DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Taking Account of Rising Health Care Costs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Josh Ocampo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Navigating the health care system in the United States can often feel like being lost in a maze. For that reason, Chris Hamby, an investigative reporter, has devoted much of his five-year career at The New York Times to guiding readers through such dizzying questions. His latest article, which was published online this month, explored the complex subject of insurance bills. Last year, Mr. Hamby began investigating MultiPlan, a data firm that works with several major health insurance companies, including UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and Aetna. After a patient sees an out-of-network medical provider, the insurer often uses MultiPlan to recommend how much to reimburse the provider.

Persons: Chris Hamby, Hamby, MultiPlan Organizations: The New York Times, Times Locations: United States, Cigna, Aetna

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — With China sitting out the first two diving events, other nations got a chance to shine on Day 1 of the World Aquatics Championships. Australia's Alysha Koloi won the women's 1-meter springboard, while the British squad led by Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley claimed gold in the mixed team. At last year's world championships in Fukuoka, China won 12 of 13 events and captured 19 medals in all. Daley, who won a gold medal in the 10-meter synchro at the Tokyo Olympics, claimed his first international title since taking a year-long break from the sport. The other members of the Australian bronze medal team were Li Shixin, Maddison Keeney and Nikita Hains.

Persons: Australia's Alysha Koloi, Tom Daley, Grace Reid, Egypt's Maha Amer, Amer, Daley, Scarlett Mew Jensen, Daniel Goodfellow, Andrea Spendolini Sirieix, Gabriela Agundez Garcia, Randal Willars Valdez, Jahir Ocampo Marroquin, Aranza Vazquez Montano, Cassiel Rousseau, Rousseau, Li Shixin, Maddison Keeney, Nikita Hains, ___ Organizations: China, British, Olympic, Tokyo, Paris Games Locations: DOHA, Qatar, China, Doha, Paris, Fukuoka, Cairo, U.S, Arkansas, Florida, Australia

☆ Colombia's Petro Denies Calling for Cabinet Resignations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Colombian presidents frequently request mass, 'protocol' cabinet resignations in order to make changes to the government, though these are not guaranteed. The three government sources said had Petro asked for the resignations of his ministers during a meeting on Wednesday evening. Rather than the president demanding their resignations, ministers offered to resign, Agriculture Minister Jhenifer Mojica said during a presentation near capital Bogota. Petro last called for ministers' resignations in April after a debate on a health reform was abandoned by the lower house of congress. (Reporting by Oliver Griffin and Luis Jaime Acosta; Additional reporting by Carlos Vargas; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Persons: Oliver Griffin, Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA, Gustavo Petro, Petro, Jhenifer Mojica, Jorge Ivan Gonzalez, Ricardo Bonilla, Jose Antonio Ocampo, Luis Jaime Acosta, Carlos Vargas, Sandra Maler Organizations: Finance Locations: Bogota

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors charged a man Monday with four counts of murder in the fatal shootings of three homeless men in Los Angeles and a suburban resident last month. The Los Angeles resident was then identified as a suspect in the killings of the three homeless men when a firearm found in his car was linked to those shootings, authorities said. The motive for the killings of the homeless victims was not known, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said during a weekend press conference announcing the arrest. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesJose Bolanos, 37, was found dead with a gunshot wound around 3 a.m. on Nov. 26 in an alley in South Los Angeles, police said. In Orange County, California, a man was charged with killing four homeless men in a series of stabbings from late 2011 to early 2012.

