International News

Washington / AFP In lowering its likely path of future interest rate increases this week, the Federal Reserve pushed down the dollar, perhaps aiming to ease strains caused by clashing monetary policies. Economists and investors alike were surprised when the US central bank announced on Wednesday that it only sees two rate hikes in 2016, half the number it envisioned ...

Bloomberg Six weeks ago, TransCanada Corp.closed a deal to buy a power plant in Pennsylvania. On Friday, the company put it back up for sale. The 704-megawatt Ironwood natural gas-fired power complex that TransCanada bought for $657 million from Talen Energy Corp. is back on the block as the company looks for ways to finance another acquisition worth 15 times ...

Bloomberg Mexico kept its overnight interest rate unchanged after the peso’s rebound from a record low eased inflation pressures and the Federal Reserve left borrowing costs on hold. Banco de Mexico’s Governor Agustin Carstens, held the overnight rate at 3.75 percent. The central bank said it will pay special attention to the exchange rate and its possible pass-through to consumer ...

Rio De Janeiro / AFP The Federation of Sao Paulo Industries is lit up in the green and yellow of the Brazilian flag, a giant black banner cutting across its facade with a blunt message: “Resign now.” The powerful industry group is not the only major player in the Brazilian economy that is openly hostile to embattled President Dilma Rousseff. ...

havana / AFP American Sue Pemberton rushed to Havana to experience authentic Cuba before the communist island gets swamped by capitalism. The only problem: millions of other foreigners had exactly the same idea. Already booming tourism is set to explode in the wake of President Barack Obama’s visit to Havana on Sunday, when he’ll bury an almost six decades-long conflict ...

DUBAI / WAM flydubai has announced that it is organising a programme of hardship payments to the families of the passengers of the plane which crashed early Saturday at Rostov-on-Don Airport, in Russia. The carrier said that it would allocate US$20,000 per passenger, in accordance with the Conditions of Carriage. The move aims to address any immediate financial needs of ...

Tokyo / DPA Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering delaying an increase in the consumption tax rate if the economy remains stuck in low gear, due to concerns the hike could hurt the economy more than initial forecast as the global economy slows down. Abe will make a final decision around the time Japan hosts the Group of Seven major ...

New Delhi / DPA Honeywell Aerospace has been selected by Jet Airways to provide maintenance services for Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) on board its fleet of 10 Boeing 777 airplanes. The five-year agreement will help Jet Airways better predict and manage maintenance cycles, allowing the India-based airline to reduce unscheduled downtime and improve reliability of its fleets. The announcement was ...

HCM City / DPA Severe drought in the Mekong Delta has badly affected agriculture and aquaculture, threatening a scarcity of raw materials for seafood exports. Shrimp farmers in Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang and Kien Giang provinces are nervous as their shrimp keep dying because of drought and saltwater intrusion up rivers. “Shrimp farming is so risky,” Sai Gon ...

Jakarta / Bloomberg An Indonesian consortium led by veteran investment banker Agus Projosasmito is in talks to raise $1 billion of debt to back its bid for control of Newmont Mining Corp.’s copper operations in the country, according to the group’s financial adviser. The investor group is in discussions with banks on borrowing $750 million in senior loans and $250 ...