The U.S. dollar extended its recent rout to hit three-year lows on Wednesday after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he welcomed a weakening in the dollar. Fears of protectionist trade policies by the United States had already pushed the greenback to a three-year low, and Mnuchin’s remark at the annual Davos summit of business and political leaders pushed it down further.
The economic activity index in Argentina, a proxy for the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rose 3.9% in November from a year before - decelerating from October, when the index posted an annual rise of 5.2%.
Argentine president Mauricio Macri held on Wednesday a meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in which they discussed German investments in Argentina through Private-Public Partnership (PPP).
Chile's Enap Sipetrol has acquired an offshore block, Octans Pegaso, on the Argentine continental shelf off the coast of Patagonia province of Santa Cruz. The block covers 886 square kilometers and is 20kms off Santa Cruz coast at its closest point to land. It was purchased from the consortium made up of Total Austral (35%), Wintershall (35%) and ENI (30%).
New Zealand's fishing industry has found itself at odds with conservationists over whether or not the public should be allowed to see the realities of commercial fishing. In the waters around New Zealand - as many countries - animals including sea birds, dolphins, penguins and sea lions are routinely ending up in commercial fishing nets along with the intended catch.
Donald Trump's alleged hatred of sharks has inspired people to financially support international shark charities. The US president's dislike for the marine animal was revealed last week in an In Touch Weekly interview with adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Travel to the US is falling, a decline some in the tourism industry blame on US President Donald Trump. The number of international visitors fell by 4% in the first seven months of 2017, according to the US National Travel & Tourism Office and the trend occurred across all regions, with Africa and the Middle East reporting some of the most dramatic declines.
The Bank of England has recently introduced a new, more secure UK £10 banknote. The phasing out of the old UK £10 note will take effect in the Falklands as well.
Brazilian assets soared, with the Bovespa surging above 83,000 for the first time ever, and the currency Real surging through 3.20 after three judges in a local appeals court upheld a conviction for corruption imposed last July on ex-President Lula da Silva.
Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, signed on Tuesday a declaration aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation during a press conference at the Kremlin. Macri told Putin that he hoped this marked the first of many visits to the Russian capital and highlighted their countries’ mutual interests.