Persons: Jerrid Joseph Powell, Powell, Michel Moore, Jose Bolanos, Mark Diggs, Nicholas Simbolon, “, George Gascón, ”, Itzcoatl Ocampo, Ocampo, cleanser Organizations: ANGELES, — Prosecutors, Los Angeles County, Attorney's, Los, Los Angeles Police, Police, Authorities Locations: Los Angeles, San Dimas, South Los Angeles, Lincoln, Beverly Hills, ”, Angeles County, Las Vegas, Orange County , California

☆ Argentina investors on edge as Milei decides who to put in economic hot seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | Thomson Reuters | Jorgelina Do Rosario Is Emerging Markets Correspondent At Reuters Based In London | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Who is appointed...as central bank president and economy minister, and the details of an urgent economic stabilization plan without a majority in Congress, will be the key for asset prices in the days ahead." The Economy Ministry is always a hot seat, with Argentina a nine-time debt defaulter caught in a decades-long boom-and-bust cycle. Milei will take office on Dec. 10 after beating ruling Peronist coalition Economy Minister Sergio Massa. "Milei said that he is going to reorganize the central bank instead of imploding it or shutting it down. The new economy minister will have to negotiate a new programme with the IMF "relatively quickly" to avoid entering arrears with the fund, Morgan Stanley said on Monday.

Persons: Milei, Macri, Javier Milei, Milei's, embolden Milei, Armando Armenta, defaulter, Sergio Massa, Hans Humes, Humes, Carlos Rodriguez, Roque Fernandez, Dario Epstein, Emilio Ocampo, Mauricio Macri, Juan Manuel Pazos, Pazos, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley ´, Massa, Jorgelina, Adam Jourdan, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Monetary, Ministry, Peronist, Economy, Greylock Capital Management, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BUENOS AIRES, South, AllianceBernstein, New York, Argentina, Argentine, Buenos Aires, Washington, refinance, Santiago del Estero, Formosa, Rosario

☆ How the Nigerian military fatally shot a young captive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

The Nigerian government and military – including the presidency, Ministry of Defence, defence headquarters and army leaders – did not respond to detailed questions for this story. Various entities have accused Nigerian security forces of other abuses in connection with killings of civilians and captives. Two security force members told Reuters they saw multiple prisoners brought out of the barracks and shot after the fighting ceased. Tweets from Nigerian defence headquarters in Abuja show the military declared the hostilities over shortly after 11 a.m. Nine shots fired A uniformed security force member shot nine rounds at the young captive, pulling the trigger at least seven times, according to forensic audio experts who listened to the recording at Reuters’ request.

Persons: Melanie O’Brien, –, Ocampo, Christopher Musa, Musa, ” Musa, “, extrajudicially, Michael Oluoha Agi, ’ ”, ”, Boko, ‘ Allahu akbar ’, Yahaya, Haram, Biu, Bellingcat, Belllingcat, Chris Olukolade, Emmanuel Emeka, Emeka, Reade Levinson, David Lewis, Tim Cocks, Carlos Gonzales, Paul Carsten, Daphne Psaledakis, Stephanie van den Berg, Youri van, Adolfo Arranz, Sam Hart, Feilding, Julie Marquis, Alexandra Zavis Organizations: Reuters, International Association of, Nigerian, Ministry of Defence, ICC, Islamic, Human Rights Commission, United Nations, Twitter, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, U.S . State Department, U.S, Boko, Civilian, Task Force, Defence, Facebook, 231, Battalion, 331 Artillery Regiment Locations: Geneva, Nigeria, Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, Nigerian, United States, Britain, U.S, Biu, Boko Haram, Abuja, Largema

[1/4] Residents in vehicles attempt to leave the city of Stepanakert following a military operation conducted by Azerbaijani armed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians, September 24, 2023. Whatever the history and the lack of independent reports on events inside the isolated territory, several international legal experts believe the mass flight fits the legal definition of a war crime. For Azerbaijan, however, retaking control of Nagorno-Karabakh helps to redress the traumas of 1988-94. "It would almost assuredly result in the forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the widespread commission of genocidal atrocities, reflecting those committed in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020 and subsequent hostilities," it said. "If the Armenians of Artsakh were to be displaced ... it would result in the genocidal destruction of a people, as the Artsakh Armenians would lose their distinct identity."

