Stories for February 2018

Wednesday, February 7th 2018 - 07:50 UTC
Venezuela desperate after US dollars; greenback costs 228.000 Bolivars in the black market

Venezuela’s central bank announced a devaluation of more than 99% of its official exchange rate with the launch of a new foreign exchange platform, a move critics quickly said would not create a functioning currency market.
Wednesday, February 7th 2018 - 07:37 UTC
Expedition cruise vessel to be launched in 2020 will have its own submarine and helicopter

Scenic Cruises is planning to create another exclusive, expedition-style ocean vessel that boasts of its own submarine and helicopter. The Australian-owned cruise operator mentioned that the soon-to-be-launched 228-passenger Scenic Eclipse would be getting a sister in 2020 and it would be known as the Scenic Eclipse II. She is schedule to sail Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 09:31 UTC
Paraguayan guerrilla frees two Mennonite men held hostage, following ransom payment

A Paraguayan guerrilla group has freed two Mennonite men it had been holding hostage for five months. The two were released after their families paid a ransom and handed over food to local communities, Paraguayan media report.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 09:22 UTC
Brazilian judge overturns injunction and allows the export of live cattle

Brazil’s government has won a court decision allowing the export of live cattle, overturning an injunction obtained by an animal rights group, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 09:17 UTC
Ecuadorean president wins referendum, barring Correa's hopes of reelection

Ecuadoreans on Sunday voted to prevent presidents from holding more than two terms in office, according to the elections council, a win for President Lenin Moreno that blocks his mentor-turned-adversary Rafael Correa from returning to power. The results from the referendum, called by Moreno, roll back a measure Correa pushed through Congress in 2015 to allow unlimited presidential re-election.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 09:05 UTC
CAA looking into airlines seating policies to ensure they are “fair and transparent”

A review is being launched into airlines' seating policies, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority has said. It will examine whether companies are deliberately splitting up groups of passengers so they pay to sit together. Airlines allocate seating via computer algorithms.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 08:26 UTC
Tillerson praises Macri's leadership in the region in favor of democracy

President Mauricio Macri received US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday at the Olivos official residence. During the forty minutes meeting the main issues of the Argentina/US bilateral agenda were addressed, according to a release from the Argentine Executive office.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 08:12 UTC
Trucks strike threatens Argentine cereal exports and soy crushing industry

A protest by grain transporters in Argentina could leave exporters and crushers operating without soy, corn and wheat, an industry group said on Monday.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 08:01 UTC
Costa Rica presidential runoff between evangelical preacher and ex minister

Costa Rica’s presidential election is headed to a runoff after no candidates secured enough votes to win outright. The top vote-getter, evangelical preacher Fabricio Alvarado, is expected to face his closest opponent, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, a former labor minister, April 1. Alvarado won nearly 25% of votes on Sunday to Alvarado Quesada’s 22%.
Tuesday, February 6th 2018 - 07:51 UTC
US stocks Monday plunge erasing 2018 gains; economy fundamentals are strong, says White House

United States stocks plunged in highly volatile trading on Monday, with both the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials indices slumping more than 4%, as the Dow notched its biggest intraday decline in history with a nearly 1,600-point drop and Wall Street erased its gains for the year.