Economy

• Monday, December 10th 2018 - 05:38 UTC

  Brazil incoming energy minister favors nuclear and wind power; “hydro has reached its limit”

  

  Brazil’s incoming mines and energy minister, Bento Albuquerque, supports more nuclear and wind power development to diversify the country’s energy matrix, while saying hydropower had reached its limit, newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported.

• Monday, December 10th 2018 - 05:30 UTC

  Ecuador expects to renegotiate debt with China; president off to Beijing

  

  Ecuador plans to renegotiate the terms of its debt to China, President Lenin Moreno said ahead of a trip to Beijing, adding that a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for additional financing was possible.

• Saturday, December 8th 2018 - 09:22 UTC

  The idea of a “Norway plus” plan is floated ahead of Tuesday's Brexit vote

  

  The UK should pursue the so-called “Norway plus” option - if Theresa May's Brexit plan is rejected by MPs on Tuesday, according to Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd. In an interview with The Times, Ms Rudd said she still supported the PM's plan - but added a variation of Norway's set-up was the best alternative.

• Friday, December 7th 2018 - 02:32 UTC

  Venezuela, Russia sign bilateral cooperation agreements in Moscow

  

  Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro Thursday announced he had signed a series of bilateral agreements during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The cooperation accords are on mining, oil, telecommunications, weapons and food.

• Thursday, December 6th 2018 - 09:38 UTC

  Commons debate to be focused on Brexit's economic effects

  

  Brexit's economic effects will be the focus of a Commons debate later, as government whips work behind the scenes to gain support for Theresa May's deal. Ministers will say it creates a unique partnership with the EU, while Labour argues it will make people poorer.

• Thursday, December 6th 2018 - 09:32 UTC

  YPF and Malaysia's Petrona committed to invest US$ 2.3bn in Vaca Muerta

  

  Argentina's state-run energy company YPF and Malaysia's Petronas agreed this week to invest US$ 2.3 billion in a shale oil project in Vaca Muerta, with a target of reaching 60,000 b/d of oil equivalent by 2022. The investment will be in La Amarga Chica, where the companies have been testing the shale oil potential since 2015 and have spent US$ 550 million to date in the process, YPF said in a statement.

• Thursday, December 6th 2018 - 09:00 UTC

  Scottish Parliament voted to formally reject UK's draft Brexit deal

  

  The Scottish Parliament has voted by 92 to 29 to formally reject the UK government's draft Brexit deal. SNP, Labour, Green and Lib Dem members at Holyrood backed a motion rejecting the proposals, as well as the prospect of leaving without any deal. However, the parties have not come to a consensus on an alternative plan.

• Thursday, December 6th 2018 - 08:45 UTC

  Argentine manufacturing and construction declines during October

  

  Manufacturing in Argentina fell 6.8% in October year on year, while construction declined 3.7%, and in the first ten months of this year 2.5% and 4.9% respectively according to the Indec statistics bureau report. Firms were hit hard by a contraction in economic activity and the devaluation of the Peso against the US dollar.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 21:40 UTC

  3G cellphone technology reaches Cuban customers, at long last

  

  Cubans will have access for the first time to 3G mobile telephone technology starting this coming Thursday, the state-run telecoms monopoly in Cuba, Etecsa, announced Wednesday.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2018 - 09:33 UTC

  China confident in implementing trade commitments to US “as soon as possible”

  

  Chinese officials have said they are “confident in implementing” trade commitments made to the US “as soon as possible”, without giving details. An ongoing trade war has seen both countries impose duties on billions of dollars of one another's goods.