Stories for October 2017

Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 12:16 UTC
Federal audit freezes Rousseff and Gabrielli assets over losses in refinery purchase

Brazil's federal audit court ordered a freeze of former President Dilma Rousseff's assets as well as those of José Sérgio Gabrielli, ex-head of state-run oil company Petrobras, over a US$580 million loss in the 2006 purchase of a Texas refinery.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 12:07 UTC
“Neither Venezuelans or the world will swallow this fiction” blasts opposition

Opposition leaders in Venezuela have alleged fraud after electoral authorities claimed that Nicolás Maduro’s socialist party won 17 of 24 governorships in Sunday’s regional elections. On Sunday evening, National Electoral Council President Tibisay Lucena announced that the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) had won 17 out of 24 governorships and 54 percent of the votes. Turnout was reportedly at 61%.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:59 UTC
Argentina's Ferreira Rubio elected chair of Transparency International

Delia Matilde Ferreira Rubio was elected chair of Transparency International, the global anti-corruption movement, at its Annual Membership Meeting in Berlin. Rueben Lifuka was elected as vice-chair, along with seven new board members. All will serve a three-year term.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:51 UTC
May and Juncker agree “Brexit negotiations should accelerate”, but differences remain

Brexit negotiations should “accelerate over the months to come,” says a joint statement from the UK prime minister and the president of the EU Commission. Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker met in Brussels on Monday for a dinner they called “constructive and friendly”.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:45 UTC
Airbus takes a majority stake in Bombardier frustrating Boeing's strategy

Canada's Bombardier Inc. announced on Monday it has sold a majority stake in its CSeries passenger jet business to European aerospace giant Airbus for no cost. The move comes after lackluster sales and after the U.S. Commerce Department imposed harsh duties on Bombardier, charging the Montreal-based company is selling the CSeries planes in the U.S. below cost and receiving government subsidies.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:41 UTC
Madrid tells Catalonia's leader he has until Thursday to comply with Spanish law

Spain’s deputy prime minister has said that Catalonia’s leader did not give an adequate response in his letter about the region’s independence and has until Thursday to comply with the country’s laws. Carles Puigdemont’s letter, issued two hours before a Monday deadline, did not clarify whether he in fact declared Catalonia’s independence from Spain. He called for talks with Spain’s government.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:35 UTC
Two Catalan independence leaders remanded and charged with sedition

A Spanish judge has remanded two key members of the Catalan independence movement in jail. Jordi Sánchez, who heads the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), and Jordi Cuixart, leader of Omnium Cultural, are being held without bail while they are under investigation for sedition.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:26 UTC
Argentina's Macri Let's Change coalition “clearly predominant” ahead of Sunday's midterm elections

There is a “clear predominance” of president Mauricio Macri's “Let's Change” coalition in Argentina and in the crucial Buenos Aires province, ahead of next Sunday's (October 22) midterm elections, according to political analyst Sergio Berensztein.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:23 UTC
Political killing of investigative reporter and government critic in Malta

A prominent blogger in the Republic of Malta, who had accused the island's government of corruption, has died in a car bomb attack, according to police. Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, was reportedly killed when the car she was driving exploded shortly after she left her home in Bidnija, near Mosta.
Monday, October 16th 2017 - 11:36 UTC
Uruguay hosts NCDs global conference organized by WHO and PAHO

Uruguay will be hosting form 18 to 20 October the global conference on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) which is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Office of the President of Uruguay Tabare Vazquez, and the Ministry of Health of Uruguay. The purpose of the conference in Montevideo is how to enhance policy coherence between different spheres of policy making that have a bearing on attaining SDG target 3.4 on NCDs by 2030.