Stories for April 25th 2014

Friday, April 25th 2014 - 23:19 UTC
NASA and BAS tracking major Antarctic iceberg, B31, now in open waters

NASA has lately spotted a gigantic iceberg in Antarctica, identified as B31 and together with UK's BAS (British Antarctic Survey), is busy tracking the monster island of ice, which has now escaped into open waters. Despite its sheer size and mass, --experts estimate that the giant iceberg is approximately 600 square kilometres in size--, monitoring is not going to be an easy task with the coming of the Antarctic winter and ensuing darkness.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 21:43 UTC
PM Cameron calls on BOT to have public registries with names of companies' owners

British Prime Minister David Cameron has written to the leaders of the UK’s overseas territories and crown dependencies to encourage them to create public registries that would reveal the true owners of companies registered in their jurisdictions.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 21:33 UTC
British Virgin Islands received more FDI in 2013 than Brazil and India together

The British Virgin Islands received more foreign direct investment last year than the major emerging economies of India and Brazil combined, a United Nations survey said on Tuesday. Brazil and India got 63 billion and 28 billion respectively.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 21:24 UTC
UK £200 million new polar research vessel will ensure presence in Antarctica and he South Atlantic

The British government will fund a new £200 million polar research ship to put UK scientists at the forefront of climate and ocean research in both Antarctica and the Arctic, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced on Friday in a speech.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 10:33 UTC
Paraguay's private sector insists in joining the Pacific Alliance

Paraguay has an economy which is complementary to the Pacific Alliance block and has become a very interesting option to increase trade, argued the country's main business organizations, Paraguay's Industrial Union and the Paraguay Rural Association.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 10:24 UTC
Despite all, Mercosur is “working normally”, says Paraguayan foreign minister

Paraguay's foreign minister Eladio Loizaga said that there is no date for the several times suspended Mercosur summit, but a technical meeting is scheduled for next week in Montevideo when the issue, among others will be addressed. Nevertheless he insisted that the different bodies of Mercosur “are working normally”.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 06:11 UTC
Uruguayans don't approve the marihuana bill, but are prepared to give it a chance, says poll

A majority of Uruguayans (64%) are against the bill that legalizes growing and selling marihuana, but 51% are willing to wait and see if the system works before having it rejected, according to the latest public opinion poll released on Thursday. The bill was passed in parliament last December but only with the support from the ruling coalition.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 06:04 UTC
After a long debate, Argentine Congress approves Repsol/YPF agreement terms

After a 16-hour debate, Argentina's Lower House passed the law to pay Spanish Repsol 5 billion dollars in bonds to compensate for the 2012 seizure of a majority stake in Argentina's energy company YPF.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 05:56 UTC
Argentina's poverty index closer to “25% than to the official 5% from Indec”

Argentina's stats office, Indec failed on Wednesday to deliver the country's poverty and indigence rates due to “methodological” reasons, the head of ministers explained on Thursday morning adding the measurement of the basic basket “differs totally” from CPI’s calculations. His comments triggered a cataract of criticisms.
Friday, April 25th 2014 - 05:51 UTC
Argentina: Macri suggests to the Broad Front 'an agreement after the presidential election'

Buenos Aires City Mayor Mauricio Macri rejected on Thursday rumours suggesting a political alliance with the left leaning Broad Front UNEN, born this week and called for its leaders to seek an agreement for “after the (presidential) elections,” in 2015.