Politics

Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 10:07 UTC
Bolivian elections on October 20, not to coincide with Argentina and Uruguay

General elections in Bolivia will now be held on Sunday, October 20, a week earlier than first planned, in order not to clash with elections in Argentina and Uruguay scheduled for October 27. Bolivia's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) confirmed the decision this week.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 10:02 UTC
EU fines Google €1.49 billion for blocking rival online search advertisers

Google was fined €1.49 billion ($1.7 billion) on Wednesday for blocking rival online search advertisers, in the third large European Union antitrust penalty for the Alphabet business in two only years.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 09:45 UTC
Citigroup plans to sell US$ 1.6bn of Venezuelan gold held on collateral

Citigroup Inc plans to sell several tons of gold placed as collateral by Venezuela’s central bank on a US$ 1.6 billion loan after the deadline for repurchasing them expired this month, sources said Reuters, a setback for President Nicolas Maduro’s efforts to hold onto the country’s fast-shrinking reserves.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 09:40 UTC
Fed confirms it does not expect to raise interest rates in 2019

The US Federal Reserve does not expect to raise interest rates for the rest of 2019 amid slower economic growth. After a two-day meeting, monetary policymakers voted unanimously to keep the US interest rate range between 2.25%-2.5%.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 09:36 UTC
Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay re-launch bid for 2030 World Cup

Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay re-launched their bid to host the 2030 World Cup following a meeting of their presidents in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. The four national presidents committed to creating a local organizing committee with a representative from each country to coordinate with CONMEBOL, South American football's governing body.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 09:20 UTC
US markets drop following on Trump's remarks about trade talks with China

US stocks have fallen after President Donald Trump said his administration was considering leaving tariffs on China for a “substantial period”. Mr. Trump said that a trade deal with Beijing was “coming along nicely”, but his comments dampened hopes a deal would be reached soon. US negotiators are due to visit China next week to resume talks.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 09:00 UTC
Digital sex crime epidemic in South Korea; secret filming of some 1.600 hotel rooms

Four men have been arrested in South Korea, accused of secretly filming 1,600 hotel room guests and selling the footage via a website. Mini-cameras were installed in TVs, hair-dryer holders and sockets. The men allegedly earned US$ 6,200.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 07:38 UTC
Venezuela: UN human rights report confirms massive abuses and killings by government forces

The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, warns political divisions in Venezuela are worsening an already critical human right and humanitarian situation in the country. In a report presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council, Bachelet urged the dissenting factions to resolve their political differences.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 06:41 UTC
Bolsonaro's aura and approval ratings rapidly fading

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's approval rating plunged in March, a poll showed Wednesday, after a series of political scandals tarnished his anti-corruption image.
Thursday, March 21st 2019 - 06:30 UTC
Mercosur farmers protest Bolsonaro's decision to allow US wheat imports free of tariffs

Farmers in Brazil and Argentina are concerned about Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's agreement to import 750,000 tons of wheat from the United States and other countries outside the Mercosur trade bloc without the 10% tariff that is usually required for such purchases.