Stories for 2013

Friday, December 20th 2013 - 06:00 UTC
Gibraltar Chief Minister hosts and lobbies MPs and Lords in London

Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, hosted a very well attended dinner for Members of the House of Commons on Tuesday evening at Gibraltar House in London, according to a report from the Gibraltar Chronicle. The event saw over 30 Members of Parliament attend from the All Party British Gibraltar Group.
Friday, December 20th 2013 - 05:57 UTC
Argentina files complaint with WTO against EU duties on bio-diesel

Argentina has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the European Union’s decision to impose anti-dumping duties on its biodiesel exports. The duties are “clearly protectionist” and will affect annual sales worth more than 1.5 billion, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday on its website.
Friday, December 20th 2013 - 05:49 UTC
Argentina threatens to nationalize power companies because of the blackouts

Argentina on Thursday threatened to nationalize utility companies Edenor and Edesur after power outages left large areas of the capital Buenos Aires and surrounding suburbs in the dark, just ahead of the austral summer. “If they are not willing to give people the service they deserve, we will be willing to take over that service,” said cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich.
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 06:25 UTC
UK claims Argentina escalating Falklands dispute to divert public opinion from economic problems

Britain accused the Argentine government on Tuesday of revving up a dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands to try to divert public opinion attention away from the country's severe economic problems.
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 06:06 UTC
Brazil surprises and hands Sweden Gripens the contract for 36 new fighters

Sweden's Saab AB prevailed over U.S. giant Boeing and French manufacturer Dassault Aviation in a competition to supply the Brazilian air force with 36 aircraft to replace its aging Mirage 2000s, Brazil said Wednesday.
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 06:01 UTC
Fed announces gradual conditioned tapering of stimuli from next January

The U.S. Federal Reserve will start scaling back its monthly bond-buying program as early as next month, but the reduction will be gradual. The Federal Reserve has been buying 85 billion dollars a month in government bonds in an effort to keep interest rates low and boost economic growth.
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 05:55 UTC
US congress agrees budget deal reducing risk of government shutdown

On the same day the Federal Reserve announced tapering of stimulus, the US Senate passed a two-year budget deal to ease automatic spending cuts and reduce the risk of a government shutdown, but fights were already breaking out over how to implement the budget pact
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 05:51 UTC
Concerned with stagnant tourism, Caribbean to promote the region as a single destination

The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will next month celebrate its 25th anniversary amidst a call for the region to be promoted as a single destination. CTO Chairman, Beverly Nicholson Doty, in a Christmas message, said that her wish for the sector in 2014 was that Caribbean countries commit themselves to promoting the region as one destination
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 05:41 UTC
Euro-zone agrees on banking reform, another step towards banking union

Euro-zone finance ministers have agreed on a long-awaited pact on how to deal with failing banks in the region. It aims to create a 55bn euro fund - financed by the banking industry, over the next 10 years. The fund would be backed by a new agency, which will decide on how to deal with failing banks.
Wednesday, December 18th 2013 - 19:03 UTC
Chilean congress rejects bill imposing harsher punishments for public disorder

Chile's Lower house ended a two-year debate over the contentious ‘Hinzpeter Law’ aimed to impose stricter punishments for public disorder, but which critics argued it would also apply harsh penalties to peaceful protesters.