Stories for October 5th 2018

Friday, October 5th 2018 - 12:19 UTC
Datafolha survey says pessimism has a grip on Brazilians as elections approach

A poll by Datafolha released Wednesday indicates the majority of Brazilian voters, especially young people, are pessimistic about the country's future.Datafolha interviewed 3,240 voters in 225 cities nationwide. The poll is said to have a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 11:59 UTC
Former S. Korean President Lee Myung-bak sentenced to 15 years for corruption

A Seoul court Friday found former President Lee Myung-bak guilty of corruption and handed down a 15-year jail sentence on him, who thus became the fourth ex-South Korean leader to be criminally convicted.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 09:22 UTC
“My flag is the union of the Brazilian people, defend the family and combat violence”, pledges Bolsonaro

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian extreme right presidential candidate is leading in opinion polls and also has good strategists. On prime time Thursday when the seventh and last debate of presidential candidates, which he did not attend on medical recommendations, Bolsonaro had a long interview aired at the same time, at his home, in which contrary to his firebrand rhetoric he transmitted a clearly conciliatory message.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 09:03 UTC
Industrial activity in Argentina down 5.6% in August and 0.8% in last 12 months

August data for industry was only a slightly better figure than the previous month – in July, a decline of minus 5.7% was witnessed. In June, the sharpest, most pronounced fall of the year was witnessed: 8.1%, year-on-year.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 08:58 UTC
Cristina Fernandez and children to face trial for alleged money laundering

Former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her children, Florencia Kirchner and Máximo Kirchner, will face trial on alleged money-laundering allegations after a federal judge this week decided to elevate his investigation, sending it to oral and public trial. Disgraced Kirchnerite business allies, Lázaro Báez, Cristóbal López and Fabián De Sousa will also face trial.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 08:53 UTC
Ex Argentine president Menem acquitted of arms shipments to Croatia and Ecuador

Argentina's highest criminal court acquitted former President Carlos Menem of smuggling arms shipments to Ecuador and Croatia in the 1990s when both countries were involved in armed conflicts, overturning a 2013 conviction.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 08:36 UTC
Argentine Peso slips on Thursday on prospects of higher US interest rates

Argentina’s Peso fell on Thursday, pressured by the recession-hit country’s dismal inflation outlook and higher U.S. interest rates that have pushed capital away from riskier emerging markets and toward the greenback, local traders said. The peso shed 1.85% to close at 38.4 per dollar after having gained 9.58% over the previous three days under a freshly-renegotiated International Monetary Fund financing deal that calls for tougher fiscal and monetary policy measures.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 08:34 UTC
Haddad accuses Bolsonaro's team of fake news about him and his family

The leading leftist candidate for Brazil's presidency accused front-runner Jair Bolsonaro of spreading falsehoods about him and his family on social media, as new polls showed the far-right candidate's lead widening with days before the vote. The accusations marked a shift in strategy for Workers' Party candidate Fernando Haddad, who had earlier avoided direct attacks on Bolsonaro.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 08:34 UTC
Facebook facing potential £1.2bn fine for a data breach affecting 50 million users

Facebook is facing a potential £1.2bn fine for a data breach which allowed hackers to access the personal information of 50 million users. The Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC), the lead supervising authority for Facebook in the EU, officially opened its investigation this week after the social media giant admitted hackers could have accessed the accounts of millions of users through a “vulnerability” last Friday.
Friday, October 5th 2018 - 08:26 UTC
Trump's strategy for midterm elections: China meddling in US politics, the villain

Vice-president Mike Pence on Thursday accused China of military aggression, commercial theft and rising human rights violations as he cast the Asian power as a villain bent on interfering in upcoming US elections.