Latin America

• Thursday, September 27th 2012 - 17:19 UTC

  Piñera signs reform bill but students insist with free and better higher education

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera promulgated on Wednesday the education review bill which besides increasing funding by a billion dollars reduces from 6% to 2% the interest rate on loans for students to finance their university fees.

• Wednesday, September 26th 2012 - 07:25 UTC

  Guerrilla’s anti-personnel mines have killed over 10.000 people in Colombia

  

  Tens of thousands of anti-personnel mines and unexploded live munitions have caused over 10.000 fatal victims since 1990 in Colombia, the year when the country started to take records on accidents with this kind of ordnance, said Vice-president Angelino Garzón.

• Wednesday, September 26th 2012 - 07:19 UTC

  China denies influencing the Venezuelan election in favour of President Chavez

  

  China has “no intention of influencing” the coming Venezuelan elections said a Foreign ministry spokesperson in Beijing following allegations from opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles that recent economic agreements signed between Beijing and Caracas are part of that strategy.

• Wednesday, September 26th 2012 - 03:05 UTC

  Mercosur ‘losing credibility’ before Europe because of Paraguay/Venezuela controversy

  

  Mercosur is losing credibility before European countries following the recent suspension of Paraguay from the group and the later incorporation of Venezuela as full member said Paraguayan president Federico Franco who on Tuesday met with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

• Wednesday, September 26th 2012 - 02:52 UTC

  Argentina calls on UK for talks on ‘global issue’ Malvinas and ‘demilitarization’ of South Atlantic

  

  President Cristina Fernández once again claimed Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas islands and urged the United Kingdom to accept talks and abide by the United Nations resolutions on the matter which has become a “global issue”. The Argentine leader also asked for the demilitarization of the South Atlantic.

• Wednesday, September 26th 2012 - 01:05 UTC

  Brazil says orthodox fiscal policies worsened the recession in developed countries

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff who opened the UN round of General Assembly speeches, called on countries to boost international efforts to tackle the global economic crisis, stressing that a balance must be found to stimulate growth while at the same time controlling public spending without resorting to extreme austerity measures.

• Tuesday, September 25th 2012 - 15:01 UTC

  Human Rights Court tells Peru to annul ruling favouring ex-president Fujimori

  

  Inter-American Court of Human Rights told Peru on Monday to annul a ruling by its Supreme Court that could have paved the way for an early release of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori.

• Tuesday, September 25th 2012 - 14:49 UTC

  Welsh church hand 150-year historic bell to Chilean fire-fighters

  

  Chilean fire-fighters formed a guard of honour at a south Wales church as a historic bell was handed over at a ceremony. The bell was one of several removed and taken to Wales after being salvaged from a 19th Century fire which killed 2,500 people at a church in Chile.

• Tuesday, September 25th 2012 - 14:22 UTC

  Chilean company and global leading lithium producer strengthens market position

  

  The world leading lithium producer SQM has won a tender to develop a lithium concession in Chile, which produces around 40% of the metal, used widely in hybrid vehicles and computer and smart-phone batteries, the Mining Ministry said on Monday.

• Tuesday, September 25th 2012 - 08:05 UTC

  Four Uruguayan marines charged for abusing an 18-year old boy in Haiti

  

  Four Uruguayan marines have been charged on suspicion that they abused a young man while serving as United Nations peacekeepers in Haiti. The four men were charged with “private violence” against 18-year-old Johnny Jean, who says he was raped last year.