Stories for December 2011

Monday, December 5th 2011 - 22:00 UTC
With summer rainfall dengue outbreak threatens fifty major Brazilian cities

Some fifty Brazilian cities are exposed to serious outbreaks of dengue during the austral summer and another 236 are on ‘alert’ for the same reason, according to a paper presented Monday by Brazil’s Health minister Alexandre Padhilla.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 21:57 UTC
The most expensive car crash reported in the south of Japan

A luxury sports car outing in Japan has ended in what may be one of the most expensive car crashes in history. Eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini and two other vehicles were involved in the pile-up in the southern prefecture of Yamaguchi.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 21:30 UTC
Uruguay’s prospects entangled in Mercosur senior members’ policies, says EIU

Uruguay will have to learn to live with Argentina’s ‘unpredictable policies” and its growing tendency to protectionism, both from President Cristina Fernandez as from Brazil in a context where both economies growth is slowing down.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 20:44 UTC
For old time's sake

THE third of a planned series of extended political articles written exclusively for the Penguin News web site by Deputy Editor John Fowler. John is a former Superintendent of Education and a former Manager of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 20:32 UTC
Spanish government ‘concerned’ with Argentine harassment of fishing vessels in Falklands’ waters

The Spanish government has expressed ‘concern’ about claims from the Vigo-based fleet operating in the south-west Atlantic which has come under continuous harassment from Argentine naval patrols claiming they are fishing ‘illegally’ in ‘Argentine waters’ in spite of having licences awarded by the Falkland Islands government.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 20:24 UTC
“Mercozy” Euro ‘fiscal control’ plan to be announced Wednesday

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in Paris on Monday to align their positions on centralizing control of Euro zone budgets to stem a debt crisis that threatens Europe's currency union.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 20:19 UTC
Humala sends troops to end protests against a 4.8bn dollars gold mine project

Security forces fanned out across Peru's Cajamarca region on Monday to enforce emergency measures decreed by President Ollanta Humala to put an end to 11 days of protests against a 4.8 billion dollars gold mine project.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 20:15 UTC
HMS Edinburgh returns after 6 months deployment in all weather conditions

Families and friends of sailors serving on board HMS Edinburgh and HMS St Albans gathered at Portsmouth Naval Base on Friday, 2 December, to greet their loved ones returning from overseas deployments in the South Atlantic and the Gulf.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 06:54 UTC
The 33-nation CELAC grants full support to Argentina in the Falklands’ dispute

The members of the newly former CELAC (Community of Latinamerican and Caribbean States) unanimously approved on Saturday a document in support of Argentina’s claim over the Falklands/Malvinas and anticipated they would request the intervention of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Monday, December 5th 2011 - 06:51 UTC
Top Republican claims Obama is losing the Brazil battle to China

The US top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said President Barack Obama is missing opportunities to strike closer ties with Brazil, allowing China to steal market share from US companies in Latin America’s biggest economy.