Stories for June 2011

Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 11:37 UTC
Rousseff names new Congress liaison to improve ties with coalition partners

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff made the second key change of the week in her cabinet on Friday, a move aimed at improving strained ties with allies in Congress. Luiz Sergio, the minister responsible for liaising with Congress, resigned from his post,
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 11:27 UTC
Cristina Fernandez presidential bid “is headed towards a predictable scenario”

The candidacy of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner “is headed towards a predictable scenario” assured Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli in an interview he granted to Ambito Financiero's new TV show, “Ambito de debate”.
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 11:16 UTC
President Mujica claims attempts to weaken him government “so I have to leave”

A controversy over land taxes inside the Uruguayan government exposed claims from President Jose Mujica that “meetings are taking place to debilitate his administration and even possibly remove him”
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 11:04 UTC
Chile’s volcanic eruption devastates regions fishing; threatens cattle and tourism

A week’s ago volcanic eruptions in Chile’s South have crippled the fresh-water fishing industry there and potentially threaten the cattle industry, too.
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 11:00 UTC
Palocci resigns to his post as member of Petrobras Administration Council

Petrobras announced Friday in an official release that President Dilma Rousseff’s administration former chief of staff Antonio Palocci had resigned to his post in the Administration Council of the country’s oil and gas state-controlled corporation.
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 10:52 UTC
Italy recalls ambassador on Brazil’s refusal to extradite four-murder terrorist

Italy recalled its ambassador to Brazil on Friday after Brasilia refused to extradite a former left-wing guerrilla convicted of four murders. The decision by Brazil's Supreme Court earlier this week to uphold a government refusal to extradite Italian Cesare Battisti, allowing him to walk free, has brought relations between the two countries to a low point.
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 10:47 UTC
Hillary Clinton denies pursuing the post of World Bank President

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was not in discussions over the top job at the World Bank and that she was not pursing the post. Clinton is in Zambia as part of a five-day Africa trip that is being overshadowed by news that she had expressed interest in moving to head the World Bank.
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 10:38 UTC
Successful launching of Argentine/NASA satellite to map oceans’ surface salinity

The joint Argentine/US satellite Aquarius/SAC-D (Satellite de Aplicaciones Cientaficas) mission was successfully launched Friday from Vandenberg military air base in California. Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said the Argentines “on this day should feel happy and proud”.
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 10:09 UTC
Colombia signs landmark “Victims Law” to redress victims of internal conflict

Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos signed into law Friday a landmark “Victims' Law” aimed at redressing the estimated 4 million victims of the country's long-running internal running conflict.
Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 10:06 UTC
Countries succumbing to protectionism, says an advance of WTO document

The world's trading nations are succumbing to protectionism in the wake of the global financial crisis, limiting exports of food and raw materials and installing new import barriers, the WTO warned.