Stories for July 22nd 2013

Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 06:21 UTC
Colombia orders strong offensive after guerrillas ambush and kill 19 soldiers

Colombia’s president has ordered the military to mount a strong offensive against the country’s biggest rebel movement, FARC, after guerrillas killed 19 soldiers this weekend in two regions. President Juan Manuel Santos said Sunday the army will go after the rebels even though the government has been in peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia since last year.
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 06:17 UTC
G20 ministers and bankers pledged to put growth before austerity

The Group of 20 nations pledged to put growth before austerity, seeking to revive a global economy that “remains too weak” and adjusting stimulus policies with care so that recovery is not derailed by volatile financial markets.
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 06:14 UTC
G20 agrees to fight against international tax evasion by multinational companies

The G20 group of countries has officially supported plans to fight against international tax evasion by multinational companies. In a statement, the G20 countries agreed to exchange tax information and support the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its plans to prevent multinational companies from avoiding tax by moving their profits across borders.
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 06:13 UTC
Chinese banks allowed setting lending rates in hopes of lowering costs

Chinese authorities have given the banking industry greater freedom by allowing banks to set their own lending rates. Previously they were not allowed to lend at rates below a certain level set by the People's Bank of China (PBOC).
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 06:09 UTC
First convictions from the Costa Concordia shipwreck that killed 32 people

A court in Italy has convicted five people of manslaughter over the Costa Concordia shipwreck off Giglio Island which killed 32 people in January 2012. Two officers, the helmsman, the head of cabin service and the head of the crisis team were given up to two years and 10 months in jail for multiple manslaughter, negligence and shipwreck.
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 06:04 UTC
New Zealand fishing company gets burnt fingers in Argentina with hoki

The New Zealand Maori co-owned deep-sea fishing company Sealord is walking away from its disastrous hoki venture in Argentina with an estimated 60 million dollars loss, reports the NZ media.
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 05:56 UTC
Paraguay reports outbreaks of ‘greening’ in its citrus plantations

Paraguay’s plants and seeds sanitary office, SENAVE, has reported 63 outbreaks of ‘greening’ or HLB in citrus groves and further admits that the geographical dissemination state of the bacterial canker disease is in “an advanced stage” despite all institutional efforts.
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 00:22 UTC
Scandal-hit Vatican bank struck by ‘gay lobby’ conspiracy claims Italian magazine

A few hours before Francis started his first overseas tour to Brazil, the Vatican’s ‘gay lobby’ was back in the headlines after the alleged exposure of a homosexual prelate appointed by the pope to a key position at the Vatican bank, IOR.
Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 00:18 UTC
Introducing the Exlana sheep after eight years of development

The concept of an easier care animal is not new – as SIG, a group of eight sheep farmers developing Sheep Improved Genetics, are the first to admit. But after years of breeding sheep through genetics, not cosmetics, the Exlana breeders say they have bred the ultimate animal.