Stories for August 5th 2015

Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 10:27 UTC
BG announces first oil with FPSO vessel, 240kms off Rio de Janeiro coast

BG Group announced first oil from the Cidade de Itaguaí floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, the sixth unit to start production across the group's discoveries in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. The FPSO will produce from the Iracema North area of the Lula field in the Petrobras-operated BM-S-11 block.
Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 08:47 UTC
US State Department calls on Venezuela to lift ban on opposition candidates

The United States on Tuesday called on Venezuela to reverse a ban on opposition members from holding office and participating in the 6 December parliamentary elections. Washington made the request after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she had tried to register on Monday as a candidate but her application was rejected.
Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 08:36 UTC
Milestone for Peregrino field off Brazil: 100 million barrels of oil in four years

After just four years in production, the Peregrino field in the Campos basin offshore Brazil has passed a significant milestone, with 100 million barrels of oil produced since April 2011. The field, jointly owned by Statoil and Chinese Sinochem, achieved the milestone on August 2.
Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 08:13 UTC
Galapagos penguin numbers recovering with shifts in trade winds and ocean currents

Shifts in trade winds and ocean currents powered a resurgence of endangered Galapagos Penguins over the past 30 years, according to a new study led by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). These changes enlarged a cold pool of water the penguins rely on for food and breeding-an expansion that could continue as the climate changes over the coming decades, according to the study.
Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 07:49 UTC
German Executive and Judiciary clash over freedom of the press: top prosecutor sacked

Germany's justice minister has sacked the country's top prosecutor, who had accused the government of interfering with a treason investigation. Heiko Maas said he no longer had confidence in Harald Range, dismissing his statements as “incomprehensible”.
Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 07:25 UTC
UK government begins sale of rescued RBS, but a third below the price it paid

The British government has begun its sell-off of shares in part-nationalized lender Royal Bank of Scotland, raising £2.1bn, a third below the price it paid. It sold a 5.4% stake at 330p a share, a 7.6p discount on Monday's closing price.
Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 07:08 UTC
“Shoot first, ask questions later”, the Rio do Janeiro military police procedure

Military police in Rio de Janeiro who seem to follow a “shoot first, ask questions later” strategy are contributing to a soaring homicide rate but are rarely investigated and brought to justice, Amnesty International said on Monday as it published exclusive statistics and analysis ahead of the one-year countdown to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Wednesday, August 5th 2015 - 06:52 UTC
Lost humpback whale which ended in Buenos Aires lured back to sea

A lost whale which made a surprise visit to a marina in the Buenos Aires port area, periodically surfacing among the yachts while hundreds of onlookers tried to capture the moment with smartphones, finally on Tuesday was lured back to the open sea in a combined operation.