Stories for July 2019

Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:53 UTC
Brazil stimulus plan will allow workers to withdraw money from severance fund

Brazil hopes to inject US$ 11.2 billion into its slowing economy after announcing a plan Wednesday to put some extra cash in the pockets of workers. Workers will be allowed to withdraw up to 500 reais (US$ 133) this year and a certain percentage in 2020 from a severance fund that employers are required to pay into.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:49 UTC
Petrobras sells off a majority share of its distribution branch

Brazilian oil giant Petrobras says it’s already sold off its majority share in its fuel distribution branch, and hopes the total sale will raise about US$ 2.5 billion. Petrobras said on Wednesday it now has a 41.25% stake in the Petrobras Distribuidora unit, down from the 70% before the sale started Tuesday.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:44 UTC
YPF hires an LNG tanker to ship Vaca Muerta shale gas to global markets

Argentina's YPF said on Thursday it reached a preliminary agreement with Texas-based Excelerate Energy to hire an LNG tanker for shipping cargoes to global export markets, as the state-backed energy company seeks to offload a growing surplus of shale gas production.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:40 UTC
“City-killer asteroid” zoomed past the Earth with little previous detection

A large asteroid barely known to science zoomed past the Earth on Thursday, speeding by within 73,000km of the planet. That might sound far but it's about a fifth of the distance to the Moon, scientists said, and a pretty close call.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:34 UTC
Bolsonaro and Economy minister cell phones hacked: four suspects arrested

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's cell phones were allegedly targeted by a group of hackers who are also accused of breaching the devices of the investigators in a massive corruption probe, the justice ministry said on Thursday.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:29 UTC
Armed men steal US$ 40 million in precious metals from Brazil's busiest airport

Armed men stole US$40 million of gold and other precious metals on Thursday from a Sao Paulo cargo terminal at South America's busiest airport, taking two hostages, police said. Several of the suspects arrived at the Guarulhos airport in a black pickup truck with livery resembling Brazil's federal police, according to security footage.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:25 UTC
Spain's socialist president Sánchez has two months to avoid a new election

Spain's caretaker socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez lost a crunch post-election vote of confidence on Thursday after coalition talks with the far-left failed, pushing the country closer to repeat polls.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:19 UTC
Uruguay/US lesbian couple's teenage attackers will face youth court in London

British police on Thursday charged four teenage boys over an alleged homophobic attack on a lesbian couple who refused to kiss in front of them on a London night bus.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:08 UTC
US reinstates capital penalty: five inmates in death row waiting for pentobarbital injections

The US Justice Department on Thursday reinstated a two-decades long-dormant policy allowing the federal government's use of capital punishment and immediately scheduled the executions for five death row federal inmates.
Thursday, July 25th 2019 - 09:37 UTC
Johnson/Macri, a ten-year friendship since they were mayors of London and Buenos Aires

The Argentine media is pointing out that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Argentine president Mauricio Macri first met when they were mayors of London and Buenos Aires, --and full of ambitions--, and have since had a cordial standing personal relation. The first meeting took place at the Davos summit, Switzerland, in January 2009, and according to witnesses the chemistry was immediate.