Stories for 2019

Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 09:03 UTC
Venezuela approves a new, privately run, foreign exchange system; dollar sells at 3.200 Bolivars, 34% dearer

Venezuelan authorities on Monday approved a new, privately run foreign exchange system that will operate in parallel to the official currency control system, as an emboldened opposition challenges President de facto Nicolás Maduro.
Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 09:03 UTC
US tightening the noose: Venezuelan oil proceeds will be withheld from Maduro's government

The US has imposed sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil firm PDVSA and urged the country's military to accept a peaceful transfer of power. National Security Adviser John Bolton said President Nicolás Maduro and his allies could “no longer loot the assets of the Venezuelan people”. Efforts by the opposition to unseat Mr Maduro have increased in recent days.
Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 09:01 UTC
Bolsonaro recovering after a nine-hour operation; General Hamilton Mourao acting president

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has undergone surgery to remove a colostomy bag he had fitted after he was stabbed in the stomach on the campaign trail in September. He is expected to be on strict bed rest for two days after the operation, a presidential spokesman said.
Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 09:01 UTC
Mrs. May willing to support amendments but insists in no delay for the Brexit withdrawal date

The United Kingdom government will support a backbench amendment to the Brexit deal that calls for the planned Irish backstop to be replaced by “alternative arrangements”. Tory MPs will be told to vote for Sir Graham Brady's proposal when the Commons votes on a series of amendments to Theresa May's plan on Tuesday.
Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 09:00 UTC
EU mocks UK parliament: withdrawal agreement debate was “uninhibited by any knowledge” of what it actually contained

There is a high risk of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal by accident, the EU's deputy chief negotiator Sabine Weyand has said. She added there was “full ownership of what was agreed” in the EU, but “no ownership” of it in the UK Parliament. And it was a challenge to see how a majority for any deal could be built among MPs, she added.
Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 08:43 UTC
Brazilian government considering management overhaul at miner Vale SA

Brazil’s government weighed pushing for a management overhaul at miner Vale SA on Monday as grief over hundreds feared killed by a dam burst turned into anger, with prosecutors, politicians and victims’ families calling for punishment. By Monday, firefighters in the state of Minas Gerais had confirmed 65 people killed by Friday’s disaster, in which a burst tailings dam sent a torrent of sludge into the miner’s offices and the town of Brumadinho.
Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 08:36 UTC
Vale's market value plunges US$ 16,4bn on Monday, following on the dam burst

Brazilian miner Vale SA’s shares plunged on Monday, wiping out nearly 62 billion reais (US$ 16.4 billion) in market value, after a tailing dam collapse on Friday killed at least 65 people and left 292 missing with slim hopes for recovery. Vale shares were down 21.5% in Sao Paulo morning trading, at 44.70 reais. The company suspended dividend payments late on Sunday.
Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 08:30 UTC
Investors confident of Brazil: Net FDI flows equaled 4.7% of GDP in 2018

Brazil’s current account deficit doubled last year as economic growth fueled demand for foreign goods and services, while foreign investment reached its highest share of GDP since 2001, the central bank said on Monday.
Monday, January 28th 2019 - 09:33 UTC
Cuba: Three dead and 170 injured after tornado passage through Havana

At least three people lost their lives and more than 170 were wounded on Sunday night by the onslaught of a tornado in Havana as a result of an extratropical drop from the Gulf of Mexico that transits the territory of the island, local media confirmed.
Monday, January 28th 2019 - 09:32 UTC
Brazilian prosecutors looking into expanding the case against mining companies

The Brazilian prosecutor running talks to settle a lawsuit over a 2015 tailings dam rupture at the Samarco mine says the deadly dam burst at the mine run by Vale in Brumadinho could scramble those sensitive negotiations.