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☆ Carnival cruise passengers said other cruisers cheered — and jeered —when their ship rescued 24 migrants adrift at sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Carnival cruise ship rescued 24 migrants lost at sea last week, two passengers told Insider. A spokesperson for the company said cruise ships often come to the aid of boats in distress. "It makes your heart sad when you know these people are so desperate," Senn told Insider. A Carnival spokesperson told Insider that the ship's medical team found all 24 people to be in good condition. Though primarily designed as vacation vessels, large cruise ships often come to the aid of those in peril on the sea.

☆ FARC dissident group says to start peace talks with Colombian government in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Julia Symmes Cobb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, April 16 (Reuters) - Dissident FARC rebels who rejected a landmark peace agreement in 2016 said on Sunday they are ready to set up a dialogue with the government on May 16 to begin peace talks to bring their group, the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), out of the armed conflict. The group, made up of 3,530 people - 2,180 combatants and 1,350 auxiliaries - has maintained a bilateral ceasefire with the Colombian government since the beginning of the year. The other dissident FARC faction is the Segunda Marquetalia, which in August 2019 returned to the armed struggle, claiming that the state failed to comply with the peace agreement. Petro's government reestablished peace talks with the rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the two parties seek to advance towards a bilateral ceasefire agreement in a third round of talks to begin soon in Cuba. Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb, Additional reporting by Nelson Bocanegra Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cuba's fuel shortages due to supplier nations not delivering, says president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People wait in line for the arrival of a fuel tank truck in Havana, Cuba, April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, April 14 (Reuters) - Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the island's ongoing gasoline shortages were caused by countries contracted to supply the fuel not complying with their requirements due to "a complex energy situation." Besides car owners, truckers, taxi drivers, tourists and public transport have all been hit by the shortages. Diaz-Canel underlined that the shortages were a result of "non-compliance" from the supplier nations, rather than inefficiencies or issues within the country's energy institutions. Venezuela, one of Havana's political allies, has for decades supplied Cuba with oil from its state oil firm PDVSA under a cooperation agreement signed in 2000.

Mehta pressed him, for example, on if being dominant in search means that Google's search engine will improve faster than its competitors. In particular, he said, Google should not have made agreements with Apple that requires that Google be the default search engine. Google argued in court filings that the payments at issue are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business.

Mehta pressed him, for example, on if being dominant in search means that Google's search engine will improve faster than its competitors. Google's Schmidtlein replied: "Offering a superior product, winning business on the merits is never unlawful." Google has argued in court filings that the payments at issue are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business.

Google has argued in court filings that the payments are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. The case is being heard by Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business. A group of states led by Texas also sued on ad tech in 2020 while states led by Utah filed a lawsuit in 2021 saying the company broke antitrust law in handling its play store.

☆ New world body to defend Olympic status in break from IBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - A group of national federations including the United States and Britain announced a new boxing world body on Thursday in a breakaway move aimed at securing the troubled sport's Olympic future. Leaders of the Swiss-registered body, World Boxing, told a news conference that they would seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The group includes federations who have already announced boycotts of this year's men's and women's world championships organised by the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA). Amateur boxing's governing body defied IOC guidance and lifted a ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers competing under their flags last October. The United States tops the all-time Olympic boxing medal table with 50 golds and 117 medals, ahead of Cuba and with Britain third.

[1/3] Texas National Guard vehicles are pictured along the U.S.-Mexico border in downtown in El Paso, Texas, U.S., January 4, 2023. REUTERS/Paul RatjeWASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - U.S. and Cuban officials discussed migration issues on Wednesday as the Biden administration braces for the end of COVID-era border restrictions that have blocked Cubans in recent months from crossing into the United States from Mexico. After Biden adopted more restrictive border security measures in January, the number of Cubans and other migrants caught at the border plummeted. However, the Biden administration is preparing for a possible rise in illegal crossings with COVID restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border set to lift on May 11. Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Marco Bello/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The United States and Cuba will hold another round of migration talks on Wednesday, officials said, as the Biden administration braces for the end of COVID-era border restrictions that have blocked Cubans in recent months from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. This week's meeting "represents a continuation of our long engagement with Cuba on migration matters as neighboring states and is limited to the topic of migration," a U.S. State Department official said on Monday. "Ensuring safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration between Cuba and the United States remains a primary interest of the United States, consistent with our interest in fostering family reunification, and promoting greater respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba," the State Department official said on condition of anonymity. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested 176 Cubans at the southwest border in February, down from nearly 43,000 in December. The restrictions, known as Title 42, allow U.S. authorities to rapidly expel migrants to Mexico without the chance to seek U.S. asylum.

