Stories for September 23rd 2015

Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 11:09 UTC
France will appeal EU opt-out scheme to ban cultivation of GM crops

France is to use a new European opt-out scheme to ensure a ban on the cultivation of genetically modified crops in the country remains in place. The European Union's largest grain grower and exporter has asked the European Commission for France to be excluded from some GM maize crop cultivation under the new scheme, the farm and environment ministries said in a joint statement.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 10:11 UTC
Risk of 'corralito' (freeze of bank accounts) if Catalonia secedes from Spain

Bank of Spain governor Luis María Linde on Monday stated that if Catalonia secedes from Spain, there could be a risk of a corralito, the popular term for economic measures that include a freeze on clients’ accounts, with the aim of halting a potential bank run.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 09:03 UTC
Guyana claims Venezuela is making “abnormal military deployments” near the border

Guyana President David Granger is claiming that Venezuela is making “abnormal and extraordinary military deployments” near the border between the two countries. He made the accusation on Tuesday, saying that he had received reports about the movement in eastern Venezuela/western Guyana.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 08:52 UTC
Argentine squid catch this season was down 23% to 127.217 tons

The squid season closed in Argentina with a total landing of 127,216.9 tons of Illex argentinus, representing an annual decline of 23% (38,005.6 tons), according to the latest stats published by the Under secretariat of Fisheries of the Nation. Last year the catch totaled 165.221 tons.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 08:43 UTC
Tsipras takes office with a daunting agenda; 45% abstained on Sunday

Alexis Tsipras took the oath of office for a second term as Greek prime minister, promising to revive the crippled economy while demanding debt relief from creditors as his “first big battle” following an unexpectedly clear election victory.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 08:22 UTC
Falklands Argos completes farm-out agreement with Noble and Edison

Falklands focused Argos Resources Limited confirmed the completion by its wholly owned subsidiary, Argos Exploration Limited of a farm out agreement with Noble Energy Falklands Limited and Edison International S.p.A in respect of its Licence PL001.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 07:58 UTC
Volkswagen admits 11 million cars worldwide equipped with “cheating software”

The scandal that has undermined Germany's Volkswagen in the United States spread to its core market of Europe on Tuesday, after the company admitted that eleven million of its diesel cars worldwide were equipped with software that was used to cheat on emissions tests in the US.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 07:50 UTC
Punta Arenas low-cost fares competition between Lan and Sky Airlines

Following on Chilean low cost carrier, Sky Airlines, announcement of twelve destinations with cheap flight tickets, including the Santiago/Punta Arenas leg, Lan Chile made a similar presentation on Tuesday of a new set of promotions.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 07:31 UTC
Obama and Biden greet Francis as he begins six-day visit; he will address US congress

Pope Francis on Tuesday afternoon touched down at Joint Base Andrews to begin a historic six-day, three-city visit that will have political, diplomatic and spiritual ramifications. Breaking from the usual protocol for a state visit, President Obama and Vice President Biden chose to greet the papal plane before Francis departed in a hatchback Fiat to begin his tightly scheduled, carefully choreographed and highly anticipated visit.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 - 07:17 UTC
Uruguay pumps greenbacks to keep the US dollar rate on sliding stability

Uruguay's central bank was forced to sell almost 65 million dollars on Tuesday, the highest volume so far this year, to keep the US dollar from ballooning as fears of the collapse of the Brazilian economy are felt through the region. The dollar finally ended trading with a slight 0.12% increase at 28,826 Pesos to the greenback.