Persons: Vladimir, Hikmet Hajiyev, Ilham Aliyev, Priya Pillai, Melanie O'Brien, Pillai, O'Brien, Luis Moreno Ocampo, it's, Thomas de Waal, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg, Andrew Grey, David Lewis, Kevin Liffey Organizations: HAGUE, University of Minnesota, International Association of, Big, International Criminal Court, ICC, Lemkin Institute for Genocide, Thomson Locations: Stepanakert, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russian, Azerbaijan, Republic of Artsakh, Soviet Union, Armenia, Yerevan, Brussels, Baku, Peace, Artsakh, Nairobi

☆ Opinion: A mountaintop enclave facing genocide. And a plan to stop it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Opinion Lara Setrakian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Local Armenian authorities have vied for independence from Azerbaijan for decades, leading to an ongoing political and military conflict. Since December, the Lachin Corridor, the main road into the mountaintop enclave, has been blocked by Azeri protesters and government forces, who stopped the normal flow of goods. Multiple monitoring groups say there is widespread food scarcity on the ground, with child and adult malnutrition setting in. Last Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, voicing US concern over what he called “the deteriorating humanitarian situation” facing Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. The fastest path would be for Azerbaijan to restore movement along the Lachin Corridor, letting in aid from the ICRC.

Persons: Lara Setrakian, Luis Moreno Ocampo’s, Tom Lantos, Lara Setrakian Heidi Gutman Nagorno, Ocampo, ”, Antony Blinken, Ilham Aliyev, Blinken, Aliyev, Cross, Mary Asatryan, “, —, KAren Minasyan, shouldn’t Organizations: Applied Policy Research Institute, Twitter, CNN, Criminal Court, Rights, Soviet Union . Local, International Committee, Reuters, Court, Justice, ICRC, Stepanakert Medical, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Institute for War, Karabakh, Facebook Locations: Yerevan, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Soviet, Russian, Mary Asatryan Azerbaijan, Baku, Aghdam, EU, Soviet Union, Nakhichevan, Syria, Sarajevo, Darfur, Russia, Turkey, Israel

☆ Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh fear for future under blockade
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —Ani Kirakosyani found out she was pregnant a month after the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh began. “If not for the blockade, I would be playing with my child today,” Kirakosyani told CNN. He told CNN that before the blockade he had received most of his produce from Armenia. I only have one week left until the shop closes and I am jobless,” he told CNN. Meanwhile Russia, which brokered the ceasefire in 2020, has peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor but has refrained from intervening further.

Persons: Ani Kirakosyani, Kirakosyani, ”, ” Kirakosyani, Gegham Stepanyan, Tom Lantos, Cross, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Arayik Harutyunyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Mary Asatryan Max Mkhitaryan, Mary Asatryan, Brendan Hoffman, Ronald Suny, Azerbaijan’s, Ilham Aliyev, –, ” Harutyunyan, Peter Stano, Harutyunyan, Maria Zakharova, Artyom, Anahit, Vahe Gevorgyan, ” Gharaghazaryan Organizations: CNN, International Association of Genocide, Artsakh, Rights, International Committee, ICRC, Criminal Court, Armenian, Stepanakert Medical, University of Michigan, …, United States State Department, EU, Reuters, European Union, Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia, Hamline University, UN Security, “ Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Haterk, Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Republic, Armenia, Artsakh, Stepanakert, Soviet Union, Turkey, Baku, … Baku, Azerbaijani, Aghdam, EU, Russia, United States, Ukraine

Small farms with natural landscape features such as shade trees, hedgerows and tracts of intact forest provide a refuge for some tropical bird populations, according to an 18-year study in Costa Rica. For almost two decades, ornithologist James Zook has been collecting detailed records on nearly 430 tropical bird species found on small farms, plantations and undisturbed forests in the country. While birds thrive the most in undisturbed rainforests, Zook said some species usually found in forests can establish populations in “diversified farms” that partially mimic a natural forest environment. “In these diversified farms, you see growth over the long term in bird species with specialized needs,” such as safe and shady nooks to build nests and a variety of food sources, Hendershot said. Three-quarters of the 305 species found in diversified farms showed stable or growing populations over the time of study.

