Stories for August 2008

Monday, August 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Recall referendum opinion polls ratify Bolivian president

Bolivian president Evo Morales is comfortably favored for ratification in the recall referendum of next August 10 with 59% support, according to the latest public opinion poll published Sunday in the capital La Paz main daily La Razón.
Monday, August 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Lula optimistic about a Doha round global trade agreement

Brazilian president Lula da Silva said he believes the Doha round global trade talks have not failed and anticipated that Brazil will insist that negotiations should continue until a satisfactory agreement for all is reached.
Monday, August 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil authorizes expansion of nuclear power program

The Brazilian government has authorized the resumption of plans to expand the country's nuclear power program, basically a third power plant. Work on the Angra 3 reactor, near Rio de Janeiro, has been stalled for 22 years by a lack of money and political issues.
Monday, August 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Growing resistance in Chile to salmon industry impacts

Fed up with what they claim to be environmentally destructive practices by Chile's 2.2 billion US dollars farmed salmon industry, a group of local fishermen in far southern Chile's Region XI is set to launch an international boycott of Chilean farmed salmon.
Sunday, August 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Lula da Silva and Chavez in Argentina to talk about trade

Presidents Lula da Silva of Brazil and Hugo Chavez from arrived Sunday night in Buenos Aires where they will meet President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to discuss pending issues, such as trade relations between the three countries.
Sunday, August 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil changing military strategy to rapid strike force

Brazil does not intend or is planning a massive troop build-up along its northern borders but wants a well-equipped rapid strike force to dissuade foreign intrusions, a senior government official said this weekend.
Sunday, August 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentine farmers: “never again caboose on camp decisions”

Stating that whoever attacks the camp “attacks Argentina” and promising to “never again accept being the caboose of the decisions that compromise the farm's integrity and destiny”, the president of the Argentine Rural Society Lucinao Miguens inaugurated this weekend the country's main agro-show in the Palermo premises.
Sunday, August 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
“Cool UN” initiative: dress causal and turn down air conditioning

Critics who say the United Nations only churns out hot air will find even more of the stuff if they visit the UN New York headquarters this month. Under the Cool UN initiative, the air conditioning will be turned down and temperatures will rise several degrees.
Saturday, August 2nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Car industry downturn: GM reports losses of 15.5 b USD

General Motors reported on Friday a net three-month loss of 15.5 billion US dollars as North American sales fell by 20%. GM took a 3.3 billion charge for buying out the contracts of 19,000 hourly workers who left at the end of June.
Saturday, August 2nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Venezuela to help Bolivia boost natural gas production

Bolivia with the help of Venezuela unveiled a plan to increase the country's natural gas reserves to supply energy thirsty neighbors, Brazil and Argentina. Bolivia has 48.7 trillion cubic feet of proven and probable natural gas reserves, the second-largest deposits in South America after Venezuela.