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☆ 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.

☆ Binder 'fights like hell' to win Argentina sprint from 15th on grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, Argentina, April 1 (Reuters) - Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder put on a masterclass in bravery and skill to win Saturday's MotoGP sprint race at the Argentina Grand Prix after starting 15th on the grid. I got super tight in turn one and just tried to hug the inside," Binder said in a post-race interview. Once Bezzecchi got past his Italian compatriot Marini, he looked to hunt Binder down on the final lap but the Red Bull KTM rider held on for the win. The step they made from yesterday was unreal - my bike worked fantastic," Binder added, as he moved up to fourth in the championship. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Mark Potter and Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Entrepreneur Luke Iseman said the sulfur dioxide in the balloons would deflect sunlight and cool the atmosphere, a controversial climate strategy known as solar geoengineering. The Mexican government told Reuters it is now actively drafting “new regulations and standards” to prohibit solar geoengineering inside the country. While the Mexican government announced its intention to ban solar geoengineering in January, its current actions and plans to discuss geoengineering bans with other countries have not been previously reported. GLOBAL GEOENGINEERING BANClimate policy experts said Mexico is in a position to help set the rules for future geoengineering research. David Keith, a professor of applied physics and public policy at Harvard University who has dedicated much of his research to solar geoengineering, called Iseman's launch a "stunt."

Mexico published a presidential decree on genetically modified (GM) corn in late 2020, saying it would ban GM corn in the diets of Mexicans and end the use the herbicide glyphosate by Jan. 31, 2024. The new decree eliminated the deadline to ban GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, by far the bulk of its U.S. corn imports. The new plan bans only GM corn used for dough or tortillas but leaves the door open to gradually substituting GM corn for animal feed and industrial use in the future. Some sector experts have said they worry that Mexico's restriction on GM corn, if successful, could set a precedent, prompting other countries to take a similar approach and disrupting the global corn trade. Corn for human food use comprises about 21% of Mexico's corn imports from the U.S., according to a representative from the National Corn Growers Association, citing U.S. Grains Council data.

☆ Competing Women's Day rallies expose rifts in Spain's feminist movement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Madrid Town Hall is lit in purple as people take part in a protest to mark International Women's Day in Madrid, Spain, March 8, 2022. REUTERS/Susana VeraMADRID, March 8 (Reuters) - Several Spanish cities will host competing rallies for International Women's Day, reflecting diverging ideologies within the feminist movement and a deepening rift within the leftist coalition government. The ruling Socialists and their far-left junior coalition partner Unidas Podemos are also divided over whether to abolish prostitution. Unlike in previous years, Sanchez did not attend an event hosted by Equality Minister Irene Montero, of Unidas Podemos, whose ministry drafted the law that came into effect last year. Montero was heckled by one woman who accused her of prioritising trans rights at the expense of women.

☆ Foiled multimillion dollar airport heist leaves two dead in Chile
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A security personnel stands guard at an access of Santiago de Chile Airport slab after a valuables truck attempted robbery left two people dead in the midst of an intense firefight, police and local media reported, in Santiago, Chile, March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan AlvaradoSANTIAGO, March 8 (Reuters) - A foiled multimillion-dollar heist at Chile's largest airport left two dead on Wednesday morning, highlighting concerns of rising crime in the Andean nation. Authorities said one robber and a DGAC airport security official died during the attempted robbery. Raul Jorquera, general director of the DGAC, told reporters that no passengers were at risk during the encounter, and that the robbers had "high capacity firepower" to steal the money. Organized crime in Chile has spiked in recent years, including elaborate train heists and multimillion dollar robberies at the country's main seaport.

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The United States has requested formal trade consultations with Mexico over U.S. objections to its southern neighbor's plans to limit imports of genetically modified corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. "We hope these consultations will be productive as we continue to work with Mexico to address these issues." The United States has previously threatened to take the issue to a trade dispute panel under the trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada over the plan, which would ban genetically modified corn for human consumption. A USTR official said the talks would cover Mexico's planned rejection of GMO corn and other agricultural biotechnology products that have been shown to be safe in the United States and other countries for decades. Corn for food use comprises about 21% of Mexican corn imports from the U.S., a representative from the National Corn Growers Association said, citing U.S. Grains Council data.

☆ Massive forest fires rage on in eastern Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Forest fires raged on in Cuba's eastern region on Monday, inching toward more populated ground more than a week after sparking near a national park. More than 2,000 hectares of forest, including plantations and coffee crops, have been devoured by the flames, authorities said, as firefighters, park employees and soldiers battled the blaze. The fires have moved away from the Mensura-Piloto National Park and toward the province of Santiago de Cuba, home of the populous city of the same name, according to officials. The latest fires add to the dozens in January, which authorities said was a higher-than-average figure. Pinar del Rio and Artemisa, in western Cuba, and Camaguey and Holguin, in the central-eastern region, were the areas most affected.