Persons: James Zook, Zook, ”, Nicholas Hendershot, Hendershot, Natalia Ocampo, “, Ruth Bennett, University of California’s Ocampo Organizations: Stanford University, National Academy of Sciences, “, University of California, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, University of California’s, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Costa Rica, Santa Cruz

☆ Are Armenians Being Ethnically Cleansed — Again? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With its Russian torture chambers and slaughter of civilians, the war in Ukraine is horrifying enough. But what if another country is taking advantage of the distraction to commit its own crimes against humanity? You probably haven’t heard of Azerbaijan’s brutality toward an ethnic Armenian enclave called Nagorno-Karabakh, but it deserves scrutiny. “There is an ongoing genocide against 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he wrote in a recent report. We tend to think of genocide as the slaughter of an ethnic group.

Persons: Luis Moreno Ocampo, ” Organizations: Criminal Locations: Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Sudan’s Darfur

☆ How Mexican narcos use remittances to wire U.S. drug profits home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +28 min

Now the news agency is the first to detail how Mexican drug gangs have harnessed legitimate remittance networks to repatriate their U.S. drug profits, and the factors that make this activity so difficult for authorities to detect and thwart. But authorities say Mexican drug cartels are piggybacking on this legal network to repatriate earnings from U.S. narcotics sales. A Reuters search of Mexican court records dating back to 2012 turned up no cases involving money laundering through remittances. Still, prosecutors in those cases mentioned several of those firms in court documents because they said the defendants had used their platforms to wire drug money. His office did not respond to requests for comment about law enforcement allegations that Mexican cartels are using remittances to launder drug money.

Persons: Money, ”, “, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ” Jorge Godínez, ” Godínez, John Cornyn of, Chuck Grassley, ” Grassley, pocketing, John Horn, remitters ”, Horn, – Oscar Gustavo Perez, Bernal, Itzayana Guadalupe Perez, Susan Fiorella Ayala, Chavez –, Los, –, Jose Luis Rosales, Ocampo, Josue Gama, Perez, Thania Rosales, Dulce Rosales, – Ana Lilia Leal, Martinez, Ana Paola Banda, Maria de Lourdes Carbajal, Henri Watson, Carbajal, Sigue, Sangita Bricker, Transfast –, ” Sigue, Transfast, fanny, Juan de Dios Gámez, Rubén Rocha, BanCoppel, Banorte, hadn’t, El, López Obrador, ” López Obrador, Signos, Signos Vitales, Oquitoa, Enrique Cardenas, Tim Walz, Keith Ellison Organizations: Sinaloa Cartel, Reuters, Jalisco New, Mexican, WorldRemit, ., National Intelligence, narcos, U.S, Republican U.S, Treasury, U.S . Department of, U.S ., Financial Intelligence Unit, “, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Los Rosales, Kansas City, ”, Leal, IDT Corporation, IDT, Mastercard, Express Cellular, Prosecutors, IRS, Western Union, U.S . Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, ‘, Banco Azteca, Elektra, World Bank, Minnesota, Caborca Locations: CULIACÁN, Mexico, Mexican, Culiacán, Sinaloa, United States, Jalisco, U.S, Colorado, Union, Americas, London, John Cornyn of Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado , Georgia , Ohio , Oklahoma , Texas, Virginia, Washington, Georgia, Atlanta, Columbus, Rosales, Nayarit, Michoacan, Missouri, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Miami, , New Jersey, Ria, Kansas, California, New York, Western, Sinaloan, Costa Rica, BanCoppel, India, China, Mexico City, Minnesota, Arizona , Colorado , Florida , Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Oquitoa, Sonora

☆ Armenia-Azerbaijan: 'Reasonable' to believe genocide being committed, former ICC chief prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor has said there is “reasonable basis to believe that genocide is being committed against Armenians” in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been battling over the region for decades. On Monday, UN experts urged Azerbaijan to lift a blockade on the Lachin corridor, the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. An Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entry of the Lachin corridor, the Armenian-populated breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region's only land link with Armenia, on July 30. “It is essential to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals during this critical time,” they added.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Ocampo, KAren Minasyan, Vahe, Josep Borrell, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Karabak Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, UN Security, Deputy, European Union, EU Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Eastern Europe, Western Asia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Netherlands, UNHCR, Azerbaijani

☆ A Real Estate Reporter Interested in Interest Envy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Josh Ocampo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In July, Ronda Kaysen, a Real Estate reporter for The New York Times, put out a call to readers. She wanted to learn how homeowners and prospective buyers felt about their mortgage rates. During the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to bolster the economy. This drove up home prices, and, as the Federal Reserve has raced to bring inflation under control, mortgage rates have surged. For an article that appeared in last Sunday’s newspaper, Ms. Kaysen corresponded with 35 homeowners across the United States.

