Stories for July 26th 2019

Friday, July 26th 2019 - 11:00 UTC
Royal Navy begins escorting UK flagged ships sailing the Strait of Hormuz

Great Britain’s Ministry of Defense announced that British Royal Navy will protect UK-flagged ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions soar in the Persian Gulf over tanker detentions.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 10:58 UTC
Venezuela's Defense minister condemns opposition's plan to rejoin regional military assistance treaty

The Venezuelan defense minister said that the Venezuelan Armed Forces condemn the Juan Guaido-led opposition's plans to re-join the Rio Treaty. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty) is “an instrument of domination and interventionism that goes against independence and sovereignty of peoples.”
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 10:11 UTC
Northern Europe literally frying in all time high temperatures; train travelers told to delay trips

Paris on Thursday baked in an all-time high temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius as a ferocious heatwave smashed records across northern Europe, sparking concerns about public health and causing new misery for rail travellers.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 10:06 UTC
China/Brazil meeting: “pragmatism will prevail” anticipate Bolsonaro hard liners

Brazil's foreign minister has made clear that there is no love lost for Beijing on his part, but when he sits down with his Chinese opposite for the first time on Thursday analysts expect pragmatism to prevail.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:59 UTC
Argentina's economy lifting out of recession: activity rises in May for the first time in a year

Argentina’s economic activity rose for the first time in over a year in May, a rare boost for President Mauricio Macri as he looks to dig the South American country out of a crippling recession ahead of presidential elections later this year.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:56 UTC
Brazil's highest court orders Petrobras to refuel two Iranian grain vessels

Brazil’s top court on Thursday ordered state-run oil company Petrobras to refuel two Iranian grain vessels stranded on the Brazilian coast due to U.S. sanctions holding up sales of fuel needed for their return trips.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:53 UTC
Brazil stimulus plan will allow workers to withdraw money from severance fund

Brazil hopes to inject US$ 11.2 billion into its slowing economy after announcing a plan Wednesday to put some extra cash in the pockets of workers. Workers will be allowed to withdraw up to 500 reais (US$ 133) this year and a certain percentage in 2020 from a severance fund that employers are required to pay into.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:49 UTC
Petrobras sells off a majority share of its distribution branch

Brazilian oil giant Petrobras says it’s already sold off its majority share in its fuel distribution branch, and hopes the total sale will raise about US$ 2.5 billion. Petrobras said on Wednesday it now has a 41.25% stake in the Petrobras Distribuidora unit, down from the 70% before the sale started Tuesday.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:44 UTC
YPF hires an LNG tanker to ship Vaca Muerta shale gas to global markets

Argentina's YPF said on Thursday it reached a preliminary agreement with Texas-based Excelerate Energy to hire an LNG tanker for shipping cargoes to global export markets, as the state-backed energy company seeks to offload a growing surplus of shale gas production.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:40 UTC
“City-killer asteroid” zoomed past the Earth with little previous detection

A large asteroid barely known to science zoomed past the Earth on Thursday, speeding by within 73,000km of the planet. That might sound far but it's about a fifth of the distance to the Moon, scientists said, and a pretty close call.