Stories for April 15th 2010
More changes anticipated in Ecuador’s cabinet and military commands
Ecuador president Rafael Correa announced changes in the military command and further cabinet reshuffling as part of the restructuring of his administration’s team for the next three years.
Spanish dictator atrocities case presented before Argentine federal court
Argentine human rights groups turned the tables on Spain Wednesday, asking for a local judicial probe of killings and disappearances as well as suspected genocide during the Spanish Civil War and Gen. Francisco Franco's long dictatorship.
Uruguay’s support for Unasur’s chairman will be known at next summit
Ecuadorean Foreign Affairs minister Ricardo Patiño apologized to Uruguay for having stated that the administration of President Jose Mujica would support the nomination of former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner as chairman or the Union of South American nations, Unasur.
Lower sunspot activity anticipates chillier winters for northern Europe
Periods of low sunspot activity are associated with changes in the winds that tear though the upper atmosphere bringing unusually cold winters to northern Europe, according to the new study Environmental Research Letters
Fears of inflation and asset bubbles as China expands 11.9% in first quarter
China's economy expanded 11.9% year on year in the first quarter, indicating a solid recovery of the world's third largest economy, but also fanning concerns of asset bubbles, reports Xinhua.
Petrobras completes global presence by acquiring stake in Australian block
Brazilian government managed energy giant Petrobras announced it acquired a 50% stake in an exploration block in Australia with significant natural gas potential. Petrobras acquired the stake from MEO Australia for 39 million USD.
Venezuela plans to invest 120 billion USD in developing Orinoco heavy crude
Venezuelan Energy and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said some 120 billion USD will be invested over the next seven years in the Orinoco Belt, which the U.S. Geological Survey says is the largest petroleum accumulation it has ever evaluated.
Paraguay retains Taiwan diplomatic links and opens trade office with Beijing
Mercosur member Paraguay is reconsidering the terms of its relation with Taiwan, “retaining diplomatic links” but at the same time establishing “formal economic relations with Beijing”, said the country’s Foreign Affairs minister Héctor Lacognata.
Spain’s high unemployment a threat for financial system, warns top banker
Spain’s high unemployment is the biggest threat facing the country’s banks, the governor of the Spanish central bank said this week. With the jobless rate approaching 19%, Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordoñez said Spanish politicians need to approve labour reform “soon and with the broadest possible consensus”.
Uruguay's Ministry of Tourism warmly welcomes the UruguayNow project
www.UruguayNow.com is the first constantly updated internet travel guide in English dedicated solely to Uruguay. It launched at the country's Ministry of Tourism on 13 April.
