Stories for December 4th 2007

Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
New Australian government ratifies Kyoto Protocol

Australia signed on Sunday the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol which means the country will become a full member of the protocol early next year. It was incoming Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd first official act of his new government.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Contract to explore world's largest iron ore deposit

Bolivian President Evo Morales has signed into law a contract for India's Jindal Steel and Power to develop the massive El Mutun iron ore deposit through a 2.1 billion US dollars investment, believed to be the largest foreign investment in Bolivia's history.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Praise for Venezuela but Chavez promises “we will prevail”

Latinamerica praised the “democratic maturity” of the Venezuelan people, the European Union expressed satisfaction and the United States welcomed the defeat of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's controversial reform plans in Sunday's referendum.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
South America ready to launch two major regional projects

Two major regional projects are scheduled to be launched on the second week of December in South America, designed to boost economic integration. Chile, Bolivia and Brazil will formally announce the start of construction work on the bi-oceanic corridor linking the three nations on December 11.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Uruguay plans re-purchase of bonds maturing before 2012

Uruguay announced the re-purchase of up to 500 million US dollars in international and domestic bonds in an operation that seeks to reduce its foreign currency debt and extend maturities.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Bush and Garcia hail approval of US/Peru free trade agreement

The United States/Peru free trade agreement on Tuesday cleared Congress and was ready for President George W. Bush signature, a victory for the US and Peruvian embattled leaders.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Chilean Central Bank has new president MIT educated

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet on Monday named economist José De Gregorio as the new president of Chile's Central Bank (BC). De Gregorio, currently the BC's vice president, will replace Vittorio Corbo, whose term expires on December 6.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
UN appeals for ongoing fight to eradicate landmines

On the tenth anniversary of the landmark international anti-mine treaty this Tuesday December 3, Ban Ki-moon urged the world's peoples and governments to continue the fight to abolish anti-personnel landmines.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
The world's third highest waterfall discovered in Peru

The third highest waterfall in the world is in the Peruvian Amazon rain forest and measures 895.4 meters according to the country's Nacional Geographic Military Institute, IGN. The announcement was made by Foreign Trade and Tourism minister Mercedes Araoz.
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Uruguay expects good tourist season: 1.8 million in 2007

An estimated 1.8 million tourists will have visited Uruguay in 2007, a figure similar to that of last year, with income in the range of 750 million US dollars. However “prospects for 2008 are more encouraging given the increased connectivity of Uruguay in the region”, said on Tuesday Deputy Tourism minister Liliam Kechichian.