Stories for February 2011

Monday, February 14th 2011 - 06:11 UTC
Colombian president supports legalizing drugs if it reduces violence and crime

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said in an interview published Sunday that he could consider legalizing drugs as a way to reduce violence and crime in his country. He joins a list of prominent Latinamerican leaders who are promoting the initiative.
Monday, February 14th 2011 - 06:07 UTC
Dengue is back in South America: 31 dead and 46.600 suspected cases

An outbreak of dengue fever across much of Latin America has killed 31 people since the start of the year and is showing no sign of relenting. Endemic in several countries there’s growing concern following the discovery of a very “aggressive” strain in Peru.
Monday, February 14th 2011 - 05:55 UTC
Whaling shipwreck linked to “Moby Dick” discovered offshore Hawai

US marine archaeologists have found the sunken whaling ship belonging to the captain who inspired Herman Melville's classic 19th Century novel, Moby Dick. The remains of the vessel, the Two Brothers was found in shallow waters off Hawaii.
Monday, February 14th 2011 - 05:48 UTC
Alleging national security, China plans to review foreign attempts to buy local companies

China is launching a body to review foreign attempts to buy local companies in a move that might add to strains over access to its markets.
Monday, February 14th 2011 - 03:49 UTC
Kirchner told banks to “make cheap loans and mortgages” in 2007 presidential campaign

The Spanish newspaper El Pais published new Wikileaks cables of the US embassy which mention the relationship between Argentina’s Kirchners ruling couple and the banks especially during the period previous to the presidential election of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007).
Monday, February 14th 2011 - 03:40 UTC
UK frauds’ office looking for Mubarak’s cash and assets, says Sunday Times

A British government minister said on Sunday there should be an international approach to dealing with the overseas assets of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his family.
Monday, February 14th 2011 - 03:36 UTC
Argentines accept inflation is in the range of 25%, but divided on the causes

A majority of Argentines, 74%, believes that inflation is harming their finances and a similar percentage, 74%, considers the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is hardly interested in the issue, according to a public opinion poll published Sunday in Buenos Aires La Nacion.
Saturday, February 12th 2011 - 12:44 UTC
Unilateral Fact II

Mr. Andres Cisneros’s reply to the article “Unilateral Facts” by Dr. Graham Pascoe and myself last Sunday in the BA Herald, (Jan 21st and Feb 6th in MP), does not answer our points adequately. Our article was specifically about Argentina’s hypocrisy in using UN Resolution 31/49 to criticise Britain’s acts as “unilateral”. Instead he launches a general anti-British diatribe, and makes a number of errors. The worst are as follows.
Saturday, February 12th 2011 - 08:12 UTC
“Limits must be imposed” on Latinamerican presidential successive re-election

The Organization of American States, (OAS), Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said that democracy must impose limits on Latin America’s presidential successive re-election tendency.
Saturday, February 12th 2011 - 08:08 UTC
IMF calls for fiscal austerity in South America but admits “dilemmas”

IMF warned inflation is threatening South America but also admitted countries had a dilemma since increasing interest rates could further worsen the appreciation of local currencies vis-à-vis the US dollar.