dissolved parliament.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 10:58 UTC
Brexit: First quarter of 2018, “point of no return” for financial services industry

The clock is ticking for the financial services industry, with banks said to be months away from being forced to act on Brexit contingency plans that could see thousands of jobs leave the UK. The first quarter of 2018 has been dubbed the “point of no return” for banks, insurers and asset managers as the industry calls on the UK to clinch a transition period that would extend market access to the EU beyond March 2019.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 10:53 UTC
Japan prepared to lift its ban on beef imports from Uruguay

Japan is planning to lift a ban on beef imports from Uruguay next year, ending a more than 17-year embargo following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the South American nation in 2000, according to government sources in Tokyo.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 10:44 UTC
Royal Mint coins to celebrate Frankenstein, the Armistice, Women's vote and RAF

The United Kingdom will make new coins this year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein’’ as well as commemorate a century since women started gaining the right to vote. Designs on special two-pound coins will also honor the end of the First World War and the creation of the Royal Air Force in 1918, the U.K.’s Royal Mint said in a statement.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 10:20 UTC
Hyperinflation that degrades any salary increase

A new salary increase arrived to Venezuela -the seventh in a year-, but the purchasing power of Venezuelans continues insignificant compared to the high price of low supply due to hyperinflation. While it is not possible to slow down the variation of prices in the different products of the basic basket, any wage increase is insufficient and exacerbates the problem. In one year, salary increased 511%, while inflation in 2017 closed at 2.735%, the highest in the world.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 07:27 UTC
New Year in Uruguay begins with a raft of goods and services price increases

New Year has taken off in Uruguay with a raft of utilities' rates increases which includes power, fuels, drinking water, telecommunications, urban bus fares, plus extra taxes on tobacco and gambling. Inflation in the twelve months to November was 6.30%.
Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 - 06:55 UTC
Icebreaker Irizar calls at Ushuaia on her 2017/18 Antarctica campaign

Argentina's flagship of Antarctica operations is back after ten long years. The refurbished icebreaker ARA Almirante Irizar, called at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, on New Year before leaving for the 2017/18 summer campaign.