Stories for 2020

Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:44 UTC
Spain closes nightclubs and bans drinking and smoking in outdoor public areas

Spanish authorities ordered the closure of nightclubs, banned drinking in outdoor public areas, and smoking when keeping a safe distance from people is impossible, among other measures imposed on Friday to try to stem a coronavirus resurgence.
Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:32 UTC
Argentina's social distancing extended until August 30; daily infections are above 7,000

Argentina extended until Aug 30 restrictions taken against the coronavirus, President Alberto Fernandez said on Friday, underlining that the country's lockdown would continue in its current form in and around capital city Buenos Aires.
Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:31 UTC
European Union agrees to buy 300 million doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine

The European Union has agreed to buy at least 300 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine in its first such advance purchase deal, which could weaken plans led by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a global approach.
Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:29 UTC
Taiwan to purchase 66 new generation F-16 fighters; Beijing furious

Taiwan finalized the purchase of F-16 fighter jets from US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin on Friday, in a US$62 billion, a 10-year deal sure to anger Beijing. Underscoring the sensitivity of the transaction, the Pentagon announced the contract without specifying the buyer, but a source confirmed it was Taiwan.
Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:22 UTC
Chile: some 14 million have received some form of social support

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said on Friday that more than one million people had received the government's US$ 626 spot payment aimed at staving off the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and it had approved more than 550,000 requests for soft loans of up to US$ 815.
Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:22 UTC
Argentine soy oil contracts under pressure from “wash out” by Chinese importers

Chinese importers have started to practice “wash out” with Argentine soy oil contracts, which is having an impact on the local industry.
Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:21 UTC
US extends ban on border crossing with Canada and Mexico until September 21

The US Department of Homeland Security said on Friday that a COVID-19 ban on non-essential travel through border crossings with Canada and Mexico was being extended until Sep 21.
Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 08:06 UTC
Latin America must reject Trump’s attempt to leave his mark on the IDB

By Christopher Sabatini (*) The Trump administration’s intemperate, partisan crusade against international institutions has extended to the Western Hemisphere’s most important multilateral bank.
Friday, August 14th 2020 - 10:53 UTC
Ecuadorean popular ex president under house arrest

A judge in Ecuador on Thursday placed former president Abdala Bucaram under house arrest over his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal blamed in the murder of an Israeli prison inmate, the public prosecutor said.
Friday, August 14th 2020 - 10:32 UTC
Conservative party will hold its spring conference in Newport, Wales

The Conservative Party will hold its UK spring conference in Newport, during the run-up to May's Senedd election. The party said up to 8,000 people will attend the event, at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales, and inject £20m into the local economy.