Stories for June 2013

Friday, June 14th 2013 - 23:17 UTC
Brazil pumps more consumer credit lines trying to bolster the economy

The administration of President Dilma Rousseff will hand out 17 billion Reais (8 bn dollars) in cheap loans for home appliance purchases it was announced this week, a further attempt bolster Brazilians' buying power as an anemic economy and high inflation erode its approval rating.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 20:42 UTC
Brazilian fire-fighters accused of dereliction of duty in blaze that killed 242 students

Brazilian police accused eight firefighters of dereliction of duty for their alleged failure to enforce fire codes at a nightclub where a January 27 blaze resulted in the deaths of 242 people, the Record TV network reported this week.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 20:08 UTC
Falklands turns out to commemorate Liberation Day and pay tribute to British Forces

The most important date in the recent history of the Falkland Islands was commemorated on Friday, June 14 by Falkland Islanders and veterans of the 1982 war.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 10:57 UTC
EU wants to extend the tax-evasion network to financial income by non residents

The European Commission is seeking to up the fight against tax evasion within the European Union. The Commission wants governments to automatically exchange information on a wide range of financial income earned in their countries by non-residents.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 10:51 UTC
US Supreme Court rules DNA is not patentable, but synthetically created yes

The United States Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 08:20 UTC
Nicaragua approves transoceanic canal to rival with Panama and to be built by Hong Kong company

The Nicaraguan Congress has approved a proposal to have a canal built linking the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. A Hong Kong-based company has been granted a 50-year concession to build the waterway, which will rival the Panama Canal.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 08:19 UTC
Countdown for 2014 World Cup takes off with simultaneous events in Rio, Sao Paulo and Brasilia

The countdown to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil officially began this Wednesday 12 June. Simultaneous events in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia celebrated the unveiling of a clock marking the time remaining to the opening game of Brazil 2014.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 08:16 UTC
Food commodity markets more balanced in 2013/14, says FAO Outlook

Food commodity markets, in particular for cereals, are set to be more balanced in 2013/14, according to FAO Food Outlook report published on Thursday. World food imports in 2013 are tentatively forecast at 1.09 trillion dollars, close to last year's level, but 13% below the record of 2011, the biannual report on global food markets said.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 03:42 UTC
Thinking in October, Cristina Fernandez demands from banks a new round of low cost business loans

Argentina will demand that banks grant a new round of low-cost business loans from July through December, totalling about 3.8 billion dollars, the central bank said on Thursday. The decision comes four months ahead of mid-term elections next October.
Friday, June 14th 2013 - 03:32 UTC
Menem will appeal sentence to seven years in prison for smuggling weapons

An Argentine court sentenced former President Carlos Menem to seven years in prison for smuggling weapons to Croatia during the Yugoslav civil war of the 1990s, and to Ecuador. Last year Menem was acquitted along with 17 other defendants, but the Cassation Court convicted 12 of them and urged the judges to change the verdicts.