Persons: Kaysen, ” Organizations: The New York Times, Federal Reserve Locations: Ronda Kaysen, United States

☆ Colombia’s President Replaces Market-Friendly Finance Minister in Cabinet Reshuffle
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Juan Forero | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Gustavo Petro has seen some of his signature proposals stall in Congress or run into political opposition. Photo: Oliver Contreras/Bloomberg NewsBOGOTÁ, Colombia—Colombian President Gustavo Petro , a leftist who has pressed for broadscale social reforms in eight months in office, replaced his market-friendly finance minister on Wednesday amid the breakup of his congressional coalition. José Antonio Ocampo, a Columbia University professor who was seen by the markets as a stabilizing force, was replaced as finance minister in a cabinet shuffle that saw seven ministers ousted. The shake-up weakened the long-battered Colombian peso and sent bonds tumbling.

☆ Creepy photos reveal the microscopic world of parasitic creatures thriving on sandy beaches worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Rebecca Strong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Nematodes are typically less than 1 millimeter in length, so Bik and her team use powerful microscopes to study them. This particular species — known as the Ceramonema — is commonly found on underwater mountains in the deep sea. Jim Baldwin and Manuel Mundo-OcampoWhat sets these nematodes apart are the complex wave-like patterned plates covering their entire body. "There are so few scientists working on these species and there's so much sand out there," Bik said. "If you grab a bit of sand outside your doorstep or at your local beach, you're probably holding hundreds of new species."

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Zambia needs "desperate debt relief" and agreements under a Group of 20 restructuring vehicle are proving difficult, the World Bank's managing director of operations said on Thursday. "In the last two years, we have seen the limitations of the common framework," Axel van Trotsenburg told a panel at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, moderated by Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni. Zambia has become a test case for the G20-led "Common Framework" restructuring vehicle launched during COVID-19 to streamline debt restructuring efforts as poorer countries buckle under the fallout from the pandemic hit. "Right now we have negotiations where there is not an established debt sustainability framework. What you see in the discussions is that different creditors are challenging all the underlying assumptions," van Trotsenburg added, without specifying which creditors he was referring to.

☆ Davos 2023: Global trade rethink: 'race of the big pockets'?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SummarySummary Companies US climate bill concerns dominate Davos trade talkSome fear "rich-country game" of rising state subsidiesRevamped globalisation must benefit all, Davos toldDAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The United States pitched its vision of "worker-centric" trade. "I am very concerned," World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Three decades of free global trade have, the International Monetary Fund estimates, lifted more than a billion people out of extreme poverty. The United States notably built into its trade pact with Mexico a mechanism for identifying and dealing with the denial of worker rights. U.S. Trade Representative Tai told a panel on Wednesday the United States wanted to "lead a conversation" on a new version of globalisation.

