Stories for November 5th 2015

Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 08:00 UTC
Chilean judge sentences 64 former Pinochet secret police officers to jail time

Chilean judge Hernán Crisosto sentenced 64 former secret police officers (DINA) to jail time for the detention and disappearance of Washington Cid Urrutia in 1974 during the country’s military dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 07:30 UTC
Beijing and Taiwan leaders to meet for the first time in 66 years, in Singapore

Just weeks before Taiwan holds general and presidential elections, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou announced he will hold face-to-face talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Singapore. The meeting Saturday will be the first between Taiwanese and Chinese leaders since 1949 and authorities in China are predicting it will be a “major historic milestone” in the development of cross-strait relations.
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 07:17 UTC
Liberal chief Justin Trudeau, 43, takes office with a gender-balanced cabinet

Justin Trudeau was sworn in Wednesday as Canada's prime minister, ending 10 years of Conservative rule. Trudeau led his Liberal Party to a commanding victory in parliamentary elections last month, taking 184 seats compared with 99 for Stephen Harper's Conservative Party.
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 07:02 UTC
Mexico ready to purchase Guyana rice following Venezuela's refusal to renew exchange accord

The Guyana government says Mexico has indicated a willingness to fast track an agreement to purchase paddy rice from the Caribbean country. A statement released by the Office of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said that Mexico’s Agriculture Minister Jose Calzada has given the assurance that he would fast track arrangements to buy Guyana’s paddy.
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 06:51 UTC
Cruise season 2015/16 in Uruguay takes off 6 November; 170 calls expected

Uruguayan Tourism ministry officials announced that the country expects 170 calls from cruise vessels this coming season which is scheduled to begin 6 November and extend until 10 April 2016.
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 06:35 UTC
Argentine women are the most fluent English speakers in Latin America

Argentines are the most fluent English-speakers in Latin America according to the EF English Proficiency Index 2015 report — a study that analyzes the State of Worldwide English Proficiency. Globally the country came in 15th place out of the 70 countries that participated in the study, which uses test data from 910,000 adults.
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 06:13 UTC
Francis battle to combat Vatican corruption and out of control spending exposed in two books

The scale of the challenge facing Pope Francis as he struggles to overhaul the Vatican’s finances was exposed on Wednesday by the publication of confidential documents and private recordings of his meetings. In effect just months after his election in 2013, Francis demanded a clampdown on uncontrolled spending by the Vatican.
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 05:51 UTC
Argentine farmers hold on to their crops waiting for electoral promises, but 'dry' central bank reserves

Argentina's election season has dramatically changed the agricultural landscape in the country, one of the world's breadbaskets. Exporters are now more confident than ever that profits will soar next year, creating a short term impact of plunging sales abroad and reduced cash-flow in the Argentine Central Bank’s coffers, although that could change in 2016.
Thursday, November 5th 2015 - 05:38 UTC
Putin, Merkel and Obama, in that order, the world's three most powerful people, according to Forbes

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (No. 1) takes the top spot out of 73 on Forbes’ seventh annual ranking of “The World’s Most Powerful People” for the third year in a row. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (No. 2) moved up 3 spots from last year, while President Barack Obama (No. 3) dropped 1 spot, making it the first year a sitting U.S. President has not made it into the top 2 spots.