Stories for October 25th 2013

Friday, October 25th 2013 - 14:29 UTC
Germany and France demand a “no spying” agreement from Washington

German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded that the United States strike a “no-spying” agreement with Berlin and Paris by the end of the year, saying alleged espionage against two of Washington's closest EU allies had to be stopped.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 14:21 UTC
Guyana-Venezuela: The consequences of ideology and avarice

By Sir Ronald Sanders - BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The internal politics of Venezuela is playing a big part in the sudden deterioration of that country’s relations with its smaller neighbor Guyana after a period of steady improvement.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 14:07 UTC
Feeling unhappy, try Orwellian Venezuela: Maduro creates the “Supreme Happiness” office

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the creation of the “Supreme Happiness Under Secretary” to address social debt shortcomings and which was in honor of the late Commandant and president Hugo Chavez and the country's liberator, Simon Bolivar.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 06:22 UTC
Argentine first time 'young voters' remain distant from Sunday's mid-term election

Argentines aged 16 and 17 will be able to vote for the first time in Sunday's midterm elections but the incidence of their ballot in the final result is considered marginal since many of them did not register. In Argentina voting is mandatory for the 18 to 70 age group, and 600.000 teen agers of 16 and 17 have registered to vote on 27 October when half the Lower House and a third of the Senate seats are renewed.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 06:16 UTC
Alleged 'secret clause' in YPF/Chevron shale agreement triggers strong controversy in Argentina

A New York Times piece published on Thursday regarding the agreement between Argentine nationalized oil and gas company YPF with California based Chevron has triggered a strong controversy in Argentina because of an alleged “secret clause” in the commercial document.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 06:13 UTC
Argentina will deploy 91.000 security officers for Sunday's election

Ahead of Argentina's midterm elections of next Sunday, 27 October, which have not been absent of acts of violence against candidates and militants, the Defense Minister has announced that more than 91,000 security officers will be deployed across the country's 24 districts to watch over polling day.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 06:08 UTC
Pacific Alliance economy ministers proved to be the best of the Americas in 2012

Pacific Alliance economy ministers are rated among the best four in Latin-American, while those from Mercosur can't boast such merit, much to the contrary, according to the 2012 survey from the America Economica Intelligence report, which ranks the region's ministers in that field.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 06:06 UTC
British universities road-show in Chile to promote study opportunities

Representatives from six British top universities will be visiting Chile to promote the study opportunities available in the United Kingdom. The six leading British universities attending the road-show between 24-30 October are all world-renowned research-intensive institutions.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 05:59 UTC
All South Georgia licensed vessels must comply with the Torremolinos Protocol

As part of an initiative to ensure all licensed fishing vessels are of a good standard, the Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, GSGSSI, are undertaking inspections of all vessels to check their compliance with the Torremolinos Protocol on Fishing Vessel Safety, reports the latest edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.
Friday, October 25th 2013 - 05:56 UTC
US company pays heavy fined for bribing in several countries, including Argentina

The United States company Stryker Corp., the second-largest seller of orthopaedic devices, will pay more than 13.2 million dollars to settle U.S. regulatory claims that subsidiaries paid bribes in five countries to gain or retain business.