Stories for April 4th 2009

Sunday, April 5th 2009 - 06:29 UTC
Gibraltar converting from off-shore haven to regulated on shore finance centre

The Gibraltar Government hopes to sign at least 12 tax agreements with countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] by November this year. Completing that number of information exchange agreements would allow Gibraltar to enter the top category of countries regarded by the OECD as those which substantially meet international tax standards, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.
Sunday, April 5th 2009 - 06:26 UTC
Colombia demobilization plan working: 773 guerrillas in three months

Colombian guerrillas are turning in by the hundreds according to the latest report from the government. In March 237 guerrillas demobilized and turned in their weapons taking the total for the first quarter of the year to 773.
Sunday, April 5th 2009 - 06:20 UTC
In Brazilian school books Columbus arrived in America in 1942

Christopher Columbus must be having nightmares: according to the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo latest edition of public school books, the Genoa navigator arrived to America in 1942, that is 67 years ago and not in 1492.
Sunday, April 5th 2009 - 06:17 UTC
Argentina-Chile to jointly promote Patagonia tourism

El Calafate in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province will be hosting the second Argentina-Chile Patagonia Tourism operators meeting scheduled for mid April and which is expected to convene over 200 experts. The first event was held in Chile’s Magallanes region.
Sunday, April 5th 2009 - 06:14 UTC
Antarctica ice shelves melting faster than estimated

Antarctica's ice shelves are melting more rapidly than previously known because of climate change, according to a new US Geological Survey report prepared in close collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey, the Scott Polar Research Institute and Germany's Bundesamt fűr Kartographie und Geodäsie.
Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 11:06 UTC
Lula da Silva proud to lend money to the IMF

President Lula da Silva said he wants to be the first Brazilian leader whose administration will lend money to the International Monetary Fund. His comments were done following the G20 summit when it was agreed to supply the IMF with additional funding to the tune of 750 billion US dollars.
Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 11:04 UTC
Uruguay’s March inflation, 0.77% and 1.29% in first quarter

Uruguay’s consumer inflation climbed 0.77% in March according to the release from the country’s Statistics Office. In the first quarter of 2009, retail prices have risen 1.29% and 7.53% in the last twelve months.
Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 10:53 UTC
Chilean conservative presidential hopeful leads opinion poll

Chilean conservative presidential hopeful Sebastián Piñera is ten percentage points ahead over Eduardo Frei the ruling coalition candidate for next November’s election according to the latest public opinion poll released Friday.
Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 10:46 UTC
Falklands’ fan among 350 chosen students to meet leaders at NATO summit

President Barack Obama singled out a Bulgarian university student who published an article on the functioning of democracy in the Falkland Islands, to take part in a youth forum during the NATO summit in Strasbourg reports Sofia news agency, Novinite.com.
Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 09:50 UTC
Guess who the most popular politician on earth is

United States President Barack Obama, wildly popular the world over, said he isn't the globe's most admired politician: the title belongs to Brazil Lula da Silva