Stories for May 5th 2015

Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 17:50 UTC
China warms up to Taiwan and calls for future relations on an “equal basis”

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the chairman of Taiwan's ruling Nationalist Party (KMT) in Beijing on Monday for the highest-level meeting between the two sides since 2009.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 17:38 UTC
Brad Pitt invited to Ecuador to observe the 'pollution disaster” allegedly caused by Chevron

US cinema star Brad Pitt has been invited by the Ecuadorian government to observe the pollution in the country's Amazon region allegedly caused by Chevron. President Rafael Correa announced the invitation in his regular weekend report, saying that the oil giant is in preparation of spearheading a film with the movie star about an alleged case against the company.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 10:01 UTC
Mercosur prepared to consider the possibility of a 'two-speed' system with EU

Paraguay's foreign affairs minister Eladio Loizaga admitted in Madrid that Mercosur could consider the possibility of a “two-speed” system in trade and cooperation negotiations with the European Union. The minister was the main speaker at the event organized by Casa de America and the Spanish government news agency EFE.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 09:52 UTC
Mercosur main partners' bilateral trade stalled for the last six years

Bilateral trade between Mercosur main partners Argentina and Brazil, has stalled at an annual 30bn dollars during the last six years (2008/2014), with no prospects of a recovery during 2015, according to Finsoport consultants from Buenos Aires.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 09:35 UTC
Mujica admits his 'most intimate respect' for Cristina Fernandez, but...

Uruguayan former president Jose Mujica expressed in Buenos Aires his “most intimate respect” for Argentine president Cristina Fernandez and revealed that on occasions he came across her when “she was annoyed as a bad, cornered spider”.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 09:25 UTC
Chile asks World Court to throw out Bolivia's sea outlet claim: 'dispute has been settled'

Landlocked Bolivia went to the World Court on Monday, seeking to force Chile to negotiate the granting of a corridor of sovereign territory giving it access to the sea for its natural gas and mineral exports. Bolivia lost its coastal territory after being defeated by Chile in the 1880s War of the Pacific. Peru an ally of Bolivia also lost territory.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 09:18 UTC
Cristina Fernandez wins a battle on her ongoing attack on the non submissive Judiciary

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez and her followers might be having a rough time in the current round of local elections and primaries leading to the presidential vote next October, but her infighting skills remain intact: on her ongoing battle with the Judiciary branch she managed to put in check the Supreme Court.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 09:01 UTC
Hung parliament and delicate coalition knitting forecasted for UK Thursday vote

The Conservatives and Labor on Monday launched their final push to woo voters ahead of Britain's general election this week, as potential kingmaker parties made their pitch for power.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 08:48 UTC
The princess has a name: Her Royal Highness Charlotte (Elizabeth Diana) of Cambridge

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Kensington Palace has said. The fourth in line to the throne will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. She was born on Saturday in the Lindo Wing of London's St Mary's Hospital weighing 8lbs 3oz (3.7kg).
Tuesday, May 5th 2015 - 06:41 UTC
Brazil's Vale CEO becomes chairman of Petrobras board of directors

The CEO of Vale SA Murilo Ferreira was voted Chairman of the Board of Directors at Petroleo Brasileiro Petrobras SA (ADR). The Rio de Janeiro-based oil corporation is the most indebted energy company in the world, and is battling to get its way around one of the biggest corruption and bribery scandal that has surrounded the company since October last year.