☆ Davos 2023: Colombia pushes LatAm corporate tax accord
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Colombia is looking to supplement a global deal setting minimum tax levels for multinationals with an additional accord among its fellow Latin American countries, finance minister Jose Antonio Ocampo said on Tuesday. Ocampo said the OECD-brokered deal, which is expected to take effect in 2024, did not adequately reflect the interests of many developing economies. And there is still a bias in favour of (countries that host) the headquarters of multinationals," he said in Davos. Ocampo said he was approaching Brazil and Chile initially with the proposal, and planned to discuss it with Mexico. For daily Davos updates in your inbox sign up for the Reuters Daily Briefing hereReporting by Mark John in Davos; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo' review: HBO shines a light on decades of alleged abuse within a mega-church
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Spanning decades, “Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo” is another #MeToo story, this time on a disturbingly epic scale, exploring alleged sexual abuse that occurred across generations in a Guadalajara, Mexico-based mega-church, and the victims that eventually rose up to speak out. Founded in 1926, La Luz Del Mundo (Spanish for “The Light of the World”) says it has branches around the world, carrying the word of God from a designated apostle chosen from the ranks of its guiding family. CNN has reached out to La Luz Del Mundo for comment. While HBO’s poster for “Unveiled” features the line, “Bringing the truth into the light,” time will tell whether that light turns out to be the best disinfectant. “Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo” premieres December 6 at 9 p.m.

☆ Colombia could be open to buying Venezuela's Monomeros -Finance Minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Colombia could be open to buying Venezuelan fertilizer maker Monomeros, Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo said on Wednesday, at a time when higher fertilizer prices have contributed to inflationary pressure. Though Monomeros is based in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, it is owned by Pequiven, which is a unit of Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA. The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro regained control of Monomeros' board of directors in mid-September, following a couple of years when it was controlled by opposition leader Juan Guaido. The recent changes to Monomeros' management occurred at a time when relations between Colombia and Venezuela - particularly in economic and military cooperation - have strengthened, following the election of Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Reporting by Carlos Vargas and Nelson Bocanegra Writing by Oliver Griffin Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Colombia finance minister opens door to international financing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Colombia Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo on Thursday opened the door to possible financing in international markets for the Andean country, if the recent trend in falling borrowing costs continues. The South American country has already met its targeted debt level in foreign and local markets this year. Ocampo had previously shut down the possibility of looking for financing in international markets in recent months due to the high costs of debt caused by rising interest rates worldwide, saying Colombia would focus on multilateral banking instead. "If this trend (of decreasing international financing costs) continues, as we have seen in recent days, the possibility of going to the private international market will also be open for the government," Ocampo said at a forum in Bogota. Reporting by Carlos Vargas and Nelson Bocanegra; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cleveland Cavaliers win eighth straight, down LeBron James and struggling Los Angeles Lakers, 114-100
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Just a week after Halloween, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers continued their scary start to the season, losing 114-100 to a hot Cleveland Cavaliers team and falling to 2-7 on the year. The Lakers have only won a single third quarter this season, and that poor post-intermission trend came back to haunt them once again. The Cavs blew away the Lakers, starting the half with a 13-4 run and outscoring Los Angeles 29-16 in the quarter. “We were playing catch-up.”James shooting against his former team in what was to be the Lakers' seventh loss of the season. “They did a great job in the offseason of picking up a big-time player,” James said after the game about Mitchell and his former team.

☆ Colombia Unnerves Markets With Higher Taxes on Oil, Wealth to Boost Antipoverty Spending
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Kejal Vyas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BOGOTÁ, Colombia—Colombia is set to increase taxes on wealthy individuals and extractive industries to pay for antipoverty and rural development initiatives, as the leftist government grapples with a fall in the peso that has outpaced that of most emerging market currencies. Investor concerns over the government’s progressive platform are overblown, Finance Minister José Antonio Ocampo said in an interview Friday. He said critics are generating hysteria that has led to a 20% drop in the peso’s value against the U.S. dollar since President Gustavo Petro took office Aug. 7.

☆ Colombian $4 billion tax reform becomes law, duties on oil and coal hiked
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Carlos Vargas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Colombia's Congress on Thursday approved a tax reform bill that will raise an additional 20 trillion pesos ($4 billion) annually for the next four years, in part through increased duties on oil and coal. The new law, the centrepiece of new President Gustavo Petro's economic policies, seeks to fund social projects and put the country's public finances in order. The new law states that oil companies will be taxed an additional 5% when international prices are between $67.3 and $75 per barrel. Oil and mining companies will also not be able to deduct the value of royalties from income taxes. ($1 = 5,015.84 Colombian pesos)Reporting by Carlos Vargas; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Ocampo"

25 mentions found