Stories for 2013

Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 18:37 UTC
OAS chief and Pope Francis talk drugs, Chile’s coup and Latam’s coming challenges

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, was received in a private audience by Pope Francis in Vatican City and by the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, in the framework of a visit to Rome at the invitation of the Italianaeuropei to give a lecture during the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the military coup in Chile.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 18:17 UTC
Brazil and Argentina to coordinate cyber defense to address espionage challenge

Argentine Defence Minister Agustín Rossi and his Brazilian counterpart Celso Amorim issued a joint statement with cyber-defence taking the centre stage of the bilateral agenda, during the official ceremony at the Libertador building, seat of the Defence ministry in Buenos Aires.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 18:11 UTC
Merkel coalition leads a week ahead of national elections in Germany

The opposition Social Democrats has gained slightly in the last pre-election opinion poll by German public broadcaster ARD. Their candidate, Peer Steinbrück has raised some eyebrows by raising one of his own digits in a weekly newspaper supplement.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 18:10 UTC
China in ‘crucial’ restructuring stage, ‘much needed to sustain economic growth’

China's economy is going through a “crucial” stage of restructuring, says the country's Premier, Li Keqiang. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Chinese port city of Dalian, Mr Li pledged to improve relations with foreign firms.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 18:03 UTC
Spain’s public debt hits a record high in June equal to 92.2% of GDP

Spain's public debt reached a record high in June, the country's central bank said. The figure has risen to 942.8bn Euros, equal to 92.2% of the country's entire economic output, the bank said. This is nearly 15% higher than the same period last year and above the Spanish government's target limit of 91.4%, despite severe public spending cuts.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 18:01 UTC
Twitter has decided to go public; private investors estimates: over 10bn dollars

Twitter has decided to go public. The company aptly announced on its short messaging service Friday afternoon that it has filed documents for an initial public offering of stock. San Francisco based Twitter Inc. posted on its official Twitter account that it has “confidentially submitted an S-1 to the SEC for a planned IPO.”
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 17:59 UTC
Rajoy offers talks to Catalonia but no indication of an independence vote

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy offered to hold talks with Catalonia, but gave no indication he would allow the wealthy north-western region to vote on independence. The offer of talks was made in a letter sent to the head of Catalonia's regional government, Artur Mas, only three days after hundreds of thousands of Catalans formed a 400-km human chain to push their independence bid and demand a referendum.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 17:57 UTC
Barroso said Spain denied queues at the Gibraltar border were ‘on purpose’

The President of the European Commission said this week that Europe “would not hesitate to act” if it found evidence that Spanish border checks in the Gibraltar border breached EU rules on freedom of movement.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 17:56 UTC
PM Cameron furious with Barroso for comments on Tories European elections prospects

British Prime Minister David Cameron has hit back at European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso after he warned the Tories were heading for defeat at the hands of UK Independent party in next year’s European elections.
Sunday, September 15th 2013 - 17:54 UTC
UK confirms plans to privatize the iconic postal service: tough battle ahead

Britain’s coalition government has confirmed plans to privatize the country’s iconic 497-year-old state-owned postal service, Royal Mail, a move fiercely opposed by postal unions who have already suggested they will hold rolling strikes over the sell-off. The sale would be one of the most significant privatizations in Britain since the 1990s.