Stories for March 4th 2010

Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 21:24 UTC
US and Brazil agree Venezuela “should be looking more to the south”

The United States and Brazil agreed that Venezuela should be “looking more to the south”, to “successful models of country”, according to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and that is why “we have invited Venezuela to join Mercosur”, pointed out Brazilian Foreign Secretary Celso Amorim.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 21:18 UTC
Half of Venezuelan population has “little or no confidence” in President Chavez

Venezuelan voters' confidence in President Hugo Chávez is beginning to wane as a result of the electricity crisis, water rationing, economic measures, decisions limiting private property and attempts at leading the country into a Socialist system.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 21:12 UTC
What can Argentina gain from another Falklands dispute?

The Washington Post published this week an editorial on the current Falkland Islands situation arguing that “you know that an Argentine leader must be in political trouble” if the subject of the South Atlantic Islands comes up again.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 21:10 UTC
Cruise along Brazilian coast suffers alleged massive food poisoning

Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas was liberated and allowed to continue with the cruise after Brazilian sanitary officials imposed a 24 hours quarantine following a massive outbreak of what is believed to be food poisoning.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 21:03 UTC
Cost of rebuilding Chile estimated in 30 billion US dollars

Chile’s plans to repair the damaged caused by last Saturday’s earthquake are likely to cost the nation an estimated 30 billion US dollars and three to four years work, according to EQECAT, a firm that evaluates catastrophe risk for insurers.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 20:32 UTC
Chile’s tourism industry fears long term effects of quake and aftershocks

The tourism industry in Chile has been hit hard as travellers cancel trips to the disaster-struck country. Since the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Saturday, Andes Hostel in Santiago has received five to six cancellations per day, an employee told the Santiago Times.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 11:46 UTC
Standard Chartered record profits; criticizes regulation proposals

Standard Chartered has reported record profits in 2009 and criticised some recent proposals to regulate banks. Pre-tax profits were 5.15 billion USD (£3.4bn), up 13% from 2008. Total pay and bonuses rose 4% to 4.91 billion USD.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 04:46 UTC
Insulza bids for a second OAS term; US and Venezuela are not convinced

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, on Wednesday presented his candidacy for re-election in a speech before the Permanent Council in which he offered to continue to be a “partner” in the use of a “modern multilateralism to apply our common agenda, as ambitious as it may be, for the benefit of the people of the Americas.”
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 04:31 UTC
Santiago airport reopens domestic terminal and activity should reach 50%

Passenger traffic at Santiago de Chile’s main airport should reach 50% of normal activity on Thursday following the increase in commercial airlines flight numbers and the reopening of the domestic air terminal, reports the Chilean Civil Aeronautic Agency.
Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 04:21 UTC
Brazil tells Washington “not to push Iran into a corner”

Brazil and the US could not agree Wednesday over how to rein in Tehran's suspect nuclear ambitions and Brazilian President Lula da Silva warned the world not to “push Iran into a corner.”