Stories for January 2012

Friday, January 6th 2012 - 06:45 UTC
Heavy rains and mudslides threaten Rio do Janeiro; 35.000 residents displaced

Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state placed emergency teams on maximum alert as heavy rains that have displaced 35.000 residents were forecast to continue, reviving fears of mudslides and flooding that killed about 900 people last year.
Friday, January 6th 2012 - 06:43 UTC
Mexico opens world’s tallest bridge which spans for over a kilometre at 403 metres

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has inaugurated the world's tallest bridge. The 403m tall Baluarte bridge spans a deep ravine in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains in northern Mexico.
Friday, January 6th 2012 - 06:40 UTC
All time record price for a 296 kilos blue-fin in Tokyo market: 712.000 dollars

A deep-pocketed restaurateur has paid more than 700.000 dollars for a tuna at Japan's Tsukiji fish market, smashing the record for a single blue-fin. Bidding on the 269kg fish, caught off the coast of Japan's northern Aomori prefecture, stood at an eye-popping 711.864 dollars when the hammer came down in the first auction of the year.
Thursday, January 5th 2012 - 05:36 UTC
Piñera reaffirms Antarctica policy and invites Mujica to visit Chilean bases

Chilean president Sebastián Piñera will be flying to Antarctic next 13 to 15 January together with his Uruguayan peer Jose Mujica, announced on Wednesday Chile’s Foreign Affairs minister Alfredo Moreno.
Thursday, January 5th 2012 - 05:33 UTC
In a decade Brazil must increase power generating capacity by 56%

Brazil must expand electricity production over the next decade by an amount equivalent to the power generated by three Itaipú hydroelectric dams, according to a study released Wednesday by the state-run Energy Research Corporation, EPE.
Thursday, January 5th 2012 - 05:28 UTC
Paraguay declares sanitary emergency because of outbreak of FMD

Paraguay declared on Wednesday animal sanitary emergency in the district of San Pedro, 400 kilometres north of the capital Asuncion where this week an outbreak of foot and mouth disease was confirmed in a farm.
Thursday, January 5th 2012 - 05:21 UTC
Brazil last year had the second-largest inflow of dollars: 65.2bn

Brazil last year recorded the second-largest dollar inflow in its history, 65.2 billion dollars, up 168% from 2010, with most in the form of foreign investment, the Central Bank said on Wednesday.
Thursday, January 5th 2012 - 05:15 UTC
Swedish contractor to expand Argentine railroad network to Bahía Blanca

Argentina is expanding its railroad network to cope with increasing demands for its growing export sector plus expectations of a boost in transit trade from landlocked Paraguay and regional commerce.
Thursday, January 5th 2012 - 05:11 UTC
Latam is well aware of the US position regarding Iran, says State Department

United States sent a strong message to Latin American countries preparing to host Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying Washington’s policy regarding the Teheran regime is “very well known”.
Thursday, January 5th 2012 - 05:08 UTC
EU slower December inflation could be followed by more interest rate cuts

Euro zone inflation eased from last year's peaks of 3.0% in December, the first sign of a fall in price growth this year that analysts expect will create room for more interest rate cuts to help the weakening economy.