[1/3] An Icefin is seen in the water as scientists work in the field at the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on February 14, 2023. Becka Bower/Cornell University/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Scientists studying Antarctica's vast Thwaites Glacier - nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier - say warm water is seeping into its weak spots, worsening melting caused by rising temperatures, two papers published in Nature journal showed on Wednesday. As part of the International Thwaites Glacier collaboration - the biggest field campaign ever attempted in Antarctica - a team of 13 U.S. and British scientists spent about six weeks on the glacier in late 2019 and early 2020. "Warm water is getting into the weakest parts of the glacier and making it worse," Schmidt told Reuters. Scientists have previously depended on satellite images to show the behavior of the ice, making it difficult to get granular details.

MADRID, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Spain's health workers protested in Madrid on Sunday over what they say is the destruction of the public health system by the conservative regional government. Protesters say it is dismantling public health services and favouring private health providers. Ayuso denies the accusation that her administration is dismantling public health services in favour of the private sector. Thousands of health workers also demonstrated in Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain on Sunday, calling for the preservation of the public health system. In November, tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid in support of health workers calling for better working conditions.

☆ Scholz seeks to secure more critical minerals on South America tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Sarah Marsh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sebastian Rodriguez/Chilean Presidency/Handout via REUTERSSANTIAGO DE CHILE, Jan 29 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a new, expanded commodities partnership with Chile on Sunday during a tour of South America that Berlin hopes will help secure more access to critical minerals key to the transition to a green economy. That has led to a reliance on China, which has invested widely in the mining sector in resource-rich South America and in processing commodities. Argentina and Chile sit atop South America's "lithium triangle" which holds the world's largest trove of the ultra-light battery metal. "We want to help Chile on the way to a sustainable mining sector," Scholz said in a news conference with his Chilean counterpart in Santiago de Chile on the second leg of his tour. Germany also wanted to ensure mining generated more jobs in the source countries, Scholz said.

[1/3] Mexico City's Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum speaks near Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (not pictured) during a news conference at the Old City Hall (Antiguo Palacio del Ayuntamiento), in Mexico City, Mexico January 20, 2023. "If accidents continue, like a cable or the signal system breaks, the National Guard is not going to detect that or make a difference," Miranda said. A school collapse that killed 19 children in a 2017 earthquake happened on her watch as a district mayor of Mexico City. She filed a criminal complaint accusing two prior attorneys for the district of failing to enforce the law after discovering illegal construction, and became Mexico City Mayor in 2018. Now, Lopez Obrador has backed her decision to use the National Guard, in a clear sign of support for her.

☆ Twinkle, twinkle fading stars: Hiding in our brighter skies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Every year, the night sky grows brighter, and the stars look dimmer. A new study that analyzes data from more than 50,000 amateur stargazers finds that artificial lighting is making the night sky about 10% brighter each year. “This is real pollution, affecting people and wildlife,” said Kyba, who said he hoped that policymakers would do more to curb light pollution. The study data from amateur stargazers in the nonprofit Globe at Night project was collected in a similar fashion. “The night sky has been, for all the generations before ours, a source of inspiration for art, science, literature,” he said.

☆ Jet lands with smashed windshield and broken nose after extreme weather that left passengers in terror
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A passenger plane was forced into an emergency landing by extreme weather over South America. The Airbus A320 landed in Paraguay with a broken nose cone and a smashed windshield, images show. The plane hit "extreme and unforeseen weather conditions," according to the Chilean officials, who did not give precise details. According to Paraguayan news outlet Telefuturo, the flight had resumed its journey after an initial diversion to avoid the weather. Dramatic images broadcast by Telefuturo show the aircraft with a large portion of its nose cone broken off, its windshield shattered and equipment dangling from its base.

"There are many alternatives to importing non-GMO yellow corn from the United States," Suarez said in an interview on Wednesday. It was the strongest indication yet from Mexico's Agriculture Ministry that the ban will hit yellow corn destined for livestock feed. The 2020 decree by Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador aims to phase out GM corn and the herbicide glyphosate by 2024. Yellow corn imports had become more expensive than domestic production, another incentive for farmers to make the switch, Suarez said. The government was working to make agreements with local corn growers to specifically increase yellow corn production to 6 million tonnes, he added.

MEXICO CITY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Mexican broadcaster Grupo Televisa's (TLEVISACPO.MX) satellite television unit SKY has launched new mobile phone services using AT&T's network, the company said Tuesday, in a bid to expand product offerings to its clients. Customers who sign up for the mobile services, rolled out Monday and only available to SKY clients, will get an upgrade in their SKY content offerings, said Chief Executive Luis Malvido. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAT&T deployed 5G services in Mexico City in December 2021, and has since expanded to some other cities across the country. It competes with major player America Movil (AMXL.MX), which is rolling out its own 5G network in Mexico this year, poised to become the largest 5G commercial network in Latin America, according to regulators. The new mobile services, first announced in July as part of a revamp of SKY, are geared to attract families seeking to open multiple lines per household.

