Latin America

• Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 00:44 UTC

  Glaciers in Chile and Argentina are melting at the fastest rate

  

  Glaciers in Chile, Argentina and Alaska are melting at the fastest rate, according to a report compiled by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and presented this week at the UN climate change talks in Cancún, Mexico.

• Friday, December 10th 2010 - 18:20 UTC

  Chile begins construction of 1 MW solar energy plant to supply copper mine

  

  Last December 2, a ceremonial first stone was laid to mark the start of construction of a photovoltaic solar plant near the northern Chilean city of Calama.

• Friday, December 10th 2010 - 04:26 UTC

  Most Chileans have a “poor” and “unhealthy” diet shows nutritional report

  

  A study by the Catholic University of Chile and the Banmedical Foundation showed that 62% of Chileans were found to have a “poor diet” and 29% an “unhealthy” diet.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 20:51 UTC

  Unasur members will share and disclose data on military expenditure

  

  For the first time ever South American countries will jointly share and disclose data on their military expenditures, according to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Defence. It is anticipated that next March all member countries from Unasur (Union of South American Nations) will make public the information following on this year’s approval of a common methodology to measure Defence expenditure.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 08:45 UTC

  “Mario (Vargas Llosa) the only thing you’re good for is writing”

  

  In his acceptance speech as winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, entitled “In Praise of Reading and Fiction”, (*) Peruvian writer Vargas Llosa paid tribute to his mother, his grandfather Pedro and his uncle Lucho.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 08:28 UTC

  Keiko Fujimori daughter of jailed leader joins Peruvian presidential race

  

  Keiko Fujimori, daughter of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori, joined Peru's presidential race, vowing to make sure the country's economic boom lifts more people out of poverty.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:24 UTC

  Uruguay, Mexico and Chile have the most numerous middle-class in Latam

  

  According to the 2011 Latin American Economic Outlook report released on Dec. 3 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Chile has the third highest percentage of middle-class citizens in Latin America.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:20 UTC

  Fire in an overcrowded Santiago de Chile jail, kills at least 83 inmates

  

  Fire engulfed a prison in the Chilean capital Santiago Wednesday early in the morning, killing 83 inmates and critically injuring 14 others, the government said, in the worst-ever accident in the country's jail system.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:18 UTC

  Heavy rains force temporary suspension of traffic in the Panama Canal

  

  Heavy rains have forced the temporary suspension of traffic along the Panama Canal, the major shipping waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans which handles 5% of global trade.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:15 UTC

  Clelia II sailing on her own is expected Friday in Ushuaia

  

  The expedition vessel MV Clelia II is now operating at normal speed during its northbound crossing of the Drake Passage, following heavy sea conditions Tuesday that resulted in a broken bridge window and some electrical malfunctions.