Stories for 2013

Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 06:51 UTC
Scientists find a way to harness energy from sewage and waste water

US scientists may have found a new way to produce clean energy by way of sewage and water waste, according to a new study. Engineers from Stanford University have developed a more efficient method to use microbes to harness electricity from wastewater.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 06:46 UTC
Controversial figure named to advisory board of the Euro-zone leading bank

Santander, the Euro zone's biggest bank, has hired Rodrigo Rato, under investigation in connection with allegations of fraud at state-rescued lender Bankia when he was chairman, to its international advisory board.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 06:43 UTC
China will help Venezuela develop a huge oil field investing 14bn dollars

China’s hydrocarbons company Sinopec and Venezuela’s PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela SA) agreed investments to develop the Junin 1 oil field in the Orinoco oil strip, which will demand 14 billion dollars for a daily extraction of 200.000 barrels, said PDVSA president Rafael Ramírez currently in Beijing.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 06:39 UTC
Venezuela breaks three Mercosur human rights on human rights on abandoning IACHR

By Juan Francisco Alonso - El Universal - Venezuela is not only a full member of the bloc since July 2012, but it also holds the pro-tempore presidency. The entry into force of Venezuela's denunciation of the American Convention on Human Rights, which implies its withdrawal from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR Court), breaches at least three regulations of Mercosur regional trade bloc.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 01:55 UTC
Paraguay expects to return to Mercosur in 2014; Chile offers closer links and access to the Pacific

President Horacio Cartes said that during 2014 links between Paraguay and Mercosur will be fully re-established and by then all the skirmishes motivated by the access of Venezuela as full member of the group, “will be overcome”. However Cartes also mentioned that Paraguay, with support from Chile has a strategic access to the Pacific basin.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 01:47 UTC
Mujica to address UN assembly on 28 September; meeting with several Latam presidents

Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica will be attending the UN 68th General Assembly on the last week of September in New York, where he is scheduled to meet with several of his Latinamerica peers and the Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 01:07 UTC
British government successfully sells 6% stake at Lloyds and collects £3.2bn

The British government has sold a 6% stake in Lloyds Banking Group at a price of 75p a share, raising £3.2bn. The disposal cuts the government's stake in Lloyds from 38.7% to 32.7% and represents a cash profit of £61m for the Treasury.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 01:03 UTC
Chinese luxury cruise vessel pays bond and is released after four days

A Chinese luxury cruise ship impounded in South Korea for days due to a legal dispute has been released and returned to China, an official said Tuesday.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 00:49 UTC
Poverty rate in the US steady at 15%, which represents 46.5 million people

The U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday that median household income in the United States in 2012 was 51,017 dollars and the official poverty rate was 15%, which is 2.5 percentage points higher than in 2007. Neither figure represents a statistically significant change from 2011.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 00:44 UTC
South Georgia looking ahead to a promising cruise and visitors’ season

Schedules for the coming tourist season show a significant increase in the number of ships (11%) and visitors planning to visit South Georgia, and a consequent expected increase in tourist numbers (20%), according to the latest South Georgia Newsletter July release.