PINAR DEL RÍO, Cuba — Brigades of electrical workers were focused Wednesday on restoring electricity to the western region of Cuba, where Hurricane Ian made landfall the day before, leaving the entire country without power. Crews were working to bring power back to the Pinar del Río Province, where the eye of the then-Category 3 storm entered Cuba, and the municipality of Artemisa, where Ian's gusty winds knocked power out. In Pinar del Río, a region known for its agriculture and a source of produce for much of Cuba, crops such as rice, yucca and beans were lost. Yamil Lage / AFP - Getty ImagesCuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said damages in Pinar del Río "are great, although it has not yet been possible to account for it." Hurricane winds bent countless pieces of metals used as roofs all over Cuba, particularly in Pinar del Río.

A person in the United States now eats an average of more than nine pounds (4 kg) of Mexican avocados a year, the university researchers found. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe United States is the main importer of Mexican avocados, taking in 1.1 million metric tons of the product in 2021, according to the USDA. A growing Hispanic and Caribbean population in the United States has helped fuel demand, the report found. Mexican avocados primarily grow in Michoacan state, the only place on earth where avocado trees bloom four times a year, instead of just once. Despite the setback, the Mexican avocado industry did not clock a major economic hit, the report showed.

MEXICO CITY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Telmex union representatives on Tuesday rejected the latest contract offer by the Mexican telecommunications firm controlled by tycoon Carlos Slim's family, a union spokesperson said. The Mexican Telephone Workers Union, known as STRM for its Spanish acronym, will meet on Wednesday to decide the next steps, the spokesperson said. The offer, reviewed by Reuters, included bonuses for retiring workers in a bid to end a long-running dispute over benefits. It followed weeks of negotiations between the company and union after a two-day strike in July. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA spokesman for Telmex did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Claver-Carone denied in an interview with Reuters on Monday that he ever had an intimate relationship with the staffer and said he was planning legal action against the bank. Cuban-American Claver-Carone was nominated for a five-year term then-President Donald Trump and took office in October 2020. He is planning legal action against the bank, he told Reuters. Claver-Carone told Reuters he did so because the phone contained confidential texts from world leadersHe said he felt let down by the U.S. government. "I've never felt so betrayed by my country," Claver-Carone told Reuters, saying he had never been told by the bank's legal counsel what to expect from the investigative process.

Visitors walk past a screen with the logo of Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City March 13, 2013. REUTERS/Carlos JassoMEXICO CITY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) voted on Monday to fire president Mauricio Claver-Carone, a person with knowledge of the vote said, after an investigation showed the only American president in the bank’s 62-year history had an intimate relationship with a subordinate. The senior-most body of Latin America's largest development bank began voting late on Thursday and reached the required quorum and majority vote just after midday on Monday, the source told Reuters, adding that nominations for Claver-Carone's replacement were expected begin as early as next week. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Cassandra Garrison in Mexico City and Andrea Shalal in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Carlos JassoWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The Inter-American Development Bank's board of directors voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend removing President Mauricio Claver-Carone after an independent ethics investigation found misconduct, three sources familiar with the vote said. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the board was nearing consensus on a vote to fire Claver-Carone. Termination of Claver-Carone, a nominee of former U.S. President Donald Trump, requires a majority of the total voting power of the governing board. The bank's three largest shareholders - the United States, Argentina and Brazil, together hold nearly 53% of the voting power. This had "undermined confidence in Claver-Carone's trustworthiness and ability to lead a rules-based multilateral development institution," the source added.

☆ United Airlines seeks to resume U.S. flights to Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidWASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - United Airlines (UAL.O) said on Wednesday it is working to resume flights to Cuba later this year that it suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. United previously flew seven flights weekly to Havana from its Houston and Newark hubs. United said given the challenges it is concerned it cannot resume flights by an Oct. 31 USDOT deadline. That is on top of the typical six daily American Airlines flights and three JetBlue flights weekdays to Havana from the Florida airports. In July, American Airlines received permission to resume service to some smaller Cuban airports.

REUTERS/Carlos JassoMEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - An independent investigation found evidence that the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) chief, Mauricio Claver-Carone, engaged in an intimate relationship with a staffer, in a review by an outside firm prompted by whistleblower allegations, two sources briefed on the probe told Reuters. The findings of the months-long investigation were presented by legal firm Davis Polk to the bank's directors on Monday. It was solicited by the IDB to investigate allegations leveled against Claver-Carone in a whistleblower email at the end of March. A relationship between Claver-Carone and someone he directly managed at the bank would appear to violate the IDB's ethics code. The staffer, in written testimony submitted to investigators, denied "all allegations that suggest any violation of the staff code" and said she had not received any written notification of any allegations.

☆ U.S. OKs new American Airlines, JetBlue flights to Havana
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA view of the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, September 25, 2019. That is on top of the typical six daily American Airlines flights and three JetBlue flights weekdays to Havana from the Florida airports. In June, the department lifted a series of restrictions on flights to Cuba, including ending a prohibition on U.S. airline flights to smaller Cuban airports outside Havana. The previous administration under President Donald Trump barred passenger airline flights to smaller Cuban airports. In July, American Airlines received permission to resume service to some smaller Cuban airports.

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