Stories for July 30th 2010
Venezuela/Colombia rift: UNASUR unable to reach consensus calls for summit
The UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) Foreign Affairs ministerial meeting concluded Thursday night in Quito without an agreement on how to solve the diplomatic rift between Venezuela and Colombia.
Colombia claims Venezuela at last moment walked out from consensus document
Colombian Foreign Affairs minister Jaime Bermudez claimed Venezuela impeded reaching a consensus on a cooperation mechanism preventing the presence of Colombian guerrillas in other countries, during the Unasur ministerial meeting Thursday in Ecuador.
Earthquake forces Chilean fishermen to move: old port too shallow to operate
Chilean fishermen are still feeling the effects of the Feb. 27 earthquake. Infrastructure damage from the earthquake has forced more than 200 fishermen to relocate from the city of Lebu near Concepcion to the port of Coquimbo, a city to the north.
NZ Trade Minister shares in Uruguay dairy farming could cost him the job
The financial dealings of New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser are under scrutiny amid revelations he owns thousands of shares in a Uruguayan-based dairy company that he actively promotes as part of his job, according to the NZ press.
Citibank agrees fine to settle charges it misled investors with high risk mortgages
Banking giant Citigroup has agreed to pay 75 million US dollars to settle civil charges that it misled investors over potential losses from high-risk mortgages. It agreed the settlement with US financial watchdog the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Berlusconi selling his Sardinia “love nest” for 450 million Euro
Italian Primer Minister Silvio Berlusconi is selling his ostentatious Villa Certosa in the island of Sardinia very much celebrated for some of the controversial private parties with prostitutes and teenagers he organized and were widely captured on film.
Employment picks up in Chile boosted by construction and social services
A survey in June by the Economics department at the Universidad de Chile reported a 3 percentage point decline in unemployment in Santiago to 8.9%, from 11.9% in June 2009 – the largest decline since December 1991.
The “good chemistry” between Mujica and CFK crucial for the agreement
The Uruguayan government and opposition expressed deep satisfaction with the agreement reached with Argentina for the monitoring of the River Uruguay which did not include ‘detrimental sovereignty issues’ and sealed the end to a long standing conflict.
Uribe criticizes Lula da Silva for his approach to Colombia/Venezuela conflict
Outgoing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe deplored Thursday statements from the Brazilian leader Lula da Silva related to Venezuela’s decision to severe relations with Bogotá, according to a brief release from Palacio Nariño, seat of the Executive.
International air traffic showed strong recovery in June said IATA
International air passenger demand (particularly China and Latinamerica) and freight showed a strong improvement during June compared to a year ago according to the latest traffic international statistics released by the International Air Transport Association, IATA.
