Stories for March 2019

Friday, March 8th 2019 - 08:44 UTC
Major blackout in Venezuela; Caracas in complete darkness: “light will return when Maduro is removed”

Most of Venezuela has been hit by a continuing electricity blackout that began on Thursday afternoon. The power cut plunged the capital Caracas into almost complete darkness during rush hour and has extended to the vast majority of the country.
Friday, March 8th 2019 - 08:25 UTC
Trump's campaign manager sentenced to 47 months in prison; next week Manafort faces another conviction

United States president Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison on Thursday for tax crimes and bank fraud. It was the stiffest sentence yet given to an associate of the president in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling - but significantly lighter than many expected for the 69-year-old political consultant.
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 19:04 UTC
WTTC: Travel & Tourism to drive post-Brexit recovery

Travel & Tourism can be a major growth sector for the UK after Brexit, according to new research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:59 UTC
Falklands coordinates distressed yacht Paradise rescue; injured crew member will be helicoptered to Stanley

Early morning Thursday a helicopter from the Falkland Islands will be lifting ashore from the search and survey vessel Seabed Constructor, a Luxembourg national who suffered head injuries during the capsizing of the French flagged yacht Paradise in the South Atlantic.
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:53 UTC
Argentina and Brazil markets open Wednesday with steep losses

Latin American stocks hovered near 2019 lows on Wednesday led by steep losses in Argentina and Brazil which resumed trading after a two-day Carnival holiday, while currencies of oil exporters in the region fell as crude prices came under pressure. MSCI's index of Latin American stocks fell 1.3%, tracking losses across the region, barring Chile and Colombia which ended higher.
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:46 UTC
Argentina and UK coordinating joint SAR operations and logistics in Antarctica

Argentina and UK are holding their second defense bilateral meeting in Buenos Aires, following on last year's first round held in London which put an end to fourteen years of interruption under the administrations of the Kirchner couple.
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:44 UTC
Argentina's start of new school year postponed by teachers' strike

Argentina’s new school year, scheduled to start on Wednesday, was widely postponed until next week by a three-day strike by teachers who say their wages are not keeping up with inflation.
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:06 UTC
Peru opens military base in the Amazon to tackle illegal mining and deforestation

Peru opened this week a military base in the Amazon in a bid to tackle illegal mining, the main culprit for deforestation in the world's largest rainforest. “The government has taken the political decision to be present in this region to eradicate illegal mining,” said Defense Minister Jose Huerta at the inauguration of the base in the Tambopata nature reserve.
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:06 UTC
Brits love holidays in Spain: 14 million holidayed in sunny Spain in 2017

Brits love a holiday and whether we’re looking for a beach getaway or a city break, the next flight is often not too far away. But which long haul and short haul destination is the UK’s favorite? How long do we stay and how much do we spend? Newly collected travel data reveals UK’s favorite holiday destinations.
Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:05 UTC
Trump frustrated: US trade deficit soars to a 10-year high

The US trade gap with the rest of the world jumped to a 10-year high of US$ 621bn last year, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump's deficit reduction plan. The trade deficit is the difference between how much goods and services the US imports from other countries and how much it exports.