Stories for July 2013

Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:17 UTC
Brazil investigating if telecom companies cooperated with the US spying program

Brazil began an investigation Monday into whether telecommunications firms operating in the country cooperated with the U.S. as part of a spying program that has collected data on billions of telephone and email conversations. Anatel, the government agency that regulates the telecom sector in Brazil, said in a note that it's working with federal police and other government agencies on the investigation.
Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:08 UTC
Francis pays tribute to deceased migrants and slams “globalization of indifference”

Pope Francis has visited Lampedusa in the extreme south of Italy to pay tribute to the thousands of migrants who have lost their lives trying to reach the European Union and criticized what he called the “globalization of indifference.”
Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 05:58 UTC
UK announces new feasibility study into resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory

The British government announced to Parliament that it will commission a new feasibility study into the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory, BIOT, whose indigenous population the Chagossian was removed in the sixties and early seventies for defense reasons and is an issue that remains highly controversial and sensitive.
Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 01:50 UTC
Paraguay not interested in Mercosur if Venezuela holds the chair, says top official

Paraguay called for practical sense from its Mercosur partners Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to try and overcome the current impasse which could lead to a rift if Venezuela occupies the chair of the group at this week’s summit in Montevideo. Paraguay does not recognize Venezuela’s full membership because it was decided in its absence.
Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 00:09 UTC
Brazil drops the idea of Cuban doctors and will hire physicians from Spain and Portugal

The Brazilian government, under pressure to improve public health services, has dropped plans to import a contingent of Cuban doctors and is instead looking to hire physicians in Spain and Portugal, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 00:01 UTC
Brazilian Congress wants to question ambassador about US surveillance in the country

Lawmakers in Brazil said Monday they want to question Washington's ambassador here about revelations that the United States has collected and stored the e-mail and telephone records of millions of Brazilians.
Monday, July 8th 2013 - 23:57 UTC
FAO and WHO agree on new Alimentarius Codex with stricter standards for healthier diets

The UN food standards body Codex Alimentarius has agreed on new standards to protect the health of consumers worldwide. These include standards on fruit, vegetables, fish and fishery products and animal feed.
Monday, July 8th 2013 - 07:11 UTC
Opinion polls are not enthusiastic about Cristina Fernandez ahead of October mid-term election

Five weeks ahead of primaries and three months away from mid term congressional election, public opinion polls indicate that President Cristina Fernandez could be heading to a serious defeat, particularly in the province of Buenos Aires, which with 37% of the national vote is decisive for any victory pretension.
Monday, July 8th 2013 - 07:06 UTC
Teamsters bring Argentina to a stop and challenge fiscal policy and income tax

Argentina’s teamsters union headed by the powerful leader Hugo Moyano, a former ally of the government and currently one of her most aggressive adversaries, has declared a national strike on Monday which in practical terms means the country is in full campaign ahead of the mid term October election when President Cristina Fernandez will try by all means to retain control over Congress.
Monday, July 8th 2013 - 06:56 UTC
Falklands is first team to arrive for the Island Games in Bermuda

Bermuda welcomed this weekend the first arriving team for the upcoming Island Games, with the Falkland Islands ten-strong badminton team arriving from Gatwick, London, with many of the team having flown from the Falklands to the UK on an RAF flight.