Stories for December 2008

Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Light at the end of corridor for Botnia pickets conflict

A political ally of Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner admitted over the weekend that the Botnia pulp mill in Uruguay, and at the heart of ongoing dispute between the neighbouring countries, does not contaminate and called for the liberation of the bridges currently blocked by pickets.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Uruguay ex-guerrilla leader nominated presidential candidate

Uruguay's former guerrilla leader and currently Senator Jose Mujica was chosen by an overwhelming majority as the ruling coalition's presidential candidate for next year's elections, but he will first have to face another challenge from other hopefuls in June.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Botnia Pulp and Fiction: Finnish “mea culpa”

Jussi Pakkasvirta, an expert on the political history of Latin America from Helsinki University, has recently published a wide-ranging study of attitudes towards the Finnish pulp and paper industry's controversial moves into South America.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Record support for Lula da Silva and his administration

The approval rating of Brazilian President Lula da Silva and his administration soared to a record 80.3% and 71.1% during November, the highest for a Brazilian leader and his government since 1998, according to a poll from Instituto Sensus released in Brasilia.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Mercosur unable to agree on double tariff system

Poor start for the Mercosur summit in Salvador Bahía, Brazil. Mercosur member countries have been unable to reach an agreement in one of the main points of the agenda and which has been a stumbling issue for years: elimination of the double tariff on imports from third countries and which are then re-exported inside the block.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Russian flotilla to dock in Cuba, first time since Soviet era

A group of Russian warships is to visit Cuba for the first time since the Soviet era, the Russian navy has said. The visit, scheduled for 19-22 December, will be led by the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Major world banks caught in Madoff's hedge fund con

Some of the world's biggest banks have revealed they are victims of an alleged fraud which has lost 50 billion US dollars. Bernard Madoff, who was arrested on Thursday, has been charged with fraud in what is being described as one of the biggest-ever such cases.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Raul Castro willing to discuss US trade embargo with Obama

Cuban President Raul Castro said he is willing to discuss the 50-year-old US trade embargo against Cuba with President-elect Barack Obama. Castro made the announcement on arrival in North eastern Brazil for a summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
BHP Billiton oil survey vessel on its way to Falklands

The Falkland Islands are expecting the arrival in mid-January of the brand new Fugro Saltire a survey, construction support and intervention vessel, built earlier this year, which is to carry out seabed surveys for BHP Billiton.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Siemens admits bribery payments and is fined 1.4 b. USD

Electronics giant Siemens AG has agreed on Monday to pay 1.4 billion US dollars to US and German authorities after the company allegedly engaged in bribery, the SEC said in a release.