Latin America

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 04:32 UTC

  First Seaweed-Based Biofuel Plant Goes Ahead In Chile

  

  The ugly swarms of algae that plague Chile's beaches may be an alternative energy blessing in disguise. Chilean economic development corporation (CORFO) announced an investment of 7 million US dollars towards a seaweed-based bio-ethanol project spearheaded by Chile and U.S. scientists.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 04:14 UTC

  German company wants Dakar Rally to stay in South America

  

  Winners Volkswagen wants the Dakar Rally to stay in South America and not to move back to Africa, the spokesman of the carmaker's motor-sport division said late Wednesday. Spokesman Stefan Moser raved about large and enthusiastic crowds at the two editions in Chile and Argentina and named security another aspect in favour of South America.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 07:00 UTC

  Aftershocks cause panic among Haitians and rescuers

  

  A powerful aftershock sent Haitians screaming into the streets on Wednesday, collapsing buildings, cracking roads and adding to the trauma caused by the major quake eight days ago.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:56 UTC

  Haiti Football Federation confirms 30 deaths and dozens missing

  

  Thirty members of the Haitian Football Federation have been confirmed dead and dozens others are missing following the massive earthquake that rocked the country. This was confirmed by Caribbean Football Union vice-president Captain Horace Burrell in a report sent to FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, following an assessment carried out last weekend.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:51 UTC

  “The best place to mine in South America (Chile) just got better”

  

  International mining groups this week were effusive in their support of Chile’s newly elected president Sebastian Piñera, a billionaire businessman with substantial holdings in Lan Airline, Chilevision (a TV station) and Colo Colo (a popular soccer team).

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 13:04 UTC

  Haiti government emerges from the rubble; US begins airdrops of food and water

  

  Haiti's government has regrouped after last week's devastating earthquake and is working to find food, shelter and medicine for survivors, Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive said Tuesday.

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 12:41 UTC

  Cruise industry joins relief effort by continuing to visit unaffected Haiti resorts

  

  Luxury cruise ships will continue to dock as normal at an idyllic resort in northern Haiti despite the deadly earthquake a week ago that devastated the Caribbean nation, a cruise company said Tuesday.

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 08:55 UTC

  Chile and China make huge investments to increase copper production

  

  Chile’s state-owned mining company, Codelco, last week announced a 1.9 billion US dollars project to develop a subterranean mine at its Chuquicamata opencast mine facility in Chile’s northern Atacama region (region III).

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 06:51 UTC

  Paraguay thanks Colombia for help in the release of a kidnapped rancher

  

  The Paraguayan government and the family of a liberated cattle rancher, kidnap victim of an armed group, have thanked Colombia because the aid and intelligence provided for the liberation were “decisive”, announced Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in Bogotá.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 13:57 UTC

  For many Port-au-Prince residents, situation is catastrophic says Red Cross

  

  “Access to shelter, sanitation, water, food and medical care remains extremely limited,” said Riccardo Conti, the International Committee of the Red Cross, CRC head of delegation in Haiti.