Stories for October 12th 2018

Friday, October 12th 2018 - 22:06 UTC
Carcigenous BA underground trains to be scrapped

Used underground trains purchased from Spain for Buenos Aires' B Line in 2011 are now to be scrapped after finding they were made of an alloy containing carcigenous asbestos.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 15:48 UTC
Pivotal South African politician Pik Botha dies, aged 86

Roelof Frederik “Pik” Botha, who served as South Africa’s apartheid-era Foreign Affairs Minister for 17 years until 1994 and then joined Nelson Mandela's Cabinet, passed away at a Pretoria hospital on Thursday night. He was 86.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 15:11 UTC
Chile's finance minister defends newest, sharpest increase in fuel price

Chile's Finance Minister Felipe Larraín justified the seventh increase in as many weeks in the price of petrol because the Fuel Price Stabilization Mechanism (Mepco) has subsidized 50 million dollars so far this year.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 14:36 UTC
Argentine security minister draws spotlight on complicity between social leaders and drug rings

Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich Thursday took aim before Congress at an alleged complicity between “certain social movements” and drug trafficking in villas de emergencia (shanty towns).
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 09:05 UTC
Bolsonaro pledges support for a non ideologized Mercosur; praises Macri for ousting Dilma Kirchner

Brazil’s far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro has promised to continue his country's participation in the Mercosur trading bloc but says he will move it away from “ideology”.“The Mercosur has value but it was disfigured by the PT (Brazil's Workers' Party)”, Bolsonaro said at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. “I won’t abandon the Mercosur but it won’t continue to be guided by ideology”, he added.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 09:05 UTC
Chile wants lithium traded on the London Metals Exchange

Chile has called for lithium to be traded on the London Metals Exchange to provide greater “clarity” about its value, mining minister Baldo Prokurica said. At present, lithium producers negotiate contracts with buyers but the terms of the deals are not made public. Critics say this lack of clarity has a chilling effect on potential new investment in the market since the metal’s value cannot be precisely measured.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 08:54 UTC
Brazilian presidential candidates call for an end to politically motivated violence

The two presidential candidates who will square off in Brazil's runoff this month are calling for an end to politically motivated violence. Numerous cases of violence were reported in the week before the first round of voting on Sunday and have been ongoing since then. The second round of voting is scheduled Oct. 28.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 08:54 UTC
Volatile session in US markets with indexes continuing the several sessions slide

Wall Street indexes continued their slide in Thursday’s volatile session as investors worried about rising interest rates and braced for a trade war hit to corporate earnings a day ahead of the quarterly reporting season kickoff.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 08:47 UTC
International condemnation of Venezuelan government over suspicious death of elected councilor

Questions and condemnation of Venezuela's leadership poured in this week following the suspicious death of an opposition councilman and activist who authorities say evaded justice by throwing himself from the 10th floor of political police headquarters' building.
Friday, October 12th 2018 - 08:43 UTC
Despite poor weather Argentina expects a 2018/19 wheat crop of 19 million tons

Frost and a lack of rain could scale back Argentina's wheat crop for the 2018-19 season, which is currently seen at a record 19.7 million tons, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said on Thursday.