Stories for February 2010

Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 20:30 UTC
Looking for the Pinochet link in false accounting plea by British arms giant

Chilean authorities investigating bribery and embezzlement charges against former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet hope a plea bargain agreement between British arms manufacturer BAE systems and judicial authorities in the U.S. and U.K. will provide them with fresh evidence.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 16:51 UTC
Lula da Silva’s handpicked presidential candidate is “a puppet”

Former Brazilian president Fernando Enrique Cardoso said that the presidential pre-candidate Dilma Roussef is a “puppet” of Brazilian leader Lula da Silva, according to reports in the Sao Paulo press.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 16:47 UTC
Stiglitz calls on Euro zone governments to “burn the speculators”

European governments should intervene in stock markets and “burn” the speculators one of the world's leading economists was quoted by European media. Professor Joseph Stiglitz said authorities in the Euro-zone should do what the Chinese authorities did in the late 1990s when the Hong Kong currency came under attack.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 16:43 UTC
Brazil’s main political force confirms support for presidential hopeful Rousseff

Brazil’s main political force, the Brazilian Democratic Movement party, PMDB, reaffirmed its alliance with President Lula da Silva’s Workers Party, PT, and closed ranks behind his hand picked candidate for October’s presidential election, Dilma Rousseff.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 04:48 UTC
Let’s hope “they wont’ have stolen Government House and Plaza de Mayo”

An Argentine Senator from the ruling Justicialista party, several times tipped as a presidential hopeful harshly criticized the government while saying that the people of Argentina would be “pleased” when ”they (the Kirchner couple) leave in 2011,“ so they won't have ”stolen Government House and Plaza de Mayo.”
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 04:35 UTC
Ex-president Kirchner recovering favourably but will have “to control stress”

Former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner is recovering favourably after emergency surgery on his carotid artery, the chief surgeon on the case said Monday.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 04:31 UTC
Cuba renews attempt to boost farm production and cut food import bill

Cuban President Raul Castro has announced a five-year plan that he hopes will ease the country's economic problems and reliance on food imports. Basically the agricultural reform this time will be to surround cities with small urban farms so private citizens can raise animals and grow fruits and vegetables.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 04:21 UTC
Carnival takes off and Brazilian government hands out millions of condoms

Brazilian health officials have kicked off an AIDS awareness campaign and will hand out 55 million condoms during the annual Carnival festival that begins this weekend.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 04:06 UTC
Chavez ready “any time” to declare “electricity emergency”

Venezuela is facing the worst drought in a century and needs to be placed under an “electricity emergency,” President Hugo Chavez said Monday in his new, “any-time” radio program “Suddenly With Chavez.”
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 04:03 UTC
Unasur summit on Haiti could help ease regional tensions

Union of South American Nations, Unasur, leaders meet Tuesday in Quito, Ecuador to discuss the continent’s response to the crisis in earthquake devastated Haiti. The extraordinary summit’s initiative was sponsored by Ecuador’s president Rafael Correa following his visit to Haiti where he met with President René Preval.