☆ I'm a flight attendant who loves my job, but I'm frustrated by how outdated, uncomfortable, and impractical my uniform is
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Her airline's uniforms aren't, though. Ever since I was a teenager, I wanted to become a flight attendant. It seemed like getting to fly for free as a flight attendant was the best option to make that dream happen. The uniforms aren't as exciting as I thought they'd beGrowing up, I thought flight attendants wore such fashionable outfits. My mom told me I looked like a bartender at a fancy restaurant, not a flight attendant.

☆ I'm a flight attendant. I thought I'd get a cute uniform — but in reality, I just get sweaty legs and blisters on my feet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

☆ In pioneering workshops, U.S. trains Cuban entrepreneurs to do business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Cuban entrepreneurs Maria Puga and Ana Torres pose for a photo at their atelier in Havana, Cuba, April 3, 2023. "Cuba's state-run economy has traditionally not delivered, and recently has delivered even less," Ziff said in an interview. The United States, which says it operates "transparently" in Cuba, is not alone in seeking to promote Cuba's fledgling private sector. Diplomat Ziff said the United States was seeking ways to ease the burden of U.S. sanctions on private business but in a way that would not inadvertently benefit the Cuban government. "The biggest impediment to doing business in Cuba is the Cuban government," Ziff said.

☆ US senators defend push to give Biden new tools to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The White House and 26 senators support the Restrict Act that would apply to foreign technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. Critics say the bill is overbroad and hurts civil liberties of Americans including the more than 150 million U.S. TikTok users. The senators denied targeting individual users or people using a virtual private network to access TikTok. Last week, Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked a bid to fast-track a separate bill to ban TikTok introduced by Senator Josh Hawley, who said the Restrict Act "doesn’t ban TikTok. Then President Donald Trump's attempts in 2020 to ban TikTok were blocked by U.S. courts.

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - The United States and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) reached a settlement on Thursday over the tech firm's apparent violations of sanctions and export controls, which it disclosed voluntarily, the government and the company said. The Treasury Department added that Microsoft's conduct was "non-egregious and voluntarily self-disclosed." In an emailed statement to Reuters, Microsoft acknowledged failures in its sanctions compliance and said it had cooperated with the probe and was pleased with the settlement. The causes of sanctions violations included a lack of complete or accurate information on the identities of the end customers for Microsoft products, the Treasury Department said, adding that there were shortcomings in Microsoft's restricted-party screening. Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Couple who transformed an abandoned Japanese home into a guesthouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

He also happened to have his heart set on a traditional Japanese house, typically known as kominka, which are usually passed down over generations. “I had a vision.”Guesthouse dreamDaisuke and Hila Kajiyama transformed an abandoned farming residence in Japan into a guesthouse. He saved money by collecting traditional wood from building companies who were in the process of breaking down traditional houses. “Usually, with traditional houses, some renovations are made to the walls, because the insulation is not so strong. After doing some research into Japanese guesthouse permits, he discovered that one of the simplest ways to acquire one would be to register the property as an agriculture guesthouse.

☆ Latam, Caribbean leaders meet to draft roadmap to tame inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, April 5 (Reuters) - Leaders of 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries agreed to work to outline measures seeking to tame inflation in the region, including better conditions for trade, according to a statement published by Mexico's presidential office Wednesday. Agreements reached include the creation of a working group of government representatives aimed at identifying regional measures to coordinate the trade of commodities, fertilizers and other goods. The group's action plan is set to be implemented "within a reasonable time frame," the statement added. The new anti-inflation alliance also agreed to invite more countries from the region to take part, the statement said. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] State worker Yuri Yon (L), talks to a colleague during their third day waiting in line for the arrival of a fuel tank truck in Havana, Cuba, April 5, 2023. "I've been three days waiting in this line for gasoline and we still don´t know if the (fuel) truck will arrive today," said private taxi driver Alexander Pérez, 43. "The situation across the country is critical and the lines endless, and they don´t give any explanation." Venezuela has ramped up oil supply to Cuba since early 2023, according to documents from state company PDVSA and shipping data. But Venezuela's supply in recent months has barely included clean refined products, especially gasoline and diesel, according to the documents and data.

☆ Cuba's losses in case of Castro-era debt opens it up to more lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The judge ruled mostly in favor of CRF1, originally called the Cuba Recovery Fund. She said the High Court has jurisdiction, the debt was properly assigned to CRF, and that the former central bank is responsible. Yet she ruled that Cuba itself is not a guarantor of the debt, a win for the communist nation. "BNC was the Central Bank of Cuba and remains responsible for managing these unpaid Cuban debts," he said. Lawyers for CRF said the fund can now proceed to a trial to determine whether it can recover "the sovereign debt that in unequivocally owns.

