Stories for July 16th 2010
Falklands FCO official steps in to help Islander mum and new baby home from Chile.
A young Falklands mum, and her prematurely born baby, who found themselves immobilized in Chile due to documentation problems, have made it home thanks to a determined mother and a Government House official.
Colombia joins race to become energy independent by 2020
Colombian state oil company Ecopetrol said it expects to produce 1.3 million barrels per day of “clean” oil equivalent by 2020 and that some 80 billion US dollars in investment will be needed to meet the target.
Falklands’ oil exploration to continue with second Rockhopper drill
Oil fortunes ebbed and flowed this week as one exploration company abandoned its well, another looked forward to a second bumper find, and a new player joined the race for black gold in Falklands’ waters.
Petrobras begins deepwater pre-salt commercial crude production
Brazil’s government controlled energy giant Petrobras began commercial crude production Thursday from a deepwater deposit in the pre-salt region, which the government anticipates will turn the country into a global leader in oil production.
Cold wave in Argentina forces shutdowns in gas powered industries
The cold wave in Argentina has killed at least five people, forced the closure of highways and left most of industry short of gas given the soaring residential consumption.
New UK government retakes Trilateral talks with Spain and Gibraltar
The first set of high level Trilateral technical talks involving a UK Conservative-Liberal coalition government are to take place in Gibraltar next week, it was formally confirmed.
Cuban freed political prisoners request full citizen status from Spain
Seven of the eleven Cuban political prisoners freed and flown to Madrid this week described conditions in Cuban jails, where they lived among rats and the threat of tuberculosis. They also requested Madrid does not categorize them as immigrants.
Goldman Sachs fined 550 million USD for giving clients “incomplete information”
Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay 550 million US dollars to settle civil fraud charges of misleading investors. The US financial watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said this was the biggest fine against a bank in its history.
EU/Mercosur business leaders call for “ambitious and balanced” trade agreement
Brazilian and European business leaders gathered in Brasilia urged their governments to reach an “ambitious and balanced” trade agreement between Mercosur and the EU, and give first priority to the conclusion of the WTO Doha round talks.
US Senate approves biggest overhaul of financial regulation in decades
United States Senate has given final approval to the biggest overhaul of US financial regulation in decades. The reforms are intended to avert a repeat of the 2008 crisis that brought the world economy to the brink of collapse.
