Stories for March 4th 2010
US and Brazil agree Venezuela “should be looking more to the south”
The United States and Brazil agreed that Venezuela should be “looking more to the south”, to “successful models of country”, according to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and that is why “we have invited Venezuela to join Mercosur”, pointed out Brazilian Foreign Secretary Celso Amorim.
Half of Venezuelan population has “little or no confidence” in President Chavez
Venezuelan voters' confidence in President Hugo Chávez is beginning to wane as a result of the electricity crisis, water rationing, economic measures, decisions limiting private property and attempts at leading the country into a Socialist system.
What can Argentina gain from another Falklands dispute?
The Washington Post published this week an editorial on the current Falkland Islands situation arguing that “you know that an Argentine leader must be in political trouble” if the subject of the South Atlantic Islands comes up again.
Cruise along Brazilian coast suffers alleged massive food poisoning
Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas was liberated and allowed to continue with the cruise after Brazilian sanitary officials imposed a 24 hours quarantine following a massive outbreak of what is believed to be food poisoning.
Cost of rebuilding Chile estimated in 30 billion US dollars
Chile’s plans to repair the damaged caused by last Saturday’s earthquake are likely to cost the nation an estimated 30 billion US dollars and three to four years work, according to EQECAT, a firm that evaluates catastrophe risk for insurers.
Chile’s tourism industry fears long term effects of quake and aftershocks
The tourism industry in Chile has been hit hard as travellers cancel trips to the disaster-struck country. Since the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Saturday, Andes Hostel in Santiago has received five to six cancellations per day, an employee told the Santiago Times.
Standard Chartered record profits; criticizes regulation proposals
Standard Chartered has reported record profits in 2009 and criticised some recent proposals to regulate banks. Pre-tax profits were 5.15 billion USD (£3.4bn), up 13% from 2008. Total pay and bonuses rose 4% to 4.91 billion USD.
Insulza bids for a second OAS term; US and Venezuela are not convinced
The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, on Wednesday presented his candidacy for re-election in a speech before the Permanent Council in which he offered to continue to be a “partner” in the use of a “modern multilateralism to apply our common agenda, as ambitious as it may be, for the benefit of the people of the Americas.”
Santiago airport reopens domestic terminal and activity should reach 50%
Passenger traffic at Santiago de Chile’s main airport should reach 50% of normal activity on Thursday following the increase in commercial airlines flight numbers and the reopening of the domestic air terminal, reports the Chilean Civil Aeronautic Agency.
Brazil tells Washington “not to push Iran into a corner”
Brazil and the US could not agree Wednesday over how to rein in Tehran's suspect nuclear ambitions and Brazilian President Lula da Silva warned the world not to “push Iran into a corner.”