HOUSTON/PUNTO FIJO, Venezuela, April 4 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports rose in March to the highest monthly average since August, boosted by a resumption of loadings after an export freeze and by rising cargoes assigned to Chevron Corp (CVX.N), according to documents and shipping data. State oil company PDVSA has reinstated two export contracts after a January freeze by new boss Pedro Tellechea: a medium-term contract with Hangzhou Energy, and another with Portugal-based Adinius Sociedade de Servicios, the documents showed. Oil swap deals with Chevron, Cuba's state company Cubametales and Iran's Naftiran Intertrade Co (NICO) - and most exports of oil byproducts - have continued flowing without interruption during the freeze. Chevron received and exported about 115,000 bpd of Venezuelan heavy crude to the U.S., an increase from about 80,000 bpd in February. Oil exports averaged 774,420 bpd in March, the highest since August, as state company PDVSA reinstated supply contracts that allowed it to ship more crude and fuel in supertankers.

☆ Congressional Republicans gobsmacked by Trump arraignment fear America is now ruined: 'This is what banana republics do'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former President Donald Trump was charged with 34 felony counts Tuesday in Manhattan. Congressional Republicans outraged by the court appearance likened it to "what banana republics do." "They hate him so much they don't care how much they harm our country & our justice system," Hageman wrote online. Rep. August Pfluger told Fox News that prosecuting polarizing political leaders is typical in "banana republics" and "failed states." "They're coming for President Trump because he stands in the way of what they want to do to you," the Arizona Republican wrote online.

☆ Cuba wins ruling in UK court battle with creditors over unpaid loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - The Cuban government won a ruling on Tuesday that London's High Court has no jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit brought by a creditor over unpaid loans, though the case can continue against Cuba's former central bank. Havana argued at a hearing in January that the High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case brought by CRF, a Cayman Island-registered company. Judge Sara Cockerill ruled on Tuesday that the High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case against Cuba, but did in relation to the case against BNC. The case will be keenly watched by other creditors who have struggled to recoup around $7 billion of sovereign debt from Cuba. Charters added: "BNC was the central bank of Cuba and remains responsible for managing these unpaid Cuban debts.

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday ordered Illumina (ILMN.O) to divest cancer diagnostic test maker Grail, finding that its ownership would stifle competition in the U.S. market for cancer tests. Illumina said it would appeal the decision, and will seek expedited consideration from an appeals court. The company said the FTC order to unwind the deal would be automatically put on hold. Meanwhile, Illumina completed the takeover of Grail in August 2021, despite the lack of regulatory approval from Europe or the United States. He has called for Illumina, now valued at $36 billion, to unwind its deal for Grail, which he called a risky acquisition that cost shareholders $50 billion.

☆ MLB Opening Day rosters feature 269 international players
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 31 (Reuters) - The number of players born outside the United States that featured on Opening Day rosters dipped 2% to 269 compared to last year, Major League Baseball (MLB) said on Friday. The number of internationally-born players represents 28.5% of a total pool of 945 players and trails only the 2020 (291) and 2022 (275) seasons. As has been the case each year since MLB began releasing the data in 1995, the Dominican Republic led the way among countries and territories outside the United States with 104 players, its second-highest total since 2020 (110). For the third consecutive season, the Houston Astros have the most internationally-born players with 16, followed by the Minnesota Twins (15), San Diego Padres (15), Miami Marlins (13) and New York Yankees (13). Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.N. weather agency retires Fiona, Ian as hurricane names after 2022 devastation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] An aerial view of damaged boats and property after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S., September 30, 2022. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonMarch 30 (Reuters) - Fiona and Ian have been retired as hurricane names by the World Meteorological Organization after devastating storms with those names killed dozens of people and inflicted billions of dollars in damage in 2022. The names are typically recycled every six years, and a total of 96 names have been retired. Going forward the name Fiona will be replaced in the rotation by Farrah and Ian by Idris, the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico in September 2022, knocking out power to the entire island before slamming into eastern Canada, killing at least 31 people and becoming one of that Canada's costliest recent natural disasters.

Venezuelan oil resumed flowing to the U.S. in January under a Treasury Department license granted to Chevron that allowed it to expand output there and export the oil. Refiners including Valero and Phillips 66 (PSX.N) have bought cargoes from Chevron, according to U.S. Customs and shipping data. Chevron's license - and approvals granted to European firms Eni (ENI.MI) and Repsol (REP.MC) - allow only for oil or debt swaps. Chevron's resumption of Venezuelan crude imports has not led to an increase in the country's overall exports this year, according to PDVSA schedules and Refinitiv Eikon data. 2 U.S. oil company exported some 86,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan oil in February.

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