Stories for March 2021

Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 08:05 UTC
Finland turned down Chinese Polar Institute offer to lease an Arctic airport

The city of Kemijärvi in Finnish Lapland turned down an offer made in January 2018 by China’s state-funded Polar Research Institute to buy or lease the city’s airport, after it informed the Finnish Armed Forces. But the matter is only now being made public.
Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 08:00 UTC
Rio's iconic Maracaná stadium to be named Rei Pelé

Brazil’s world-famous Maracana stadium is to get a new name after the Rio de Janeiro state legislature voted on Tuesday to change its official title to the Edson Arantes do Nascimento – Rei Pele stadium.
Wednesday, March 10th 2021 - 07:30 UTC
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members”

Queen Elizabeth II said on Tuesday that the British royals were saddened by the challenging experiences of her grandson Harry and his wife Meghan Markle and promised to privately address revelations about a racist remark about their son.
Tuesday, March 9th 2021 - 09:55 UTC
Retrial of Lula da Silva makes him a formidable rival for Bolsonaro's reelection; financial markets rattled

The decision to annul former president Lula da Silva's conviction had an immediate effect in financial markets and scrambled forecasts for the 2022 Brazilian presidential race, with many investors betting it would polarize voters between right-wing populist president Jair Bolsonaro, and Lula, a left-wing populist but also his greatest opponent.
Tuesday, March 9th 2021 - 09:51 UTC
Biden granting temporary protection status to Venezuelans in US, and in no rush to lift sanctions on Maduro's regime

The Joe Biden’s administration is granting temporary protected status to Venezuelans living in the United States and is also working to coordinate international pressure against president Nicolas Maduro to hold free and fair elections, senior U.S. officials said on Monday.
Tuesday, March 9th 2021 - 09:51 UTC
Oil heading for US$ 70 a barrel on OPEC+ latest decision to retain output cuts

Oil is heading toward US$ 70 a barrel after OPEC+ chose not to relax supply curbs even as the global economy pulls out of its pandemic-driven slump, confounding widespread expectations the group would loosen the taps.
Tuesday, March 9th 2021 - 09:35 UTC
Massive relief package of US$ 1,9 trillion will be addressed Wednesday at US Lower House

REUTERS – The United States House of Representatives will discuss on Wednesday the Senate version of the sweeping US$ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package backed by President Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday.
Tuesday, March 9th 2021 - 09:35 UTC
Colombian fighting continues: 11,000 people have been terrorized and displaced in two months, ombudsman report

REUTERS – Intra fighting continues among armed groups in Colombia and more than 11,000 people have been displaced from their homes so far in 2021 the country's human rights watchdog said on Monday.
Tuesday, March 9th 2021 - 09:31 UTC
Fourth day of protests in Paraguay because of government's handling of the pandemic

Groups of Paraguayans protested around the Congress on Monday, marking the fourth day of protests amid calls to impeach President Mario Abdo over the government's handling of the Covid-19 health crisis.
Tuesday, March 9th 2021 - 09:25 UTC
A third of world travel destinations remain closed to international tourism, UNWTO report

Around a third of 217 world travel destinations’ borders surveyed remain completely closed to international tourists, as concerns grow over the impact of new coronavirus variants, and some governments reverse efforts to ease restrictions, a new report released on Monday by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) revealed.