Stories for 2018

Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:36 UTC
US shale oil output surge set to influence world market in next five years

United States shale oil output is set to surge over the next five years as drillers recover rapidly from a three-year slump, the International Energy Agency said, sharply upgrading its previous growth forecasts. A landmark deal in 2017 between OPEC and other oil producers including Russia to curb output in order to battle a global glut materially improved the outlook for other producers as oil prices rose sharply throughout the year, the IEA said.
Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:30 UTC
YPF plans shale oil and gas production to increase 35% during 2018

Argentina’s state-owned oil company YPF SA expects shale oil and gas production to grow 35% in 2018, as costs in the Vaca Muerta shale play continue to fall, Chief Financial Officer Daniel Gonzalez said. Still, declining production in mature fields means overall hydrocarbon output will fall 2 to 3% in 2018 after a 5.3% reduction in 2017, Chairman Miguel Gutierrez said.
Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:21 UTC
EU readies list of US goods to be hit by taxes if Trump imposes tariffs

Motorbikes, whiskey and T-shirts are among the US goods that could be hit by EU taxes if the US imposes import tariffs on steel and aluminum. The EU has drawn up a target list of 100 US goods worth €2.8bn (US$3.5bn), the BBC understands.
Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:16 UTC
NASA satellites help discover super-colony of Adelie penguins in Antarctica Danger Islands

A thriving “hotspot” of 1.5 million Adelie penguins, a species fast declining in parts of the world, has been discovered on remote islands off the Antarctic Peninsula, surprised scientists. The first bird census of the Danger Islands unearthed over 750,000 Adelie breeding pairs, more than the rest of the area combined, the team reported in the journal Scientific Reports.
Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:14 UTC
Trump's top economic advisor stepping down after losing trade policy battle

Top economic adviser Gary Cohn is leaving the White House after breaking with President Donald Trump on trade policy, the latest in a string of high-level departures from the West Wing.
Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 07:32 UTC
UK threatens Russia with robust response if ex spy and daughter have been poisoned

Britain has threatened a “robust” response if it is proven that Russia is behind the apparent attempted killing of a former double agent. Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found collapsed in their home town in southern England on Sunday, showing symptoms of poisoning.
Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 06:36 UTC
Lula closer to prison, but remains undisputed front-runner in the presidential election

Former Brazilian President Lula da Silva is a step closer to prison. A panel of judges on Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice on Tuesday rejected Lula da Silva’s request for an injunction that would prevent him from being imprisoned as he appeals a corruption conviction.
Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 06:08 UTC
Chilean president presents constitutional reform a week before leaving office

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet is ending her term with an ambitious proposal for a new constitution that would ensure equal pay for men and women and strengthen guarantees of the right to strike. Bachelet sent the proposal to Congress on Tuesday, just five days before she leaves office.
Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 10:00 UTC
Trump speaks openly of a “trade war”; links tariffs on steel and aluminum to a redrafted Nafta

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the U.S. is not backing down on its decision to impose 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% tariffs on imported aluminum products. Before a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested Mexico and Canada could be exempted from the planned tariffs if a new and “fair” North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is reached.
Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 09:54 UTC
Forget Berlusconi: Italy has become a major setback for the European Union

Italy's general election on Sunday has so far resulted in a hung parliament, with the country's Euro skeptic Five Star Movement emerging as the single party with the most votes. The centre-right coalition headed by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expected to gain between 248 and 268 seats and a 37% vote share, which is still short of a majority. Some 316 seats are needed to form a government.