International

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chileans among most intolerant towards immigration

  Chile is one of the most intolerant Latinamerican countries with respect to immigration, according to a survey published late last week by the pollster Latinobarometro.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Economist links lower US rates with soaring oil, food prices

  Surging commodity price inflation should deter the United States central bank, the Federal Reserve from cutting its benchmark lending rate below 2%, suggested National Bureau of Economic Research President Martin Feldstein on Tuesday.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  US supports South American Defence council proposal

  The Brazilian proposal for a South American Defence Council is considered “interesting” by United States but Washington has no immediate reaction to the issue said Thomas Shannon, US Under Secretary of State for Latinamerica, according to an interview published in the Sao Paulo financial newspaper, Valor.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  UN warns on biodiversity loss impact for medicine

  Finding treatments for cancer, thinning bone disease and kidney failure are at risk due to biodiversity loss, a ground-breaking new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) book cautioned.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Poor countries have yet “to benefit from trade liberalization”

  Landlocked and least developed countries (LDCs) have been further marginalized as a result of trade liberalization, which has led to increased growth in many parts of the world, a senior United Nations official has said.

• Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Rice prices soar on fears Thailand could ban exports

  Rice prices have ballooned to fresh heights in Asian trade amid concern that export bans by key producing countries will hit supply. Curbs are in place in India and Vietnam to protect domestic supply and there are fears that Thailand, the world's largest producer, could follow suit.

• Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  UK £ 50 billion plan to help financial system

  British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling supported on Monday the Bank of England's £50bn plan to help prevent the credit crisis causing more damage to the UK banking system.

• Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Oil producing countries fear bio-fuels competition

  Saudi Arabia admitted that petroleum producing countries are concerned with the competition of alternative fuels, such as bio-fuels and with the determination of many countries to ensure their “energy independence”.

• Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  “Silent tsunami” threatens 100 million people with hunger

  The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) called for urgent action to tackle the “silent tsunami” of rising food prices which threatens to push more than 100 million people worldwide into hunger.

• Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile's energy bill forecasted to increase 2.8 billion US dollars

  With the international price of oil closing on 120 US dollars a barrel and the need for greater purchases of oil, diesel fuel and natural gas, Chile estimates the additional cost this year in 2.8 billion US dollars according to the government owned oil corporation ENAP, CEO Enrique Davila.