Stories for December 2018

Friday, December 28th 2018 - 09:05 UTC
Buenos Aires public transport rates up 40% in three months, beginning January

The Argentine government announced on Thursday new increases in public transport rates, some 40% on average that will apply from next January to travel by bus, train and metro.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:55 UTC
Oil prices remain under pressure from US stockpiles and concerns with the global economy

Oil prices jumped as much as 3% on Friday to win back a chunk of the ground they lost in the previous session, but growth in U.S. crude stockpiles and ongoing concerns about the global economy kept markets under pressure.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:52 UTC
MPs urging a “more meaningful role” in ratifying deals, beginning with Brexit

Parliament must be given a veto over any trade deals the UK signs after Brexit, a committee of MPs has urged. Ministers hope to begin negotiating deals with key partners once the UK leaves the EU in March and start implementing them from 2021 onwards.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:49 UTC
Sir David Attenborough still has hope for the future of the planet

Sir David Attenborough says he still has “hope” for the future of the planet. But the Blue Planet and Dynasties narrator says that human beings have to turn their gaze away from themselves.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:44 UTC
Pakistan to resume negotiations with Mercosur for a free trade agreement

Pakistan has officially requested to resume negotiations with Mercosur for a free trade agreement, with discussions expected to begin in early 2019. Islamabad believes it is an opportunity to bridge the trade deficit with countries of the South American bloc.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:40 UTC
Chile, “darling” of foreign investors has seen number of slums double since 2011

The number of slums in Chile, one of Latin America’s most prosperous and stable economies, has nearly doubled since 2011, the government said, as an influx of migrants increasingly faces a lack of low-income housing and rising rents.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:35 UTC
Indonesia volcano activity on the rise: exclusion area expanded and flights rerouted

The alert level for Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has been raised to the second-highest level possible, after a series of eruptions, while all flights around the volcano have been rerouted and a 5km (three-mile) exclusion zone has also been imposed.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:27 UTC
French operator purchases majority stake in Gatwick Airport, UK’s second busiest

A majority stake in Gatwick Airport is to be sold to French operator Vinci Airports for £2.9bn. Vinci Airports, part of infrastructure group Vinci, will buy 50.01% of the UK's second-busiest airport. The other 49.99% will be managed by current owners Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 07:43 UTC
Buenos Aires passes law allowing athletes to compete under perceived gender

The Argentine Province of Buenos Aires has signed into law a bill whereby athletes shall be allowed to compete both professionally and as amateurs in accordance with their perceived gender.
Thursday, December 27th 2018 - 21:59 UTC
Peru's GDP forecast to go up in 2019 thanks to private investment, domestic consumption

Peru's gross domestic product (GDP) is set to expand 3.7% this year and the next, boosted by the good performance of private investment and consumption, according to The Economist.