Stories for December 2016

Tuesday, December 13th 2016 - 07:32 UTC
Guterres sworn in as UN Secretary General: pledges more delivery and less on process

Portugal's António Guterres was sworn in Monday as the ninth U.N. secretary-general. “The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective,” Guterres told member states. “It must focus more on delivery and less on process; more on people and less on bureaucracy,” he said.
Monday, December 12th 2016 - 17:51 UTC
US, EU and Japan do not recognize China as market economy: Beijing anticipates retaliation

China's battle for recognition as a market economy that would help it avoid penalties from key trade partners has been thwarted, as a key clause in Beijing's deal to join the WTO expired on Sunday.
Monday, December 12th 2016 - 15:57 UTC
Falklands/Malvinas: Next steps to identify Argentine soldiers buried in Darwin Cemetery agreed

The Falkland Islands government has issued a release relative to the meeting held last Friday, in Geneva, chaired by the Red Cross to address the identification of Argentine soldiers buried at the Falkland' Darwin cemetery. Falklands' lawmaker, MLA Mike Summers was in attendance for these talks as part of the UK delegation.
Monday, December 12th 2016 - 15:17 UTC
Germany wants to extends unilateral border controls beyond EU's deadline

As EU's Interior Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos declined an extension beyond February and pushed for things to go “back to Schengen,” Germany prepares to go ahead on its own to maintain the border controls in Bavaria for a longer period of time. Border controls between the Schengen countries are only acceptable as a time-limited exception to the rule of open borders. Better protected EU external borders should make the controls in the interior of Europe superfluous.
Monday, December 12th 2016 - 14:18 UTC
Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni is Italy's new Prime Minister

State President Sergio Mattarella commissioned the 62-year-old Social Democrat to form a new government. Gentiloni said his nomination was a “great honor,” which he wanted to fulfill with “consciousness of responsibility and dignity.” It is unclear whether he will remain in office until spring 2018.
Sunday, December 11th 2016 - 23:14 UTC
Peru's Air Force Mi-8/17 helicopters secure spares from Russia as of next year

The Russian Helicopters holding came out the winning bidder on supply of spare parts for Mi-8/17 helicopters of Peru’s Air Force and will start deliveries next year, Executive Director of the company Grigoriy Kozlov said on Friday. The company also plans to build a pilot training center in Peru next year, it was announced.
Sunday, December 11th 2016 - 22:07 UTC
Global de-mining conference in Chile concerned over growing use of improvised landmines

The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention's Fifteenth Meeting of the States Parties (15MSP) concluded a week of work in Santiago, Chile, recording success in stockpile destruction with Poland announcing it had destroyed one million stockpiled landmines bringing to 158 the number of States that no longer hold stocks.
Sunday, December 11th 2016 - 22:04 UTC
In 8-0 decision US Supreme Court rules in favor of Samsung in milestone patents' case for the industry

In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a lower court’s US$399 million judgment against Samsung for violating patents involving Apple’s iPhone. The decision overturns a victory that Apple had won in the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
Sunday, December 11th 2016 - 21:16 UTC
Brazil: strong rate cuts ahead because of recession, indicate Central bank minutes

Fears of a slower economic recovery in Brazil could pave the way for heftier rate cuts, the central bank said clearly signaling more aggressive monetary easing ahead as the country's worst recession in memory worsens.
Sunday, December 11th 2016 - 21:13 UTC
Petrobras ordered to temporarily suspend divestiture program; court wants to review asset sales

Brazil's federal auditing court (TCU) asked state-controlled oil company Petrobras to temporarily suspend its divestiture program while the court reviews asset sales procedures. The decision could delay Petrobras efforts to raise US$15.1 billion from asset sales by the end of 2016 as a way to reduce its huge debt -- the largest in the global oil industry.